Dynamic presentation of navigation instructions

• US 8,862,387 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kandangath, Anil K., Tu, Xiaoyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US13/736,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701 25- 28, 701/400, 701409-410, 701/419, 701/423, 701/431, 340/995.2, 340/995.23
• US Class Current: 701/419
• 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

In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to provide navigation instructions to a user of the mobile device. The navigation instructions can be graphical, textual or audio instructions. The presentation of the navigation instructions can be dynamically adjusted based the importance of individual instructions and/or environmental conditions. For example, each navigation instruction can be associated with an importance value indicating how important the instruction is. The volume of important audio instructions can be adjusted (e.g., increased) to compensate for ambient noise so that a user will be more likely to hear the navigation instruction. The timing and/or repetition of the presentation of important instructions can be adjusted based on weather conditions, traffic conditions, or road conditions and/or road features so that a user will be less likely to miss an important navigation instruction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a route for traveling from a first location to a second location;

receiving instructions for navigating the route, each instruction having an associated importance value;

determining a first instruction to present to a user associated with the mobile device;

determining whether an importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

based on determining that the importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining a first volume level for presenting the first instruction; and

causing the first instruction to be presented to the user as audio at the first volume level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second instruction to present to the user; and

causing the second instruction to be presented to the user as audio at a second volume level, the second volume level determined based on the importance value associated with the second instruction,

where the first volume level is different than the second volume level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting ambient noise proximate to the mobile device;

determining a loudness of the ambient noise; and

determining the first volume level based on the loudness of the ambient noise, where the loudness of the audio presented at the first volume level is greater than the loudness of the ambient noise.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the importance value is based on how frequently the first instruction is missed by users travelling along the route.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the importance value is based on an amount of travel time that would be added to the route if the user were to miss the first instruction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the importance value is based on whether the first instruction corresponds to an unusual road condition.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the user missed the second instruction, where the second instruction was presented at a default volume level; and

increasing the default volume at which subsequent audio instructions are presented based on the determination that the user missed the second instruction.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

receiving, at a mobile device, a route for traveling from a first location to a second location;

receiving instructions for navigating the route, each instruction having an associated importance value;

determining a first instruction to present to a user associated with the mobile device;

determining whether an importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

based on determining that the importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining a first volume level for presenting the first instruction; and

causing the first instruction to be presented to the user as audio at the first volume level.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions cause:

determining a second instruction to present to the user; and

causing the second instruction to be presented to the user as audio at a second volume level, the second volume level determined based on the importance value associated with the second instruction,

where the first volume level is different than the second volume level.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the instructions cause:

detecting ambient noise proximate to the mobile device;

determining a loudness of the ambient noise; and

determining the first volume level based on the loudness of the ambient noise, where the loudness of the audio presented at the first volume level is greater than the loudness of the ambient noise.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the importance value is based on how frequently the first instruction is missed by users travelling along the route.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the importance value is based on an amount of travel time that would be added to the route if the user were to miss the first instruction.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the importance value is based on whether the first instruction corresponds to an unusual road condition.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause:

determining that the user missed the second instruction, where the second instruction was presented at a default volume level; and

increasing the default volume at which subsequent audio instructions are presented based on the determination that the user missed the second instruction.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

receiving, at a mobile device, a route for traveling from a first location to a second location;

receiving instructions for navigating the route, each instruction having an associated importance value;

determining a first instruction to present to a user associated with the mobile device;

determining whether an importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds a predetermined threshold value;

based on determining that the importance value associated with the first instruction exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining a first volume level for presenting the first instruction; and

causing the first instruction to be presented to the user as audio at the first volume level.

16. The system of claim 15, where the instructions cause:

determining a second instruction to present to the user; and

causing the second instruction to be presented to the user as audio at a second volume level, the second volume level determined based on the importance value associated with the second instruction,

where the first volume level is different than the second volume level.

17. The system of claim 15, where the instructions cause:

detecting ambient noise proximate to the mobile device;

determining a loudness of the ambient noise; and

determining the first volume level based on the loudness of the ambient noise, where the loudness of the audio presented at the first volume level is greater than the loudness of the ambient noise.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the importance value is based on how frequently the first instruction is missed by users travelling along the route.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the importance value is based on an amount of travel time that would be added to the route if the user were to miss the first instruction.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the importance value is based on whether the first instruction corresponds to an unusual road condition.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause:

determining that the user missed the second instruction, where the second instruction was presented at a default volume level; and

increasing the default volume at which subsequent audio instructions are presented based on the determination that the user missed the second instruction.