Audio apparatus for reducing white noise and control method of the same

• US 6,594,363 B1
• Filed: 09/28/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Transpacific Avartar, LLC (Transpacific IP Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yang-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, BRIAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/407,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/119, 381/94.5, 381/77, 381/111-115, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/34 Muting amplifier when no signal is present or when only weak signals are present, or caused by the presence of noise signals, e.g. squelch systems

Abstract

An audio apparatus for reducing white noise automatically detects when a microphone is connected, and when the microphone is not connected, to a microphone input jack. If the microphone is not connected to the microphone input jack, microphone input of the audio apparatus is automatically muted to reduce white noise.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an audio device having a terminal removably coupled to a microphone;

a detector detecting when the microphone is coupled to said terminal and outputting a detection signal in accordance with said detecting;

a mixing unit receiving first audio data from said audio device and outputting second audio data; and

a control unit controlling said mixing unit in accordance with said detection signal, muting the first audio data when the microphone is not coupled to said terminal, not muting the first audio data when the microphone is coupled to said terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said apparatus corresponding to a computer system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1:

the second audio data including the first audio data when the microphone is coupled to said terminal, the second audio data not including the first audio data when the microphone is not coupled to said terminal.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

an audio device having a terminal removably coupled to a microphone;

a detector detecting when the microphone is coupled to said terminal; and

a mixing unit receiving first audio data from said audio device and outputting second audio data, said mixing unit muting the first audio data when said detector detects that the microphone is not coupled to said terminal, said mixing unit not muting the first audio data when said detector detects that the microphone is coupled to said terminal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4:

the second audio data including the first audio data when the microphone is coupled to said terminal, the second audio data not including the first audio data when the microphone is not coupled to said terminal.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, said apparatus corresponding to a computer system.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a computer system being coupled to said apparatus.

8. An audio apparatus mounted on a computer system, comprising:

a connector removably coupling a microphone to a terminal of an audio device;

a detector detecting when the microphone is coupled to said connector and outputting a detection signal in accordance with said detecting;

a mixing unit receiving first audio data from said audio device and outputting second audio data; and

a control unit controlling said mixing unit in accordance with said detection signal, said control unit preventing the first audio data from being included with the second audio data when said detection signal indicates that the microphone is not coupled to said connector, said control unit not preventing the first audio data from being included with said second audio data when said detection signal indicates that the microphone is coupled to said connector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said detector further comprising:

a first resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said first resistor being coupled to said connector;

a transistor having a control electrode coupled to said second end of said first resistor, a first electrode of a principal electrically conducting channel coupled to a power supply voltage, and a second electrode of said principal electrically conducting channel;

a second resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said second resistor being coupled to said second electrode of said transistor, said second end of said second resistor being coupled to a local reference potential; and

said first end of said second resistor outputting said detection signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, said detection signal corresponding to a logic low signal when the microphone is coupled to said connector, said detection signal corresponding to a logic high signal when the microphone is not coupled to said connector.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an audio unit coupling said connector to the terminal, said audio unit further comprising;

a third resistor having a first and a second end, said first end being coupled to said connector;

a fourth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said fourth resistor being coupled to the power supply voltage, said second end of said fourth resistor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor;

a fifth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said fifth resistor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor, said second end of said fifth resistor being coupled to the local reference potential;

a first capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said first capacitor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor;

a sixth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said sixth resistor being coupled to said second end of said first capacitor, said second end of said sixth resistor being coupled to the local reference potential;

an amplifier having a non-inverting input port, an inverting input port, and an output port, said non-inverting input port being coupled to said second end of said first capacitor;

a seventh resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said seventh resistor being coupled to said inverting input port;

a second capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said second capacitor being coupled to said second end of said seventh resistor, said second end of said second capacitor being coupled to the local reference potential;

a third capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said third capacitor being coupled to said inverting input port of said amplifier, said second end of said third capacitor being coupled to said output port of said amplifier;

an eighth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said eighth resistor being coupled to said inverting input port of said amplifier, said second end of said eighth resistor being coupled to said output port of said amplifier; and

said output port of said amplifier outputting the first audio data to said mixing unit.

12. A method, comprising:

detecting when a microphone is in communication with a terminal of an audio device coupled to an audio apparatus;

when the microphone is detected as being in communication with the terminal of the audio device, enabling a microphone volume control function to include first audio data received from the audio device with output audio data output from the audio apparatus; and

when the microphone is not detected as being coupled to the audio apparatus, enabling a microphone mute function to exclude the first audio data from the output audio data.

13. The method of claim 12, said microphone volume control function controlling a sensitivity to audio signals being input to the microphone.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising when the microphone is detected as being in communication with the terminal of the audio device, conveying the first audio data to a mixer mounted in the audio apparatus, said mixer outputting the output audio data including the first audio data.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the audio apparatus being mounted on a computer system.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

said detecting when the microphone is in communication with the terminal of the audio device corresponding to determining when a connector couples the microphone to the terminal, said determining being performed by a detector;

transmitting a detection signal in accordance with said determining, said transmitting being performed by the detector; and

receiving the first audio data from the audio device and outputting the output audio data, said receiving and said outputting being performed by a mixing unit.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling the mixing unit in accordance with the detection signal;

when the detection signal indicates that the connector is not coupling the microphone to the terminal, preventing the mixing unit from including the first audio data with the output audio data;

when the detection signal indicates that the connector is not coupling the microphone to the terminal, not preventing the mixing unit from including the first audio data with the output audio data.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

coupling a first resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said first resistor being coupled to the connector;

coupling a transistor having a control electrode coupled to said second end of said first resistor, a first electrode of a principal electrically conducting channel coupled to a power supply voltage, and a second electrode of said principal electrically conducting channel;

coupling a second resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said second resistor being coupled to said second electrode of said transistor, said second end of said second resistor being coupled to a local reference potential; and

outputting the detection signal from said first end of said second resistor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

the detection signal corresponding to a logic low signal when the microphone is coupled to the connector; and

the detection signal corresponding to a logic high signal when the microphone is not coupled to the connector.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

coupling a third resistor having a first and a second end, said first end being coupled to the connector;

coupling a fourth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said fourth resistor being coupled to the power supply voltage, said second end of said fourth resistor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor;

coupling a fifth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said fifth resistor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor, said second end of said fifth resistor being coupled to the local reference potential;

coupling a first capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said first capacitor being coupled to said second end of said third resistor;

coupling a sixth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said sixth resistor being coupled to said second end of said first capacitor, said second end of said sixth resistor being coupled to the local reference potential;

coupling an amplifier having a non-inverting input port, an inverting input port, and an output port, said non-inverting input port being coupled to said second end of said first capacitor;

coupling a seventh resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said seventh resistor being coupled to said inverting input port;

coupling a second capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said second capacitor being coupled to said second end of said seventh resistor, said second end of said second capacitor being coupled to the local reference potential;

coupling a third capacitor having a first and a second end, said first end of said third capacitor being coupled to said inverting input port of said amplifier, said second end of said third capacitor being coupled to said output port of said amplifier;

coupling an eighth resistor having a first and a second end, said first end of said eighth resistor being coupled to said inverting input port of said amplifier, said second end of said eighth resistor being coupled to said output port of said amplifier; and

outputting the first audio data to said mixing unit from said output port of said amplifier.