Apparatus and method for controlling built-in microphone of portable terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10674002-B2
Application number	US-201916432606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	May 4, 2007
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that includes a wireless communication circuitry, and a controller operatively connected with the wireless communication circuitry. The controller is configured to obtain, from at least one of wireless external devices, information indicating whether each of the wireless external devices includes a microphone. In response to receiving a call connection event while the wireless communication circuitry is wirelessly connected with the at least one of the wireless external devices: when the obtained information indicates that only one of the wireless external devices includes a microphone, an audio input is obtained from the one of the wireless external devices that includes the microphone; and when the obtained information indicates that at least two of the wireless external devices each include a respective microphone, an audio input is selectively obtained from a microphone of one of the at least two wireless external devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a wireless communication device configured to operatively and wirelessly connect with a plurality of wireless external devices, wherein each of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a speaker, with or without a microphone; and
a controller configured to:
obtain information regarding the plurality of wireless external devices from the wireless communication device operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices, and
in response to receiving a call connection event while the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices:
when the obtained information indicates that only one of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a microphone, obtain an audio input from the one of the plurality of wireless external devices that includes the microphone, and
when the obtained information indicates that at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices each include a respective microphone, selectively obtain an audio input from a microphone of one of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in response to receiving the call connection event while the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices, the controller is further configured to:
when the obtained information indicates that at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices each include a respective speaker, selectively provide an audio output of an incoming call through one of the speakers of the plurality of wireless external devices.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, in response to receiving a call connection event while the electronic device is not operatively and wirelessly connected with any of the plurality of wireless external devices, the controller is further configured to:
obtain an audio input from a built-in microphone of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the information is used to determine an existence of microphones in the plurality of wireless external devices.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a built-in microphone and the controller is further configured to:
when the obtained information indicates that none of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a microphone, obtain an audio input from the built-in microphone of the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with two wireless external devices.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the audio input is selectively obtained from one of the microphones of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices based on corresponding priorities of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices.

8. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing one or more programs, which when executed by a controller of an electronic device, performs the steps of:
obtaining information regarding a plurality of wireless external devices from a wireless communication device operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices; and
in response to receiving a call connection event while the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices:
when the obtained information indicates that only one of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a microphone, obtaining an audio input from the one of the plurality of wireless external devices that includes the microphone, and
when the obtained information indicates that at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices each include a respective microphone, selectively obtaining an audio input from a microphone of one of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices.

9. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise the step of:
in response to receiving the call connection event while the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices, when the obtained information indicates that at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices each include a respective speaker, selectively providing an audio output of an incoming call through one of the speakers of the plurality of wireless external devices.

10. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise the step of:
in response to receiving a call connection event while the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices, when the obtained information indicates that the only one of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a speaker, providing an audio output of an incoming call through the speaker of the one of the plurality of wireless external devices.

11. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise the step of:
when the electronic device is not operatively and wirelessly connected with any of the plurality of wireless external devices, providing audio output using a built-in speaker of the electronic device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the audio input is selectively obtained from one of the microphones of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices based on corresponding priorities of the at least two of the plurality of wireless external devices.

13. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the information is used to determine an existence of microphones in the plurality of wireless external devices.

14. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform the step of:
when the obtained information indicates that none of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a microphone, obtaining an audio input from a built-in microphone of the electronic device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication device is operatively and wirelessly connected with two wireless external devices.

16. An electronic device capable of connecting to a wireless external device and a wired external device, the electronic device comprising:
a wireless communication device configured to operatively and wirelessly connect with a plurality of wireless external devices, wherein each of the plurality of wireless external devices includes a speaker, with or without a microphone;
a socket configured to connect; and
a controller configured to:
obtain first information regarding the plurality of wireless external devices from the wireless communication device operatively and wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices,
obtain second information regarding the wired external device via the socket, and
in response to receiving a call connection event while the wireless communication device is wirelessly connected with the plurality of wireless external devices and while the socket is connected with the wired external device:
when the obtained first information and the obtained second information indicate that only one device, among the plurality of wireless extern

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang-Kyu
• Lee Seung-Yup
• Park Jung-Ho
• Song Soo-Ho

Classifications

• H04M1/6058

  involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone · CPC title

• H04M1/725

  Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) · CPC title

• H04M1/6066

  including a wireless connection · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04M1/7253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic