Ear wearable type wireless device and system supporting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192743-A1
Application number	US-201615387192-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device is provided and includes a housing including a portion that is detachably mountable on one of a user's ears, a wireless communication circuit, a battery, a speaker, at least one sensor included in the housing, a processor electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit, the battery, the speaker, and the at least one sensor, and a memory electrically connected to the processor so that the processor can request a connection from an external device configured to be detachably mounted on another one of the user's ears, determine a portion to be output from the audio data stored in the memory based on whether a response of the external device for the request for the connection is received or at least a portion of at least one signal is received from the external device by formation of the requested connection, and output the determined portion through the speaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a portion configured to be detachably mounted on one of a user's ears; a wireless communication circuit included in the housing; a battery included in the housing; a speaker included in the housing and disposed to face a user's eardrum when the portion of the housing is coupled to one of the user's ears; at least one sensor included in the housing; a processor included in the housing and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit, the battery, the speaker, and the at least one sensor; and a memory included in the housing and electrically connected to the processor, the memory being configured to store audio data, wherein the memory stores instructions, which, upon being executed, cause the processor to: request a connection from an external device configured to be detachably mounted on another one of the user's ears by using the communication circuit; determine a portion of the audio data stored in the memory to be output based on whether a response from the external device for the request for the connection is received or at least a portion of at least one signal received from the external device by formation of the requested connection; and output the determined portion through the speaker.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one signal received from the external device includes status information of the external device, and
the instructions cause the processor to determine the portion of the audio data to be output, based on the received status information of the external device.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
output the portion of the audio data through the speaker when the received status information of the external device includes a first status, and output the portion of the audio data entirely through the speaker when the received status information of the external device includes a second status.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein, when the received status information of the external device includes the first status, the instructions cause the processor to:
transmit a synchronization signal related to the portion of the audio data to the external device; receive a response related to the synchronization signal from the external device; and output the portion of the audio data through the speaker in response to the received response, and when the received status information of the external device includes the second status, the instructions cause the processor not to transmit a synchronization signal related to the portion of the audio data to the external device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
acquire status information of the electronic device using the at least one sensor; and transmit the acquired status information of the electronic device to the external device by using the communication circuit.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to output the portion of the audio data entirely through the speaker when the external device does not respond to the request for the connection.

7 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first status includes a state where the external device is positioned close to a user, and
the second status includes a state where the external device is not positioned close to a user.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes a master device and a slave device, and
wherein the instructions include, which, upon being executed, cause the processor to: when outputting the determined portion of the audio data via the speaker, transmit a master time of the electronic device to the external device in order to synchronize a time between the electronic device and the external device.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions include, which, upon being executed, cause the processor to:
determine a first reproduction position of the audio data, and transmit a command based on the determined first reproduction position to the external device.

10 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the instructions include, which, upon being executed, cause the processor to:
receive, from the external device, a second reproduction position of the same audio data, compare the first reproduction position with the second reproduction position, and transmit the command based on a result of the comparison result to the external device.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a portion configured to be detachably mounted on one of a user's ears; a wireless communication circuit included in the housing; a battery included in the housing; a speaker included in the housing and disposed to face a user's eardrum when the portion of the housing is coupled to one of the user's ears; at least one sensor included in the housing; a processor included in the housing and electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit, the battery, the speaker, and the at least one sensor; a storage device included in the housing and electrically connected to the processor; and a volatile memory included in the housing, wherein the storage device stores instructions which, upon being executed, cause the processor to: receive audio data from a first external device by using the communication circuit; store the received audio data in the volatile memory; request a connection from a second external device configured to be detachably mounted on another one of the user's ears by using the communication circuit; determine a portion of the audio data stored in the volatile memory to be output based on whether a response of the second external device for the request for the connection is received or at least a portion of at least one signal is received from the second external device by formation of the requested connection; and output the determined portion of the audio data through the speaker.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to output the portion of audio data through the speaker entirely when the second external device does not respond to the request for the connection.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one signal received from the second external device includes status information of the second external device, and
the instructions cause the processor to: output the portion of the audio data through the speaker when the received status information of the external device includes a first status, and output the portion of the audio data through the speaker when the received status information of the external device includes a second status.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the first status includes a state where the second external device is positioned close to a user, and
the second status includes a state where the second external device is not positioned close to a user.

15 . A method of operating an electronic device, comprising:
receiving a reproduction request for audio data stored in a memory of the electronic device; acquiring status information of an external device connected to the electronic device; determining a portion of the audio data stored in the memory to be output based on the acquired status information; and outputting the determined portion of the audio data through a speaker of the electronic device.

16 . The method

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chun Ahhyun
• Kim Yong-Yi
• Kim Hyeong Geun
• Jo Jae-Hyun
• Hwang Sunlyeong
• Hong Iisung

Classifications

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• H04R1/1025

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title

• H04R5/033

  Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} · CPC title

• H04L67/06

  specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP] · CPC title

• H04M1/725

  Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) · CPC title