Electronic device adjusting sound signal and method for controlling the electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12468351-B2
Application number	US-202217885395-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2022
Priority date	Aug 10, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

According to an embodiment, an electronic device may comprise: a flexible display, at least one microphone, a sensor, a communication module comprising communication circuitry, and at least one processor operatively connected with the flexible display, the at least one microphone, the sensor, and the communication module. The at least one processor may be configured to: based on receiving a call signal from an external electronic device through the communication module, identify whether the call signal is a video call signal, based on the call signal being the video call signal, identify a folding state of the electronic device through the sensor, adjust a sound signal received through the at least one microphone based on the folding state, and control the communication module to transmit the adjusted sound signal to the external electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising,
memory storing instructions: a flexible display; at least two microphones; a sensor; a communication module comprising communication circuitry; and at least one processor operatively connected with the memory, the flexible display, the at least two microphones, the sensor, and the communication module, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, cause the electronic device to: based on receiving a call signal from an external electronic device through the communication module, identify whether the call signal is a video call signal; based on the call signal being the video call signal, identify a folding state of the electronic device, and adjust a sound signal received through the at least two microphones based on the folding state; based on the call signal not being the video call signal, adjust the sound signal received through the at least two microphones by reducing sound signals other than a sound signal with a largest magnitude among sound signals received through the at least two microphones; control the communication module to transmit the adjusted sound signal to the external electronic device; and determine a direction of the sound signal based on a reception time of the sound signal received through each of the at least two microphones.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to determine the direction of the sound signal based on a magnitude of the sound signal.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to reduce sound signals other than a sound signal received from a front of the electronic device among the received sound signals, as a first level, based on the folding state of the electronic device being a fully folded state or a fully unfolded state.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to reduce the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as a second level higher than the first level, based on the folding state of the electronic device being a semi-folded state.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to:
reduce the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as the second level, based on a folding angle of the electronic device being a right angle, and reduce the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as a third level between the first level and the second level, based on the folding angle based on the folding angle not being the right angle.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to increase a magnitude of a voice received from a front of the electronic device among the received signals.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the sound signal includes: identify a position of at least one hidden microphone among the at least two microphones based on a user's grip state on the electronic device determined using a signal received from a touch sensor; and
adjusting the sound signal based on the position of the at least one hidden microphone and the folding state.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to adjust the sound signals received through the at least two microphones based on the folding state of the electronic device based on the call signal being changed to the video call signal.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to adjust the received sound signals further based on the direction of the electronic device or a grip state of a grip on the electronic device.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of hinges,
wherein the at least one processor, individually and/or collectively, is configured to adjust the received sound signals further based on a position of a folded hinge among the plurality of hinges.

11 . A method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
based on receiving a call signal from an external electronic device through a communication module, identifying whether the call signal is a video call signal; based on the call signal being the video call signal, identifying a folding state of the electronic device and adjusting a sound signal received through at least two microphones based on the folding state; based on the call signal not being the video call signal, adjust the sound signal received through the at least two microphones by reducing sound signals other than a sound signal with a largest magnitude among sound signals received through the at least two microphones; and transmitting the adjusted sound signal to the external electronic device through the communication module, wherein adjusting the sound signal includes determining a direction of the sound signal based on a reception time of the sound signal received through each of the at least two microphones.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the sound signal includes determining the direction of the sound signal based on a magnitude of the sound signal.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the sound signal includes reducing sound signals other than a sound signal received from a front of the electronic device among the received sound signals, as a first level, based on the folding state of the electronic device being a fully folded state or a fully unfolded state.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein adjusting the sound signal reduces the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as a second level higher than the first level, based on the folding state of the electronic device being a semi-folded state.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein adjusting the sound signal comprises:
reducing the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as the second level, based on a folding angle of the electronic device being a right angle, and reducing the sound signals other than the sound signal received from the front of the electronic device, as a third level between the first level and the second level, based on the folding angle based on the folding angle not being the right angle.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the sound signal increases a magnitude of a voice received from a front of the electronic device among the received signals.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the sound signal includes: identify a position of at least one hidden microphone among the at least two microphones based on a user's grip state on the electronic device determined using a signal received from a touch sensor; and adjusting the sound signal based on the position of the at least one hidden microphone and the folding state.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising adjusting the sound signal received through the at least two microphones based on the folding state of the electronic device based on the call signal being changed to the video call signal.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Hyein
• Yoo Deokhyeong
• Kim Sangheon
• Seo Mira
• An Jungyeol
• Heo Seungyoon
• Lim Yeunwook

Classifications

• G06F1/1618

  the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

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

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title

• H04R2430/20

  Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) · CPC title