Location-enabled portable audio system

Abstract

Audio systems and methods for obtaining location information are disclosed. A portable, wireless speaker that may include a beacon that a user may activate to remotely trigger a request for shot information, which may include location information of the user or speaker. The beacon may be wirelessly coupled to the speaker. The speaker may receive location information from a remote device, such as a GPS-enabled mobile phone. The shot information may be converted into an audio format for playback by the speaker. The speaker may pause the playback of the speaker to play out the shot information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An audio playback system comprising:
 a beacon configured to trigger a request for shot information;   a speaker device comprising a magnetic mount to mount the speaker device to a metal or magnetic material, the speaker device configured to play audio content;   a controller wirelessly coupled to the beacon and the speaker device, the controller configured to:
 transmit a first audio signal for play back on the speaker device; 
 transmit the request for shot information to a remote device, wherein the remote device includes a GPS-enabled location service, and the shot information comprises a geographic location of the mobile device correlated with environmental information; 
 receive the shot information from the remote device; 
 convert the shot information into a second audio signal; 
 if the first audio signal is playing on the speaker device, adapt the first audio signal and play back the second audio signal on the speaker device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The audio system of  claim 1  wherein the controller includes an application stored on a mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The audio system of  claim 1  further comprising a microphone coupled to the controller, the microphone configured to receive a voice command. 
     
     
         4 . The audio system of  claim 3  wherein the beacon is configured to activate the microphone. 
     
     
         5 . The audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the beacon further comprises an actuator, the actuator configured to trigger the request for the shot information. 
     
     
         6 . The audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the environmental information includes data relating to at least one landmark. 
     
     
         7 . The audio system of  claim 1  wherein the shot information includes a distance between the controller and the at least one landmark. 
     
     
         8 . The audio system of  claim 1 , wherein the shot information includes at least one of a distance, an environmental element, a geographic location element, a shot history, a commentary, and an applause element. 
     
     
         9 . The audio system of  claim 1  wherein adapting the audio content comprises pausing the audio content during play back of the audio signal. 
     
     
         10 . The audio system of  claim 1  wherein adapting the audio content comprises attenuating the audio content during play back of the audio signal. 
     
     
         11 . An audio playback system comprising:
 a beacon configured to trigger a request for shot information;   a speaker device comprising a magnetic mount to mount the speaker device to a metal or magnetic material, the speaker device configured to play audio content;   a controller wirelessly coupled to the beacon and the speaker device, the controller configured to:
 transmit a first audio signal for play back on the speaker device; 
 transmit a request for geographic information to a remote device including a GPS-enabled location service; 
 receive the geographic information from the remote device; 
 correlate the geographic information with location information regarding a golf course to generate shot information; 
 convert the shot information into a second audio signal; 
 if the first audio signal is playing on the speaker device, adapt the first audio signal and play back the second audio signal on the speaker device. 
   
     
     
         12 . The audio system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller includes an application stored on a mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The audio system of  claim 11 , further comprising a microphone coupled to the controller, the microphone configured to receive a voice command. 
     
     
         14 . The audio system of  claim 11 , wherein the beacon further comprises an actuator, the actuator configured to trigger the request for the shot information. 
     
     
         15 . The audio system of  claim 11 , wherein the environmental information includes data relating to at least one landmark. 
     
     
         16 . The audio system of  claim 11 , wherein the shot information includes a distance between the controller and the at least one landmark. 
     
     
         17 . An audio playback system for coupling with a controller, the audio system comprising:
 a beacon comprising an actuator configured to trigger a request for shot information regarding a user's location in a defined area;   a speaker device comprising a magnetic mount to mount the speaker device to a metal or magnetic material, the speaker device configured to play audio content;   a network interface to wirelessly couple the beacon and the speaker device to the controller;   a processor and a memory including location information regarding a plurality of defined areas and instructions configured to operate the processor to:
 receive a first audio signal for play back on the speaker device; 
 transmit a request for geographic information to the controller; 
 receive the geographic information from the controller; 
 correlate the geographic information with the location information to generate shot information; 
 convert the shot information into a second audio signal; 
 if the first audio signal is playing on the speaker device, adapt the first audio signal and play back the second audio signal on the speaker device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The audio playback system of  claim 17 , wherein the defined area comprises a golf course and wherein the location information regarding a plurality of defined areas comprises a plurality of golf courses. 
     
     
         19 . The audio playback system of  claim 18 , wherein correlating the geographic information with the location information to generate shot information comprises identifying the golf course on which the user is located. 
     
     
         20 . The audio playback system of  claim 18 , wherein correlating the geographic information with the location information to generate shot information comprises calculating the distance of the user to a landmark.