Context-aware voice guidance

• US 9,997,069 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bennett, Jonathan A., Lemay, Stephen O., van Os, Marcel, Forstall, Scott, Moore, Bradford A., Vulcano, Emanuele, Pylappan, Seejo K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, David
• Application Number:
  US13/802,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20130322665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 701400, 701419, 701427, 701428, 701431, 701443, 700 94, 381 17, 381 86, 381302, 381 61, 4554042, 4554563, 4554561
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3608 using speech input, e.g. using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3611 using character input or menus, e.g. menus of POIs character input methods in general G06F3/0233
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3614 through interaction with a road map, e.g. selecting a POI icon on a road map
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3629 Guidance using speech or audio output, e.g. text-to-speech text to speech systems per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3632 Guidance using simplified or iconic instructions, e.g. using arrows G01C21/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3638 including 3D objects and buildings three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects G06T17/00; geographic models G06T17/05
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096758 where no selection takes place on the transmitted or the received information
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096775 where the origin of the information is a central station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096855 where the output is provided in a suitable form to the driver details on I/O arrangements for onboard navigation computers G01C21/36
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/222 Barge in, i.e. overridable guidance for interrupting prompts
• 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: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 : Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A context-aware voice guidance method is provided that interacts with other voice services of a user device. The voice guidance does not provide audible guidance while the user is making a verbal request to any of the voice-activated services. Instead, the voice guidance transcribes its output on the screen while the verbal requests from the user are received. In some embodiments, the voice guidance only provides a short warning sound to get the user'"'"'s attention while the user is speaking on a phone call or another voice-activated service is providing audible response to the user'"'"'s inquires. The voice guidance in some embodiments distinguishes between music that can be ducked and spoken words, for example from an audiobook, that the user wants to pause instead of being skipped. The voice guidance ducks music but pauses spoken words of an audio book in order to provide voice guidance to the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing context aware audible navigation prompts during a navigation presentation that an electronic device provides to offer guidance through a navigated route, the electronic device comprising a plurality of services utilizing audio, the electronic device audio played on a plurality of stereo speakers, the method comprising:

identifying a navigation instruction to provide for a navigation maneuver;

determining an allowed type of audio prompt for the electronic device to provide for the identified navigation instruction by determining whether any audio service of the device is currently being utilized to receive a voice input;

based on detecting that a first audio service is currently receiving the voice input, determining that no audio prompt is allowed;

based on detecting that a second audio service is currently receiving the voice input, determining that a non-verbal audio prompt is allowed;

in response to determining that the non-verbal audio is allowed, suppressing verbal navigation prompts when a service in the plurality of services of the electronic device is being utilized to conduct the second audio service through the electronic device;

determining that the electronic device has approached a juncture along the navigated route that requires a turn;

playing a non-verbal audible prompt having a directional component that is defined for a particular direction of the next navigation turn when verbal navigation prompts are suppressed; and

displaying a textual notification on the device describing the next navigation turn using textual instructions when verbal navigation prompts are suppressed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprises panning the non-verbal prompt from a first set of speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers to a second set of speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn for navigation is a right turn, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprises:

playing a first set of non-verbal tones on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

after playing the first set of tones, playing a second set of non-verbal tones on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second sets of tones are different sets of tones.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second sets of tones are a same set of tones.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second sets of tones comprises only one tone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn for navigation is a left turn, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprises:

playing a first set of non-verbal tones on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

after playing the first set of tones, playing a second set of non-verbal tones on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn for navigation is a right turn, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprising directional information comprises:

playing a first set of non-verbal tunes on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

after playing the first set of tunes, playing a second set of non-verbal tunes on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the turn for navigation is a left turn, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprising directional information comprises:

playing a first set of non-verbal tunes on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

after playing the first set of tunes, playing a second set of non-verbal tunes on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprises panning the non-verbal prompt to a left speaker in the set of stereo speakers when the non-verbal prompt includes a left directional component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the non-verbal prompt comprises panning the non-verbal prompt to a right speaker in the set of stereo speakers when the non-verbal prompt includes a right directional component.

12. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein the non-verbal audio prompt is uniquely associated with the particular direction of the next turn for navigation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular direction of the next navigation turn is a first direction, the non-verbal audio prompt is a first non-verbal audio prompt, the juncture is a first juncture, and the turn is a first turn, the method further comprising:

determining that the electronic device has approached a second juncture along the navigated route that requires a second turn; and

playing a second non-verbal prompt having a directional component that is defined for a second direction of the second navigation turn when verbal navigation prompts are suppressed.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the particular direction for the first non-verbal audio prompt is to the left and the second direction is to the right, wherein:

playing the first non-verbal prompt comprises playing a tone on a left speaker; and

playing the second non-verbal prompt comprises playing a tone on a right speaker.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program for providing context aware audible navigation prompts during a navigation presentation that an electronic device provides to offer guidance through a navigated route, the electronic device comprising a plurality of services utilizing audio, the electronic device audio played on a plurality of stereo speakers, the program executable by at least one processing unit of the electronic device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

identifying a navigation instruction to provide for a navigation maneuver;

determining an allowed type of audio prompt for the electronic device to provide for the identified navigation instruction by determining whether any audio service of the device is currently being utilized to receive a voice input;

based on detecting that a first audio service is currently receiving the voice input, determining that no audio prompt is allowed;

based on detecting that a second audio service is currently receiving the voice input, determining that a non-verbal audio prompt is allowed;

in response to determining that the non-verbal audio is allowed, suppressing verbal navigation prompts when a service in the plurality of services of the electronic device is being utilized to conduct the second audio service through the electronic device;

determining that the electronic device has approached a juncture along the navigated route that requires a turn;

playing a non-verbal audible prompt having a directional component that is defined for a particular direction of the next navigation turn when verbal navigation prompts are suppressed; and

displaying a textual notification on the device describing the next navigation turn using textual instructions when verbal navigation prompts are suppressed.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprises a set of instructions for panning the non-verbal prompt from a first set of speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers to a second set of speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers to provide the directional information.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the turn for navigation is a right turn, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprises sets of instructions for:

playing a first set of non-verbal tones on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

playing a second set of non-verbal tones on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers after playing the first set of tones.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first and second sets tones are different sets of tones.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first and second sets of tones are a same set of tones.

21. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second sets of tones comprises only one tone.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the turn for navigation is a left turn, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprises sets of instructions for:

playing a first set of non-verbal tones on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

playing a second set of non-verbal on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers, after playing the first set of tones.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the turn for navigation is a right turn, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprising directional information comprises sets of instructions for:

playing a first set of non-verbal tunes on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

playing a second set of non-verbal tunes on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers, after playing the first set of tunes.

24. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the turn for navigation is a left turn, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprising directional information comprises sets of instructions for:

playing a first set of non-verbal tunes on a set of left speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers; and

playing a second set of non-verbal tunes on a set of right speakers in the plurality of stereo speakers, after playing the first set of tunes.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprises a set of instructions for panning the non-verbal prompt to a left speaker in the set of stereo speakers when the non-verbal prompt includes a left directional component.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions for playing the non-verbal prompt comprises a set of instructions for panning the non-verbal prompt to a right speaker in the set of stereo speakers when the non-verbal prompt includes a right directional component.