Context-aware voice guidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11082773-B2
Application number	US-201815862401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 5, 2012
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A context-aware voice guidance method is provided that interacts with other voice services of a user device. The voice guidance does not provide audible guidance while the user is making a verbal request to any of the voice-activated services. Instead, the voice guidance transcribes its output on the screen while the verbal requests from the user are received. In some embodiments, the voice guidance only provides a short warning sound to get the user's attention while the user is speaking on a phone call or another voice-activated service is providing audible response to the user's inquires. The voice guidance in some embodiments distinguishes between music that can be ducked and spoken words, for example from an audiobook, that the user wants to pause instead of being skipped. The voice guidance ducks music but pauses spoken words of an audio book in order to provide voice guidance to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by a mobile device, the mobile device comprising one or more processing units, the one or more processing units executing an operating system comprising an audio control module, the method comprising:
receiving, by the audio control module, an audio prompt from a navigation application, the audio prompt to be presented by the mobile device, wherein the audio prompt has a first inherent loudness level;
determining, by the audio control module, that an audio application is presenting, at a first time prior to presentation of the audio prompt, a media item at a first volume level, wherein the media item has a second inherent loudness level;
based on the first inherent loudness level and the second inherent loudness level, defining an audible contrast amount between the media item and the audio prompt;
based on the defined audible contrast amount, determining a second volume level that is lower than the first volume level at which to present the media item and a third volume level at which to present the audio prompt that is lower than the first volume level and higher than the second volume level; and
concurrently presenting at a second time that is later than the first time, by the audio control module, the media item of the audio application at the second volume level while presenting the audio prompt at the third volume level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media item includes audio content that comprises spoken words.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media item includes audio content that comprises music.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing, by the audio control module of the operating system, the first volume level of the media item to the second volume level without muting the media item while presenting the audio prompt at the third volume level that is higher than the second volume level.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
ducking, by the audio control module of the operating system, the media item while presenting the audio prompt; and
automatically increasing, by the audio control module of the operating system, the second volume level of the media item to the first volume level upon completing the presentation of the audio prompt.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
suspending, by the audio control module of the operating system, output of the media item while presenting the audio prompt; and
automatically resuming, by the audio control module of the operating system, output of the media item upon completing the presentation of the audio prompt.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio prompt comprises a verbal navigational instruction.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the media item and the audio prompt are concurrently presented based on the defined audible contrast amount, a user perceives the media item and the audio prompt as being presented at a same volume level.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including an operating system that comprises an audio control module, the non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the audio control module, an audio prompt from a navigation application, the audio prompt to be presented by the mobile device, wherein the audio prompt has a first inherent loudness level;
determining, by the audio control module, that an audio application is presenting, at a first time prior to presentation of the audio prompt, a media item at a first volume level, wherein the media item has a second inherent loudness level;
based on the first inherent loudness level and the second inherent loudness level, defining an audible contrast amount between the media item and the audio prompt;
based on the defined audible contrast amount, determining a second volume level that is lower than the first volume level at which to present the media item and a third volume level at which to present the audio prompt that is lower than the first volume level and higher than the second volume level; and
concurrently presenting at a second time that is later than the first time, by the audio control module, the media item of the audio application at the second volume level while presenting the audio prompt at the third volume level.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the media item includes audio content that comprises spoken words.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the media item includes audio content that comprises music.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause reducing, by the audio control module of the operating system, the first volume level of the media item to the second volume level without muting the media item while presenting the audio prompt at the third volume level that is higher than the second volume level.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause:
ducking, by the audio control module of the operating system, the media item while presenting the audio prompt; and
automatically increasing, by the audio control module of the operating system, the second volume level of the media item to the first volume level upon completing the presentation of the audio prompt.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause:
suspending, by the audio control module of the operating system, output of the media item while presenting the audio prompt; and
automatically resuming, by the audio control module of the operating system, output of the media item upon completing the presentation of the audio prompt.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the audio prompt comprises a verbal navigational instruction.

16. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium including an operating system that comprises an audio control module, the non-transitory computer readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by the audio control module, an audio prompt from a navigation application, the audio prompt to be presented by the mobile device, wherein the audio prompt has a first inherent loudness level;
determining, by the audio control module, that an audio application is presenting, at a first time prior to presentation of the audio prompt, a media item at a first volume level, wherein the media item has a second inherent loudness level;
based on the first inherent loudness level and the second inherent loudness level, defining an audible contrast amount between the media item and the audio prompt;
based on the defined audible contrast amount, determining a second volume level that is lower than the first volume level at which to present the media item and a third volume level at which to present the audio prompt that is lower than the first volume level and higher than the second volume level; and
concurrently presenting at a second time that is later than the first time, by the audio control module, the media item of the audio application at the second volume level while presenting the audio prompt at the third volume level.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the media item includes audio content that comprises spoken words.

18. The system of cla

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Bennett Jonathan A
• Lemay Stephen O
• Van Os Marcel
• Forstall Scott
• Moore Bradford A
• Vulcano Emanuele
• Pylappan Seejo K

Classifications

• G01C21/367

  Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker · CPC title

• G01C21/3667

  Display of a road map (G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635) · CPC title

• G10L15/08

  Speech classification or search · CPC title

• G01C21/3676

  Overview of the route on the road map · CPC title

• G01C21/3664

  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 title