Method for detecting wrong positioning of earphone, and electronic device and storage medium therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10939218-B2
Application number	US-201816196155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A method for detecting wrong positioning of an earphone, and an electronic device and storage medium therefor are provided. The electronic device includes a speaker positioned on surface of a housing; and at least one processor configured to determine a positioning state of an earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device based on a difference between a first audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a first body of the earphone and a second audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a speaker positioned on a surface of a housing;
at least one sensor for outputting sensing information for posture of the electronic device; and
at least one processor configured to:
receive a first audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a first body of an earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device and a second audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device,
identify a difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal,
adjust signals output from the earphone based on the sensing information and the difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal,
determine a positioning state of the earphone based on the sensing information and the difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal,
calculate a time delay and a level difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal,
determine the positioning state of the earphone based on the sensing information and at least one of the time delay and the level difference, and
in response to identifying that the time delay is outside a threshold range, determine that the positioning state of the earphone is a removal state and notify the removal state of the earphone.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein when an audio signal is output from the speaker of the electronic device, the processor acquires the first audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the at least one microphone on the first body of the microphone and the second audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the at least one microphone on the second body of the microphone.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein if each of the time delay and the level difference is less than a threshold, the processor is configured to determine a wrong positioning state of the earphone, in which first and second speakers worn to be positioned inside both ears of a user are exchanged in position.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein if the positioning state of the earphone is the wrong positioning state, the processor is configured to exchange signals output through the first and second speakers.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a microphone on the surface of the housing,
wherein the processor is configured to determine the positioning state of the earphone based on a correlation between an audio signal input to the microphone and the first audio signal and a correlation between the audio signal input to the microphone and the second audio signal.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein when a voice signal is input to the at least one microphone on the first body and the at least one microphone on the second body, the processor is configured to determine the positioning state of the earphone based on a result of comparing the voice signal input to the at least one microphone on the first body with the voice signal input to the at least one microphone on the second body.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one microphone on the first body includes a first microphone and a second microphone, and the at least one microphone on the second body includes a third microphone and fourth microphone, and wherein the earphone includes a first speaker disposed at a first position of the first body, the first microphone disposed at a second position of the first body, the second microphone disposed at a third position of the first body, a second speaker disposed at a first position of the second body, the third microphone disposed at a second position of the second body, and the fourth microphone disposed at a third position of the second body, and
wherein when the earphone is worn on a user, the first and second speakers are inserted into both ears of the user, the first and third microphones are exposed outward from both of the ears of the user, and the second and fourth microphones are inserted into both of the ears of the user.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein if at least one of a correlation between a signal input to the first microphone and a signal input to the second microphone and a correlation between a signal input to the third microphone and a signal input to the fourth microphone is higher than a threshold, the processor is configured to determine that the positioning state of the earphone is a wrong positioning state.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to cancel noise in a signal input to remaining microphones except for microphones having a correlation higher than the threshold.

10. A method for detecting wrong positioning of an earphone by an electronic device, the method comprising:
acquiring sensing information about a posture of the electronic device;
receiving a first audio signal through a first microphone positioned in a first body of an earphone operatively connected to the electronic device, and a second audio signal through a second microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone operatively connected to the electronic device;
identifying a difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal;
adjusting signals output from the earphone based on the sensing information and the difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal;
determining a positioning state of the earphone based on the sensing information and the difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal;
calculating a time delay and a level difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal;
determining the positioning state of the earphone based on the sensing information and at least one of the time delay and the level difference; and
in response to identifying that the time delay is outside a threshold range, determining that the positioning state of the earphone is a removal state and notifying the removal state of the earphone.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the reception of a first audio signal and a second audio signal comprises:
when an audio signal is output from a speaker positioned on a first surface of a housing in the electronic device, acquiring the first audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the first microphone and the second audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the second microphone.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
when each of the time delay and the level difference is less than a threshold, determining a wrong positioning state of the earphone, in which first and second speakers worn to be positioned inside both ears of a user are exchanged in position; and
switching signals output through the first and second speakers, and outputting the switched signals.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the positioning state of the earphone comprises:
determining the positioning state of the earphone based on a correlation between an audio signal input to a microphone on the first surface of the housing and the first audio signal and a correlation between the audio signal input to the microphone and the second audio signal.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a voice signal through the first microphone and the second microphone; and
determining the positioning state of the earphone based on a result of comparing the voice signal input to the first microphone with the voice signal input to the second microphone.

15. The method o

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Gun-Woo
• An Jung-Yeol
• Kum Jong-Mo
• Kim Gang-Youl
• Kim Byeong-Jun
• Kim Jae-Hyun
• Lee Nam-Il
• Lee Jun-Soo
• Choi Chul-Min

Classifications

• H04R1/10 Primary

  Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)} · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R2460/01

  Hearing devices using active noise cancellation · CPC title

• G10K11/17833 Primary

  by using a self-diagnostic function or a malfunction prevention function, e.g. detecting abnormal output levels · CPC title