Stateful, double-buffered dynamic navigation voice prompting

• US 8,224,572 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Wistrand, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US13/349,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 186 Days
• Field of Search: 701/211, 701/200, 701/201, 701/202, 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/431, 701/428, 707/920
• US Class Current: 701/431
• 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: Y10S 707/92 Navigation

Abstract

A navigation system written in J2ME MIDP for a client device includes a plurality of media players each respectively comprising a buffer. A navigation program manages the state of the plurality of media players. The plurality of media players are in either one of an acquiring resources state, and a playing and de-allocating state. The use of a plurality of media players each respectively comprising a buffer overcomes the prior art in which navigation system can cut off a voice prompt because of the time-consuming tasks associated with playing a voice prompt.

Claims

1. A physical navigation system, comprising:

a plurality of media players, associated with physical hardware resources, each having an acquiring resources state, a voice delivering state, and a de-allocating state; and

a plurality of buffers each respectively associated with said plurality of media players;

a manager to manage said acquiring resources state, said voice delivering state, and said de-allocating state, associated with each of said plurality of media players; and

a physical asynchronous hardware interface, interfacing said plurality of media players to said physical hardware resources, to autonomously operate said plurality of media players with relation to said physical hardware resources.

2. The physical navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said voice delivering state is dynamically created based on a changing location of a client device.

3. The physical navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical navigation system is written in Java Platform Micro Edition (J2ME) Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP).

4. The physical navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical navigation system is implemented in a personal data assistant (PDA).

5. The physical navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical navigation system is implemented in a cellular phone.

6. The physical navigation system according to claim 1, wherein:

said physical navigation system is multi-threaded.

7. A method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system, comprising:

instantiating a plurality of media players, associated with physical hardware resources, each having an acquiring resources state, a voice delivering state, and a de-allocating state;

buffering, via a plurality of buffers each respectively associated with said plurality of media players,

managing said acquiring resources state, said voice delivering state, and said de-allocating state, associated with each of said plurality of media players;

interfacing, via a physical asynchronous hardware interface, said plurality of media players to said physical hardware resources; and

autonomously operating said plurality of media players with relation to said physical hardware resources.

8. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, further comprising:

allocating media player resources;

filling buffers associated with each of said plurality of media players;

setting a volume for said plurality of media players;

playing a voice prompt;

de-allocating said buffers associated with each of said plurality of media players;

de-allocating said media player resources; and

closing each of said plurality of media players.

9. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, wherein:

said voice delivering state is dynamically created based on a changing location of a client device.

10. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, wherein:

said physical navigation system is written in Java Platform Micro Edition (J2ME) Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP).

11. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, wherein:

said physical navigation system is implemented in a personal data assistant (PDA).

12. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, wherein:

said physical navigation system is implemented in a cell phone.

13. The method of providing a plurality of buffers for a physical navigation system according to claim 7, further comprising:

multi-threading said physical navigation system.