Audio playing system and audio playing method

• US 9,491,547 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Yi-Cheng, Ho, Chang-Da, Liao, Ting-Yi, Chang, Jen-Tsorng
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNARDI, BRENDA C
• Application Number:
  US14/579,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An audio playing method is applied to at least one wireless speaker, at least one mobile terminal, and a cloud server. The method includes sending a wireless signal within a coverage area of the wireless speaker, the wireless signal being detected by the speaker when the speaker is in proximity to the mobile terminal. The first identification information of the wireless speaker and second identification information of the mobile terminal are obtained, and control signals indicating the first and the second identification information is transmitted to the cloud server. Audio files corresponding to the second identification information are decoded into an audio stream and the audio stream is transmitted to the one or more wireless speakers which correspond to the first identification information included in the control signal.

Claims

1. An audio playing system applied to at least one wireless speaker, at least one mobile terminal, and a cloud server, each wireless speaker including a first storage unit and a first processor, each mobile terminal including a second storage unit and a second processor, the cloud server including a third storage unit and a third processor, the audio playing system comprising:

a first wireless communication module stored in the first storage unit and executed by the first processor, the first wireless communication module configured to send a wireless signal within a wireless coverage area of the wireless speaker;

a second wireless communication module stored in the second storage unit and executed by the second processor, the second wireless communication module configured to detect a wireless signal within a wireless coverage area of the mobile terminal when one or more wireless speakers are adjacent to the mobile terminal, and obtain first identification information of each of the one or more wireless speakers;

a signal generating unit stored in the second storage unit and executed by the second processor, the signal generating unit configured to obtain second identification information of the mobile terminal when the second wireless communication unit obtains the first identification information, the signal generating unit further configured to generate a first control signal according to the obtained first identification information and the obtained second identification information, and transmit the first control signal to the cloud server; and

a control module stored in the third storage unit and executed by the third processor, the control module configured to determine at least one audio file corresponding to the second identification information which is included in the first control signal, decode the determined audio file to an audio stream, and transmit the audio stream to the one or more wireless speakers corresponding to the first identification information included in the first control signal, thereby allowing the one or more wireless speakers to start to play the audio file.

2. The audio playing system of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to determine the at least one audio file corresponding to the second identification information according to a first relationship stored in the third storage unit;

the first relationship is between second identification information of different mobile terminals and different audio files, and each audio file corresponds to second identification information of one mobile terminal.

3. The audio playing system of claim 1, wherein the second identification information is a SIM card number of the mobile terminal.

4. The audio playing system of claim 1, the control module is configured to transmit the audio stream to each of the one or more wireless speakers via a wireless network.

5. The audio playing system of claim 1, wherein the first identification information is an IP address of a wireless speaker.

6. The audio playing system of claim 5, wherein the control module is configured to determine the IP address corresponding to the first identification information which is included in the first control module according to a second relationship stored in the third storage unit, and transmit the audio stream to the one or more wireless speakers according to the one or more determined IP addresses;

the second relationship is between first identification information of different wireless speakers and different IP addresses; and

each IP address corresponds to first identification information of one wireless speaker.

7. The audio playing system of claim 1, further comprising an analyzing module stored in the second storage unit and executed by the second processor, wherein the analyzing module is configured to determine whether a characteristic strength of the wireless signal is greater than a threshold level before the signal generating module generates the first control signal;

and the signal generating module generates the first control signal and transmits the first control signal to the cloud server if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is greater than the threshold level.

8. The audio playing system of claim 7, wherein the characteristic strength is an amplitude level of the wireless signal.

9. The audio playing system of claim 7, wherein the analyzing module is further configured to determine whether only one wireless speaker is adjacent to the mobile terminal, and determine whether the characteristic strength of the wireless signal keeps changing if only one wireless speaker is adjacent to the mobile terminal;

the signal generating module is further configured to generate a second control signal according to the first identification information of the wireless speaker and the characteristic strength of the wireless signal if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal keeps changing, and transmit the second control signal to the cloud server;

the control module is further configured to generate a volume adjust command according to the characteristic strength of the wireless signal included in the second control signal, and transmit the volume adjust command to the wireless speaker corresponding to the first identification information included in the second control signal; and

the volume adjust command is configured to direct the wireless speaker to adjust a volume of playback of the audio file according to the characteristic strength of the wireless signal.

10. The audio playing system of claim 9, wherein the volume of the playback of the audio file is proportional to the characteristic strength of the wireless signal.

11. The audio playing system of claim 9, wherein if at least two wireless speakers are adjacent to the mobile terminal, the analyzing module is further configured to determine whether the characteristic strength of the wireless signal from each of the at least two wireless speakers keeps changing, generate the second control signal if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal from one of the at least two wireless speakers keeps changing, and transmit the second control signal to the cloud server;

the control module is further configured to generate the volume adjust command which directs the wireless speaker to adjust the volume of the playback of the audio file.

12. The audio playing system of claim 9, wherein the analyzing module is further configured to determine whether the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is less than the threshold level if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is decreasing overall;

the signal generating module is further configured to generate a third control signal according to the first identification information of the wireless speaker if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is less than the threshold level, and transmit the third control signal to the cloud server;

the control module is further configured to stop transmitting the audio stream to the wireless speaker corresponding to the first identification information included in the third control signal.

13. The audio playing system of claim 12, wherein the control module is further configured to transmit a power saving command to the wireless speaker to instruct the wireless speaker to enter a standby mode or a sleep mode.

14. An audio playing method applied to at least one wireless speaker, at least one mobile terminal, and a cloud server, the audio playing method comprising:

sending a wireless signal within a wireless coverage area of at least one wireless speaker;

detecting a wireless signal within a wireless coverage area of the mobile terminal when one or more wireless speaker are adjacent to the mobile terminal, and obtaining first identification information of the one or more wireless speakers;

obtaining second identification information of the mobile terminal;

generating a first control signal according to the obtained first identification information and the obtained second identification information, and transmitting the first control signal to the cloud server;

determining at least one audio file corresponding to the second identification information included in the first control signal, decoding the determined audio file to an audio stream; and

transmitting the audio stream to each adjacent wireless speaker corresponding to the first identification information which is included in the first control signal, thereby allowing the one or more wireless speakers to start to play the audio file.

15. The audio playing method of claim 14, wherein the step of obtaining second identification information of the mobile terminal further comprises:

determining whether a characteristic strength of the wireless signal is greater than a threshold level; and

obtaining second identification information of the mobile terminal if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is greater than the threshold level.

16. The audio playing method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether only one wireless speaker is adjacent to the mobile terminal;

determining whether the characteristic strength of the wireless signal keeps changing if only one wireless speaker is adjacent to the mobile terminal;

generating a second control signal according to the first identification information of the wireless speaker and the characteristic strength of the wireless signal if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal keeps changing;

transmitting the second control signal to the cloud server;

generating a volume adjust command according to the characteristic strength of the wireless signal; and

transmitting the volume adjust command to the wireless speaker corresponding to the first identification information which is included in the second control signal, wherein the volume adjust command is configured to direct the wireless speaker to adjust a volume of playback of the audio file according to the characteristic strength of the wireless signal.

17. The audio playing method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is less than the threshold level if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is decreasing overall;

generating a third control signal according to the first identification information of the wireless speaker if the characteristic strength of the wireless signal is less than the threshold level;

transmitting the third control signal to the cloud server; and

stopping transmitting the audio stream to the wireless speaker corresponding to the first identification information included in the third control signal.

18. The audio playing method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a power saving command to the wireless speaker, to instruct the wireless speaker to enter a standby mode or a sleep mode.