Method and electronic device for adjusting output level of speaker on basis of distance from external electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12022019-B2
Application number	US-201917250604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

The present document relates to a method and an electronic device for adjusting an output level of a speaker on the basis of a distance from an external electronic device, and the electronic device may comprise: a speaker; a first communication circuit; a second communication circuit; a processor; and a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive a signal, broadcast by an external electronic device, through the first communication circuit; determine a distance from the external electronic device at least on the basis of the received signal; and adjust, at a designated level, an output level of the speaker for outputting an audio signal received from the external electronic device by using the second communication circuit, at least on the basis of the distance determined to belong to a designated range. In addition, various embodiments are possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a speaker;
a short-range communication circuit;
a cellular communication circuit;
a processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to:
receive a broadcasting signal by periodically scanning a preset frequency bandwidth from an external electronic device through the short-range communication circuit,
determine a distance to the external electronic device, based on the received broadcasting signal, and
receive an audio signal through the cellular communication circuit, and
control output power of the speaker for outputting the audio signal to be a predetermined strength, based on the distance being within a predetermined range.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, configure the speaker to be in a mute state as at least a portion of an operation for controlling the output power of the speaker to be the predetermined strength.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, determine that the distance is within the predetermined range when the strength of the received broadcasting signal is higher than or equal to a preset threshold value.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, activate the short-range communication circuit in response to initiation of a call of the electronic device in a speaker mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, release the mute state of the speaker when it is determined that the external electronic device escapes the predetermined range, based on the strength of the received broadcasting signal in a state in which the speaker is configured to be in the mute state.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed,
receive a third audio signal output through a speaker of an external electronic device through a microphone, determine a distance to the external electronic device, based on the received third audio signal, and control output power of the speaker for outputting an audio signal received from the external electronic device to be a predetermined strength through the cellular communication circuit, based on the distance being within a predetermined range.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, configure the speaker to be in a mute state as at least a portion of an operation for controlling a strength of an audio signal output through the speaker to be a predetermined strength.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, determine that the distance is within the predetermined range when the strength of the third audio signal is higher than or equal to a preset threshold value.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, periodically identify whether the third audio signal output through the speaker of the external electronic device is received through the microphone.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, release the mute state when it is determined that the external electronic device escapes the predetermined range, based on the strength of the third audio signal received in a state in which the speaker is configured to be in the mute state.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed,
receive a fourth audio signal through a microphone, receive a fifth audio signal from an external electronic device through the cellular communication circuit, calculate correlation between the fourth audio signal and the fifth audio signal, determine a distance to the external electronic device, based on the correlation, and control output power of the speaker for outputting the fifth audio signal to be a predetermined strength, based on the distance being within a predetermined range.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, configure the speaker to be in a mute state as at least a portion of an operation for controlling the output power of the speaker to be the predetermined strength.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, calculate the correlation by comparing a waveform of the fourth audio signal with a waveform of the fifth audio signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, release the mute state of the speaker when the fifth audio signal is not received for a predetermined time through the cellular communication circuit in a state in which the speaker is configured to be in the mute state.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to, when executed, recalculate correlation between the fourth audio signal and the fifth audio signal in a state in which the speaker is configured to be in the mute state and release the mute state of the speaker when it is determined that the distance escapes the predetermined range, based on the recalculated correlation.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Keum Jongmo
• An Jungyeol
• Kim Gangyoul
• Kim Hyunwook
• Moon Hyungmo
• Heo Seungyoon
• Yang Jaemo
• Kim Yangsu
• Kudryavtsev Vadim

Classifications

• H04R3/02

  for preventing acoustic reaction {, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453)} · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04M1/72454

  according to context-related or environment-related conditions · CPC title

• H04M1/605 Primary

  involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user · CPC title