METHOD AND PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING LOUDSPEAKER OUTPUT

• US 20080026786A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MiTAC International Corporation (MiTAC Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuo, Ming-Jen, Yao, Ko-Yi
• Application Number:
  US11/828,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a portable electronic device for automatically switching a loudspeaker output, wherein the portable electronic device includes at least a switch unit, a communication unit, a loudspeaker unit and a navigation unit. While reading an activation signal outputted from the navigation unit and an incoming phone call signal from the communication unit, the switch unit connects the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit, and then proceeds to later processes of receiving phone call, so that users do not have to operate manually on the portable electronic device, the loudspeaker unit is capable of automatically outputting the incoming phone ring and communication voice.

Claims

1. A method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device, wherein the portable electronic device comprises at least a switch unit, a navigation unit, a communication unit and a loudspeaker unit, the method comprising the steps of:

a) reading an activation signal outputted from the navigation unit and an incoming phone call signal outputted from the communication unit by the switch unit; and

b) connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit by the switch unit.

2. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

c) sending a receiving phone call signal by the switch unit after connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit; and

d) transmitting a far-end communication voice through the communication unit and then to the loudspeaker unit via the switch unit.

3. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the step of a) further comprises the steps of:

after reading the activation signal outputted from the navigation unit but before reading the incoming phone call signal outputted from the communication unit by the switch unit, connecting the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit by the switch unit; and

receiving a navigation voice signal outputted from the navigation unit, and sending a navigation voice by the loudspeaker unit in response to the navigation voice signal.

4. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the step of a) further comprises the steps of:

when the switch unit of the portable electronic device receives the activation signal and the incoming phone call signal, disconnecting the navigation unit from the loudspeaker unit, and then connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit by the switch unit.

5. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 4, wherein as the communication is over, the method further comprises the step of:

e) connecting the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit by the switch unit.

6. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein after connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit and before sending a receiving phone call signal by the switch unit, the method further comprises the step of:

b1) receiving the incoming phone call signal, and then outputting an incoming phone ring in response to the incoming phone call signal by the loudspeaker unit.

7. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the step of c) is performed once the incoming phone ring is sent from the loudspeaker unit outputs for a preset period of time.

8. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the navigation unit comprises at least a GPS receiver and a navigation software and wherein after activating the portable electronic device and before performing the step of a), the method further comprises the step of:

a₀) only reading a further activation signal outputted from the communication unit and connecting the communication unit to a low power audio output unit disposed in the portable electronic device by the switch unit according to the further activation signal.

9. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the navigation unit comprises at least a GPS receiver and a navigation software, and the step of a₀) further comprises steps of:

after activating the navigation software, receiving power provided by the portable electronic device by the GPS receiver; and

using a power signal of the power received by a receiving power connector disposed in the GPS receiver as the activation signal for the switch unit.

10. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the step a₀) further comprises the steps of:

after activating the navigation software, continuously receiving external global positioning signals by the GPS receiver; and

receiving the global positioning signals as the activation signals by the switch unit.

11. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the navigation unit comprises at least a GPS receiver and a navigation software, and the step a₀) further comprises the steps of:

after activating the navigation software, producing an activation flag by the portable electronic device to be recorded in a memory unit of the portable electronic device, and reading the activation flag as the activation signal by the switch unit.

12. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein after performing the step of a₀) and before performing the step of a), the method further comprises the step of:

if the activation signal is received, immediately connecting the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit by the switch unit in response to the activation signal, and disconnecting the communication unit from the low power audio output unit.

13. The method for automatically switching a loudspeaker output in a portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein after performing the step of a₀) and before performing the step of a), the method further comprises the steps of:

if the activation signal is received, connecting the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit by the switch unit in response to the activation signal; and

if the switch unit disconnects the communication unit from the low power audio output unit after receiving the incoming phone call signal, connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit by the switch unit.

14. A portable electronic device for automatically switching a loudspeaker output, comprising:

a loudspeaker unit;

a communication unit for sending an incoming phone call signal and a communication voice;

a navigation unit for sending an activation signal and a navigation voice signal; and

a switch unit for connecting the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit while receiving only the activation signal so that the navigation voice signal is received by the loudspeaker unit, and for connecting the loudspeaker unit to the communication unit while receiving the incoming phone call signal and the activation signal so that the incoming phone call signal and the communication voice are received by the loudspeaker unit.

15. The portable electronic device for automatically switching a loudspeaker output of claim 14, wherein after the loudspeaker unit sends an incoming phone ring in response to the incoming phone call signal for a period of time preset by the portable electronic device, the switch unit sends a receiving phone call signal to the communication unit, and the communication unit receives a far-end communication voice and transmits the far-end communication voice to the loudspeaker unit to be output.

16. The portable electronic device for automatically switching a loudspeaker output of claim 15, wherein the switch unit on longer receives the communication voice, and the switch unit connects the loudspeaker unit to the navigation unit.

17. The portable electronic device for automatically switching a loudspeaker output of claim 15, further comprising a low power audio output unit, wherein when the switch unit receives only a further activation signal outputted from the communication unit, the switch unit connects the low power audio output unit to the communication unit.