Control method of mobile terminal apparatus

• US 9,326,058 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tachibana, Makoto, Shiina, Takashi, Naruse, Tetsuya, Shirai, Yuichi, Yajima, Chikashi, Takatsuka, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US14/035,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20140086438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58- 59, 381/74, 381370-371, 381/376, 381/380, 381/306
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

A mobile device system that includes left and right earphones, and a mobile device connectable to the left and right earphones. Each of the left and right earphones includes at least one of an acceleration sensor and a geomagnetic sensor. The mobile device includes a controller that monitors a wearing state of the individual left and right earphones by a user on a basis of output from the least one of the acceleration sensors and the geomagnetic sensors, and controls a behavior of the mobile device connected to the left and right earphones according to the monitored wearing state of the left and right earphones by the user.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a mobile device, comprising:

monitoring a state of whether or not left and right earphones are being worn by a user, and determining if the monitoring wearing state is one of a first state in which both earphones are being worn, a second state in which only the left or right earphone is being worn, and a third state in which both the left and right earphones are removed; and

controlling a behavior of the mobile device connected to the left and right earphones according to the monitored wearing state of the left and right earphones by the user,

wherein the controlling includes launching an audio navigation application in which a current position on a map is displayed on a display screen of the mobile device, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the first state or the second state then the audio navigation application is displayed with an indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the third state then the audio navigation application is displayed without the indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction, and

wherein in the monitoring includes detecting the wearing state of the left and right earphones on the basis of output from at least one of (i) left and right acceleration sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones, and (ii) left and right geomagnetic sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones.

2. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein when the monitored wearing state is the second state, the controlling includes controlling the only one of the left or right earphone that is being worn to emit audio to only the detected earphone being worn or to switch from a stereo mode to a monaural mode in both the left and right earphones.

3. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the controlling includes at least one of launching or shutting down an application, switching the operational mode in an application, and switching the display in an application is conducted, according to a change in the wearing state of the left and right earphones.

4. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an orientation of the user'"'"'s face on the basis of output from the at least one of (i) left and right acceleration sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones, and (ii) left and right geomagnetic sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones.

5. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring includes detecting an output waveform from each of the sensors of the left and right earphone in response to a predetermined gesture by the user, and determining the monitoring wearing state on the basis of the detected output waveform to the predetermined gesture.

6. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 5,

wherein the predetermined gesture includes a user executing a nodding gesture, in which the user looks directly ahead with respect to his or her body, rotates his or her head forward from an upright state by a given angle or more, and then returns his or her head to its original upright state;

and checking whether each earphone is being worn, on the basis of output during the nodding gesture from left and right acceleration sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones.

7. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 6, further comprising:

detecting whether or not each earphone is being worn on a correct ear of the user, and outputting an indication to the user when each earphone is being worn on a correct ear of the user.

8. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 5, wherein the determination of the monitoring wearing state is based on whether or not the detected output waveform has a predetermined pattern between a start time of the predetermined gesture and an end time of the predetermined gesture.

9. The method of controlling a mobile device according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined pattern is a convex change in the waveform between the start time of the predetermined gesture and the end time of the predetermined gesture.

10. A mobile device system, comprising:

left and right earphones; and

a mobile device connectable to the left and right earphones,

wherein each of the left and right earphones includes at least one of an acceleration sensor and a geomagnetic sensor, and

the mobile device includes circuitry that monitors a wearing state of the individual left and right earphones by a user on a basis of output from the least one of the acceleration sensors and the geomagnetic sensors, and controls a behavior of the mobile device connected to the left and right earphones according to the monitored wearing state of the left and right earphones by the user,

wherein the circuitry determines if the monitoring wearing state is one of a first state in which both earphones are being worn, a second state in which only the left or right earphone is being worn, and a third state in which both the left and right earphones are removed, and

the circuitry is configured to launch an audio navigation application in which a current position on a map is displayed on a display screen of the mobile device, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the first state or the second state then the audio navigation application is displayed with an indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the third state then the audio navigation application is displayed without the indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction.

11. The mobile device system according to claim 10, further comprising a gyroscope.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed by a mobile device system causes the mobile device system to execute a method comprising:

monitoring a state of whether or not left and right earphones are being worn by a user, and determining if the monitoring wearing state is one of a first state in which both earphones are being worn, a second state in which only the left or right earphone is being worn, and a third state in which both the left and right earphones are removed; and

controlling a behavior of the mobile device connected to the left and right earphones according to the monitored wearing state of the left and right earphones by the user,

wherein the controlling includes launching an audio navigation application in which a current position on a map is displayed on a display screen of the mobile device, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the first state or the second state then the audio navigation application is displayed with an indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction, and when the monitoring wearing state is detected to be the third state then the audio navigation application is displayed without the indicator of the user'"'"'s travel direction, and

wherein in the monitoring includes detecting the wearing state of the left and right earphones on the basis of output from at least one of (i) left and right acceleration sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones, and (ii) left and right geomagnetic sensors respectively provided in the left and right earphones.