Method and apparatus for adjusting volume using distance sensors

• US 8,953,820 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: You, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kurr, Jason R
• Application Number:
  US13/480,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20130230193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 381/104, 381/105, 381/107, 381/109, 381/102, 381/334, 381/120, 455/567, 455/156.1, 455/550.1, 455/456.1, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 250/336.1, 250/339.02, 707/700, 708/172
• US Class Current: 381/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

An electronic device includes a volume adjustment activating module, a distance detection module, and an adjusting module. The volume adjustment activating module is configured for activating the distance detection module to measure distances between a volume adjusting member and the distance detection module. The distance detection module includes at least one distance sensor, the at least one distance sensor is configured for detecting distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance detection module to obtain a plurality of distance measure values. The adjusting module is configured to adjust a volume of the electronic device according to the distance measure values.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a volume of an electronic device, comprising:

activating a distance detection module in the electronic device to measure distances between a volume adjusting member and the distance detection module, the distance detection module comprising at least one distance sensor;

obtaining, by the at least one distance sensor, a plurality of distance measure values between the volume adjusting member and the distance detection module;

converting each of the distance measure values into a respective distance indicator and obtaining a sequence of distance indicators;

wherein the plurality of distance measure values are converted into the respective distance indicator by;

comparing the plurality of distance measure values with distance reference values pre-stored in the electronic device; and

in response to finding a difference between a distance measure value and a distance reference value is less than a predetermined threshold, determining the distance reference value as a distance indicator corresponding to the distance measure value; and

adjusting the volume of the electronic device according to the distance measure values obtained by the at least one distance sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating a distance detection module in the electronic device comprises:

detecting a touch action applied on a touch sense unit of the electronic device; and

activating the distance detection module when the touch action applied on the touch sense unit is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the volume of the electronic device according to the distance measure values comprises:

analyzing the sequence of the distance indicators to determine a movement of the volume adjusting member;

determining whether the movement matches a predetermined track of a valid volume adjusting action; and

if the movement matches a predetermined track of a valid volume adjusting action, turning up or turning down the volume of the electronic device by use of a volume adjustment control signal corresponding to the predetermined track.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises one distance sensor, and the predetermined track is set as moving in a first direction substantially vertically away from the at least one distance sensor, and then changing to a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises a plurality of distance sensors arranged in a line, and the predetermined track comprises a first predetermined track corresponding to an increase of volume and a second predetermined track corresponding to a decrease of volume.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined track is set as the volume adjusting member moving in a direction along an arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors increase gradually;

and the second predetermined track is set as moving in the direction along the arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors decrease gradually.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined track is set as moving in a direction along an arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors firstly increase gradually until to a maximum value and then change to decrease gradually;

the second predetermined track is set as moving in the direction along the arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors firstly decrease gradually until to a minimum value and then change to increase gradually.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined track is set as moving in a first direction along an arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors increase, and then the movement changes to an opposite second direction;

the second predetermined track may be set as moving in the first direction along the arrangement of the distance sensors in such a manner that distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors decrease, and then the movement changes to the opposite second direction.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined track is set as moving in a first direction along an arrangement of the distance sensors;

the second predetermined track may be set as moving in a second direction along a contrary arrangement of the distance sensors.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one distance sensor comprises a plurality of distance sensors arranged in a line, and the adjusting the volume of the electronic device according to the distance measure values comprises:

analyzing the sequence of the distance indicators to determine a position of the volume adjusting member;

determining whether the position of the volume adjusting member matches a predetermined position of a valid volume adjusting action; and

if matches, turning up or turning down the volume of the electronic device by use of a volume adjustment control signal corresponding to the predetermined position.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined position comprises a first predetermined position in which a projection of the volume adjusting member covers the distance sensors and distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors increase gradually;

and a second predetermined position in which a projection of the volume adjusting member covers the distance sensors and distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance sensors decrease gradually.

12. An electronic device, comprising a touch detection circuit, a distance detection module, and an adjusting module;

wherein the touch detection circuit activates the distance detection module to measure distances between a volume adjusting member and the distance detection module;

the distance detection module comprises at least one distance sensor, the at least one distance sensor is configured for detecting distances between the volume adjusting member and the distance detection module to obtain a plurality of distance measure values;

a processing module pre-storing a plurality of distance reference values, each of the distance reference values corresponds to a respective distance indicator, the processing module comparing the distance measure values with the pre-stored distance reference values and when a difference between a distance measure value and a distance reference value is less than a predetermined threshold, the processing module determines the distance reference value as a distance indicator for representing the distance measure value; and

the adjusting module is configured to adjust a volume of the electronic device according to the distance measure values.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the volume adjustment activating module comprises:

a touch sense unit providing an activating interface for a user such that the user can provide a touch action on the touch sense unit; and

a touch detection circuit electrically connected to the touch sense unit, the touch detection circuit detecting the touch action applied to the touch sense unit and providing an activation signal to activate the distance detection module when the touch action applied on the touch sense unit is detected.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising a processing module generating a volume adjustment control signal according to the distance measure values;

wherein the adjusting module adjusts the volume of the electronic device according to the volume adjustment control signal.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, the processing module converting each of the distance measure values into a respective distance indicator and thereby obtain a sequence of distance indicators.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing module provides the volume adjustment control signal to the adjusting module upon determining that a movement of the volume adjustment member matches a predetermined track.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing module provides a first volume adjustment control signal to control the adjusting module to turn up the volume when the sequence of distance indicators indicates that a movement of the volume adjustment member matches a first predetermined track;

and provides a second volume adjustment control signal to control the adjusting module to turn down the volume when the sequence of distance indicators indicates the movement of the volume adjustment member matches a second predetermined track.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processing module provides a first volume adjustment control signal to control the adjusting module to turn up the volume when the sequence of distance indicators indicates that a position of the volume adjustment member matches a first predetermined position;

and provides a second volume adjustment control signal to control the adjusting module to turn down the volume when the sequence of distance indicators indicates the position of the volume adjustment member matches a second predetermined position.