Method and electronic device for controlling volume

• US 10,027,301 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jin-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHERS, DOUGLAS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US14/680,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 381107, 381108, 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/342 Muting when some special characteristic of the signal is sensed which distinguishes it from noise, e.g. using speech detector H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence

Abstract

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device may output a sound output event through a speaker at an output volume, generate a predicted input waveform based on the output sound event, compare a level of an input sound received via a microphone with a predicted level of the predicted input waveform, determine when a level of the input sound is lower than a threshold value for a predetermined time, and control the output volume of the sound output event when the level of the input sound is lower than the threshold value for the predetermined time.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

outputting a sound output event through a speaker at a first output volume;

generating a predicted input waveform based on the sound output event;

comparing a level of an input sound received via a microphone with a predicted level of the predicted input waveform;

determining a threshold value waveform by subtracting an offset value from the predicted level of the predicted input waveform;

outputting a sound at a second output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is lower than the threshold value waveform of the predicted input waveform for a predetermined duration of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second output volume is lower than the first output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is lower than the threshold value waveform for the predetermined duration of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a movement of the electronic device is detected; and

outputting a sound at a third output volume which is lower than the second output volume when the movement of the electronic device is detected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offset value is predetermined.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the sound at the first output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is higher than or equal to the threshold value waveform below the predicted level of the predicted input waveform.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, calculating the predicted level of the predicted input waveform based on a configuration of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predicted level of the predicted input waveform is based on a location of the speaker that outputs the sound output event and a location of the microphone that receives the sound output event.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a speaker;

a microphone; and

at least one processor configured to;

output a sound output event through the speaker at a first output volume,

generate a predicted input waveform based on the sound output event,

compare a level of an input sound received via the microphone with a predicted level of the predicted input waveform,

determine a threshold value waveform by subtracting an offset value from the predicted level of the predicted input waveform;

output a sound at a second output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is lower than the threshold value waveform of the predicted input waveform for the predetermined duration of time.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to control the second output volume to be lower than the first output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is lower than the threshold value waveform for the predetermined duration of time.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether a movement of the electronic device is detected, and

output a sound at a third output volume which is lower than the second output volume when the movement of the electronic device is detected.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the offset value is predetermined.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output the sound at the first output volume when the level of the input sound received via the microphone is higher than or equal to the threshold value waveform below the predicted level of the predicted input waveform.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to calculate the predicted level of the predicted input waveform based on a configuration of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the predicted level of the predicted input waveform is based on a location of the speaker that outputs the sound output event and a location of the microphone that receives the sound output event.