METHOD IN AN ELECTRONIC MOBILE DEVICE, AND SUCH A DEVICE

• US 20160241693A1
• Filed: 11/06/2013
• Published: 08/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Widell, Alfred, NYSTROM, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• 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 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

A method in a first electronic mobile device for adapting audio performance parameters is provided. The first electronic mobile device performs an audio interaction with a second electronic device. The first electronic mobile electronic device is associated with at least one earpiece comprising at least one speaker and at least one microphone. The method comprises detecting an acoustic echo between the at least one speaker and the at least one microphone, determining, based on the detected acoustic echo, position of the at least one earpiece in relation to a user of the first electronic mobile device, and adapting audio performance parameters, based on the detected position of the earpiece, whereby less echo during the audio interaction is achieved in the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic mobile device for adapting audio performance parameters, the electronic mobile device performing an audio interaction with another electronic device,

the electronic mobile device being associated with at least one earpiece comprising at least one earspeaker and at least one microphone, the method comprising:

detecting an acoustic echo between the at least one earspeaker and the at least one microphone,

determining, based on the detected acoustic echo, position of the at least one earpiece in relation to an ear of a user of the electronic mobile device, and

adapting audio performance parameters, based on the detected position of the earpiece, whereby an acoustic echo present in the other electronic device during the audio interaction is reduced.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting an acoustic echo comprises:

measuring an audio signal sent towards the at least one earspeaker,

measuring an audio signal received by the at least one microphone,

correlating the measured earspeaker audio signal with the measured microphone audio signal, whereby the acoustic echo is detected.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein position of the at least one earpiece in relation to the user of the electronic mobile device is determined that it is inserted in the ear of the user if the detected acoustic echo is below a defined threshold.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein an audio signal sent to the at least one earspeaker in the at least one earpiece is sent with a full signal level in response to determining that the at least one earpiece is inserted in the ear of the user.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one earpiece comprises two earpieces, each earpiece being designated for the respective ear of the user, and each comprising at least one earspeaker and at least one microphone, wherein the method comprises applying voice enhancement algorithms and background noise suppression algorithms if respective position of the two earpieces is determined that it is inserted in the respective ear of the user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein position of the at least one earpiece in relation to the user of the electronic mobile device is determined to be outside the ear of the user if the detected acoustic echo is above a defined threshold.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the audio signal sent to the at least one earspeaker in the earpiece is reduced in response to determining that the at least one earpiece is positioned outside the ear of the user, whereby the acoustic echo at the other electronic device is reduced.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein algorithms utilizing the symmetric placement of two ear placed microphones are disconnected if an asymmetric position of the two earpieces being determined to be positioned respectively outside and inside the ear of the user.

9. An electronic mobile device arranged to adapt audio performance parameters, the electronic mobile device adapted to perform an audio interaction with another electronic device,

the electronic mobile device being associated with at least one earpiece comprising at least one earspeaker and at least one microphone,

the electronic mobile device comprising:

a processing unit,

a detecting circuit configured to detect an acoustic echo between the at least one earspeaker and the at least one microphone,

a determining circuit configured to determine, based on the detected acoustic echo, a position of the at least one earpiece in relation to an ear of a user of the electronic mobile device, and

an adaption circuit configured to adapt audio performance parameters, based on the detected position of the earpiece, whereby acoustic echo present during the audio interaction is reduced in the other electronic device.

10. The electronic mobile device of claim 9, wherein:

the determining circuit is configured to determine that the at least one earpiece is positioned in the ear of the user based on the detected acoustic echo being below a defined threshold, and to determine that the at least one earpiece is positioned outside the ear of the user based on the detected acoustic echo being above the defined threshold.

11. The electronic mobile device of claim 10, wherein:

the adaption circuit is configured to send a full signal level audio signal to the at least one earspeaker in the at least one earpiece based on the determining circuit determining that the at least one earpiece is positioned in the ear of the user, and to reduce a signal level of the audio signal sent to the the at least one earspeaker in the at least one earpiece based on the determining circuit determining that the at least one earpiece is positioned outside the ear of the user.

12. The electronic mobile device of claim 10, wherein:

the adaption circuit is configured to apply a voice enhancement algorithm and background noise suppression algorithm to an audio signal from the at least one microphone based on the determining circuit determining that the at least one earpiece is positioned in the ear of the user, and to not apply the voice enhancement algorithm and background noise suppression algorithm to the audio signal from the at least one microphone based on the determining circuit determining that the at least one earpiece is positioned outside the ear of the user.