Electronic device, control method, and control program

• US 9,998,836 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Hidekatsu, Kondou, Junichi, Yano, Junya, Tokuyama, Yoshitaka, Watanabe, Takaaki, Kutsuzawa, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKinney, Angelica M
• Application Number:
  US14/375,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20150043758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1783 handling or detecting of non-standard events or conditions, e.g. changing operating modes under specific operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/1787 General system configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/1081 Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/03 Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/045 using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion

Abstract

According to an aspect, an electronic device includes: a piezoelectric element; a first sound generating unit that is vibrated by the piezoelectric element and generates a vibration sound transmitted by vibrating a part of a human body; and a second sound generating unit that generates an air conduction sound.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a piezoelectric element;

a first sound generating unit configured to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element and to generate a vibration sound transmitted by vibrating a part of a human body;

a second sound generating unit configured to generate an air conduction sound;

an attitude detection unit configured to detect an orientation of the electronic device;

a controller configured to switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit; and

a sound input unit configured to receive sound around the electronic device, wherein

the first sound generating unit and the second sound generating unit are configured to generate sound based on a sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device received by the sound input unit,

the first sound generating unit is configured to generate sound when the sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device is not lower than a threshold,

the second sound generating unit is configured to generate sound when the sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device is lower than the threshold,

the controller is configured to cause the first sound generating unit to generate sound when

the second sound generating unit generates sound, and

the sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device is not lower than the threshold,

the controller is configured to cause the second sound generating unit to generate sound when

the first sound generating unit generates sound, and

a state where the sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device is lower than the threshold continues for a certain period of time,

the first sound generating unit and the second sound generating unit are configured to generate the sound based on place information obtained by position measurement processing,

the place information is a geographical location of the electronic device,

the controller is configured to switch between the first and second sound generating units based on the geographic location of the electronic device, and

the controller is configured to, based on the detected orientation of the electronic device, automatically switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit, without any user intervention.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first sound generating unit is configured to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element and to generate both an air conduction sound and the vibration sound.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voice input unit configured to receive a voice uttered by a user in a telephone conversation, wherein

the controller is configured to

before a start of the telephone conversation,

cause at least one of the first sound generating unit and the second sound generating unit to generate sound based on a result of comparison between the sound pressure of the sound around the electronic device and the threshold, and

after the start of the telephone conversation,

analyze the voice received by the voice input unit, and

in response to a detection, in the analyzed voice, of a predetermined switching keyword, switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein

the first sound generating unit is a panel attached to the piezoelectric element to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element, and

the panel is separate from the display.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the panel is configured to vibrate in a larger area than an area having (a) a length corresponding to a distance from a lower crus of an antihelix to an antitragus of a human ear and (b) a width corresponding to a distance from a tragus to an antihelix.

6. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the panel is a part or all of any one of a display panel, an operation panel, a cover panel, and a lid panel that makes a rechargeable battery detachable.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein

the panel is the display panel, and

the piezoelectric element is attached to the display panel but arranged outside a display area for a display function of the display panel.

8. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the panel is configured to deform to transmit an air conduction sound and the vibration sound at any point of the panel.

9. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein

the panel has a plurality of points configured to vibrate in a direction intersecting with a principal surface of the panel in a vibration area, and

the vibration has a value of amplitude changing from plus to minus or minus to plus with time in each of the points.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to

automatically switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit based on the obtained geographical location.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a piezoelectric element;

a first sound generating unit configured to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element and to generate a vibration sound transmitted by vibrating a part of a human body;

a second sound generating unit;

an attitude detection unit configured to detect an orientation of the electronic device; and

a controller configured to, based on the detected orientation of the electronic device, automatically switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit, without any user intervention,

wherein

the housing has a first end and a second end opposite to each other in a long-side direction of the housing,

the piezoelectric element is arranged closer to the first end than the second end in the long-side direction of the housing,

the second sound generating unit is arranged closer to the second end than the first end in the long-side direction of the housing,

the electronic device further comprises first and second microphones arranged on the second and first ends, respectively, the first and second microphones configured to receive a voice uttered by a user, and

the controller is configured to

specify the first microphone to receive the voice when selecting the first sound generating unit to generate sound, and

specify the second microphone to receive the voice when selecting the second sound generating unit to generate sound.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the first sound generating unit is configured to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element and to generate both an air conduction sound and the vibration sound.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the first sound generating unit is configured to generate the sound when the piezoelectric element is positioned above the second sound generating unit in the vertical direction.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the second sound generating unit is configured to generate the sound when the second sound generating unit is positioned above the piezoelectric element in the vertical direction.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising:

a communication unit configured to perform communications for a voice call, wherein

one of the first sound generating unit and the second sound generating unit is configured to generate the sound in a telephone conversation using the communication unit.

16. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein

when the first sound generating unit generates sound,

the first microphone is configured as a microphone for the voice, and

the second microphone is configured as a microphone for noise cancellation, and when the second sound generating unit generates sound,

the second microphone is configured as a microphone for the voice, and

the first microphone is configured as a microphone for noise cancellation.

17. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising a display, wherein

the first sound generating unit is a panel attached to the piezoelectric element to be vibrated by the piezoelectric element, and

the panel is separate from the display.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein

the panel is arranged on a principal surface of the housing,

the first microphone and the second microphone each include, in the housing, a microphone main body configured to detect a sound, and

the housing has a microphone hole that communicates a space in which the first microphone or the second microphone is arranged and a space outside the housing, the microphone hole being on a surface different from the principal surface.

19. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the panel is configured to vibrate in a larger area than an area having (a) a length corresponding to a distance from a lower crus of an antihelix to an antitragus of a human ear and (b) a width corresponding to a distance from a tragus to an antihelix.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the panel is a part or all of any one of a display panel, an operation panel, a cover panel, and a lid panel that makes a rechargeable battery detachable.

21. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the panel is configured to deform to transmit an air conduction sound and the vibration sound at any point of the panel.

22. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising a display panel, wherein

the first sound generating unit is a panel,

the panel is the display panel, and

the piezoelectric element is arranged outside a display area for a display function of the display panel.

23. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein

the attitude detection unit is configured to detect an attitude of the electronic device, and

the controller is configured to, based on the detected attitude of the electronic device, automatically switch between (i) sound generation using the first sound generating unit and (ii) sound generation using the second sound generating unit.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the attitude detection unit comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an acceleration sensor, an orientation sensor, and a gyroscope.