Adaptive audio guidance navigation

• US 10,386,198 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., Jones, Andrew R., McConnell, Kevin C., Moore, Jr., John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US15/843,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20180106634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• 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 21/3641 Personalized guidance, e.g. limited guidance on previously travelled routes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position

Abstract

In a method for providing adaptive audio guidance, determining, by one or more processors, a route of a computing device, wherein the route is from an initial location of the computing device to a destination. Determining, by one or more processors, an estimated time of arrival at which the computing device would arrive at the destination. Prompting, by one or more processors, a user to input a desired arrival time. Determining, by one or more processors, whether to provide audio guidance based on a determination of whether the estimated time of arrival is within a pre-determined time period before the desired arrival time.

Claims

1. A method for providing adaptive audio guidance, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a route from an initial location of a computing device;

determining, by one or more processors, one or more previously traveled routes by a user;

prompting, by one or more processors, the user to select a degree range relative to an inputted destination, wherein the degree range is measured from a variable central line determined from a previous location of the computing device to the inputted destination, and wherein the previous location and the inputted destination are endpoints of the variable central line;

responsive to a determination that the computing device has traveled to a location outside of the degree range from either side of the variable central line, providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user;

determining, by one or more processors, whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user; and

providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by one or more processors, the determined route to the user;

receiving, by one or more processors, an indication from the user, wherein the indication includes one or more non audio portions of the route that the user does not want to receive audio guidance; and

wherein the step of providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user and not included in the non audio portion of the route.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining, by one or more processors, whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein the step of providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

responsive to determining the number of travel times is above the threshold, providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining, by one or more processors, whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein the step of providing, by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

responsive to determining the number of travel times is below the threshold, providing by one or more processors, audio guidance to the user for the route.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold is received from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, the user has reached a destination; and

,

ending, by one or more processors, audio guidance.

7. A computer program product for providing adaptive audio guidance, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a route from an initial location of a computing device;

program instructions to determine one or more previously traveled routes by a user;

program instructions to prompt the user to select a degree range relative to an inputted destination, wherein the degree range is measured from a variable central line determined from a previous location of the computing device to the inputted destination, and wherein the previous location and the inputted destination are endpoints of the variable central line;

responsive to a determination that the computing device has traveled to a location outside of the degree range from either side of the variable central line, program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user;

program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user; and

program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

transmit the determined route to the user;

receive an indication from the user, wherein the indication includes one or more non audio portions of the route that the user does not want to receive audio guidance; and

wherein the program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user and not included in the non audio portion of the route.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

program instructions to determine whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

program instructions, responsive to determining the number of travel times is above the threshold, to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

program instructions to determine whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

program instructions, responsive to determining the number of travel times is below the threshold, to provide audio guidance to the user for the route.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the threshold is received from the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

determine the user has reached a destination; and

end audio guidance.

13. A computer system for providing adaptive audio guidance, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a route from an initial location of a computing device;

program instructions to determine one or more previously traveled routes by a user;

program instructions to prompt the user to select a degree range relative to an inputted destination, wherein the degree range is measured from a variable central line determined from a previous location of the computing device to the inputted destination, and wherein the previous location and the inputted destination are endpoints of the variable central line;

responsive to a determination that the computing device has traveled to a location outside of the degree range from either side of the variable central line, program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user;

program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user; and

program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

transmit the determined route to the user;

receive an indication from the user, wherein the indication includes one or more non audio portions of the route that the user does not want to receive audio guidance; and

wherein the program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user and not included in the non audio portion of the route.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

program instructions to determine whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

program instructions, responsive to determining the number of travel times is above the threshold, to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein program instructions to determine whether the route is the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises:

program instructions to determine whether a number of travel times of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user are above a threshold; and

wherein program instructions to provide audio guidance to the user for any portion of the route that was determined to not be the same as any portion of the one or more previously traveled routes by the user comprises;

program instructions, responsive to determining the number of travel times is below the threshold, to provide audio guidance to the user for the route.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the threshold is received from the user.

18. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

determine the user has reached a destination; and

end audio guidance.