Portable electronic device having plurality of speakers and microphones

• US 9,258,407 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chiun Mai Communication Systems, Inc. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Liu, Cheng-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): FILE, ERIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/473,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a display unit, a first audio unit, a second audio unit, a first sensing unit, a second sensing unit, and a controlling unit. The first audio unit includes a first speaker and a first microphone. The second audio unit includes a second speaker and a second microphone. The first sensing unit senses an orientation of the portable electronic device. The second sensing unit senses whether a user is close to one of the first speaker and the second speaker. The controlling unit triggers one of the first audio unit and the second audio unit to output and input audio signals according to the orientation of the portable electronic device and turns off the display unit when the user is close to the one of the first speaker and the second speaker.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display unit;

a first audio unit, comprising;

a first speaker positioned at a side of the display unit; and

a first microphone positioned at an opposite side of the display unit;

a second audio unit, comprising;

a second speaker positioned at the opposite side of the display unit; and

a second microphone positioned at the side of the display unit;

a first sensing unit configured to sense an orientation of the portable electronic device;

a second sensing unit configured to sense whether an user is close to one of the first speaker and the second speaker;

a controlling unit electronically connected to the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit; and

a switching unit electronically comprising an audio chip, an audio encode/decode unit, and a switch, the audio encode/decode unit is electronically connected to the audio chip, the first microphone, and the second microphone;

the switch is electronically connected to the audio encode/decode unit, the first speaker, and the second speaker;

the audio encode/decode unit and the switch are both electronically connected to the controlling unit;

wherein the controlling unit triggers the audio encode/decode unit and the switch to select one of the first audio unit and the second audio unit to output and input audio signals according to the orientation of the portable electronic device and turns off the display unit when the user is close to one of the first speaker and the second speaker during a call.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the display unit is positioned in the middle of one surface of the housing;

the housing comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;

the first speaker and the second microphone are positioned on the first end, and the second speaker and the first microphone are positioned on the second end.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second sensing unit comprises a first proximity sensor and a second proximity sensor, the first proximity sensor is adjacent to the first speaker, and the second proximity sensor is adjacent to the second speaker.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein when the user is close to one of the first speaker and the second speaker, the one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor sends a sensing signal to the controlling unit, the controlling unit receives the sensing signal and turns off the display unit.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit drives the switching unit to select the first audio unit when the first sensing unit senses that the portable electronic device is in a first direction where the first speaker is above the second speaker, and the controlling unit drives the switching unit to select the second audio unit when the first sensing unit senses that the portable electronic device is in a second direction where the first speaker is below the second speaker.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit drives the audio encode/decode unit to select the first microphone and drives the switch to select the first speaker when the controlling unit determines that the portable electronic device is in the first direction;

the controlling unit drives the audio encode/decode unit to select the second microphone and drives the switch to select the second speaker when the controlling unit determines that the portable electronic device is in the second direction.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the audio encode/decode unit comprises a first analog/digital (A/D) convertor, a second A/D convertor, and a digital/analog (D/A) convertor;

the first A/D convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the first microphone and is configured to process audio signals from the first microphone and sends the processed audio signals to the audio chip;

the second A/D convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the second microphone and is configured to process the audio signals from the second microphone and sends the processed audio signals to the audio chip;

the D/A convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the switch and is configured to process the audio signals from the audio chip and plays the processed audio signals by the switch selecting the one of the first speaker and the second speaker.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier, wherein the first amplifier is electronically connected to the switch and the first speaker and is configured to amplify the audio signals and send the amplified audio signals to the first speaker;

the second amplifier is electronically connected to the switch and the second speaker and is configured to amplify the audio signals and send the amplified audio signals to the second speaker.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controlling unit comprises a first control terminal and a second control terminal, the first control terminal is electronically connected to the first amplifier, the second control terminal is electronically connected to the second amplifier;

the controlling unit adjusts a gain of the first amplifier by the first control terminal a gain of the second amplifier by the second control terminal to decrease a volume output by the one of the first speaker and the second speaker when the portable electronic device is in a telephone mode.

10. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing comprising a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;

a display unit positioned in the middle of one surface of the housing;

a first speaker positioned on the first end;

a second speaker positioned on the second end;

a first microphone positioned on the second end;

a second microphone positioned on the first end;

a first sensing unit configured to sense an orientation of the portable electronic device;

a second sensing unit configured to sense whether an user is close to one of the first speaker and the second speaker;

a controlling unit electronically connected to the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit; and

a switching unit electronically comprising an audio chip, an audio encode/decode unit, and a switch, the audio encode/decode unit is electronically connected to the audio chip, the first microphone, and the second microphone;

the switch is electronically connected to the audio encode/decode unit, the first speaker, and the second speaker;

the audio encode/decode unit and the switch are both electronically connected to the controlling unit;

wherein the controlling unit drives the audio encode/decode unit and the switch to select one group of the first speaker and the first microphone and the second speaker and the second microphone according to the sensed orientation of the portable electronic device and closes the display unit when the user is close to the one of the first speaker and the second speaker.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the second sensing unit comprises a first proximity sensor and a second proximity sensor, the first proximity sensor is adjacent to the first speaker, and the second proximity sensor is adjacent to the second speaker;

when the user is close to the one of the first speaker and the second speaker, one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor sends a sensing signal to the controlling unit, the controlling unit receives the sensing signal and closes the display unit.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controlling unit drives the switching unit to select the first speaker and the first microphone when the first sensing unit senses that the portable electronic device is in a first direction where the first speaker is above the second speaker, and the controlling unit drives the switching unit to select the second speaker and the second microphone when the first sensing unit senses that the portable electronic device is in a second direction where the first speaker is below the second speaker.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the controlling unit drives the audio encode/decode unit to select the first microphone and drives the switch to select the first speaker when the controlling unit determines that the portable electronic device is in the first direction;

the controlling unit drives the audio encode/decode unit to select the second microphone and drives the switch to select the second speaker when the controlling unit determines that the portable electronic device is in the second direction.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the audio encode/decode unit comprises a first analog/digital (A/D) convertor, a second A/D convertor, and a digital/analog (D/A) convertor;

the first A/D convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the first microphone and is configured to process audio signals from the first microphone and sends the processed audio signals to the audio chip;

the second A/D convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the second microphone and is configured to process the audio signals from the second microphone and sends the processed audio signals to the audio chip;

the D/A convertor is electronically connected between the audio chip and the switch and is configured to process the audio signals from the audio chip and plays the processed audio signals by the switch selecting the one of the first speaker and the second speaker.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier, wherein the first amplifier is electronically connected to the switch and the first speaker and is configured to amplify the audio signals and send the amplified audio signals to the first speaker;

the second amplifier is electronically connected to the switch and the second speaker and is configured to amplify the audio signals and send the amplified audio signals to the second speaker.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controlling unit comprises a first control terminal and a second control terminal, the first control terminal is electronically connected to the first amplifier, the second control terminal is electronically connected to the second amplifier;

the controlling unit adjusts a gain of the first amplifier by the first control terminal or a gain of the second amplifier by the second control terminal to decrease a volume output by the one of the first speaker and the second speaker when the portable electronic device is in a telephone mode.