Electronic device and method of controlling the same

• US 8,781,828 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Hyorim, Kim, Jihyun, Kim, Jihwan, Lim, Seijun
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US13/456,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.62, 341/176, 345/163, 348/152, 370/392, 455/556.1, 455/567, 705/26.1, 717/178, 725/40, 725/78, 726/3, 715/719, 709/223, 250/363.04, 235/380
• US Class Current: 704/235
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• 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 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals

Abstract

An electronic device and a method of controlling the electronic device are provided. According to an embodiment, the electronic device may recognize a first sound signal output from at least one external device connectable through a communication unit and to control a sound output of at least one of the at least one external device or the sound output unit when a second sound signal is output through the sound output unit.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display unit;

a communication unit configured to connect to an external device;

a sound output unit; and

a controller configured to;

receive a second content associated with a first content, wherein the first content is executed by the external device,

recognize a first sound signal output from the external device, and a second sound signal output from the sound output unit of the electronic device, and

display a user interface for controlling a sound output of the first sound signal from the external device and the second sound signal from the electronic device on the display unit while the first sound signal and the second sound signal are being output.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to be synchronized with the external device through the communication unit to share a content executed by the external device.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive the second content associated with the first content executed by the external device through the communication unit, and wherein the second sound signal includes a sound signal associated with the second content.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second content includes metadata of the first content.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the external device through the communication unit, and wherein the control signal is configured to set a sound output mode of the external device to a mute mode.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the external device, wherein the control signal is configured to enable the second sound signal to be output from the external device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to set a sound output mode of the sound output unit to a mute mode.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second sound signal includes a voice signal, and wherein the controller is configured to convert the voice signal into text and to display the converted text through the display unit.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display input comprises a touch screen, and

wherein the controller is configured to provide a user interface to the touch screen to complementarily control volumes of the first and second sound signals output through the external device and the sound output unit.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display input comprises a touch screen, and

wherein the controller is configured to display a user interface to select a device to output a sound among the external device and the sound output unit on the touch screen.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first sound signal and the second sound signal are the same.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the user interface when the second sound signal is output from the electronic device during the first sound signal being output from the external device.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the user interface when the first sound signal is output from the external device during the second sound signal being output from the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to display the user interface when the first sound signal and the second sound signal are output simultaneously.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a bar corresponding to a respective device, wherein the controller is further configured to control a volume of the respective device in response to a touch input on the bar.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a sound output unit;

a communication unit configured to establish a network with an external device; and

a controller configured to;

receive an auxiliary content of a main content executed by the external device through the communication unit; and

output a control signal for controlling one of a first sound signal being output through the external device or a second sound signal being output through the sound output unit in case that the second sound signal is output in response to execution of the auxiliary content through the sound output unit while the first sound signal is output in response to execution of the main content through the external device,

wherein the first sound signal is different from the second sound signal.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the auxiliary content includes metadata of the main content.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a communication unit;

a touch screen;

a sound output unit; and

a controller configured to;

recognize a first sound signal output by an external device connectable through the communication unit,

display a user interface on the touch screen to complementarily control volumes of the first sound signal output through the sound output unit and a second sound signal output through the external device, respectively, when a second sound signal is output through the sound output unit, and

when a particular direction a drag input is applied to the user interface, output a control signal to increase an output volume of the external device corresponding to the particular direction.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to output a control signal to decrease an output volume corresponding to an opposite direction to the particular direction.

20. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

connecting to an external device through a communication unit of the electronic device;

receiving a second content associated with a first content, wherein the first content is executed by the external device;

recognize a first sound signal output from the external device, and a second sound signal output from a sound output unit of the electronic device; and

displaying a user interface for controlling a sound output of the first sound signal from the external device and the second sound signal from the electronic device on a display unit while the first sound signal and the second sound signal are being output.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first sound signal and the second sound signal are the same.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

synchronizing the electronic device with the external device; and

receiving a content associated with a content executed by the external device.

23. A method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:

forming a network with at least one external device through a communication unit of the electronic device;

receiving an auxiliary content of a main content executed by the at least one external device through the communication unit;

recognizing a first sound signal output through the at least one external device according to execution of the main content;

recognizing a second sound signal through a sound output unit of the electronic device according to execution of the auxiliary content; and

outputting a control signal for controlling one of the first sound signal being output through one of the at least one the external device or the second sound signal being output the sound output unit in case that the second sound signal is output in response to execution of the auxiliary content through the sound output unit,

wherein the first sound signal is different from the second sound signal.