Audio and visual environment for a pedestrian

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12547359-B2
Application number	US-202318519184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2023
Priority date	Nov 27, 2023
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving an audio and/or visual environment of a pedestrian. In one embodiment, a method includes identifying at least one device in an environment of a pedestrian that produces an output perceivable by the pedestrian, where the output includes at least one of an audio output and a visual output. The method further includes in response to determining that the output satisfies a change threshold, adjusting the output according to a pedestrian preference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An immersion system comprising:
one or more processors; and a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
identify one device in an environment of a pedestrian that produces an output perceivable by the pedestrian, wherein the output includes at least one of an audio output and a visual output, wherein the device is a vertically-mounted sign; and
responsive to determining that the output satisfies a change threshold that is based, at least in part, on a pedestrian location and a pedestrian preference, adjust the output according to the pedestrian preference indicating limitations of visual perceptions and limitations of audio perceptions preferred by the pedestrian associated with physiological conditions for viewing and hearing the output.

2 . The immersion system of claim 1 ,
wherein the instructions to determine that the output satisfies the change threshold include instructions to determine that the device satisfies a proximity threshold that is based, at least in part, on a distance to the pedestrian, wherein the instructions to determine that the device satisfies the proximity threshold includes instructions to determine that the device is within a viewable range of the pedestrian, and wherein the at least one device is remote from the pedestrian and perceivable by a group of pedestrians including the pedestrian.

3 . The immersion system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions to determine whether the device satisfies the proximity threshold include instructions to determine a device location of the device in relation to the pedestrian by analyzing a difference in a distance between the device location and the pedestrian location.

4 . The immersion system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust the output to invoke a physiological reaction in the pedestrian that is a response to instructions from the device, and
wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust at least a volume of the output and a brightness of the output.

5 . The immersion system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to:
create a communication link between the device and a remote server to identify the output of the device at the remote server; and communicate an adjustment for the output of the device from the remote server over the communication link to cause the device to adapt the output.

6 . The immersion system of claim 1 ,
wherein the physiological conditions indicate one or more of an age, vision abilities, and hearing abilities of the pedestrian.

7 . The immersion system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the pedestrian preference, wherein the instructions to determine the pedestrian preference include instructions to determine a group preference for a group of pedestrians in the environment,
wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust the output according to the group preference, and
wherein the instructions to determine that the output satisfies the change threshold includes instructions to determine that the device satisfies a group proximity threshold that is based, at least in part, on a distance to each pedestrian of the group of pedestrians.

8 . The immersion system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to identify a vulnerable pedestrian among a group of pedestrians in the environment, wherein the vulnerable pedestrian is at least one of an elderly pedestrian, a disabled pedestrian, a hearing-impaired pedestrian, and a visually-impaired pedestrian,
wherein the instructions to determine the pedestrian preference include instructions to determine a vulnerable pedestrian preference for the vulnerable pedestrian, and wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust the output according to the vulnerable pedestrian preference for perception by the group of pedestrians.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
identify at least one device in an environment of a pedestrian that produces an output perceivable by the pedestrian, wherein the output includes at least one of an audio output and a visual output, wherein the device is a vertically-mounted sign; and responsive to determining that the output satisfies a change threshold that is based, at least in part, on a location of the pedestrian and a pedestrian preference, adjust the output according to the pedestrian preference indicating limitations of visual perceptions and limitations of audio perceptions preferred by the pedestrian associated with physiological conditions for viewing and hearing the output.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to determine that the output satisfies the change threshold include instructions to determine that the device satisfies a proximity threshold that is based, at least in part, on a distance to the pedestrian,
wherein the instructions to determine that the device satisfies the proximity threshold includes instructions to determine that the device is within a viewable range of the pedestrian.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to:
create a communication link between the device and a remote server to identify the output of the device at the remote server; and communicate an adjustment for the output of the device from the remote server over the communication link to cause the device to adapt the output.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the output is produced by a plurality of devices in the environment, and wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust individual outputs of the plurality of devices according to the pedestrian preference.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the pedestrian preference, wherein the instructions to determine the pedestrian preference include instructions to determine a group preference for a group of pedestrians in the environment,
wherein the instructions to adjust the output include instructions to adjust the output according to the group preference, and
wherein the instructions to determine that the output satisfies the change threshold includes instructions to determine that the device satisfies a group proximity threshold that is based, at least in part, on a distance to each pedestrian of the group of pedestrians.

14 . A method, comprising:
identifying at least one device in an environment of a pedestrian that produces an output perceivable by the pedestrian, wherein the output includes at least one of an audio output and a visual output, wherein the device is a vertically-mounted sign; and in response to determining that the output satisfies a change threshold that is based, at least in part, on a pedestrian location and a pedestrian preference, adjusting the output according to the pedestrian preference indicating limitations of visual perceptions and limitations of audio perceptions preferred by the pedestrian associated with physiological conditions for viewing and hearing the output.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein determining that the ou

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Austin Benjamin Piya
• Gupta Rohit
• Garrett William Patrick

Classifications

• G06F2111/18

  using virtual or augmented reality · CPC title

• G09B21/00

  Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute (audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B) · CPC title

• G09F27/00

  Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address · CPC title

• G06F2203/011

  Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns · CPC title

• G09F9/30

  in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements (panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00) · CPC title