Position guiding method and system using sound changes

Abstract

A system guides a user (or a vehicle 100 ) in reference to a target position via sound changes. The system (i) virtually disposes a sound source at the target position defined in a geographical data field covering the positional arrangement of the user and the target object, and (ii) actually outputs simulated sounds to the user as if the target position emitted sounds and the sounds were propagated from the target position to the user at the current position. The sounds change as the user moves in the geographical data field. For example, sound propagation paths, through which sound waves from the sound source are propagated to the user while being influenced by other objects or obstacles, are calculated based on positional data from a position detection system 10 . Simulated sounds expressed by combining directly transmitted waves, diffraction waves, and reflection waves, which arrive at the user through the sound propagation paths, are generated, and the generated sounds are outputted from multiple speakers 34 a to 34 d in such a way that the three-dimensional position of the sound source can be identified.