Terminal apparatus, audio system, and method for controlling sound volume of external speaker thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168797-B2
Application number	US-201615151588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A user terminal apparatus is provided. The user terminal apparatus includes a touchscreen configured to display a plurality of first user interface (UI) elements for adjusting respective sound volumes of the plurality of speaker apparatuses and a plurality of second UI elements for receiving a selection of a speaker apparatus of the plurality of speaker apparatuses, to group speaker apparatuses of the plurality of speaker apparatuses, the grouped speaker apparatuses corresponding to selected UI elements from among the plurality of second UI elements, and to receive sound volume adjusting input through one of the plurality of first UI elements corresponding to any one of the plurality of grouped speaker apparatuses, and a controller configured to change all first UI elements of the grouped speaker apparatuses based on the sound volume adjusting input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sound volume outputting system comprising:
a plurality of speaker apparatuses; and
a user terminal apparatus having a screen and configured to:
display information of a first speaker apparatus and information of a second speaker apparatus,
display a first selection user interface (UI) element for receiving a selection of the first speaker apparatus, and a second selection UI element for receiving a selection of the second speaker apparatus,
display a first volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the first speaker apparatus and a second volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the second speaker apparatus,
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element is not selected, transmit a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker to adjust the sound volume of only the first speaker apparatus, and
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected, transmit a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker apparatus and the second speaker apparatus to simultaneously adjust the sound volume of the first speaker apparatus and the sound volume of the second speaker apparatus.

2. The sound volume outputting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of speaker apparatuses separately receives and outputs sound source content from an external server.

3. The sound volume outputting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the sound volume adjusting input is a mute input; and
in response to the mute input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected, the user terminal apparatus transmits a mute command to the first speaker and the second speaker.

4. The sound volume outputting system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are for adjusting sound volume of the first speaker and the second speaker by grouping.

5. A method for controlling a sound volume of an external speaker apparatus in a user terminal apparatus having a screen, the method comprising:
displaying information of a first speaker and information of a second speaker;
displaying a first selection user interface (UI) element for receiving a selection of the first speaker, and a second selection UI element for receiving a selection of the second speaker;
displaying a first volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the first speaker and a second volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the second speaker;
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element is not selected, transmitting a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker to adjust the sound volume of only the first speaker; and
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected, transmitting a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker and the second speaker to simultaneously adjust the sound volume of the first speaker and the sound volume of the second speaker.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising changing the first volume adjusting UI element and the second volume adjusting UI element based on the sound volume adjusting input while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:
the sound volume adjusting input is a mute input; and
the transmitting the sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker and the second speaker comprises transmitting a mute command to the first speaker and the second speaker while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a manipulation of a sound volume adjusting button disposed on a lateral surface of the user terminal apparatus: and
changing the first volume adjusting UI element and the second volume adjusting UI element based on the manipulation of the sound volume adjusting button while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
each of the first volume adjusting UI element and the first volume adjusting UI element comprise a bar and a pointer moveable on the bar; and
each of the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element comprises a check box.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising displaying a first mute UI element for receiving a mute command of the first speaker, a second mute UI element for receiving a mute command of the second speaker, and information of content that is currently being reproduced by the first speaker and the second speaker.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein: the user terminal apparatus is wirelessly connected to an access point; and
wherein the method further comprises receiving apparatus information from a plurality of external speaker apparatuses connected to the access point.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
the receiving of the apparatus information comprises receiving reproduced content information from the plurality of external speaker apparatuses connected to the access point; and
wherein the method further comprises displaying only a selection UI element and a volume adjusting UI element of speaker apparatuses, which are outputting the same content, based on the received reproduced content information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform a method for controlling a sound volume of an external speaker in a user terminal apparatus having a screen, the method comprising:
displaying information of a first speaker and information of a second speaker;
displaying a first selection user interface (UI) element for receiving a selection of the first speaker, and a second selection UI element for receiving a selection of the second speaker;
displaying a first volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the first speaker and a second volume adjusting UI element for adjusting sound volume of the second speaker;
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element is not selected, transmitting a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker to adjust the sound volume of only the first speaker; and
in response to a volume adjusting input being received through the first volume adjusting UI element while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected, transmitting a sound volume adjusting command to the first speaker and the second speaker to simultaneously adjust the sound volume of the first speaker and the sound volume of the second speaker.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising changing the first volume adjusting UI element and the second volume adjusting UI element based on the sound volume adjusting input while the first selection UI element and the second selection UI element are selected.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable rec

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• So Yong-Jin
• Lee Won-Hee
• Park Chang-Hoon
• Jeon Eun-Jung

Classifications

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title