Device, method and medium providing customized audio tours

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, medium and portable device for providing customized audio tours. The portable device includes a position identification module detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device, a memory storing a plurality of audio files, each file having information corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined themes and to one of a plurality of locations; and a playback module playing back an audio file of the plurality of audio files, the audio file including information of interest to the user related to the detected location of the user and related to a theme selected by the user of the plurality of predetermined themes.

1 . A portable electronic device providing customized audio tours, the device comprising:
 a position identification module to detect a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device;   a memory to store audio files, each file having information corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined themes and to one of a plurality of locations; and   a playback module to play back an audio file corresponding to the location detected by the position identification module of the plurality of audio files, the audio file including information of interest to the user related to the detected location of the user and related to a theme selected by the user of the plurality of predetermined themes.   
     
     
         2 . The device in  claim 1 , further comprising a display to display the location of the user detected by the position identification module on a map. 
     
     
         3 . The device in  claim 1 , wherein the position identification module comprises a global positioning system (gps) receiver. 
     
     
         4 . The device in  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface wherein the user may select a theme of the plurality of predetermined themes and wherein audio information of interest corresponding to the selected theme is played back to the user when the location of the user is detected. 
     
     
         5 . The device in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stored audio files are compressed audio files in a format taken from a group consisting of an mp3 format, a way format, or an AAC format. 
     
     
         6 . The device in  claim 1 , further comprising a tracking module to measure a distance between the location of the user as received from the position identification module and various predetermined locations having corresponding audio data, and to select a location nearest to the location of the user from among the predetermined locations based on the measured distance, wherein the playback module plays an audio file corresponding to the selected location. 
     
     
         7 . A method of providing customized audio tours using a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
 detecting a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device;   receiving a selection of a theme of a plurality of predetermined themes; and   playing an audio file corresponding to the detected location of a plurality of audio files stored in the electronic device, the audio file including information of interest to the user related to the predetermined theme and to the detected location of the user.   
     
     
         8 . The method in  claim 7 , further comprising displaying the detected location of the user on a map displayed on a display of the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The method in  claim 7 , further comprising executing a file of the plurality of files whereby audio information of interest corresponding to the selected theme is played back when the location of the user is detected. 
     
     
         10 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code to control at least one processing element in a computer to implement the method of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         11 . The method in  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of stored audio files are compressed audio files in a format taken from a group consisting of an mp3 format, a way format, or an AAC format. 
     
     
         12 . The method in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 measuring distances between the location of the user and each of various predetermined locations stored in memory and having corresponding audio data;   selecting a location nearest to the location of the user from among the predetermined locations based on the measured distance; and   playing an audio file corresponding to the selected location.   
     
     
         13 . A portable electronic device providing customized audio tours, the device comprising:
 a position identification module to detect a location of a user carrying the portable electronic device;   a tracking module to associate the detected location of the user with one of a plurality of predetermined locations;   a memory storing one or more audio files, each of the audio files being associated with one of the plurality of predetermined locations, and the each of the audio files having particular information of interest to the user regarding the associated predetermined location; and   a playback module automatically playing back an audio file associated with a predetermined location of the one or more audio files when the tracking module associates the detected location of the user with the predetermined location.   
     
     
         14 . The device in  claim 13 , further comprising a user input module allowing the user to select the particular point of the map displayed on the display by touching the screen. 
     
     
         15 . The device in  claim 13 , wherein the position identification module automatically notifies the user that the user is in range of one of the plurality of predetermined locations having the associated audio files. 
     
     
         16 . The device in  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of stored audio files are compressed audio files stored in a format taken from a group consisting of an mp3 format, a way format, or an AAC format. 
     
     
         17 . The device in  claim 13 , further comprising a tracking module to measure a distance between the location of the user as received from the position identification module and the predetermined locations having corresponding audio data, and to select a location nearest to the location of the user from among the predetermined locations based on the measured distance, wherein the playback module plays an audio file corresponding to the selected location.