Sound effect control method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9832582-B2
Application number	US-201414901854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sound effect control method and apparatus, where the method includes: when a hands-free call is performed for a mobile terminal, detecting whether a hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal is shielded; and adjusting a configuration of the hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal and/or outputting an alarm signal to inform a user that the hands-free call channel is shielded, when it is detected that the hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal is shielded. According to the method, when a hands-free call is performed for a mobile terminal, whether a hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal is shielded is detected; when it is shielded, a configuration of the hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal is adjusted and/or an alarm signal is output, which can effectively improve quality of the hands-free call of the mobile terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sound effect control method, comprising:
when a hands-free call is performed for a mobile terminal, detecting whether a microphone of the mobile terminal is shielded and detecting whether a speaker of the mobile terminal is shielded, wherein detecting whether the speaker of the mobile terminal is shielded comprises detecting at least one of: a variation in acoustic impedance of the speaker, a difference in amplitude between first and second sounds, and a transmission delay between first and second sounds; and
when it is detected that the microphone of the mobile terminal is shielded, adjusting at least one of a filter parameter, an automatic gain control parameter, and an echo cancellation parameter of a hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal, so as to reduce at least one of a noise floor, a degree of distortion, and an echo of a sound picked up by the microphone.

2. The sound effect control method according to claim 1 , wherein detecting whether the microphone of the mobile terminal is shielded comprises:
detecting a variation in sound pressure of the microphone; and
when it is detected that F 1 −F 2 ≧F 3 , determining that the microphone is shielded, wherein F 1 represents sound pressure of the microphone during a first time period, F 2 represents sound pressure of the microphone during a second time period, and the first time period is prior to the second time period; and F 3 represents a first threshold.

3. The sound effect control method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
when it is detected that the microphone is shielded, further performing one or more of the following:
improving a gain of the microphone; and
enabling a second microphone of the mobile terminal and using the second microphone as a microphone for the hands-free call.

4. The sound effect control method according to claim 1 , wherein:
detecting a variation in acoustic impedance of the speaker comprises:
when it is detected that R 2 −R 1 ≧R 3 , determining that the speaker is shielded, wherein R 1 represents acoustic impedance of the speaker at a first time, R 2 represents acoustic impedance of the speaker at a current time, and the first time is prior to the current time; R 3 represents a second threshold;

detecting a difference in amplitude between first and second sounds comprises:
detecting an amplitude H 1 of the first sound and an amplitude H 2 of the second sound; and
when H 1 −H 2 ≧H 3 and it is determined that the microphone is not shielded, determining that the speaker is shielded, wherein H 3 represents a third threshold; and

detecting a transmission delay between first and second sounds comprises:
detecting a transmission delay T of the first sound relative to the second sound; and
when T≦T 1 , determining that the speaker is shielded, wherein T 1 , represents a fourth threshold;

wherein the first sound is a sound that is picked up inside the mobile terminal and to be output by the speaker, and the second sound is a sound that is picked up by the microphone and that is obtained after the first sound is output by the speaker.

5. The sound effect control method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
when it is detected that the speaker is shielded, performing any one or more of the following:
raising a volume of the speaker;
adjusting at least one of a filter parameter, an automatic gain control parameter, and an echo cancellation parameter that are of the hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal, so as to reduce at least one of a noise floor, a degree of distortion, and an echo of a sound output by the speaker; and
enabling a second speaker of the mobile terminal and using the second speaker as a speaker for the hands-free call.

6. A sound effect control apparatus, comprising:
a detecting unit, configured to: when a hands-free call is performed for a mobile terminal, detect whether a microphone of the mobile terminal is shielded and detect whether a speaker of the mobile terminal is shielded, wherein to detect whether the speaker of the mobile terminal is shielded, the detecting unit is configured to detect at least one of: a variation in acoustic impedance of the speaker, a difference in amplitude between first and second sounds, and a transmission delay between first and second sounds; and
a control unit connected to the detecting unit and configured to: when the detecting unit detects that the microphone of the mobile terminal is shielded, adjust at least one of a filter parameter, an automatic gain control parameter, and an echo cancellation parameter of a hands-free call channel of the mobile terminal, so as to reduce at least one of a noise floor, a degree of distortion, and an echo of a sound picked up by the microphone.

7. The sound effect control apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a sound pressure detecting module, configured to detect a variation in sound pressure of the microphone; and
a first determining module, which is connected to the sound pressure detecting module and is configured to: when the sound pressure detecting module detects that F 1 −F 2 ≧F 3 , determine that the microphone is shielded, wherein F 1 represents sound pressure of the microphone during a first time period, F 2 represents sound pressure of the microphone during a second time period, and the first time period is prior to the second time period; and F 3 represents a first threshold.

8. The sound effect control apparatus according to claim 6 , herein the control unit is configured to: when the detecting unit detects that the microphone is shielded, further perform one or more of the following operations:
improving a gain of the microphone; and
enabling a second microphone of the mobile terminal and using the second microphone as a microphone for the hands-free call.

9. The sound effect control apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:
the detecting unit comprises at least one of:
an acoustic impedance detecting module and a second determining module;
an amplitude detecting module and a third determining module; and
a delay detecting module and a fourth determining module;

the acoustic impedance detecting module is configured to detect the variation in acoustic impedance of the speaker;
the second determining module is connected to the acoustic impedance detecting module and is configured to: when the acoustic impedance detecting module detects that R 2 −R 1 ≧R 3 , determine that the speaker is shielded, wherein R 1 represents acoustic impedance of the speaker at a first time, R 2 , represents acoustic impedance of the speaker at a current time, and the first time is prior to the current time; R 3 represents a second threshold;
the amplitude detecting module is configured to detect an amplitude H 1 of the first sound and an amplitude H 2 of the second sound;
the third determining module is connected to the amplitude detecting module and the microphone detecting subunit, and is configured to: when the amplitude detecting module detects that H 1 −H 2 ≧H 3 and the microphone detecting subunit determines that the microphone is not shielded, determine that the speaker is shielded, wherein H 3 represents a third threshold;
the delay detecting module is configured to detect a transmission delay T of the first sound relative to the second sound;
the fourth determining module is connected to the delay detecting module and is configured to: when T≦T 1 , determine that the speaker is shielded, wherein T 1 represents a fourth threshold; and
the first sound is a sound that is picked up inside the mobile terminal and to be output by the speaker, and the second sound is a sound that is picked up by the microphone and that is obtained after the

Assignees

• Huawei Device Co Ltd
• Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Fushun
• Zhu Jianwei
• Ren Yanhui

Classifications

• H04M1/6016

  in the receiver circuit · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title

• H04R29/004 Primary

  for microphones (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R29/001

  for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04M1/605

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