Apparatus and method for tuning volume of downloaded sound

• US 7,957,823 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae-Min, Seo, Chong-Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US11/264,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level

Abstract

An apparatus and method for tuning the volume of a sound downloaded from an outside source in a device for outputting such a sound through a speaker are provided. The apparatus includes a memory, a speaker, a microphone, a codec, a volume tuning determining unit, and a volume tuner. The memory stores a sound signal downloaded from the outside source. The speaker outputs the sound signal stored in the memory. The microphone receives the sound signal output from the speaker. The codec outputs modulation data of the sound signal input from the microphone. The volume tuning determining unit calculates volume figure data with respect to the sound signal, stress figure data of the speaker, and volume adjustment gain data using the modulation data. The volume tuner tunes the volume of the sound signal using the calculated volume adjustment gain data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for tuning a volume of a sound signal downloaded from an outside source, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing the sound signal downloaded from the outside source;

a speaker for outputting the sound signal stored in the memory;

a microphone for receiving the sound signal output from the speaker;

a codec for outputting modulation data of the sound signal input from the microphone;

a volume tuning determining unit for calculating volume figure data with respect to the sound signal and stress figure data of the speaker, using the modulation data, and for calculating volume adjustment gain data when the volume figure data is less than a predetermined volume figure minimum and the stress figure data is less than a predetermined stress figure minimum or when the volume figure data is greater than a predetermined volume figure maximum and the stress figure data is greater than a predetermined stress figure maximum; and

a volume tuner for tuning the volume of the sound signal using the calculated volume adjustment gain data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the volume tuning determining unit stores the volume-tuned sound signal in the memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the volume tuning determining unit calculates the volume adjustment gain data within a predetermined range of a stress ratio of the speaker.

4. A method for tuning the volume of a sound signal downloaded from an outside source in a device having a speaker that outputs the sound signal and a microphone, the method comprising:

receiving the sound signal output from the speaker through the microphone;

outputting modulation data of the sound signal input from the microphone;

calculating volume figure data with respect to the sound signal received through the microphone and stress figure data of the speaker using the modulation data;

calculating volume adjustment gain data for the sound signal when the volume figure data is less than a predetermined volume figure minimum and the stress figure data is less than a predetermined stress figure minimum or when the volume figure data is greater than a predetermined volume figure maximum and the stress figure data is greater than a predetermined stress figure maximum; and

tuning the volume of the sound signal using the calculated volume adjustment gain data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of calculating the volume adjustment gain comprises:

calculating a volume gain to be tuned up when the volume figure data is less than the predetermined volume figure minimum and the stress figure data is less than the predetermined stress figure minimum; and

calculating a volume gain to be tuned down when the volume figure data is greater than the predetermined volume figure maximum and the stress figure data is greater than the predetermined volume figure maximum.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of calculating the volume adjustment gain data comprises:

calculating a volume gain to be tuned up using the stress figure data and the predetermined stress figure minimum; and

calculating a volume gain to be tuned down using the stress figure data and the predetermined stress figure maximum.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of calculating the volume figure data with respect to the sound signal and the stress figure data of the speaker comprises creating modulation data from the sound signal received through the microphone.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the volume adjustment gain data is calculated within a predetermined range in which a stress ratio of the speaker does not fall beyond the predetermined stress figure minimum and the predetermined stress figure maximum.