Headset and method for controlling same

• US 10,217,475 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Heungkyu, Lee, Byounggi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gay, Sonia L
• Application Number:
  US15/579,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20180174597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0316 by changing the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• 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 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/01 Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 : for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A headset including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a first microphone mounted on the headset; and a second microphone to be placed within an ear of the user wearing the headset; a controller configured to receive a phone call via the wireless communication unit from an external device, select either one of the first microphone or the second microphone to receive a voice signal of the user responding to the received phone call, in response to the selection of the first microphone, receive the voice signal of the user through the first microphone, correct a sound quality of the voice signal received through the first microphone, and transmit the corrected voice signal to the external device, and in response to the selection of the second microphone, receive the voice signal of the user from the external auditory canal of the ear of the user having the second microphone placed therein, correct a sound quality of the voice signal received through the second microphone and transmit the corrected voice signal to the external device.

Claims

1. A headset, comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication;

a first microphone mounted on the headset;

a second microphone to be placed within an ear of the user wearing the headset; and

a controller configured to;

receive a phone call via the wireless communication unit from an external device,

select either one of the first microphone or the second microphone to receive a voice signal of the user responding to the received phone call,

in response to the selection of the first microphone, receive the voice signal of the user through the first microphone, correct a sound quality of the voice signal received through the first microphone, and transmit the corrected voice signal to the external device, and

in response to the selection of the second microphone, receive the voice signal of the user from the external auditory canal of the ear of the user having the second microphone placed therein, correct a sound quality of the voice signal received through the second microphone, and transmit the corrected voice signal to the external device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

automatically turn on a display unit of the external device, and

control the external device to display a call sound quality setting icon for setting a call sound quality on the display unit of the external device.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller selects either one of the first and second microphones based on an input from the user.

3. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

automatically select either one of the first and second microphones based on a noise signal input to the first microphone during the phone call.

4. The headset of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to:

automatically select the second microphone when a magnitude of the noise signal is above a threshold value, and automatically select the first microphone when the magnitude of the noise signal is less than the threshold value.

5. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

select either one of the first and second microphones based on a keyword included in a voice signal from a counterpart user of the external terminal communicating during the phone call.

6. The headset of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

automatically select the first microphone when a first keyword is included in the voice signal from the counterpart user, and

automatically select the second microphone when a second keyword is included in the voice signal from the counterpart user, and

wherein the first and second keywords are different from each other.

7. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a magnitude of the voice signal input through either one of the first and second microphones in real time during the phone call,

automatically select the second microphone when the detected magnitude of the voice signal is less than a threshold value, and

automatically select the first microphone when the detected magnitude of the voice signal is above the threshold value.

8. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

output notification information indicating which one of the first and second microphones is selected to an earphone of the headset during the phone call.

9. The headset of claim 1, wherein when the call sound quality setting icon is selected, the controller is further configured to:

control the external device to display call sound quality items for providing different call sound qualities at positions adjacent to the call sound quality setting icon.

10. The headset of claim 1, wherein the call sound quality items comprise:

a first call sound quality item for amplifying a gain of the voice signal by a preset first gain as a frequency of the voice signal increases;

a second call sound quality item for amplifying a gain of the voice signal by a preset second gain as the frequency of the voice signal increases; and

a third call sound quality item for decreasing a gain of the voice signal by a preset third gain as the frequency of the voice signal increases, and

wherein the preset first through third gains are different from each other.

11. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

automatically turn on a display unit of the external device when a specific keyword is included in a voice signal from a counterpart user of the external terminal communicating during the phone call, and

control the external device to display a call sound quality setting icon for setting a call sound quality for the phone call.

12. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a magnitude of the voice signal input through either one of the first and second microphones during the phone call,

automatically turn on a display unit of the external device based on the detected magnitude of the voice signal, and

control the external device to display a call sound quality setting icon for setting a call sound quality for the phone call.

13. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the external device to display a call sound quality setting icon for setting a call sound quality on the external device when either one of the first and second microphones is selected or a user input is received.

14. The headset of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

automatically turn on a display unit of the external device when either one of the first and second microphones is selected or a user input is received, and

control the external device to display a phone call screen and a call sound quality setting icon for setting a call sound quality during the phone call on the display unit.

15. The headset of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the external device to display a plurality of voice quality items on the display unit when the call sound quality setting icon is selected.

16. The headset of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when any one of the plurality of call sound quality items is selected, control the external device to display call sound quality information corresponding to the selected any one item on the display unit.

17. The headset of claim 16, wherein the call sound quality information comprises a call sound quality graph indicating a gain value according to a frequency of the voice signal, an original sound playback icon for playing back a voice signal input through the selected any one microphone, and an output voice playback icon for playing back a voice signal output according to the call sound quality graph.

18. The headset of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to:

when a user setting icon for changing the gain value of the call sound quality graph is selected, change the gain value of the call sound quality graph according to a drag input, and reflect the changed gain value on the call sound quality graph.

19. The headset of claim 18, wherein controller is further configured to:

when the user setting icon is selected, activate a plurality of points indicating the gain value of the call sound quality graph, and

when any one of the plurality of points is moved, change the gain value at the any one point to a changed gain value corresponding to the moved point, and reflect the changed gain value on the call sound quality graph.