Mobile device for providing announcement information

• US 8,618,920 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/995,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/457, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/286.11, 340/384.1, 340/10.1, 340/4.1, 455/567, 701/300, 701/465
• US Class Current: 340/384.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• 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 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Provided is a mobile device including: an audio output unit; an audio source unit which provides music information to the audio output unit; an adjustment unit which adjusts the audio volume of the audio output unit; an announcement information generation unit which provides announcement information to the audio output unit; and a control unit which forcibly selects a predetermined audio volume regardless of the adjustment made by the adjustment unit when announcing information by the announcement information generation unit from the audio output unit.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an audio output unit;

an audio source unit which provides music information to the audio output unit;

an adjustment unit which adjusts audio volume of the audio output unit;

an announcement information generation unit which provides announcement information to the same audio output unit to which the music information is provided by the audio source unit with the volume adjustment by the adjustment unit; and

a control unit which selects a predetermined high level of audio volume forcibly regardless of adjustment by the adjustment unit when information by the announcement information generation unit is announced from the audio output unit, wherein the announcement information is output at the audio output unit with the high level even if the music information has been output at the same audio output with an adjusted lower level of audio volume than the predetermined high level of audio volume.

2. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the audio output unit includes an earphone.

3. A mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit disables the audio output unit to mute the music information for a predetermined time before initiating the announcement by the announcement information generation unit from the audio output unit, whereby the announcement is made more effective to be remarked.

4. A mobile device comprising:

an audio output unit;

a vibration generation unit, which provides vibration other than words;

a selection unit which selects whether or not to generate vibration by the vibration generation unit;

an announcement information generation unit, which provides announcement information to the audio output unit; and

a control unit which controls the vibration generation unit to generate vibration forcibly regardless of selection by the selection unit when announcement information by the announcement information generation unit is provided to the audio output unit, wherein the announcement information is accompanied by the vibration even if the selection unit has selected not to generate vibration by the vibration generation unit, such that the announcement is made more likely to be noticed.

5. A mobile device according to claim 4, comprising an acceleration detection unit, a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device, a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit, and a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit, wherein the announcement information generation unit generates the announcement information on the basis of the decision by the decision unit.

6. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

an announcement information generation unit which generates announcement information on the basis of the decision by the decision unit; and

a transmission unit which transmits a result of decision by the decision unit externally.

7. A mobile device according to claim 6, further comprising a position detection unit which detects a position of the mobile device itself, wherein the decision unit decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of the acceleration detection unit and the position detection unit.

8. A mobile device according to claim 6, further comprising an information obtaining unit which obtains information about location of the mobile device itself, and a decision unit which decides a location of the entire mobile device on the basis of the acceleration detection unit and the information obtaining unit.

9. A mobile device according to claim 6, wherein the storage unit stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to departure of the vehicle on which the owner of the mobile device boards, and the decision unit decides the departure of the vehicle.

10. A mobile device according to claim 6, wherein the storage unit stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to stopping of the vehicle on which the owner of the mobile device boards, and the decision unit decides the stopping of the vehicle in advance.

11. A mobile device according to claim 6, further comprising a control unit which estimates in advance an arrival at an expected getting-off place of the vehicle on which the owner of the mobile device boards on the basis of the decision unit.

12. A mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit includes a counter which counts the number of times of a predetermined movement detected by the decision unit, and estimates in advance an arrival of the vehicle at the expected getting-off place on the basis of a count value of the counter.

13. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

a current time information obtaining unit; and

a control unit which estimates a next movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a predetermined movement detected by the decision unit and current time obtained by the current time information obtaining unit.

14. A mobile device according to claim 13, further comprising a keeping unit of position information of an expected getting-off place of the vehicle, a position detection unit which detects a position of the mobile device itself, and an approach detection unit which detects an approach of the vehicle at the expected getting-off place on the basis of position information of the keeping unit and a position detected by the position detection unit, wherein an arrival of the vehicle at an expected getting-off place is estimated in advance on the basis of the approach detection by the approach detection unit and a predetermined movement decided by the decision unit.

15. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

a position detection unit which detects a position of the mobile device itself; and

a control unit which estimates a next movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a predetermined movement decided by the decision unit and a position detected by the position detection unit.

16. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

a keeping unit which keeps information about a plan of movement of the entire mobile device; and

a control unit which estimates a next movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a predetermined movement decided by the decision unit and information kept by the keeping unit.

17. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

wherein the decision unit estimates that the vehicle on which the owner of the mobile device boards is decelerating so as to stop at a predetermined station.

18. A mobile device comprising:

an acceleration detection unit;

a storage unit which stores an acceleration variation pattern that is unique to a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device;

a comparison unit which compares acceleration variation detected by the acceleration detection unit with the acceleration variation pattern stored in the storage unit;

a decision unit which decides whether or not there was a predetermined movement of the entire mobile device on the basis of a result of the comparison by the comparison unit;

a ticket information providing unit;

an event information providing unit; and

a control unit which estimates a place to get off the vehicle on the basis of information from the ticket information providing unit and the event information providing unit, wherein the announcement unit generates announcement information about a relationship between the mobile device and the place to get off on the basis of the estimation by the control unit and the decision by the decision unit.

19. A mobile device according to claim 18, wherein the information provided by the event information providing unit relates to an actually boarding vehicle, and the control unit removes a place to get on or off where the vehicle does not stop from estimation candidates on the basis of the information from the event information providing unit.