Method and apparatus for generating directional sound

• US 9,268,471 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Na, Boyeon, Kang, Jaehyeon, Kim, Kwangtai, Kim, Jihyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US14/327,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/41.3, 455/3.06, 702/187, 381/122, 381/92
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/341 Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit

Abstract

A method of directing sound in a mobile device equipped with a directional speaker includes determining a location of a target in relation to the mobile device, and adjusting a direction of sound output from the directional speaker toward the target, based on the location of the target. An apparatus for generating directional sound includes a directional speaker configured to control a direction in which sound is output, and a controller configured to determine a location of a target in relation to the mobile device, and adjust a direction of sound output from the directional speaker toward the target, based on the location of the target. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of directing sound in a mobile device equipped with a directional speaker, the method comprising:

determining a location of a target in relation to the mobile device;

receiving a user input for modifying the location of the target in relation to the mobile device;

obtaining information regarding a moving path of the mobile device when the mobile device has moved since the user input was received;

adjusting a direction of sound output from the directional speaker toward the target, as a function of a direction of the target and a distance of the target and the information regarding the moving path of the mobile device; and

outputting sound in the adjusted direction through the directional speaker.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the distance of the target from the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a surrounding image through a camera;

providing the surrounding image to a user on a screen; and

selecting the target on the image, based on a user input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a sensor comprising at least one of a terrestrial magnetism sensor, a rotation sensor, or a gravity sensor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the target comprises:

tracing movement of the mobile device after determining the location of the target; and

adjusting the direction of the sound, based on the movement of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a voice having a predetermined pattern by a microphone;

estimating a distance between the mobile device and the target, based on a volume of the voice.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting infrared light by an infrared sensor;

estimating the direction from the mobile device toward the target, based on the detected infrared light.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing the target by a camera;

estimating the direction from the mobile device toward the target, based on the recognized target.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the target comprises:

obtaining information on a location of an external device based on a short-range communication signal; and

obtaining the information on the relative location based on the information on the location of the external device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sound is an alarm sound personalized to a user.

11. An apparatus for generating directional sound, the apparatus comprising:

an input unit;

a directional speaker; and

a controller configured to;

control a direction in which sound is output from the directional speaker;

determine a location of a target in relation to the mobile device;

receive, via the input unit, a user input for modifying the location of the target in relation to the apparatus;

adjust the direction of sound output from the directional speaker toward the target, as a function of a direction of the target and a distance of the target and information regarding a moving path of the mobile device; and

control the directional speaker to output sound in the adjusted the direction when a sound output condition is satisfied.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the controller is configured to set a magnitude of output sound based on the distance between the apparatus and the target; and

the directional speaker is configured to generate the sound having the magnitude of the sound in the adjusted direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image;

a display configured to provide an interface screen; and

an input unit configured to receive an input through the interface,

wherein the controller is configured to;

obtain the image through the camera,

provide an interface for selecting the target in relation to a location of the apparatus on the obtained image, and

obtain information on the target location from an input received through the interface.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the controller is configured to obtain information on a relative location based on the obtained information regarding the moving path.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

an infrared sensor configured to detect infrared rays, wherein the controller is configured to estimate a distance from the sound output apparatus to the target location based on a volume of a voice having a predetermined pattern when detecting the voice and estimate the direction from the sound output apparatus toward the target location using the infrared sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a short-range communication module configured to detect a short-range communication signal, wherein the control unit obtains information on a location of an external device in response to a short-range communication signal and obtains the information on the relative location based on the information on the location of the external device.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to trace movement of the mobile device after determining the location of the target, and adjust the direction of the sound, based on the movement of the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone configured to detect a voice having a predetermined pattern, wherein the controller is configure to estimate a distance between the apparatus and the target, based on a volume of the voice.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

an infrared sensor configured to detect infrared light, wherein the controller is configured to estimate the direction from the apparatus toward the target, based on the detected infrared light.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sound is an alarm sound personalized to a user.