Audio Map Generation for Visually Impaired Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional maps are inaccessible for visually impaired users, as they cannot easily associate the map with their surroundings, limiting navigation capabilities despite advancements in online and mobile map technologies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generate signature ambient sounds by recording and filtering ambient sounds based on location coordinates, time, and walking speed, allowing for the creation of audio maps that visually impaired users can compare with their surroundings, aiding navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional maps are used for navigation, then visually able persons can successfully navigate by comparing surroundings with map details, but visually impaired users cannot easily associate the map with the surrounding environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual mechanical interaction with maps by acoustic interaction. Instead of visually comparing map details with surroundings, visually impaired users listen to ambient sounds captured by the device and compare them with pre-recorded signature sounds associated with map locations, enabling navigation through auditory rather than visual means
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ambient sounds as an intermediary between the user and the map. Signature ambient sounds are recorded at specific map locations and played to users during navigation, serving as an auditory mediator that connects the user's current physical location with the digital map information
2Loss of information
If text to speech functionality is used to read out map details, then some information accessibility is improved, but the system provides limited gains for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of information presentation from textual/verbal descriptions to acoustic ambient sounds. Instead of reading out map details through text-to-speech, the system captures and plays actual ambient sounds from locations, providing a more intuitive and effective auditory experience for navigation
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for generating signature ambient sounds and maps thereof to assist in navigation based on a start location, a destination location, start time and average walking speed. The maps are generated by concatenating two or more of the signature ambient sounds and two or more of voice based navigation guidance. The signature ambient sounds for up to all location coordinate pairs in a map, for up to all time ranges and for up to all walking speed ranges are generated and tagged to the corresponding location coordinate pair, the corresponding time range and the corresponding average walking speed. The signature ambient sounds are generated by applying digital signal processing techniques on ambient sounds recorded by client devices, that are filtered and outlier removed.