Interaction of sound, silent and mute modes in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11422769-B2
Application number	US-202016911742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jan 26, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

This is directed to controlling the output of audio based on the mode of an electronic device. In particular, this is directed to an electronic device having a sound mode, silent mode, and mute mode controlling the output of audio along different audio output routes. In the sound mode, all audio can be output, while only registered or authorized audio can be output in the silent mode. In the mute mode, no audio can be output. The sound and silent modes can be enabled using an interface of the device (e.g., a switch having two possible states), while the mute mode can be enabled using an accessory coupled to the device. To disengage the mute mode, a user can provide a corresponding instruction using the accessory, or providing an instruction on the device related to volume control. For example, a user can change the device volume using an on-device interface, or toggle a sound/silent switch to a sound mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing; and
control circuitry, audio circuitry, one or more speakers, and an audio output route all of which are integrated within said housing of the electronic device, the control circuitry operative to:
identify a current mode of the device, wherein the current mode comprises one of a first mode, or a second mode;
in response to identifying the current mode is the first mode, direct the audio circuitry to prevent received audio from being output to said one or more speakers of the electronic device through a first audio output route;
in response to identifying the current mode is the second mode, direct the audio circuitry to provide the received audio for output to the one or more speakers of the electronic device through the first audio output route; and
in response to sensing that an accessory is coupled to the device, i) switch routing of the received audio within the device from the second mode to the first mode, and ii) upon the accessory becoming coupled to the device, the audio circuitry provides the received audio for output to the accessory through a second audio output route, wherein the second audio output route couples the accessory to the electronic device with a Bluetooth audio route.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second audio output route couples the accessory to the device with an audio route supporting A2DP or HFP protocols.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes an input interface having a button or a touchscreen.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the accessory is an output interface.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the output interface is a speaker.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the accessory is part of a dock that retains the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein volume control is provided using the accessory coupled to the device through the second audio output route.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first mode is mute mode, the second mode is silent mode.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a telephone, a desktop computer, or a notebook computer.

10. A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising the following operations performed by control circuitry which is integrated along with audio circuitry and a first audio output route within a housing of the electronic device:
identifying a current mode of the device, wherein the current mode comprises one of a first mode, or a second mode;
in response to identifying the current mode is the first mode, directing the audio circuitry to prevent received audio from being output to one or more speakers of the electronic device through the first audio output route;
in response to identifying the current mode is the second mode, directing the audio circuitry to provide the received audio for output to the one or more speakers of the electronic device through the first audio output route; and
in response to sensing that an accessory is coupled to the device, i) switching routing of the received audio within the device from the second mode to the first mode, and ii) upon the accessory becoming coupled to the electronic device, the audio circuitry provides the received audio for output to the accessory through a second audio output route, wherein the second audio output route couples the accessory to the electronic device with a Bluetooth audio route.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising in response to sensing that the accessory is decoupled from the device, remaining in the first mode.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second audio output route couples the accessory to the device with an audio route supporting A2DP or HFP protocols.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device includes an input interface having a button or a touchscreen.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the accessory is an output interface.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the output interface is a speaker or projector.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the accessory is part of a dock that retains the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein volume control is provided using the accessory coupled to the device through the second audio output route.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Coffman Patrick
• Borogove Meriko
• Bennett Jonathan
• Chapman Gregory
• Guetta Anthony
• Iyer Deepak
• Johnson Eric

Classifications

• H04R29/00

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title

• G06F3/165 Primary

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

• G06F16/683

  using metadata automatically derived from the content · CPC title