Method of combining audio signals in a wireless communication device

• US 7,697,947 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakefield, Ivan Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharma; Sujatha
• Application Number:
  US11/243,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/412.1, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455/414.1, 455/414.4, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/414.3, 455/161.1, 455/161.2, 455/502, 381/119, 381/61, 381/2, 381/307, 381/86, 381/103, 381/104, 381/311
• US Class Current: 455/502
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed

Abstract

A wireless communication device mixes audio content by combining audio signals from two or more different audio sources available at the wireless communication device and directing the mixed audio signal to a selected audio output circuit included in or associated with the wireless communication device. The audio signals can comprise received audio signals, stored audio signals, or a combination thereof. The audio signals can be synchronized, and one or more video signals may be synchronized with them. In at least one embodiment, the wireless communication device includes one or more circuits, such as a baseband or system processor, configured as a mixing circuit. An included (mixing) control circuit may be configured to control a user interface of the wireless communication device to support audio source selections, mixed audio signal output destinations, and audio signal control (volume, tone, etc.) for audio signals included in the mixed audio signal.

Claims

1. A method of mixing audio content in a wireless communication device, comprising:

combining audio signals from two or more different audio sources available at the wireless communication device to form a mixed audio signal;

selecting an audio output circuit from two or more audio output circuits included in or associated with the wireless communication device, based on one or more of a content type of one or more of the audio signals, a content protection scheme of one or more of the audio signals, and a frequency response of one or more of the audio signals; and

directing the mixed audio signal to the selected audio output circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein selecting the audio output circuit comprises selecting the wireless transmitter circuit if any one or more of the audio signals is a microphone audio signal intended for an outgoing voice call from the wireless communication device to a supporting wireless communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein selecting the audio output circuit comprises selecting at least one of the external and internal speaker outputs if one of the audio signals is an incoming audio signal received for a voice call the wireless communication device is engaged in.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein selecting the audio output circuit comprises the external speaker output if the audio signals are music signals, or in dependence on the frequency response of one or more of the audio signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein selecting the audio output circuit includes disallowing selection of the wireless transmitter circuit if any of the audio signals are rights-restricted signal types having retransmission restrictions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user preferences identifying preferred ones of the two or more audio circuits to be selected for given content types of audio signals, and wherein selecting an audio circuit from the two or more audio circuits comprises determining the content types of the audio signals and the corresponding user preferences.

7. A wireless communication device, comprising one or more circuits configured to:

select audio signals from two or more different audio sources available at the wireless communication device;

combine the selected audio signals to form a mixed audio signal;

select an audio output circuit from two or more audio output circuits included in or associated with the wireless communication device, based on one or more of a content type of one or more of the audio signals, a content protection scheme of one or more of the audio signals, and a frequency response of one or more of the audio signals; and

direct the mixed audio signal to the selected audio output circuit included in or associated with the wireless communication device.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein the one or more circuits of the wireless communication device are configured to select the wireless transmitter circuit as the selected audio output circuit, if any one or more of the audio signals is a microphone audio signal intended for an outgoing voice call from the wireless communication device to a supporting wireless communication network.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein the one or more circuits of the wireless communication device are configured to select at least one of the external and internal speaker outputs as the selected audio output circuit, if one of the audio signals is an incoming audio signal received for a voice call the wireless communication device is engaged in.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein the one or more circuits of the wireless communication device are configured to select the external speaker output as the selected audio output circuit, if the audio signals are music signals, or in dependence on the frequency response of one or more of the audio signals.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the two or more audio output circuits include a wireless transmitter circuit, an internal speaker output, and an external speaker output, and wherein the one or more circuits of the wireless communication device are configured to disallow selection of the wireless transmitter circuit as the selected audio output circuit, if any of the audio signals are rights-restricted signal types having retransmission restrictions.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 7, wherein the one or more circuits are configured to receive user preferences identifying preferred ones of the two or more audio circuits to be selected for given content types of audio signals, and wherein the one or more circuits are configured to select an audio circuit from the two or more audio circuits based on determining the content types of the audio signals and the corresponding user preferences.