ADJUSTMENT OF ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES BASED ON PROXIMITY DETECTION

• US 20100046766A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M., Gregg, Justin, Seguin, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

One or more acoustic transducers of a device may be adjusted based on automatic detection of device proximity to the user. In a mobile telephone, when the user is using the receiver and holding the telephone against his/her ear, if the telephone detects that the user has moved the telephone further from his/her ear, the telephone will raise the receiver volume. Similarly, if the user is using the speaker, the telephone will adjust the speaker volume as user distance from the telephone changes. In another embodiment the telephone may fade between the receiver and the speaker. Volume is not the only acoustic property that could be adjusted according to user proximity. Frequency response is another property that could be adjusted, such as using appropriate electronic filtering, or by turning on another transducer that is not otherwise being used.

Claims

1. An audio device comprising:

at least one audio transducer;

a proximity detector that outputs a proximity signal based on distance between a user and said audio device; and

control circuitry that adjusts an acoustic property of at least one said at least one audio transducer based on said proximity signal.

2. The audio device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic property is volume.

3. The audio device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic property is frequency response.

4. The audio device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic property is side tone.

5. The audio device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic property is dynamic noise reduction.

6. The audio device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic property is echo.

7. The audio device of claim 1 wherein:

said at least one audio transducer comprises a plurality of audio transducers, each of which is provided to operate over a different range of values of said acoustic property; and

in addition to adjusting said acoustic property, said control circuitry selects among said plurality of audio transducers.

8. The audio device of claim 7 wherein:

said device is a mobile telephone;

said plurality of audio transducers comprises a receiver speaker and a handsfree speaker; and

said acoustic property is volume.

9. The audio device of claim 8 wherein:

said device is a mobile telephone;

said plurality of audio transducers comprises a receiver speaker and a handsfree speaker; and

said acoustic property is frequency response.

10. The audio device of claim 8 wherein:

said device is a mobile telephone;

said plurality of audio transducers comprises a receiver speaker and a handsfree speaker; and

said acoustic property is echo.

11. The audio device of claim 8 wherein:

said receiver speaker operates over a low volume range;

said handsfree speaker operates over a high volume range;

said control circuitry switches from said receiver speaker to said handsfree speaker as said volume changes from said low volume range to said high volume range, and from said handsfree speaker to said receiver speaker as said volume changes from said high volume range to said low volume range.

12. The audio device of claim 11 wherein said control circuitry fades from said receiver speaker to said handsfree speaker and from said handsfree speaker to said receiver speaker.

13. The audio device of claim 11 wherein:

said acoustic property further comprises frequency response; and

said control circuitry adjusts frequency response of one of said receiver speaker and said handsfree speaker by boosting a selected frequency range.

14. The audio device of claim 13 wherein said control circuitry adjusts frequency response of said one of said receiver speaker and said handsfree speaker by activating another of said receiver speaker and said handsfree speaker in said selected frequency range.

15. An audio device comprising:

a plurality of audio transducers;

a proximity detector that outputs a proximity signal based on distance between a user and said audio device; and

control circuitry that selects among said audio transducers based on said proximity signal.

16. The audio device of claim 15 wherein:

said device is a mobile telephone; and

said plurality of audio transducers comprises a receiver speaker and a handsfree speaker.