Volume control system and method for a mobile communication device

• US 20050282590A1
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IXI Mobile (R&D) Ltd. (IXI Mobile, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haparnas, Ziv
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/044 according to the level of ambient noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a method for adjusting volume of a mobile device in relationship to environment noise is provided. The method comprises sampling ambient noise around the mobile device to obtain at least one audio sample; measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; increasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value; and decreasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting volume of a mobile device in relationship to environment noise, the method comprising:

sampling ambient noise around the mobile device to obtain at least one audio sample;

measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; and

increasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

decreasing the volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value represents a first volume beyond which it would be difficult for a user to hear an audio output produced by the mobile device in a first environment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second threshold value represents a second volume above which it would be inappropriate for an audio output of the mobile device to be produced in a second environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the mobile device is produced by an external speaker of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the mobile device is produced by a ringer of the mobile device when an incoming call is received by the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the mobile device is produced by a speaker of the mobile device designated for producing audio signals communicated to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampling is performed prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampling is performed after mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sampling is performed after the mobile device generates a ring tone, the method further comprising:

measuring volume of the ring tone; and

determining the volume of the ambient noise by reducing the measured volume of the at least one audio sample by the volume of the ring tone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sampling comprises multiple sampling steps at predetermined time intervals to obtain a plurality of audio samples for the ambient noise.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined based on the plurality of audio samples obtained.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined as an average of volumes of the plurality of audio samples obtained.

14. A system for adjusting ring volume of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a microphone for obtaining at least one audio sample of ambient noise around the mobile device;

a volume sensor for measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; and

a control mechanism for increasing ring volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value, and for decreasing the ring volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device generates a ring tone, and wherein the volume of the ambient noise is determined by reducing the measured volume of the at least one audio sample by the volume of the ring tone.

18. A system for adjusting speaker volume of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a microphone for obtaining at least one audio sample of ambient noise around the mobile device;

a volume sensor for measuring volume of the at least one audio sample to determine volume of the ambient noise; and

a control mechanism for increasing speaker volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is greater than a first threshold value, and for decreasing the speaker volume of the mobile device, when the volume of the ambient noise is less than a second threshold value.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained prior to mobile device receiving an incoming call.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one audio sample is obtained after the mobile device receives an incoming call and before a ring tone is generated by the mobile device.