Apparatus and method for adjusting volume in a portable terminal

• US 9,077,814 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang-Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US13/682,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 455/219, 455/355, 455/67.13, 455/177.1, 455/67.11, 455/570, 455/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An apparatus and method for adjusting the volume in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes an information collection unit and a volume adjustment unit. The information collection unit collects noise judgment information that is used for judging the extent of background noise. The volume adjustment unit estimates background noise using the collected information, and adjusts the volume according to the background noise.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjusting volume in a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store control information, the control information including information about the adjustable volume;

a controller, associated with the memory, the controller configured to;

collect information related to one or more of weather information, a vehicle state and model, and a movement speed;

estimate the background noise using the collected information;

determine control information related to the estimated background noise;

adjust the adjustable volume using the determined control information; and

responsive to sensing a volume adjustment request, (i) adjust the adjusted volume to the volume related to the volume adjustment request, and (ii) update the control information by applying the volume related to the volume adjustment request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, after adjusting the adjustable volume according to the background noise, the controller is configured to check if the background noise is eliminated and, if the background noise is eliminated, restore the adjusted volume to an original volume.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to collect, as the collected information, background noise received through a microphone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously adjust at least one of items whose volume adjustment is possible and the volume for a function that is being currently executed.

5. A method for adjusting volume in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

collecting noise judgment information that is used for judging the extent of background noise, wherein the noise judgment information comprises at least any one of weather information acquired through a weather information server, a vehicle state and model, and a movement speed;

estimating the background noise using the collected information;

determining control information corresponding to the estimated background noise; and

adjusting the volume using the determined control information

responsive to sensing a volume adjustment request, (i) adjusting the adjusted volume to the volume corresponding to the volume adjustment request, and (ii) updating the control information by applying the volume corresponding to the volume adjustment request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method comprises:

after adjusting the volume using the determined control information, checking if the background noise is eliminated; and

when the background noise is eliminated, restoring the adjusted volume to the original volume.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the noise judgment information comprises background noise input through a microphone.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the volume according to the background noise comprises at least any one of simultaneously adjusting items whose volume adjustment is possible, and adjusting the volume for a function that is being currently executed.

9. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more modules stored in the memory and configured to, when executed by the one or more processors;

collect information related to one or more of weather information, a vehicle state and model, and a movement speed,

estimate the background noise using the collected information,

determine control information corresponding to the estimated background noise, and

adjust a volume of the electronic device using the determined control information, and

responsive to sensing a volume adjustment request, (i) adjust the adjusted volume to the volume corresponding to the volume adjustment request, and (ii) update the control information by applying the volume corresponding to the volume adjustment request.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein, after adjusting the volume using the determined control information, if the background noise is eliminated, the module is configured to restore the adjusted volume to an original volume.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more modules are configured to use, as the noise judgment information, background noise input through a microphone.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more modules are configured to simultaneously adjust at least one of items whose volume adjustment is possible and the volume for a function that is being currently executed.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the device comprises a mobile terminal.