Electronic device for switching communication connections according to noise environment and method for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12082279-B2
Application number	US-202217568062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Jan 12, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the disclosure include a first electronic device, comprising at least one microphone, a communication circuit, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: establish a first communication connection with an external electronic device using the communication circuit, transmit through the first communication connection, to the external electronic device, using the communication circuit, information for a first voice signal obtained using the at least one microphone, receive second noise information for a second voice signal from the second electronic device, by the communication circuit, wherein the second voice signal corresponding to the first voice signal was obtained by a second electronic device while the information for the first voice signal was transmitted to the external electronic device, and transmit, based on first noise information for the first voice signal and the received second noise information satisfy a specified condition, first control information for allowing the second electronic device to establish a second communication connection with the external electronic device, using the communication circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A first electronic device, comprising:
at least one microphone,
a communication circuit, and
at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
establish a first communication connection with an external electronic device using the communication circuit,
transmit through the first communication connection, to the external electronic device, using the communication circuit, information for a first voice signal obtained using the at least one microphone,
receive second noise information for a second voice signal from a second electronic device, by the communication circuit, wherein the second voice signal corresponding to the first voice signal was obtained by the second electronic device while the information for the first voice signal was transmitted to the external electronic device, and
transmit, based on first noise information for the first voice signal and the received second noise information, first control information for allowing the second electronic device to establish a second communication connection with the external electronic device, using the communication circuit.

2. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to disconnect the first communication connection established with the external electronic device, responsive to transmitting of the first control information.

3. The first electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
obtain a third voice signal, using the at least one microphone, while the first communication connection is disconnected,
identify third noise information for the obtained third voice signal, and
transmit the identified third noise information to the second electronic device using the communication circuit.

4. The first electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
after disconnecting the first communication connection, receive second control information for reestablishing the first communication connection with the external electronic device using the communication circuit, and
reestablish the first communication connection, based on the receiving of the second control information.

5. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
identify a difference between a noise of the first voice signal and a noise of the second voice signal, based on the first noise information and the received second noise information.

6. The first electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
identify whether the difference between the noise of the first voice signal and the noise of the second voice signal is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and
transmit the first control information, based on identifying that the difference between the noise of the first voice signal and the noise of the second voice signal is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

7. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
identify the first noise information,
identify whether a noise of the first voice signal is equal to or greater than a second threshold, and
compare the first noise information and the received second noise information, based on identifying that the noise of the first voice signal is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

8. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify at least one of whether a directional noise exists, a magnitude of the directional noise, a level of noise detected from the first electronic device and the second electronic device, or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a voice signal detected from the first electronic device and the second electronic device, based on the first noise information and the second noise information.

9. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first noise information includes an average value of noise information of a voice signal obtained during a predetermined period using the at least one microphone, and
wherein the average value of the noise information is identified every preset period.

10. The first electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device is set as a master device while the first communication connection is established, and the second electronic device is set as the master device while the second communication connection is established, and
wherein an electronic device set as the master device between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, is configured to compare noise information and transmit information for a voice signal to the external electronic device.

11. A method for controlling a first electronic device, the method comprising:
establishing a first communication connection with an external electronic device, using a communication circuit of the first electronic device;
transmitting through the established first communication connection, to the external electronic device, using the communication circuit, information for a first voice signal obtained using at least one microphone of the first electronic device;
receiving second noise information for a second voice signal from a second electronic device, using the communication circuit, wherein a second voice signal corresponding to the first voice signal is obtained by the second electronic device while the information for the first voice signal is transmitted to the external electronic device; and
transmitting, based on first noise information for the first voice signal and the received second noise information, first control information for allowing the second electronic device to establish a second communication connection with the external electronic device, using the communication circuit.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising disconnecting the first communication connection established with the external electronic device, responsive to the transmitting of the first control information.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
obtaining a third voice signal, using the at least one microphone, while the first communication connection is disconnected;
identifying third noise information for the obtained third voice signal; and
transmitting the identified third noise information to the second electronic device using the communication circuit.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
after disconnecting the first communication connection, receiving second control information for reestablishing the first communication connection with the external electronic device using the communication circuit; and
reestablishing the first communication connection, based on the receiving of the second control information.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the first control information, based on the first noise information and the received second noise information, includes:
identifying a difference between a noise of the first voice signal and a noise of the second voice signal, based on the first noise information and the received second noise information.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
identifying whether the difference between the noise of the first voice signal and the noise of the second voice signal is equal to or greater than a first threshold, and
transmitting the first control information, based on identifying that the difference between the noise of the first voice signal and the noise of the second

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Son Beakkwon
• Kim Sangeun
• Kim Sanghyeok
• Moon Hangil
• Bang Kyoungho
• Baek Soonho
• Yang Jaemo
• Lee Gunwoo
• Lee Byoungchul

Classifications

• H04W76/34

  Selective release of ongoing connections · CPC title

• H04B17/336

  Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] · CPC title

• H04W76/19

  Connection re-establishment · CPC title

• H04W76/30

  Connection release · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title