IP Library Granted Patent US 11,069,138
Granted Patent B2
US 11,069,138 · App. 16/009,342 · Granted Jul 20, 2021

Audio content of a digital object associated with a geographical location

Inventor: Ray Beau Lotto (Oxford, GB)
Assignee: Ripple, Inc. of Delaware
G06T19/006H04W4/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,069,138
App. No.
16/009,342
Granted
Jul 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A geographical location of a user device is determined using a Global Positioning System. It is determined that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of a digital element. In response to the determination that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of the digital element, an indication that the digital element is selectable is provided. A representation of the digital element is provided without providing an auditory content of the digital element. A user selection indication that selects the representation of the digital element to obtain the auditory content of the digital element is received. The auditory content of the digital element is provided upon receiving the user selection indication.

Claims (40)

1. A method for obtaining a digital element, comprising:

determining a geographical location of a user device using a Global Positioning System;

determining that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of the digital element;

in response to the determination that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of the digital element, providing an indication that the digital element is selectable;

providing a representation of the digital element without providing an auditory content of the digital element, including by providing a sonic representation of the digital element that indicates a sonic presence of the digital element located at a real world location visible to a user as a digitally obtainable object having the auditory content that is different from the sonic representation but hidden from the user prior to being obtained, wherein the sonic representation is determined including by performing an audio scaling or a modification based on a relative distance and an orientation between the geographical location of the user device determined using the Global Positioning System and the real world location of the digital element;

receiving a user selection indication that selects the representation of the digital element to obtain the auditory content of the digital element; and

providing the auditory content of the digital element upon receiving the user selection indication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the representation of the digital element includes providing the representation of the digital element using augmented reality.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the representation of the digital element includes generating an augmented reality representation of the digital element in a rendered view of at least a portion the geographical region of the digital element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is specified to be not obtainable outside the geographical region of the digital element.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the digital element from a server at least in part in response to sending an identifier of the geographical location of the user device to the server.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is specified to be only accessible by one or more specified users.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element was provided by a first user for another user.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is private to a single user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is associated with a restriction based at least in part on a number of times the auditory content is allowed to be accessed.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is associated with a restriction based at least in part on a time when the auditory content of the digital element is allowed to be accessed.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auditory content of the digital element is associated with a restriction based at least in part on a status associated with the geographical region of the digital element.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographical region of the digital element encompasses a physical location within a predetermined distance from a specified physical geographical location point of the digital element.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the indication that the digital element is selectable includes providing a sonic indication.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the audio scaling or modification includes modifying a tone of the sonic representation.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the representation of the digital element includes providing a somatic representation of the digital element.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the somatic representation is determined including by scaling or modifying a tactile or a haptic representation based on the relative distance and the orientation between the geographical location of the user device determined using the Global Positioning System and the real world location of the digital element.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the representation of the digital element the representation includes using an image captured using a camera of the user device.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the indication that the digital element is selectable includes providing a notification.

19. A system for obtaining a digital element, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to:

determine a geographical location of a system using a Global Positioning System;

determine that the geographical location of the system is within a geographical region of the digital element;

in response to the determination that the geographical location of the system is within a geographical region of the digital element, provide an indication that the digital element is selectable;

provide a representation of the digital element without providing an auditory content of the digital element, including by being configured to provide a sonic representation of the digital element that indicates a sonic presence of the digital element located at a real world location visible to a user as a digitally obtainable object having the auditory content that is different from the sonic representation but hidden from the user prior to being obtained, wherein the sonic representation is determined including by performing an audio scaling or a modification based on a relative distance and an orientation between the geographical location of the user device determined using the Global Positioning System and the real world location of the digital element;

receive a user selection indication that selects the representation of the digital element to obtain the auditory content of the digital element; and

provide the auditory content of the digital element upon receiving the user selection indication.

20. A computer program product for obtaining a digital element, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining a geographical location of a user device using a Global Positioning System;

determining that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of the digital element;

in response to the determination that the geographical location of the user device is within a geographical region of the digital element, providing an indication that the digital element is selectable;

providing a representation of the digital element without providing an auditory content of the digital element, including by providing a sonic representation of the digital element that indicates a sonic presence of the digital element located at a real world location visible to a user as a digitally obtainable object having the auditory content that is different from the sonic representation but hidden from the user prior to being obtained, wherein the sonic representation is determined including by performing an audio scaling or a modification based on a relative distance and an orientation between the geographical location of the user device determined using the Global Positioning System and the real world location of the digital element;

receiving a user selection indication that selects the representation of the digital element to obtain the auditory content of the digital element; and

providing the auditory content of the digital element upon receiving the user selection indication.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 19, 2021
From: LAB OF MISFITS AR, INC.
To: RIPPLE, INC. OF DELAWARE
Reel/Frame 055345/0590 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14301142 · Jun 10, 2014
Related Publication 20180293804A1 · Oct 11, 2018