Electronic audio processing devices and volume control assistance methods

• US 20060147058A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Jin-Dar
• Application Number:
  US11/168,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20060147058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/104
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level

Abstract

An electronic audio processing device comprises an input unit, an output unit, and a processor coupled with the input unit and the output unit. The input unit receives foreground and background audio. The processor determines if the volume of the foreground and background audio conforms to a conditional relationship, and accordingly outputs notification signals via the output unit.

Claims

1. An electronic audio processing device, comprising:

an input unit for receiving foreground and background audio;

an output unit for outputting notification signals; and

a processor coupled with the input unit and the output unit, determining if volume of the foreground and background audio conforms to a conditional relationship, and accordingly outputting the notification signals utilizing the output unit.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conditional relationship prescribes a relationship between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio do not conform to the conditional relationship, the processor outputs the notification signals utilizing the output unit.

4. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conditional relationship is the difference between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio must be less than a maximum volume difference.

5. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conditional relationship is the difference between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio must be greater than a minimum volume difference.

6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conditional relationship is the ratio of the volume of the foreground to the volume of background audio must be less than a maximum volume ratio.

7. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conditional relationship is the ratio of the volume of the foreground to the volume of background audio must be greater than a minimum volume ratio.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises a first audio input component and a second audio input component respectively receiving the foreground and the background audio, and the first audio input component and the second audio input component are configured to respectively face sources of the foreground and the background audio.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises an audio input component by which the processor samples audio signals for a predetermined period, the highest volume of sampled audio signals in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the foreground audio, and the lowest volume of sampled audio signals in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the background audio.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output unit comprises an audio output component, the processor generates a volume control signal for adjusting the volume at which the output unit provides sound according to the determination.

11. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output unit comprises an audio output component providing audio, the processor determines whether to mix a predetermined audio signal with the audio provided by the audio output component according to the determination.

12. A volume control assistance method, implemented in an electronic audio processing device comprising an input unit, an output unit, and a processor, comprising:

receiving foreground and background audio by the input unit;

determining, by the processor, if the volume of the foreground audio and the volume of the background audio conforms to a conditional relationship; and

outputting notification signals utilizing the output unit based on the determination.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the conditional relationship prescribes a relationship between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising, when the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio do not conform to the conditional relationship, outputting the notification signals utilizing the output unit.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conditional relationship is the difference between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio must be less than a maximum volume difference.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conditional relationship is the difference between the volume of the foreground and the volume of background audio must be greater than a minimum volume difference.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conditional relationship is the ratio of the volume of the foreground to the volume of background audio must be less than a maximum volume ratio.

18. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conditional relationship is the ratio of the volume of the foreground to the volume of background audio must be greater than a minimum volume ratio.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the input unit samples audio signals in a predetermined period, the highest volume of sampled audio signals in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the foreground audio, and the lowest volume of sampled audio signals in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the background audio.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the input unit comprises a first audio input component and a second and samples audio signals in a predetermined period, average volume of audio signals sampled by the first audio input component in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the foreground audio, and average volume of audio signals sampled by the second audio input component in the predetermined period is adopted as the volume of the background audio.