Electronic device for discharging liquid using sound having adjusted center frequency and sound pressure, and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11927992-B2
Application number	US-201917264915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2019
Priority date	Aug 3, 2018
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing including an acoustic conduit to output a sound, a sound output device disposed at least partially in the housing, and connected with an outside of the electronic device through the acoustic conduit, a memory, and a processor electrically connected with the sound output device and the memory. The processor may determine whether specified information is received in association with an output of the sound output device, output, through the sound output device, a sound including a plurality of frequency bands, based on the specified information, when the specified information is received, and maintain center frequencies of the plurality of frequency bands to be substantially fixed and change, in a specified range, sound pressures of the plurality of frequency bands, during time that the sound is output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including an acoustic conduit to output a sound;
a sound output device disposed at least partially in the housing, and connected with an outside of the electronic device through the acoustic conduit;
a memory;
a sensing module configured to sense that a foreign matter is present in the acoustic conduit; and
a processor electrically connected with the sound output device and the memory,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive sensing information indicating that a foreign matter is present in the acoustic conduit from the sensing module;
determine a plurality of frequency bands based on at least one of an intensity of a voltage used in the sound output device and a gain of an audio circuit of the sound output device;
output, through the sound output device, a liquid discharge sound including the plurality of frequency bands, which are separated from each other in a frequency domain, in response to the sensing information is received; and
maintain center frequencies of the plurality of frequency bands to be substantially fixed and change, within a specified range, sound pressures of the plurality of frequency bands, during the time that the liquid discharge sound is output.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the center frequencies are frequencies at points showing substantially highest sound pressures in the plurality of frequency bands, respectively.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein changing, within the specified range, sound pressures of the plurality of frequency bands during the time that the liquid discharge sound is output comprises:
from a first period of time during which the sound is output to a second period of time, after the first period of time, during which the sound is output, changing the sound pressure for at least one of the plurality of frequency bands;
from the second period of time to a third period of time, after the second period of time, during which the sound is output, changing the sound pressure for at least one other one of the plurality of frequency bands.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are separated by a first time interval and the second period of time and the third period of time are separated by a second time interval.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to:
output a dummy tone having a sound pressure lower than the plurality of frequency bands, during the first time interval and the second time interval.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the first time interval is different from the second time interval.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display configured to receive a touch input,
wherein the processor is configured to:
output the sound through the sound output device, when a water-lock-mode is released.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display a user interface associated with outputting the sound, by using the display.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to:
display a user interface for selecting the sound from a plurality of specified sounds, when the water-lock-mode is released.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
Determine that the foreign matter has been discharged through the acoustic conduit; and,
terminate outputting the sound.

11. The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a vibration unit configured to generate vibration in the electronic device,
wherein the processor is configured to:
drive the vibration unit while outputting the sound.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
change a manner for outputting the plurality of frequency bands, when a specified user input is received.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:
repeatedly output the sound, in a specified period of time.

14. A method for outputting a sound in an electronic device, the method comprising:
determining whether foreign matter is present in an acoustic conduit included in a housing of the device, based on sensing information sensed by a sensing module of the device;
determining a plurality of frequency bands based on at least one of an intensity of a voltage used in the sound output device and a gain of an audio circuit of the sound output device;
outputting, through a sound output device of the electronic device, a liquid discharge sound including the plurality of frequency bands, which are separated from each other in a frequency domain, in response to a determination that foreign matter is present in the acoustic conduit;
and
maintaining center frequencies of the plurality of frequency bands to be substantially fixed and changing, within a specified range, sound pressures of the plurality of frequency bands, during the time that the liquid discharge sound is output.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hongki
• Kim Jin
• Park Youngbae
• Yoon Changshik
• Jang Dongheon
• Lee Junhui
• Son Sungho

Classifications

• G06F1/1688 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R29/001

  for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title