Audio control system and method using near-field wireless communication

• US 9,178,973 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Gwang-Hui, Kim, Min-Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US13/171,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/550.1, 455/558, 455/550, 455/3.04, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/427, 455/566, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/3.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• 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 audio control system using near-field wireless communication permits individualized audio data output to a plurality of devices with differing capabilities. The system preferably includes: a communication unit, which includes a near-field wireless communication transceiver and transmits and receives signal for acquiring address information and device information to and from at least one surrounding device; a car-kit capable of performing the near-field wireless communication, which is installed in a vehicle to which a tag storing vehicle information is attached; and a portable terminal for performing near-field wireless communication with the unit and the car-kit, recognizing the vehicle information by reading the tag installed in the vehicle equipped with the car-kit, and resetting an audio output corresponding to the vehicle information when audio data is output.

Claims

1. An audio control apparatus using near-field wireless communication in a portable terminal, the audio control apparatus comprising:

a near-field wireless transceiver for performing near-field wireless communication with at least one of a communication unit of another audio apparatus and a car-kit, and

a controller for recognizing a vehicle information by reading a tag installed in a vehicle equipped with the car-kit, resetting an audio output of audio data based on specific audio parameters included in the vehicle information and transmitting the audio data including the reset audio output to at least one of the communication unit and the car-kit though the near-field wireless communication,

wherein the vehicle information read from the tag comprises a device type and audio parameters associated with one or more of noise, echo, and Auto Gain Control (AGC) for adjusting an audio output level.

2. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the communication unit and the car-kit remotely retrieves audio parameters associated with one or more of noise, echo, and Auto Gain Control (AGC) for adjusting an audio output level according to the device type.

3. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resetting of the audio output is performed based on a unique audio parameter information table per device type, in which the audio parameter information table is stored in the portable terminal.

4. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein, if the tag storing the vehicle information is read from a surrounding device when audio data is output, the portable terminal determines whether the audio output is reset according to an on/off status of an audio output of the surrounding device to which a tag storing the tag information is attached.

5. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the near-field wireless communication comprises any one of Bluetooth, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Zigbee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Near Field Communication (NFC).

6. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, in which the audio output is reset according to an on/off status of an audio output of a surrounding device to correspond to the vehicle information, is output to the car-kit through Bluetooth communication.

7. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portable terminal broadcasts an inquiry signal for pairing with surrounding devices, receives an inquiry response signal from a particular surrounding device adapted for performing Bluetooth communication, and performs Bluetooth communication by connecting to the particular surrounding device from which the inquiry response signal has been received.

8. The audio control apparatus of claim 1, wherein Bluetooth communication between the portable terminal and the car-kit is performed after the portable terminal recognizes the vehicle information by reading the tag installed in the vehicle.

9. An audio control method using near field wireless communication, the audio control method comprising:

searching by a tag reader unit for a tag associated with a surrounding device when an audio output request is received from the surrounding device via near-field wireless communication;

upon the tag reader unit finding the tag, recognizing information by reading the tag and providing the information to a controller, and resetting by the controller an audio output of audio data by an audio output level unit based on specific audio parameter included in the information; and

transmitting the audio data including the reset audio output to the surrounding device through the near-field wireless communication,

wherein the tag information comprises a device type of the surrounding device and audio parameters associated with one or more of noise, echo, and Auto Gain Control (AGC) for adjusting an audio output level according to the device type.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the audio output request is received by a portable terminal that functions as a master device.

11. The audio control method of claim 9, wherein a portable terminal retrieves remotely audio parameters associated with the particular surrounding device regarding one or more of noise, echo, and Auto Gain Control (AGC) for adjusting an audio output level according to the device type.

12. The audio control method of claim 9, wherein the controller controls resetting of the audio output based on an already-stored unique audio parameter information table per device type retrieved from storage of a portable terminal.

13. The audio control method of claim 9, further comprising, if no tag is found, performing pairing for Bluetooth communication.

14. The audio control method of claim 9, further comprising, if the tag is found when an audio output is requested through the near-field wireless communication, determining whether the audio output is reset according to power on/off of the surrounding device to which the found tag is attached.

15. The audio control method of claim 9, wherein the near-field wireless communication comprises one of Bluetooth, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Ultra Wideband (UWB), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Zigbee, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Near Field Communication (NFC).

16. The audio control method of claim 9, wherein the surrounding device comprises a car-kit module.

17. The audio control method of claim 10, wherein at least a second surrounding device comprises a headset in communication with the portable terminal.

18. An audio control apparatus using near-field wireless communication in a portable terminal, the audio control apparatus comprising:

a near-field wireless transceiver for performing near-field wireless communication with at least one of a communication unit and an external audio device, and

a controller for recognizing information from the external audio device by reading a tag installed in the external audio device, resetting an audio output of audio data based on specific audio parameters included in the external audio device information and transmitting the audio data including the reset audio output to at least one of the communication unit and the external audio device though the near-field wireless communication, wherein the specific audio parameters read from the tag include one or more of noise, echo, and Auto Gain Control (AGC) for adjusting an audio output level according to a device type.