Volume control system and method for a mobile communication device

• US 7,392,066 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haparnas, Ziv
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dean, Raymond S.
• Application Number:
  US10/872,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20050282590A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/569.1, 379/418, 379/420.01, 379/420.02, 379/373.01, 379/373.02, 379/373.03, 379/376.02
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a method for adjusting volume of a mobile device in relationship to environment noise is provided. The method comprises sampling ambient noise around the mobile device to obtain at least one audio sample; measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; increasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value; and decreasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting volume of a mobile device in relationship to environment noise when an incoming call is received by the mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving data communicated to the mobile communication device over a mobile communication network;

designating a first speaker for audibly producing the data communicated to the mobile device;

sampling ambient noise around the mobile device to obtain at least one audio sample, wherein the sampling is performed after the mobile device generates a ring in response to receiving an incoming call;

measuring volume of the ring;

determining the volume of the ambient noise by reducing a measured volume of the at least one audio sample by the volume of the ring;

increasing volume of the first speaker, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value, so that the data communicated to the mobile device can be produced at a higher audible volume, wherein a user predetermines the first threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

decreasing the volume of the first speaker, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than at most a second threshold value, so that the data communicated to the mobile device can be produced at a lower audible volume, and wherein the user predetermines the second threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value represents a first volume beyond which it would be difficult for a user to hear an audio output produced by the mobile device in a first environment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second threshold value represents a second volume above which it would be inappropriate for an audio output of the mobile device to be produced in a second environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the mobile device is produced by an external speaker of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampling is performed prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampling is performed after mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user predetermines a magnitude by which the volume of the first speaker is increased.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sampling comprises multiple sampling steps at predetermined time intervals to obtain a plurality of audio samples for the ambient noise.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined based on the plurality of audio samples obtained.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined as an average of volumes of the plurality of audio samples obtained.

12. A system for adjusting ring volume of a mobile device when an incoming call is received by the mobile device, the system comprising:

a microphone for obtaining at least one audio sample of ambient noise around the mobile device;

a volume sensor for measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; and

a control mechanism for increasing ring volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value, and for decreasing the ring volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value,

wherein a user predetermines the first threshold value and the second threshold,

wherein the user predetermines the magnitude by which the ring volume of the mobile device is adjusted in response to determining the volume of the ambient noise,

wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device generates a ring tone in response to receiving an incoming call; and

wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined by reducing the measured volume of the at least one audio sample by the volume of the ring tone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.

15. A system for adjusting speaker volume of a mobile device when an incoming call is received by the mobile device, the system comprising:

a speaker designated for producing audio signals communicated to the mobile device;

a microphone for obtaining at least one audio sample of ambient noise around the mobile device;

a volume sensor for measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; and

a control mechanism for increasing the speaker volume, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value, and for decreasing the speaker volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value, so that the audio signals communicated to the mobile device can be produced at respectively higher and lower audible volumes,

wherein a user predetermines the first threshold value and the second threshold value,

wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device generates a ring tone in response to receiving an incoming call; and

wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined by reducing the measured volume of the at least one audio sample by the volume of the ring tone.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.