Method for detecting wrong positioning of earphone, and electronic device and storage medium therefor

• US 10,178,485 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Gun-Woo, An, Jung-Yeol, Kum, Jong-Mo, Kim, Gang-Youl, Kim, Byeong-Jun, Kim, Jae-Hyun, Lee, Nam-Il, Lee, Jun-Soo, Choi, Chul-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Sonia
• Application Number:
  US15/808,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/178 by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17833 by using a self-diagnostic function or a malfunction prevention function, e.g. detecting abnormal output levels
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A method for detecting wrong positioning of an earphone, and an electronic device and storage medium therefor are provided. The electronic device includes a speaker positioned on surface of a housing; and at least one processor configured to determine a positioning state of an earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device based on a difference between a first audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a first body of the earphone and a second audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a speaker positioned on a surface of a housing;

at least one sensor for outputting sensing information used in detecting a direction in which the speaker faces; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive a first audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a first body of an earphone detachably connectable to the electronic device and a second audio signal received through at least one microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone,

calculate a time delay and a level difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal, and

determine a positioning state of the earphone based on the direction in which the speaker faces and at least one of the time delay and the level difference.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when an audio signal is output from the speaker of the electronic device, the processor acquires the first audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the at least one microphone on the first body of the microphone and the second audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the at least one microphone on the second body of the microphone.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein if the time delay is outside a threshold range, the processor is configured to:

determines that the positioning state of the earphone is a removal state, and

indicates the removal state of the earphone.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein if each of the time delay and the level difference is less than a threshold, the processor is configured to determine a wrong positioning state of the earphone, in which first and second speakers worn to be positioned inside both ears of a user are exchanged in position.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein if the positioning state of the earphone is the wrong positioning state, the processor is configured to exchanges signals output through the first and second speakers.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone on the surface of the housing,

wherein the processor is configured to determines the positioning state of the earphone based on a correlation between an audio signal input to the microphone and the first audio signal and a correlation between the audio signal input to the microphone and the second audio signal.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when voice signals are input to the at least one microphone on the first body and the at least one microphone on the second body, the processor is configured to determine the positioning state of the earphone based on a result of comparing the voice signal input to the at least one microphone on the first body with the voice signal input to the at least one microphone on the second body.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one microphone on the first body includes a first microphone and a second microphone, and the at least one microphone on the second body includes a third microphone and fourth microphone, and wherein the earphone includes a first speaker disposed at a first position of the first body, the first microphone disposed at a second position of the first body, the second microphone disposed at a third position of the first body, a second speaker disposed at a first position of the second body, the third microphone disposed at a second position of the second body, and the fourth microphone disposed at a third position of the second body, and

wherein when the earphone is worn on a user, the first and second speakers are inserted into both ears of the user, the first and third microphones are exposed outward from both of the ears of the user, and the second and fourth microphones are inserted into both of the ears of the user.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein if at least one of a correlation between a signal input to the first microphone and a signal input to the second microphone and a correlation between a signal input to the third microphone and a signal input to the fourth microphone is higher than a threshold, the processor is configured to determines that the positioning state of the earphone is a wrong positioning state.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to cancel noise in a signal input to remaining microphones except for microphones having a correlation higher than the threshold.

11. A method for detecting wrong positioning of an earphone by an electronic device, the method comprising:

acquiring sensing information about the electronic device, for use in detecting a direction in which a speaker positioned on a first surface of a housing in the electronic device faces;

receiving a first audio signal through a first microphone positioned in a first body of an earphone operatively connected to the electronic device, and a second audio signal through a second microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone;

calculating a time delay and a level difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and

determining a positioning state of the earphone based on the direction in which the speaker faces and at least one of the time delay and the level difference.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reception of a first audio signal and a second audio signal comprises:

when an audio signal is output from the speaker, acquiring the first audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the first microphone and the second audio signal corresponding to the audio signal through the second microphone.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the time delay is outside a threshold range, determining that the positioning state of the earphone is a removal state; and

indicating the removal state of the earphone.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when each of the time delay and the level difference is less than a threshold, determining a wrong positioning state of the earphone, in which first and second speakers worn to be positioned inside both ears of a user are exchanged in position; and

switching signals output through the first and second speakers, and outputting the switched signals.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the determination of the positioning state of the earphone comprises:

determining the positioning state of the earphone based on a correlation between an audio signal input to a microphone on the surface of the housing and the first audio signal and a correlation between the audio signal input to the microphone and the second audio signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving voice signals through the first microphone and the second microphone; and

determining the positioning state of the earphone based on a result of comparing the voice signal input to the first microphone with the voice signal input to the second microphone.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when a third microphone is disposed at a position opposite to the first microphone in the first body, and a fourth microphone is disposed at a position opposite to the second microphone in the second body,

comparing at least one of a correlation between a signal input to the first microphone and a signal input to the third microphone and a correlation between a signal input to the second microphone and a signal input to the fourth microphone with a threshold;

when the at least one correlation is higher than the threshold, determining that the positioning state of the earphone is a wrong positioning state; and

cancelling noise in a signal input to remaining microphones except for microphones having a correlation higher than the threshold.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of an electronic device storing instructions configured to, when executed by at least one processor, control the at least one processor to perform at least one operation, the at least one operation comprising:

acquiring sensing information about the electronic device, for use in detecting a direction in which a speaker positioned on a first surface of a housing in the electronic device faces;

receiving a first audio signal through a first microphone positioned in a first body of an earphone operatively connected to an electronic device, and a second audio signal through a second microphone positioned in a second body of the earphone;

calculating a time delay and a level difference between the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and

determining a positioning state of the earphone based on the direction in which the speaker faces and at least one of the time delay and the level difference.