Electronic device and audio converting method thereof

• US 9,858,930 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ko, Hanho, Lee, Namil, Kim, Sunghoon, Kim, Sohae
• Primary Examiner(s): PULLIAS, JESSE SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US15/161,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20160379642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 704231-257, 704270-275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/285 Memory allocation or algorithm optimisation to reduce hardware requirements
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device and an audio converting method thereof are provided. The method includes determining state information of the electronic device, receiving or outputting an audio signal based on a first mode, when the state information is first state information, and receiving or outputting the audio signal based on a second mode, when the state information is second state information.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device including an audio converter including a first converter in an active state and a second converter in an inactive state, the method comprising:

identifying a state of the electronic device associated with processing an audio signal;

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a first state, switching the second converter from the inactivate state to an active state, and generating a first electronic signal based on a first signal converted from the audio signal by the first converter and a second signal converted from the audio signal by the second converter; and

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a second state, maintaining the second converter in the inactive state, and generating a second electronic signal based on the first signal converted from the audio signal by the first converter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein power consumption of the electronic device is greater when the second converter is in the active state than when the second converter is in the inactive state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sound quality of the first electronic signal is higher than sound quality of the second electronic signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a remaining battery capacity of the electronic device is greater than or equal to designated amount in the first state, and

wherein the remaining battery capacity of the electronic device is less than the designated amount in the second state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device operates in an active state in the first state, and

wherein the electronic device operates in an inactive state in the second state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first application is executed in the electronic device in the first state,

wherein a second application is executed in the electronic device in the second state, and

wherein the first application requires higher sound quality or power than the second application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is located in a first location in the first state,

wherein the electronic device is located in a second location in the second state, and

wherein a level of noise occurring in the first location is greater than a level of noise occurring in the second location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein switching the second converter from the inactivate state to the active state comprises connecting circuitry to which the second converter is connected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first electronic signal comprises removing noise from the audio signal based on a phase difference between the first signal and the second signal.

10. An electronic device, comprising:

a speaker;

an audio converter including a first converter in an activate state and a second converter in an inactive state; and

one or more processors, operably coupled to the audio converter, configured to;

identify a state of the electronic device,

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a first state, control to switch the second converter from the inactive state to an activate state, control to generate a first audio signal based on a first signal converted from an electronic signal by the first converter and a second signal converted from the electronic signal by the second converter, and control to output the first audio signal via the speaker, and

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a second state, control to maintain the second converter in the inactive state, control to generate a second audio signal based on the first signal converted from the electronic signal by the first converter, and control to output the second audio signal via the speaker.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

an audio converter including a first converter in an active state and a second converter in an inactive state; and

one or more processors, operably coupled to the audio converter, configured to;

identify a state of the electronic device associated with processing an audio signal;

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a first state, control to switch the second converter from the inactive state to an active state, and control to generate a first electronic signal based on a first signal converted from the audio signal by the first converter and a second signal converted from the audio signal by the second converter; and

in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as a second state, control to maintain the second converter in the inactive state, and control to generate a second electronic signal based on the first signal converted from the audio signal by the first converter.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein power consumption of the electronic device is greater when the second converter is in the active state than when the second converter is in the inactive state.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein sound quality of the first electronic signal is higher than sound quality of the second electronic signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device operates in an active state in the first state, and

wherein the electronic device operates in an inactive state in the second state.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a remaining battery capacity of the electronic device is greater than or equal to designated amount in the first state, and

wherein the remaining battery capacity of the electronic device is less than the designated amount in the second state.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device is located in a first location in the first state,

wherein the electronic device is located in a second location in the second state, and

wherein a level of noise occurring in the first location is greater than a level of noise occurring in the second location.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein a first application is executed in the electronic device in the first state,

wherein a second application is executed in the electronic device in the second state, and

wherein the first application requires higher sound quality or higher power than the second application.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising a switch,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the switch to connect circuitry to which the second converter is connected, in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as the first state.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the switch is disposed between a power supply and the second converter, or is disposed between the second converter and an amplifier for the second converter.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to remove a noise from the audio signal based on a phase difference between the first signal and the second signal, in response to identifying the state of the electronic device as the first state.