AUDIO OUTPUT CONFIGURED TO INDICATE A DIRECTION

• US 20110066365A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Khawand, Charbel
• Granted Patent: US 10,107,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/201
• 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

Abstract

An audio output that is configured to indicate a direction is described. In an implementation, a direction of a target is determined in relation to a computing device. An output of sound is configured by the computing device to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the computing device.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a direction of a target in relation to the computing device; and

configuring an output of sound to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the computing device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the determining of the direction of the target in relation to the computing device includes:

obtaining a position of the target and a position of the computing device; and

ascertaining an orientation of the computing device; and

computing the direction of the target in relation to the computing device using the position of the target, the position of the computing device, and the orientation of the computing device.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the position of the target is obtained from a communication received from the target.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the communication includes global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the target.

5. A method as described in claim 2, wherein:

the position of the target is generated by the computing device using global positioning system (GPS) functionality of the computing device; and

the target is included in a route to a destination.

6. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the computing is performed to take into account a likely direction in which a user of the computing device is facing.

7. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the computing is performed for an orientation of wearable device of the computing device.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the configuring the output of sound is performed to indicate the direction in a three-dimensional space.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the configuring of the output of sound is also performed to indicate a relative distance of the computing device from the target.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the configuring the output of sound to indicate the direction of the target in relation to the computing device does not involve adjusting volume of the output of sound.

11. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are executable by a computing device to configure an output of sound to indicate a direction and distance of a target in relation to the computing device, the direction computed using a location of the target and a location of the computing device.

12. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 11, wherein the location of the target is determined using position determining functionality of the computing device.

13. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 11, wherein the location of the target is received in a communication formed by another computing device that corresponds to the target.

14. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the computing device includes telephone functionality which is used to receive the communication via a wireless network.

15. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 11, wherein the location of the target is part of a route computed using global positioning system functionality of the computing device.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 11, wherein the orientation is determined at least in part on a direction in which the computing device is traveling.

17. A mobile communications device comprising one or more modules that are configured to:

determine a location and an orientation of the mobile communications device;

receive data that describes a location of another mobile communications devices; and

configure an output of sound to indicate a direction of another mobile communications device in relation to the mobile communications device, the direction computed by the mobile communications device using the described location of the other mobile communications device, the determined location data of the mobile communications device, and an orientation of the mobile communications device.

18. A mobile communications device as described in claim 17, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to configure the output of sound to indicate a distance between the mobile communications device and the other mobile communications device.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 17, wherein volume is used to indicate the distance.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 17, wherein output of sound is configured to indicate the direction in three dimensions.