Communication terminals with a tap determination circuit

• US 20060211499A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Truls, Hansson, Bjorn
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A communication terminal includes a housing a sound sensing device, a tap determination circuit, and a controller. The housing at least partially encloses the sound sensing device, the tap determination circuit and the controller. The sound sensing device is configured to generate an electrical sense signal from an incident audible signal. The tap determination circuit is configured to determine the presence of a component of the sense signal that is associated with a physical tap on the housing and to generate an indication of an operator input based on the determined presence of the component of the sense signal that is associated with a physical tap. The controller is configured to utilize the indication of an operator input to perform one or more communication terminal functions.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

a housing;

a sound sensing device that is configured to generate an electrical sense signal from an incident audible signal;

a tap determination circuit that is configured to determine presence of a component of the sense signal that is associated with a physical tap on the housing and to generate an indication of an operator input based on the determined presence of the component of the sense signal that is associated with a physical tap; and

a controller that is configured to utilize the indication of an operator input to perform one or more communication terminal functions, wherein the sound sensing device, the tap determination circuit and the controller are at least partially enclosed by the housing.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the communication terminal functions comprise a wireless communication function that decodes data received over a wireless communication interface, and a game function that generates data for use in graphically displaying a game to an operator; and

the game function utilizes the indication of an operator input as feedback from an operator for use in the game.

3. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the sound sensing device comprises a speaker that is configured to generate sound responsive to an input signal, and to generate the sense signal as a component of an output signal from the speaker responsive to an incident audible signal; and

the tap determination circuit is configured to identify a contribution of the sense signal to the output signal from the speaker.

4. The communication terminal of claim 3, wherein:

the communication terminal functions comprise a wireless communication function to decode data received over a wireless communication interface into the input signal to the speaker to generate sound from the speaker, and a game function that generates data for use in graphically displaying a game to an operator; and

the game function utilizes the indication of an operator input as feedback from an operator for use in the game.

5. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to subtract the input signal to the speaker from the output signal from the speaker to separate the electrical sense signal therefrom.

6. The communication terminal of claim 3, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to identify when the output signal from the speaker comprises a broad frequency spectrum burst therein that has been added to the output signal by an audible signal that is associated with a physical tap on the housing, and is configured to generate the indication of an operator input based on the identification of the broad frequency spectrum burst in the output signal from the speaker.

7. The communication terminal of claim 3, wherein:

the sound sensing device further comprises a microphone that is configured to generate a microphone signal responsive to an incident audible signal; and

the tap determination circuit is configured to identify a physical tap on the housing based on both the output signal from the speaker and the microphone signal from the microphone.

8. The communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to identify an approximate direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on the housing based on the microphone signal and the output signal from the speaker.

9. The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to differentiate between an audible signal generated by a physical tap on one end portion of the housing from a physical tap on an opposite end portion of the housing.

10. The communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to generate a first indication of user input responsive to a first direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on a first portion of the housing and to generate a second indication of a different user input responsive to a second direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on a second portion of the housing.

11. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the sound sensing device comprises a plurality of microphones that are each configured to generate a microphone signal responsive to an incident audible signal; and

the tap determination circuit is configured to identify an approximate direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on the housing based on the microphone signal from the microphones.

12. The communication terminal of claim 11, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to differentiate between an audible signal generated by a physical tap on one end portion of the housing from a physical tap on an opposite end portion of the housing based on the microphone signals from the microphones.

13. The communication terminal of claim 11, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to identify an approximate direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on the housing based on a phase difference between appearance of a contribution of the audible signal to the microphone signals from the microphones.

14. The communication terminal of claim 11, wherein the tap determination circuit is configured to generate a first indication of user input responsive to a first direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on a first portion of the housing and to generate a second indication of a different user input responsive to a second direction of arrival of an audible signal associated with a physical tap on a second portion of the housing.

15. The communication terminal of claim 11, wherein:

a first one of the microphones is adjacent to a first portion of the housing to have increased sensitivity to a physical tap on the first portion; and

a second one of the microphones is adjacent to a second portion of the housing to have increased sensitivity to a physical tap on the second portion.

16. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the housing comprises a first sound cavity portion that is configured to generate sound having a first primary sound when physically tapped; and

the tap determination circuit is configured to identify a component of the sense signal that is attributed to sound from the first sound cavity having the first primary sound, and to generate an indication of a first type of operator input based on the identified component of the sense signal.

17. The communication terminal of claim 16, wherein the first sound cavity portion of the housing comprises a raised button that extends beyond an outer surface of the housing.

18. The communication terminal of claim 17, wherein the raised button comprises a flexible material that can be compressed by a physical tap thereon.

19. The communication terminal of claim 16, wherein:

the sound sensing device comprises at least one microphone that is configured to generate a microphone signal responsive to an incident audible signal; and

the first sound cavity portion of the housing is configured to focus sound generated from a physical tap thereon toward the microphone.

20. The communication terminal of claim 16, wherein:

the housing comprises a second sound cavity portion that is configured to generate sound having a second primary sound when physically tapped; and

the tap determination circuit is configured to identify a component of the sense signal that is attributed to sound from the second sound cavity having the second primary sound, and to generate an indication of a second type of different operator input based on identified component.

21. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein:

the sound sensing device comprises a first microphone and a second microphone, wherein the microphones are each configured to generate a microphone signal responsive to an incident audible signal;

the first microphone is adjacent to a first portion of the housing;

the second microphone is adjacent to a second portion of the housing;

and the tap determination circuit is configured to identify and distinguish a physical tap on the first portion of the housing from a physical tap on the second portion of the housing based on the microphone signal from the corresponding microphone, and to generate an indication of a first type of operator input based on identifying a physical tap on the first portion of the housing, and to generate an indication of a second type of different operator input based on identifying a physical tap on the second portion of the housing.

22. The communication terminal of claim 21, wherein the first and second microphones are adjacent to opposite end portions of a same side of the housing.