Method for outputting notification information and electronic device thereof

• US 9,668,114 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Kyong-Ha, Park, Jeong-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US15/160,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An electronic device and method for operating the electronic device are provided. The method for operating the electronic device includes in response to a content being reproduced, acquiring ambient environment information through a sensor module, which is electrically connected to the electronic device, or an external electronic device, determining at least one attribute regarding notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information, and providing the notification information in connection with the content based on the at least one attribute.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a sensor module;

a memory; and

a processor electrically connected to the sensor module and the memory,

wherein the processor is configured to;

reproduce a content,

acquire ambient environment information through the sensor module or an external electronic device,

determine at least one attribute regarding notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information, and

provide the notification information in connection with the content based on the at least one attribute.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the ambient environment information comprises information corresponding to a designated event.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired and an output volume of the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information, and

adjust a ratio between an output volume of the content and the output volume of the notification information based on the comparing.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a similarity between the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired and the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information, and

adjust a ratio between an output volume of the content and the output volume of the notification information based on the similarity.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide additional information which is acquired from the external electronic device or an attribute regarding the external electronic device in connection with the notification information.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the ambient environment information comprises at least one of an ambient sound, an ambient image, a motion of an ambient object, an ambient smell, an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, ambient lighting, ambient ultraviolet rays, and operation situation information of the external electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the acquiring of the ambient sound comprises recognizing voice recognition information.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the notification information comprises at least one of ambient environment information, pre-stored notification data, and notification data which is received from the external electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one attribute regarding the notification information comprises at least one of an output time of the notification information and an output volume of the notification information.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to detect similarity between the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired, and the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information, and determine the output time of the notification information based on the similarity.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to delay an output time of the notification information if the similarity is greater than a threshold amount.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether an input confirming the notification information is detected through the sensor module, and

when the input confirming the notification information is not detected, adjust a ratio between an output volume of audio data of the content and an output volume of the notification information.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to mix the content and the notification information and output the mixed content and notification information.

14. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

in response to a content being reproduced, acquiring ambient environment information through a sensor module, which is electrically connected to the electronic device, or an external electronic device;

determining at least one attribute regarding notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information; and

providing the notification information in connection with the content based on the at least one attribute.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the ambient environment information comprises information corresponding to a designated event.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the notification information comprises providing additional information which is acquired from the external electronic device or an attribute regarding the external electronic device in connection with the notification information.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the ambient environment information comprises at least one of an ambient sound, an ambient image, a motion of an ambient object, an ambient smell, an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, ambient lighting, ambient ultraviolet rays, and operation situation information of the external electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acquiring of the ambient sound comprises recognizing voice recognition information.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification information comprises at least one of ambient environment information, pre-stored notification data, and notification data which is received from the external electronic device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one attribute comprises at least one of an output time of the notification information corresponding to generation of the notification event and an output volume of the notification information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining of the at least one attribute comprises:

detecting a similarity between audio data of the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired and the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information; and

determining the output time of the notification information based on the similarity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising delaying the output time of the notification information if the similarity is greater than a threshold amount.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining of the at least one attribute comprises:

comparing audio data of the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired and an output volume of the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information; and

adjusting a ratio between an output volume of the audio data of the content and the output volume of the notification information based on the comparing.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining of the at least one attribute comprises:

detecting similarity between the content corresponding to a time when the ambient environment information is acquired and the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information; and

adjusting a ratio between an output volume of the content and the output volume of the notification information based on the similarity.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the notification information comprises:

detecting an input confirming the notification information corresponding to the ambient environment information in response to the content and the notification information being provided; and

when the input confirming the notification information is not detected, adjusting a ratio between an output volume of audio data of the content and an output volume of the notification information.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the content and the notification information comprises mixing the content and the notification information and outputting the mixed content and notification information.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions which, when executed, perform the method of claim 14.