Voice instructions during navigation

• US 10,018,478 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: van Os, Marcel, Barbour, Sarah G., Law, Brady A., Moore, Bradford A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Forrest F
• Application Number:
  US14/962,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 704246, 704251, 704270, 704275
• 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 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• 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: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3676 Overview of the route on the road map
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 : Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 : Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 : Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 : Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 : Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 : Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 : Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/00 : Stereophonic arrangements stereophonic pick-ups H04R9/16, H04R11/12, H04R17/08, H04R19/10
• 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: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of providing navigation on an electronic device when the display screen is locked. The method receives a verbal request to start navigation while the display is locked. The method identifies a route from a current location to a destination based on the received verbal request. While the display screen is locked, the method provides navigational directions on the electronic device from the current location of the electronic device to the destination. Some embodiments provide a method for processing a verbal search request. The method receives a navigation-related verbal search request and prepares a sequential list of the search results based on the received request. The method then provides audible information to present a search result from the sequential list. The method presents the search results in a batch form until the user selects a search result, the user terminates the search, or the search items are exhausted.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program, which when executed by at least one processing unit of an electronic device, provides navigational directions on a display screen of the electronic device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

receiving a verbal search query associated with a plurality of locations;

determining whether the electronic device is in a navigation mode when the search query is received;

when the electronic device is in the navigation mode, generating a list from a first set of the plurality of locations that are within a threshold vicinity of a current route along which the device is travelling;

when the electronic device is not in the navigation mode, generating the list from a second set of the plurality of locations that are within a threshold vicinity of a current location of the electronic device; and

providing audible information to present search results in the generated list.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible and visual information to present a first search result from the list of search results, the visual information comprising a portion of a map representation displayed on the display screen of the electronic device, the map portion including an indicator for the presented search result; and

upon receiving a verbal instruction, providing navigational directions along a route from a current location of the electronic device to a location associated with the presented search result.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving a selection of the indicator on the map portion; and

displaying, on the display screen of the electronic device, a user interface that provides detailed information about the presented search result.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible information to present a first search result from the list of search results;

receiving a verbal instruction for skipping the presented search result;

iteratively (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the list of search results and (ii) receiving a verbal instruction to skip the presented search result, until the received verbal instruction indicates a selection of the presented search result; and

providing navigational directions to a location associated with the selected search result.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for ceasing to provide audible information to present the next search result when a verbal instruction is received to terminate the search query.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible information to present a first search result from the list of search results;

receiving a verbal instruction for skipping the presented search result;

iteratively (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the list of search results and (ii) receiving a verbal instruction to skip the presented search result until there are no more search results in the list to present; and

providing an audible indication that no more search results are left in the list to present.

7. An electronic mobile device comprising:

a set of processing units for executing sets of instructions; and

a non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program, which when executed by at least one processing unit of the electronic mobile device, provides navigational directions on a display screen of the electronic mobile device, the program comprising sets of instructions for;

receiving a verbal search query associated with a plurality of locations;

determining whether the electronic mobile device is in a navigation mode when the search query is received;

when the electronic mobile device is in the navigation mode, generating a list from a first set of the plurality of locations that are within a threshold vicinity of a current route along which the device is travelling;

when the electronic mobile device is not in the navigation mode, generating the list from a second set of the plurality of locations that are within a threshold vicinity of a current location of the electronic mobile device; and

providing audible information to present search results in the generated list.

8. The electronic mobile device of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible and visual information to present a first search result from the list of search results, the visual information comprising a portion of a map representation displayed on the display screen of the electronic mobile device, the map portion including an indicator for the presented search result; and

upon receiving a verbal instruction, providing navigational directions along a route from a current location of the electronic mobile device to a location associated with the presented search result.

9. The electronic mobile device of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

receiving a selection of the indicator on the map portion; and

displaying, on the display screen of the electronic mobile device, a user interface that provides detailed information about the presented search result.

10. The electronic mobile device of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible information to present a first search result from the list of search results;

receiving a verbal instruction for skipping the presented search result;

iteratively (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the list of search results and (ii) receiving a verbal instruction to skip the presented search result until the received verbal instruction indicates a selection of the presented search result; and

providing navigational directions to a location associated with the selected search result.

11. The electronic mobile device of claim 10, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for ceasing to provide audible information to present the next search result when a verbal instruction is received to terminate the search query.

12. The electronic mobile device of claim 7, wherein the set of instructions for providing audible information comprises sets of instructions for:

providing audible information to present a first search result from the list of search results;

receiving a verbal instruction for skipping the presented search result;

iteratively (i) providing audible information to present a next search result in the list of search results and (ii) receiving a verbal instruction to skip the presented search result until there are no more search results in the list to present; and

providing an audible indication that no more search results are left in the list to present.