Mobile communication device with adaptive audible user notification

• US 20060014569A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: DelGiorno, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/889,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20060014569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/042 with variable loudness of the ringing tone, e.g. variable envelope or amplitude of ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/04 involving a separate line for each pair of parties

Abstract

A mobile communication device, such as a mobile telephone, that provides adaptive audible notifications to user. The mobile communication device is adapted to obtain information concerning the environment in which the device is located, such as ambient noise level or whether the device is in an enclosure, and to select an appropriate user notification loudness level based on the obtained information.

Claims

1. A method for providing adaptive audible user notifications in a mobile communication device, comprising:

determining an ambient noise level; and

adjusting the loudness of an audible user notification based on the ambient noise level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an ambient noise level comprises detecting ambient noise using a microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the loudness of an audible user notification based on the ambient noise level comprises accessing a lookup table that correlates ambient noise levels to notification loudness levels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the audible user notification when an event has occurred.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the audible user notification when an event has occurred comprises providing the audible user notification when a telephone call is received.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically repeating the determining and adjusting steps.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and adjusting steps are performed in response to the occurrence of an event.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level comprises determining whether to provide a vibration-based user notification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification comprises determining whether to provide a visual user notification.

11. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a microphone;

a processor coupled to the microphone, the processor configured to receive ambient noise level information from the microphone and to adjust the loudness of an audible user notification based on the ambient noise level information.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a mobile telephone.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 11, further comprising:

a memory that stores a lookup table correlating ambient noise levels to notification loudness levels;

wherein the processor is configured to adjust the loudness of the audible user notification based on the ambient noise level information by accessing the lookup table.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the audible user notification when an event has occurred.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to periodically adjust the loudness of the audible user notification based on updated ambient noise level information from the microphone.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the loudness of the audible user notification based on the ambient noise level in response to the occurrence of an event.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level information.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to provide a vibration-based user notification.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to provide a visible user notification.

20. A method for providing adaptive audible user notifications in a mobile communication device, comprising:

determining if the mobile communication device is within an enclosure; and

adjusting the loudness of an audible user notification based on the determination.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining if the mobile communication device is within an enclosure comprises:

transmitting a test tone;

receiving a sound return corresponding to the test tone; and

evaluating the timing and/or strength of the sound return.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting a test tone comprises transmitting a test tone via a speaker.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving a sound return corresponding to the test tone comprises receiving a sound return corresponding to the test tone via a microphone.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the audible user notification serves as the test tone.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing the audible user notification in response to the occurrence of an event.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein providing the audible user notification in response to the occurrence of an event comprises providing the audible user notification in response to receiving a telephone call.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

periodically repeating the determining and adjusting steps.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining and adjusting steps are performed in response to the occurrence of an event.

29. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker; and

a processor coupled to the microphone and speaker, the processor configured to transmit a test tone via the speaker and to receive a sound return corresponding to the test tone via the microphone;

wherein the processor is further configured to analyze the sound return to determine if the mobile communication device is within an enclosure and to adjust the loudness of an audible user notification based on the determination.

30. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a mobile telephone.

31. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the mobile communication device is within an enclosure by evaluating the strength of the sound return.

32. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to determine if the mobile communication device is within an enclosure by evaluating the timing of the sound return.

33. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the audible user notification in response to the occurrence of an event.

34. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to periodically adjust the loudness of the audible user notification based on an updated determination of whether the mobile communication device is within an enclosure.

35. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the loudness of the audible user notification based on the determination in response to the occurrence of an event.

36. The mobile communication device of claim 29, wherein the audible user notification serves as the test tone.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level comprises determining whether to provide a vibration-based user notification.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level comprises determining whether to provide a visible user notification.

37. A method for providing adaptive non-audible user notifications in a mobile communication device, comprising:

determining an ambient noise level; and

determining whether to provide a non-audible user notification based on the ambient noise level.