Navigation with three dimensional audio effects

• US 9,942,685 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Middlemiss, Simon, McCarthy, Stuart, Tsikkos, Michael, Chudge, Jarnail, Miller, Amos
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US13/931,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 381 17, 715716, 700 94, 704500, 340539, 340989, 4555561, 4554042, 4554563, 4554566, 701441, 701533, 701201, 701202, 701210, 372 6
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Mechanisms for navigation via three dimensional audio effects are described. A current location of a device and a first point of interest are determined. The point of interest may be determined based on a web service and the current location of the device may be determined via mobile device signals. A zone that includes the point of interest may be determined. A three dimensional audio effect that simulates a sound being emitted from the zone may be generated. The three dimensional audio effect may be transmitted to speakers capable of simulating three dimensional audio effects. The transmitted three dimensional audio effect may aid in navigation from a current location to the point of interest.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a search request;

determining a current location of a mobile device;

determining a context associated with the current location of the mobile device, the context including an environmental condition associated with the current location;

scanning to identify a plurality of points of interest proximate to the current location of the mobile device, including (1) scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest based on the search request, and (2) scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the search request, the one or more environment-related points of interest not being identified during the scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest;

determining a plurality of zones proximate the current location of the mobile device, each zone of the plurality of zones including at least one point of interest of the plurality of points of interest;

determining a location of the point of interest in an associated zone of the plurality of zones relative to the current location of the mobile device;

outputting to a speaker of the mobile device a plurality of three dimensional audio effects associated with the plurality of points of interest, the three dimensional audio effects of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects simulating a sound emitted from a direction and distance of an associated point of interest relative to the current location of the mobile device, at least one three dimensional audio effect of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects being at least partially determined based on the environmental condition associated with the current location of the mobile device;

receiving an indication of a selection of a destination point of interest of the plurality of points of interest in a zone of the plurality of zones;

determining a path from the current location of the mobile device to the location of the destination point of interest; and

outputting to the speaker of the mobile device the three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point of interest that indicates a correct direction of travel as the current location of the mobile device approaches the location of the destination point of interest.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a location of the points of interest in an associated zone of the plurality of zones relative to the current location of the mobile device comprises:

sending a request to a remote web service with an identifier associated with the point of interest; and

receiving the location associated with the point of interest.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition associated with the current location includes at least one of a temperature associated with the current location, a time of day associated with the current location, an altitude associated with the current location, or a weather condition associated with the current location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the three dimensional audio effects associated with the points of interest are provided via a web service message including the three dimensional audio effects associated with the points of interest.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a path from the current location of the mobile device to the location of the destination point of interest comprises determining a location of at least one obstacle;

and wherein outputting to the speaker of the mobile device the three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point of interest that indicates a correct direction of travel as the current location of the mobile device approaches the location of the destination point of interest comprises;

outputting to the speaker of the mobile device a first three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point that leads into a first zone that does not include the destination point of interest to lead the mobile device along the correct direction of travel to avoid the at least one obstacle; and

outputting to the speaker of the mobile device a second three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point that leads into a second zone that does include the destination point of interest to lead the mobile device along the correct direction of travel to the destination point of interest.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first angle, the first angle measured in a horizontal plane between the current location of the mobile device and a location of a first point of interest; and

determining a second angle, the second angle measured in a vertical plane between the current location of the mobile device and the location of the first point of interest;

wherein the three dimensional audio effect associated with the first point of interest simulates sound emitted from a point at the first angle and the second angle.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determine a pitch of the three dimensional audio effect associated with the first point of interest based on the first angle, the second angle, and a distance between the current location of the mobile device and the first point of interest.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each zone is a volume of points encapsulating the current location of the mobile device, the location of at least one point of interest, and points along a line between the current location of the mobile device and the location of the at least one point of interest.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein outputting to the speaker of the mobile device the three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point of interest that indicates a correct direction of travel as the current location of the mobile device approaches the location of the destination point of interest comprises:

determining a three dimensional audio effect based on a relative zone location of the plurality of zones.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition associated with the current location includes a weather condition associated with the current location.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processing device configured by one or more instructions to perform operations including at least;

receiving a search request;

determining a current location of a mobile device;

determining a context associated with the current location of the mobile device, the context including an environmental condition associated with the current location;

scanning to identify a plurality of points of interest proximate to the current location of the mobile device, including (1) scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest based on the search request, and (2) scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the search request, the one or more environment-related points of interest not being identified during the scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest;

determining a plurality of zones proximate the current location of the mobile device, each zone of the plurality of zones including at least one point of interest of the plurality of points of interest;

determining a location of the point of interest in an associated zone of the plurality of zones relative to the current location of the mobile device;

outputting to a speaker of the mobile device a plurality of three dimensional audio effects associated with the plurality of points of interest, the three dimensional audio effects of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects simulating a sound emitted from a direction and distance of an associated point of interest relative to the current location of the mobile device, at least one three dimensional audio effect of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects being at least partially determined based on the environmental condition associated with the current location of the mobile device;

receiving an indication of a selection of a destination point of interest of the plurality of points of interest in a zone of the plurality of zones;

determining a path from the current location of the mobile device to the location of the destination point of interest; and

outputting to the speaker of the mobile device the three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point of interest that indicates a correct direction of travel as the current location of the mobile device approaches the location of the destination point of interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining a location of the point of interest in an associated zone of the plurality of zones relative to the current location of the mobile device comprises:

determining a location of at least one point of interest by sending a web service request with an identifier associated with the at least one point of interest.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein receiving a search request comprises:

receiving a search request associated with a genre, wherein the genre includes at least one of a restaurant, a beverage facility, a grocery store, or a retail merchandise store.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the three dimensional audio effects associated with the points of interest are provided via a web service including the three dimensional audio effects associated with the points of interest.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the search request comprises:

scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the genre associated with the search request.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein each zone is a volume of points encapsulating the current location of the mobile device, the location of at least one point of interest, and points adjacent to a line between the current location of the mobile device and the location of the at least one point of interest.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each zone is substantially in a shape of a cone.

18. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor for executing computer instructions; and

memory storing computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform a method comprising;

receiving a search request;

determining a current location of a mobile device;

determining a context associated with the current location of the mobile device, the context including an environmental condition associated with the current location;

scanning to identify a plurality of points of interest proximate to the current location of the mobile device, including (1) scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest based on the search request, and (2) scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the search request, the one or more environment-related points of interest not being identified during the scanning to identify one or more search-related points of interest;

determining a plurality of zones proximate the current location of the mobile device, each zone of the plurality of zones including at least one point of interest of the plurality of points of interest;

determining a location of the point of interest in an associated zone of the plurality of zones relative to the current location of the mobile device;

outputting to a speaker of the mobile device a plurality of three dimensional audio effects associated with the plurality of points of interest, the three dimensional audio effects of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects simulating a sound emitted from a direction and distance of an associated point of interest relative to the current location of the mobile device, at least one three dimensional audio effect of the plurality of three dimensional audio effects being at least partially determined based on the environmental condition associated with the current location of the mobile device;

receiving an indication of a selection of a destination point of interest of the plurality of points of interest in a zone of the plurality of zones;

determining a path from the current location of the mobile device to the location of the destination point of interest; and

outputting to the speaker of the mobile device the three dimensional audio effect associated with the destination point of interest that indicates a correct direction of travel as the current location of the mobile device approaches the location of the destination point of interest.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein:

the current location of the mobile device is determined by triangulating mobile device signals.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and the search request comprises:

scanning to identify one or more environment-related points of interest based on both the environmental condition associated with the current location and a genre associated with the search request.