Auditory guidance method and system
An auditory guidance system is installed along a predefined pathway between an initial location and a target location. The auditory guidance system comprises a plurality of nodes arranged at intervals along the predefined pathway. A first node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the initial location and a last node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the target location. Each node of the plurality of nodes comprises two directional sound generators. Each of the two directional sound generators are configured to emit sound in a predetermined direction. The two directional sound generators within each node are pointing in opposite directions along the predefined pathway.
1. An auditory guidance system for installation along a predefined pathway in a tunnel, between an initial location and a target location, comprising a plurality of nodes arranged at intervals along the predefined pathway,
wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the initial location and a last node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the target location, and
wherein each node of the plurality of nodes comprises two directional sound generators wherein each of the two directional sound generators is configured to emit sound in a predetermined direction, wherein the two directional sound generators within each node are pointing in opposite directions along the predefined pathway,
wherein adjacent nodes of the plurality of nodes enable, at a location between the adjacent nodes, a perception that the sound generated by a right-hand sound generator of a node of the adjacent node as being substantially lower than the sound generated by a left-hand sound generator of the same node.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound generated by the right-hand sound generator is perceived as being at least 12 dB lower than the sound generated by the left-hand sound generator of the same node.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two directional sound generators in each node is configured and controlled via a control system to emit a sound pulse of predefined characteristics.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the characteristics comprise a duration, a pitch, and a volume.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the sound pulses comprise a sound of bell chimes or a sound of footsteps on pavement.
6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system is configured to emit a same sound pulse from all of the nodes.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the nodes are configured to be activated in a sequence, from the initial location and towards the target location.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two directional sound generators in each node are controlled to emit a same sound pulse at a same time, or are controlled to emit sound pulses in a desired sequence.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two directional sound generators is configured to emit a sound pulse towards the initial location, in a sequence from the directional sound generator in the first node to the directional sound generator in the last node, each sound pulse emission being interrupted by a constant time interval.
10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the duration is constant.
11. An evacuation system in a tunnel, comprising:
an auditory guidance system for installation along a predefined pathway between an initial location and a target location, comprising a plurality of nodes arranged at intervals along the predefined pathway,
wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the initial location and a last node of the plurality of nodes is a closest node to the target location,
wherein each node of the plurality of nodes comprises two directional sound generators wherein each of the two directional sound generators is configured to emit sound in a predetermined direction and includes loudspeakers with apertures arranged in an array, wherein the two directional sound generators within each node are pointing in opposite directions along the predefined pathway,
wherein adjacent nodes of the plurality of nodes enable, at a location between the adjacent nodes, a perception that the sound generated by a right-hand sound generator of a node of the adjacent node as being substantially lower than the sound generated by a left-hand sound generator of the same node, and
wherein the target location comprises an emergency exit or another opening out of the tunnel.
12. An auditory guidance method, for guiding at least one individual along a predefined pathway in a tunnel from an initial location in the tunnel to a target location in the tunnel, comprising:
emitting directional sound pulses from a plurality of nodes arranged at intervals along the predefined pathway between the initial location and the target location, the directional sound pulses being emitted in a sequence at time intervals such that each node emits a directional sound pulse towards the initial location,
wherein a second node emits a sound pulse at a time interval following the emission of a sound pulse from a first node,
wherein, for each of a third node and one or more subsequent nodes, the respective node emits a sound pulse at the time interval following the emission of a sound pulse from a previous node until a last node has emitted a sound pulse,
wherein the sequential emission of sound pulses from the same side directional sound generators creates a spatial effect and an illusion of a sound travelling towards the target location and thus encourages the individual to follow the sequentially emitted sound pulses,
wherein the target location comprises an emergency exit or another exit from the tunnel, and wherein the sound pulse duration is determined such that the sound pulse duration is significantly shorter than a reverberation time for the tunnel.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the time interval is constant.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the third node and one or more subsequent nodes are located along a single exclusive exit path.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method is executed in multiple segments of nodes, either simultaneously or at different intervals.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein an auditory guidance system installed along the predefined pathway between the initial location and the target location comprises the plurality of nodes and performs the emitting step.