AUDIO OUTPUT DEVICE SELECTION FOR A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20070281744A1
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andreasson, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

A portable electronic device can detect whether an output unit of an accessory is connected to the body of a user and determines audio output units to which its application will transmit audio signal. The portable electronic device comprises an interface connected to the accessory, an application handling unit and a control unit. The control unit determines if the accessory is attached to the body of a user, selects audio output units to be used for the electronic device and transmits audio signals to the selected audio output unit for the application.

Claims

1. A method for driving an accessory for a portable electronic device comprising:

determining if an audio output unit of the accessory is attached to the body of a user;

selecting the audio output unit when it is determined that the audio output unit is attached to the body; and

transmitting an audio output signal to the selected audio output unit.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the audio output unit is attached to the body, no audio output unit in the portable electronic device is selected.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an occurrence of an event in the portable electronic device; and

transmitting a signal to the audio output unit to provide an alert of the occurrence of the event.

4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising:

choosing a vibrator included in the portable electronic device for signalling the occurrence of the event when it is determined that the audio output unit is attached to the body.

5. A method as in claim 3, wherein receiving the occurrence of the event includes receiving an incoming call.

6. A method as in claim 5, further comprising:

automatically accepting the call after a predetermined number of alerting intervals when it is determined that the audio output unit is attached to the body.

7. A method as in claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the accessory is connected to the portable electronic device,

wherein selecting the audio output unit is further based on determining if the accessory is connected to the portable electronic device.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device includes a device audio output unit and the device audio output unit is selected when the audio output unit is determined not to be attached to the body.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the device audio output unit is in the portable electronic device.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:

an interface for connecting the portable electronic device to an accessory that includes a first output unit; and

a control unit configured to;

determine if the first output unit of the accessory is attached to the body of a user;

select either the first audio output unit of the accessory or a second audio output unit of the portable electronic device based on the determining if the first audio output unit is attached to the body; and

transmit an audio output signal to the first audio output unit or the second audio output unit based on the selection.

11. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein, when it is determined that the first audio output unit is attached to the body, no audio output unit in the portable electronic device is selected.

12. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive an occurrence of an event in the portable electronic device; and

transmit a signal to the first audio output unit to provide an alert of the occurrence of the event.

13. A portable electronic device as in claim 12, further comprising a vibrator and wherein the control unit additionally chooses the vibrator for signalling the occurrence of the event when it is determined that the first audio output unit is attached to the body.

14. A portable electronic device as in claim 12, wherein receiving the occurrence of the event includes receiving an incoming call.

15. A portable electronic device as in claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

automatically accept the call after a predetermined number of alerting intervals when it is determined that the first audio output is attached to the body.

16. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine if the accessory is connected to the portable electronic device,

wherein selecting the first audio output unit is further based on determining if the accessory is connected to the portable electronic device.

17. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the control unit selects the second audio output unit when the first audio output unit is not attached to the body.

18. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the portable electronic device includes a portable communication device.

19. A portable electronic device as in claim 10, wherein the portable electronic device includes a cellular phone.

20. A portable electronic device, comprising:

means for determining if a first audio output unit in an accessory for the portable electronic device is attached to the body of a user;

means for selecting the first audio output unit based on a result of the means for determining; and

means for transmitting an audio output signal to the first audio output unit when the first audio output unit is selected.

21. A computer program product including a machine executable method, the method comprising:

determining if an audio output unit in an accessory for a portable electronic device is attached to the body of a user;

selecting a first audio output unit, based on determining if the audio output unit is attached to the body; and

transmitting an audio output signal to the audio output unit.

22. A method comprising:

determining if an audio output unit in an accessory for a portable electronic device is attached to the body of a user;

transmitting a signal to the portable electronic device, based on determining if the audio output unit is attached to the body;

selecting, by the portable electronic device, the first audio output unit based on the signal; and

transmitting, by the portable electronic device, an audio output signal to the first audio output unit.

23. A method as in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving the audio output signal and generating sound through the first audio output unit based on the audio output signal.

24. An accessory for a portable electronic device, comprising:

an interface for connecting the accessory to the portable electronic device;

an audio output unit; and

a sensor for detecting if the audio output unit is attached to the body of a user and for transmitting a signal that indicates whether the audio output unit is attached to the body.

25. An accessory as in claim 24, wherein the accessory includes a portable hands-free device.