AUDIO CODING SELECTION BASED ON DEVICE OPERATING CONDITION

• US 20100191536A1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Choy, Eddie L.T., Sampat, Kuntal D., Linsky, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/22 Mode decision, i.e. based on audio signal content versus external parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A sensor is configured to determine at least one operating condition of a device and a selector is configured to select an audio coding process for the device, based on the operating condition. The operating condition may include remaining battery life of the device and/or ambient noise level. The selected audio coding process may consume less power than another possible audio coding process during audio processing. The audio may include voice and/or audio playback, e.g., music playback.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to determine at least one operating condition of a device; and

a selector configured to select a first audio coding process for the device based on the operating condition, the first audio coding process consuming less power than a second audio coding process during audio processing at the device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is based on a remaining battery energy capacity, an ambient noise level measured at the device or a combination of the remaining battery energy capacity and the ambient noise level.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operating condition is based on a comparison of the ambient noise level to at least one threshold noise level.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operating condition is based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect one or more boundaries in an audio stream;

wherein the selector is further configured to switch to the first audio codec at one of the boundaries.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the boundaries include a period of silence.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface, included in the device, configured to transfer the operating condition to another device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor and selector are included in the device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is included in the device and the selector is included in a wireless communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a wireless headset.

11. A method, comprising:

determining at least one operating condition of a device; and

selecting a first audio coding process for the device based on the operating condition, the first audio coding process consuming less power than a second audio coding process during audio processing at the device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring a remaining battery energy capacity, wherein the operating condition is based on the remaining battery energy capacity.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring an ambient noise level, wherein the operating condition is based on the ambient noise level.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring a remaining battery energy capacity; and

measuring an ambient noise level;

wherein the operating condition is based on the remaining battery energy capacity and the ambient noise level.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

measuring an ambient noise level; and

measuring an audio signal;

wherein the operating condition is based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio signal to the ambient noise level.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting one or more boundaries in an audio stream; and

switching to the first audio codec at one of the boundaries.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the boundaries include a period of silence.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transferring the operating condition from the device to another device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the device is a wireless headset.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining an ambient noise level at a device; and

means for selecting an audio coding process for the device from a plurality of audio coding schemes, based on the ambient noise level.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for measuring a device remaining battery energy capacity, wherein selecting the audio coding process is based on the device remaining battery energy capacity.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for measuring the ambient noise level.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for measuring a device remaining battery energy capacity; and

means for measuring the ambient noise level;

wherein selecting the audio coding process is based on the device remaining battery energy capacity and the ambient noise level.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for measuring the ambient noise level; and

means for measuring an audio signal;

wherein selecting the audio coding process is based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio signal to the ambient noise level.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for detecting one or more boundaries in an audio stream; and

means for switching to a first audio codec at one of the boundaries.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the boundaries include a period of silence.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for transferring the ambient noise level from the device to another device.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the device is a wireless headset.

29. A computer-readable medium embodying a set of instructions executable by one or more processors, comprising:

code for determining at least one operating condition of a device; and

code for selecting a first audio coding process for the device based on the operating condition, the first audio coding process consuming less power than a second audio coding process during audio processing at the device.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for measuring a remaining battery energy capacity, wherein the operating condition is based on the remaining battery energy capacity.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for measuring an ambient noise level, wherein the operating condition is based on the ambient noise level.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for measuring a remaining battery energy capacity; and

code for measuring an ambient noise level;

wherein the operating condition is based on the remaining battery energy capacity and the ambient noise level.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for measuring an ambient noise level; and

code for measuring an audio signal;

wherein the operating condition is based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio signal to the ambient noise level.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for detecting one or more boundaries in an audio stream; and

code for switching to the first audio codec at one of the boundaries.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the boundaries include a period of silence.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code for transferring the operating condition from the device to another device.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the device is a wireless headset.