Sound-controlled electronic apparatus

• US 7,924,324 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US10/577,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,356 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/211.99, 348/211.9, 348/222.1, 348/231.4, 704/246
• US Class Current: 348/231.4
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08

Abstract

An electronic apparatus (102) includes a microphone (40). Sound is captured by the microphone (40), and a key operation is detected by a sub microcomputer (46). The processes according to outputs from the microphone (40) and the sub microcomputer (46) are executed by a main microcomputer (42). The main microcomputer (42) outputs a sound effect from a speaker (58) in response to the key operation. Besides, output setting of the sound effect is changed between active state and inactive state. The main microcomputer (42) changes an extraction characteristic of sound according to the setting state of sound effect output.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a sensor unit for detecting a sound;

a first processor unit for detecting a key operation;

a first controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, said analog-to-digital conversion circuit receiving input from said sensor unit;

a second controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from said first processor unit; and

a second processor unit for deactivating said first controller unit from executing the process corresponding to the output of the sensor unit for a predetermined period of time from said key operation based on the output from said first processor unit, said predetermined period of time is a time for detecting the key operation,

wherein said time for detecting the key operation is the time between when a key is operated and when the key is non-operated.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sound effect output unit for outputting a sound effect in response to said key operation.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second processor unit includes a characteristic change unit for changing a detection characteristic of said sensor unit.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sensor unit includes a capture unit for capturing a sound and an extraction unit for extracting a predetermined frequency component of the sound captured by said capture unit, and said characteristic change unit changes a frequency characteristic of said extraction unit.

5. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a sensor unit for detecting a sound;

a first processor unit for detecting a key operation;

a first controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from said sensor unit;

a second controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from said first processor unit;

a sound effect output unit for outputting a sound effect in response to said key operation;

a second processor unit for changing a setting state of said sound effect output unit between an active state and an inactive state; and

a third processor unit for changing a detection characteristic of said sensor unit according to the setting state of said sound effect output unit,

wherein in said active state when said key operation is detected, said detection characteristic is changed so that the sensor unit detects the sound from which a predetermined frequency component is cut off thereby preventing the sensor from being activated by the sound effect emitted from said sound effect output unit.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said sensor unit includes a capture unit for capturing a sound and an extraction unit for extracting a predetermined frequency component of the sound captured by said capture unit, and said third processor unit changes a frequency characteristic of said extraction unit.

7. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a sensor unit for detecting a sound;

a first processor unit for detecting a key operation;

a first controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from said sensor unit;

a second controller unit for executing a process corresponding to an output from said first processor unit;

a sound effect output unit for outputting a sound effect in response to said key operation;

a second processor unit for changing a setting state of said first controller unit between an active state and an inactive state; and

a third processor unit for changing an output characteristic of said sound effect output unit according to the setting state of said first controller unit

wherein in said active state when said key operation is detected, said output characteristic is changed so that a predetermined frequency component is cut off from the sound effect emitted by said sound effect output unit thereby preventing the sensor from being activated.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said third processor unit changes a frequency characteristic of a sound effect.