AUDIO OUTPUT APPARATUS AND AUDIO PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20100310087A1
• Filed: 01/07/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: ISHIDA, Tomomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an audio output apparatus, includes: a receiver configured to receiver audio information from an audio processor; an output module configured to output the received audio information; a cable configured to connect between the output module and the receiver to communicate the audio information; a tension detector configured to detect whether tension of greater than or equal to a threshold value is applied to the cable; a determination module configured to determine, when the tension detector detects tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value, a control command to be executed by the audio processor; and a transmitter configured to transmit the determined control command to the audio processor.

Claims

1. An audio output apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive audio information from an audio processor;

an output module configured to output the audio information;

a cable configured to connect between the output module and the receiver to communicate the audio information;

a tension detector configured to detect whether a tension of greater than or equal to a threshold value is applied to the cable;

a determination module configured to determine, when the tension detector detects a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value, a control command to be executed by the audio processor; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the control command to the audio processor.

2. The audio output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a placement detector configured to detect whether the output module is in place with respect to a user, wherein

the determination module is configured to determine the control command based on a combination of whether a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value is detected and whether the output module is in place.

3. The audio output apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the output module comprises a first output module and a second output module,

the placement detector is configured to determine whether the first output module and the second output module are both in place with respect to the user, and

the determination module is configured to determine the control command based further on a number of output modules not in place with respect to the user.

4. The audio output apparatus of claim 3, further comprising

a storage module configured to store, when the tension detector detects a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value and the placement detector detects that the first output module and the second output module are both not in place,

the audio information output from the output module, wherein the determination module selects and determines, when the tension detector detects a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value and the placement detector detects that the first output module and the second output module are both not in place with respect to the user, a control command for pausing transmission of the audio information.

5. The audio output apparatus of claim 4, wherein

each of the first output module and the second output module outputs, when the placement detector detects that both of the first output module and the second output module are in place with respect to the user, the audio data stored in the storage module, and

the determination module selects and determines, when the placement detector detects that both of the first output module and the second output module are in place with respect to the user, a control command for restarting the transmission of the audio information.

6. The audio output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a request receiver configured to receive the control command to be executed by the audio processor for each combination of whether a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value is detected and a number of output modules not in place with respect to the user.

7. An audio processing system, comprising:

an audio output apparatus configured to output audio information; and

an audio processor configured to provide the audio information to the audio output apparatus, wherein

the audio output apparatus comprises;

a first receiver configured to receive audio information from the audio processor;

an output module configured to output the audio information;

a cable configured to connect between the output module and the receiver to communicate the audio information;

a tension detector configured to detect whether a tension of greater than or equal to a threshold value is applied to the cable;

a determination module configured to determine, when the tension detector detects a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value, a control command to be executed by the audio processor; and

a first transmitter configured to transmit the control command to the audio processor, and

the audio processor comprises;

a second transmitter configured to transmit the audio information to the audio output apparatus;

a second receiver configured to receive the control command from the audio output apparatus; and

a controller configured to control the audio information in accordance with the control command received by the second receiver.

8. The audio processing system of claim 7, wherein

the audio output apparatus further comprises a placement detector configured to detect whether the output module is in place with respect to a user, and

the determination module is configured to determine the control command based on a combination of whether a tension of greater than or equal to the threshold value is detected and whether the output module is in place.

9. The audio processing system of claim 8, wherein

the output module comprises a first output module and a second output module,

the placement detector is configured to determine whether the first output module and the second output module are both in place with respect to the user, and

the determination module is configured to determine the control command based further on a number of output modules not in place with respect to the user.