System and method for adjusting hands-free phone

• US 9,942,371 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Redman, Brian, Ahmadian-Yazdi, Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Ping
• Application Number:
  US15/095,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/085 using digital techniques H04M9/082 takes precedence

Abstract

A communications device having a user configurable speakerphone feature is provided. A user may be provided with a plurality of selectable settings for configuring the operation of a microphone or the processing of speech. For example, a user may select settings to filter ambient noise for a cleaner sound or increase a microphone'"'"'s sensitivity in a conference call environment. In one embodiment, the user may select a setting that changes a microphone level or microphone operating range. When the microphone detects speech, the speech may be processed in accordance with user selected processing settings. For example, a user may select settings to specify a gain control, a frequency response, or an activity threshold. Thus, a user may configure a speakerphone to improve sound quality on the receiving end.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communications device, the communications device having a speakerphone including a microphone, the method comprising:

providing a user with a plurality of predefined options to configure the speakerphone features according to the user'"'"'s preference, wherein each of the plurality of options specifies settings by adjusting a gain control, a sensitivity, a frequency response and an activity threshold level of the microphone that control ambience at a transmit end of the communication device;

receiving a user input that selects one option from the plurality of options; and

applying the settings, associated with the one option from the plurality of options selected by the user input, to the communications device that allow the communications device to filter noise from beyond a first area that is in an immediate vicinity of the microphone, allow the communications device to detect speech from a second area that is beyond the first area, and allow the communications device to detect speech in a third area beyond the second area and the third area is different from the immediate vicinity of the microphone and the second area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the settings to the communications device that allow the communications device to detect speech from the second area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the settings to the communications device that allow the communications device to detect speech in a fourth area between the second area and the third area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting speech in accordance with operating range and microphone level settings associated with the option selected by the user input.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising processing the detected speech in accordance with gain control, frequency response, and activity threshold settings associated with the option selected by the user input.

6. A communications device having a configurable speakerphone feature including a microphone, the communications device comprising:

a user interface for providing a user with a plurality of predefined options for configuring the speakerphone features according to the user'"'"'s preference, wherein each of the plurality of options specifies settings to adjust a gain control and a sensitivity of the microphone and settings to specify a frequency response and an activity threshold level of the microphone;

an input device for receiving a user input that selects one option from the plurality of options; and

at least one processor that applies settings associated with the one option from the plurality of options selected by the user input to the communications device, that configures the communications device to filter noise from beyond a first area in an immediate vicinity of the microphone, configures the communications device to detect speech from a second area beyond the first area, and configures the communications device to detect speech in a third area beyond the second area that is beyond the second area and the third area is different from the immediate vicinity of the microphone and the second area.

7. The communications device of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor that applies settings to the communications device, configures the communications device to detect speech from the second area.

8. The communications device of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor that applies settings to the communications device, configures the communications device to detect speech in a fourth area between the second area and the third area.

9. The communications device of claim 6, further comprising a microphone speech detection system that detects speech in accordance with operating range and microphone level settings associated with the option selected by the user input.

10. The communications device of claim 9, further comprising at least one digital signal processor that detects speech in accordance with gain control, frequency response, and an activity threshold settings associated with the option selected by the user input.

11. A communications device comprising:

a microphone;

a microphone circuit that controls the predefined operation of the microphone; and

a user interface that allows a user to select one option from a plurality of options for the operation of the microphone that are provided to the microphone circuit, the options specifying settings to adjust a gain control and a sensitivity of the microphone and settings to specify a frequency response and an activity threshold level of the microphone, wherein the settings control ambience at a transmit end of the communications device, the options include a first option, a second option, and a third option, the first option is associated with a first set of settings that configure the communications device to filter noise from beyond a first area in an immediate vicinity of the microphone, the second option associated with a second set of settings that configure the communications device to detect speech from a second area beyond the first area, and the third option associated with a third set of settings that configure the communications device to detect speech in a third area beyond the second area and the third area is different from the immediate vicinity of the microphone and the second area.

12. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the second option associated with the second set of settings configures the communications device to detect speech from the second area.

13. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the microphone circuit includes a microprocessor that includes software modules for responding to the options selected by the user.

14. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the options include a fourth option associated with a fourth set of settings that configure the communications device to detect speech in a fourth area between the second area and the third area.