Method and apparatus for improved mobile station and hearing aid compatibility

• US 20060009156A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hayes, Gerard J., Townsend, Michael D., Williams, Rodney O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3838 Arrangements for reducing RF exposure to the user, e.g. by changing the shape of the transceiver while in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/02 Reducing interference from electric apparatus by means located at or near the interfering apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users

Abstract

A mobile station includes an adjustable member for increasing a separation distance between an audio signal output device and an electronic circuit to reduce EMI proximate the audio signal output device caused by the electronic circuit. In one embodiment, the adjustable member comprises a slide member that extends at least a portion of the audio signal output device away from the electronic circuit to increase the separation distance. In another embodiment, the adjustable member comprises a pivot member that rotates the electronic circuit (or audio signal output device) away from the audio signal output device (or electronic circuit) to increase the separation distance. In any event, increasing the separation distance between the audio signal output device and the electronic circuit decreases the EMI proximate the audio signal output device, and therefore EMI effects on external circuits proximate the mobile station, such as a hearing aid.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

an audio signal output device;

an electronic circuit generating electro-magnetic interference proximate said audio signal output device; and

an adjustable member selectively movable between a first use position for voice communications defining a first separation distance between the audio signal output device and the electronic circuit, and a second use position for voice communications defining a second separation distance greater than the first separation distance to reduce electro-magnetic interference proximate the audio signal output device caused by the electronic circuit.

2. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the adjustable member comprises a pivot member that includes one of the audio signal output device and the electronic circuit.

3. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the adjustable member comprises a slide member that includes the audio signal output device.

4. The mobile station of claim 1 further comprising a position detection circuit to detect the use position of the adjustable member.

5. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein the position detection circuit comprises one of a magnetic field dependent position detection circuit, a mechanical position detection circuit, and an electrical contact position detection circuit.

6. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein the electronic circuit includes a primary display screen circuit and a secondary display screen circuit and wherein one of the primary and secondary display screen circuits is activated based on the detected position of the adjustable member.

7. The mobile station of claim 4 further comprising an audio processor for selectively controlling an audio signal applied to the audio signal output device based on the detected position of the adjustable member.

8. The mobile station of claim 7 wherein the audio processor includes a frequency controller and wherein the frequency controller controls a frequency of the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device based on the detected position of the adjustable member.

9. The mobile station of claim 7 wherein the audio processor includes an equalizer and wherein the equalizer controls an equalization setting of the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device based on the detected position of the adjustable member.

10. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the audio signal output device comprises at least one of a speaker, a T-coil, and an acoustic channel output port.

11. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the audio signal output device projects at least one of an acoustic signal and an electro-magnetic signal based on an audio signal applied to the audio signal output device.

12. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the electronic circuit comprises at least one of a display screen circuit, a processing circuit, and a transceiver circuit.

13. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the adjustable member is part of a flip-type cellular telephone.

14. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein adjustable member is part of a stick-type cellular telephone.

15. The mobile station of claim 1 wherein the adjustable member is part of a swivel-type cellular telephone.

16. A method of reducing electro-magnetic interference proximate an audio signal output device of a mobile station including the audio signal output device and an electronic circuit that generates electro-magnetic interference, the method comprising:

mounting one of the audio signal output device and the electronic circuit to an adjustable member; and

mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station for movement between a first use position for voice communications defining a first separation distance between the audio signal output device and the electronic circuit, and a second use position for voice communications defining a second separation distance greater than the first separation distance to reduce electro-magnetic interference proximate the audio signal output device caused by the electronic circuit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station mounting a pivot member to the mobile station.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station comprises mounting a slide member to the mobile station.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising detecting the use position of the adjustable member with a position detection circuit.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising controlling an audio signal applied to the audio signal output device based on the detected use position of the adjustable member.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein controlling the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device comprises controlling a frequency of the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein controlling the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device comprises controlling an equalization of the audio signal applied to the audio signal output device.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station comprises mounting the adjustable member to a flip-type cellular telephone.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station comprises mounting the adjustable member to a stick-type cellular telephone.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the adjustable member to the mobile station comprises mounting the adjustable member to a swivel-type cellular telephone.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the audio signal output device to the adjustable member comprises mounting at least one of a speaker, a T-coil, and an acoustic channel output port to the adjustable member.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein mounting the electronic circuit to the adjustable member comprises mounting at least one of a display screen circuit, a processor circuit, and an antenna circuit to the adjustable member.