Switching method for audio output channel, and display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12593170-B2
Application number	US-202318486764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2023
Priority date	Apr 21, 2021
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed are a switching method for an audio output channel, and a display apparatus. The method includes: in response to a switch operation for switching an audio output channel of an external power amplifier, obtaining a first state value corresponding to the switch operation, where the audio output channel of the external power amplifier includes an ARC and/or an eARC, and the first state value is used for indicating an on/off state of the eARC specified by the switch operation; and adjusting a connection state of the ARC and a connection state of the eARC according to the first state value, and determining a target channel for outputting audio according to an adjusting result; and displaying the on/off state of the eARC matching with the target channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display apparatus, comprising:
a display configured to present an image and/or a user interface; one or more HDMI ports, configured to connect with one or more external devices, wherein the one or more external devices comprise an external power amplifier, an audio output channel of the external power amplifier comprises an Audio Return Channel, ARC and/or an enhanced Audio Return Channel, eARC; a sound speaker configured to play audio; a memory configured to store instructions and data associated with the display; at least one processor in connection with the display, the one or more HDMI ports, the sound speaker and configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform: in response to a switch operation for switching the audio output channel of the external power amplifier, obtaining a first state value corresponding to the switch operation, wherein the first state value is used for indicating an ON/OFF state of the eARC specified by the switch operation; adjusting a connection state of the ARC and a connection state of the eARC according to the first state value, and determining a target channel for outputting audio according to an adjusting result, and displaying the ON/OFF state of the eARC matching with the target channel; wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform: in response to the switch operation being for switching the eARC from the OFF state to the ON state, recording the first state value as ‘on’; in response to the switch operation being for switching the eARC from the ON state to the OFF state, recording the first state value as ‘off’; in response to the first state value being detected as ‘on’, causing a driver layer to connect with eARC channel and disconnect with ARC channel; generating a second state value according to an adjusting result of the driver layer, and reporting the second state value to a framework layer of the display apparatus so as to cause the framework layer to implement a channel-switch control logic, wherein the second state value is used for indicating a connection state of the eARC; wherein the channel-switch control logic is configured to: in response to the second state value being detected as ‘on’, determine that the target channel is the eARC channel and control the display to change a switch control of the eARC to be the ON state; in response to the second state value being detected as ‘off’, determining that the target channel is the ARC channel, reestablishing a connection with the ARC channel, and controlling the display to set the switch control of the eARC as the OFF state; wherein in response to eARC connection failure, eARC connection timeout, or detecting that the external power amplifier does not support the eARC while connecting with the eARC, the second state value is set to ‘off’.

2 . The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform:
in response to the first state value being detected as ‘off’, causing a driver layer to disconnect with eARC channel, generating a second state value and reporting the second state value to a framework layer of the display apparatus so as to cause the framework layer to implement a channel-switch control logic; wherein the channel-switch control logic is configured to: in response to the second state value being detected as ‘off’, determine that the target channel is the ARC channel, reestablish a connection with the ARC channel, and control the display to change a switch control of the eARC to be the OFF state.

3 . The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform:
monitoring an ON/OFF state of a Consumer Electronics Control, CEC, function; in response to the CEC function being switched from the ON state to the OFF state, searching a current audio output channel; in response to the current audio output channel being the eARC channel, keeping the current audio output channel unchanged.

4 . The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform:
controlling the display to present a first prompt message, the first prompt message is used for indicating that the CEC function is OFF, and it is unable to use a remote control to adjust volume of audio output from the eARC channel.

5 . The display apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform:
in response to the CEC function being switched from the ON state to the OFF state, and the current audio output channel being the ARC, sending an exit instruction to the external power amplifier, switching the audio output channel to the sound speaker of the display apparatus, and controlling the display to present a second prompt message for indicating that the CEC function is OFF and the audio output channel is automatically switched to the sound speaker; the exit instruction is used for instructing the external power amplifier to exit from ARC work mode.

6 . The display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the display apparatus to perform:
in response to a CEC function being in an OFF state, controlling the external power amplifier on a setting page of audio output to be in a selectable state; in response to the external power amplifier being in the selectable state, receiving further adjustment for the ON/OFF state of the eARC from a user.

7 . A switching method for an audio output channel in a display apparatus, comprising:
in response to a switch operation for switching the audio output channel of an external power amplifier, obtaining a first state value corresponding to the switch operation, wherein the external power amplifier is connected with the display apparatus through a High-Definition Multimedia Interface, HDMI, the audio output channel of the external power amplifier comprises: an Audio Return Channel, ARC and/or an enhanced Audio Return Channel, eARC, the first state value is used for indicating an ON/OFF state of the eARC specified by the switch operation; adjusting a connection state of the ARC and a connection state of the eARC according to the first state value, and determining a target channel for outputting audio according to an adjusting result, and displaying the ON/OFF state of the eARC matching with the target channel; wherein the method further comprises: in response to the switch operation being for switching the eARC from the OFF state to the ON state, recording the first state value as ‘on’; in response to the switch operation being for switching the eARC from the ON state to the OFF state, recording the first state value as ‘off’; in response to the first state value being detected as ‘on’, causing a driver layer to connect with eARC channel and disconnect with ARC channel; generating a second state value according to an adjusting result of the driver layer, and reporting the second state value to a framework layer of the display apparatus so as to cause the framework layer to implement a channel-switch control logic, wherein the second state value is used for indicating a connection state of the eARC; wherein the channel-switch control logic is configured to: in response to the second state value being detected as ‘on’, determine that the target channel is the eARC channel and control a display of the display apparatus to change a switch

Assignees

• Hisense Visual Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huo Junyi
• Zhang Dawei
• Wang Qiang
• Wang Xing

Classifications

• H04R2430/01

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

• H04R2420/01

  Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04N21/439 Primary

  Processing of audio elementary streams · CPC title

• G06F3/165

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

• H04R2420/05

  Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers · CPC title