Electronic device for controlling audio output and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11314478-B2
Application number	US-201815923536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 17, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device for controlling output of audio data, and an operation method thereof are provided. The electronic device includes a display, a communication interface, at least one processor, and a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein the memory is configured to store instructions, and when executed, the instructions enable the at least one processor to perform setting the electronic device and at least one other electronic device as audio output devices of different applications, based on a user input, detecting a connection to the at least one other electronic device via the communication interface, and controlling the display to display information indicating that the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device are set as the audio output devices of different applications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of displays comprising:

a first display disposed on a first side of the electronic device and including a first display area, and a second display disposed on a second side of the electronic device different from the first side and including a second display area, wherein the first display is physically separate from the second display; a communication interface; at least one processor; and a memory electrically connected to the at least one processor, wherein the memory is configured to store instructions, that, when executed, enable the at least one processor to perform: detecting a connection to at least one other electronic device via the communication interface, displaying a default path list including the electronic device and the at the one other electronic device and a separate path list including the at least one other electronic device connected to the electronic device, wherein the default path list includes an icon indicating that a corresponding device is set as a default device, and wherein the separate path list includes an icon indicating that a corresponding device is set to a certain application, changing an audio output device for at least one application and updating the display of the corresponding icon, based on a user input to one of the default path list and the separate path list, and outputting audio data of the at least one application through the audio output device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store an instruction for:
in response to detecting the connection of the at least one other electronic device, controlling the display to display information in the separate path list indicating that the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device are set as audio output devices of different applications based on a user input.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the separate path list comprises identification information of a first application program corresponding to one of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for:
identifying an application executed in at least one display area among the first display area and the second display area, based on the at least one display area where the application is displayed, identifying at least one audio output device among the electronic device and at least one other electronic device which is connected through the communication interface.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for: detecting an audio volume control event; displaying audio volume information associated with each of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device; and controlling a volume of one of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, based on a user input.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for:
detecting an audio volume control event;
displaying audio volume information of a first electronic device that outputs audio data of an executed application program that is being displayed on a screen, from among the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device; and
controlling a volume of the first electronic device, based on a user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for:
detecting execution of a first application program that takes a first electronic device as an audio output device from among the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device; and
controlling the display to display information indicating that audio data of the first application program is output to the first electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for:
interrupting output of the audio data of the first application program to the first electronic device, based on a user input; and
outputting the audio data of the first application program to a second electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the memory is configured to store instructions for setting the audio output device corresponding to one of the first display area or the second display area based on a user input.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the user input comprises a first user input fora selecting an application program and a second user input for selecting one of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device as the audio output device of the selected application program.

11. A method of operating an electronic device comprising a plurality of displays comprising a first display disposed on a first side of the electronic device an including a first display area, and a second display area disposed on a second side of the electronic device different from the first side and including a second display area, wherein the first display is physically separate from the second display, the method comprising: detecting a connection to at least one other electronic device via a communication interface of the electronic device; displaying a default path list including the electronic device and the at the at least one other electronic device and a separate path list including the at least one other electronic device connected to the electronic device, wherein the default path list includes an icon indicating that a corresponding device is set as a default device, and wherein the separate path list includes an icon indicating that a corresponding device is set to a certain application; changing an audio output device for an application and updating the display of the corresponding icon, based on a user input to one of the default path list and the separate path list; and outputting audio data of the application through the audio output device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to detecting the connection of the at least one other electronic device, displaying information in the separate path list indicating that the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device are set as audio output devices of different application programs based on a user input.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the separate path list comprises identification information of a first application program corresponding to one of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
identifying an application executed in at least one display area among the first display area and the second display area; and
based on the at least one display area where the application is displayed, identifying at least one audio output device among the electronic device and at least one other electronic device which is connected through a communication interface of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting an audio volume control event;
displaying audio volume information of each of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device; and
controlling a volume of one of the electronic device and the at least one other electronic device, based on a user input.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting an audio volume control event;
displaying audio volume information of a first electronic device that outputs audio data of

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyunkyoung
• Seo Hyewon
• Kim Dasom
• Kim Ukhyun
• Oh Kyunghui
• Lee Sangmin
• Kim Hoyeon
• Lim Jung-Uk
• Yang Hyunyoung

Classifications

• H04M2201/38

  Displays · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• H04M1/72442 Primary

  for playing music files · CPC title

• H04M1/72427

  for supporting games or graphical animations · CPC title