MOBILE TERMINAL, AUDIO OUTPUT DEVICE AND AUDIO OUTPUT SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME

• US 20170357477A1
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: IM, Yoonju, HAN, Jaeyoung, SOHN, Sungmin, LEE, Jooyoung, MIN, Byunghoon, LEE, Jongmyeong
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, an audio output device and an audio output system comprising the same. The mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a memory for storing audio data; a communication unit for receiving a repetitive radio signal from the audio output device; and a control unit controlling the audio data such that the audio data is transmitted to the audio output device in a wireless manner when the strength or the level of the repetitive radio signal is a first predetermined value or more, while reproducing the audio data, wherein the communication unit comprises a first communication module for receiving the repetitive radio signal and a second communication module for outputting the audio data to the audio output device. Therefore, the audio output device can output a sound of the audio data reproduced by the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory to store audio data;

a communication unit to receive a repeated wireless signal from an audio output device; and

a controller to wirelessly transmit the audio data to the audio output device when a strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value,

wherein the communication unit comprises;

a first communication module to receive the repeated wireless signal; and

a second communication module to output the audio data to the audio output device.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs a control operation to stop reproduction of the audio data during the wireless transmission to the audio output device.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, the repeated wireless signal is periodically repeated.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, after the audio data is transmitted, the controller does not calculate the strength or level of the repeated wireless signal, or

controls the audio data not to be transmitted to the audio output device only when the strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is less than or equal to a second predetermined value, the second predetermined value being less than or equal to the first predetermined value.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein, when the strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is greater than the second predetermined value, the controller controls the audio data to be continuously transmitted to the audio output device.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value, the controller controls audio data of a first volume to be transmitted,

wherein, when the strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value less than the first predetermined value after the audio data is transmitted, the controller controls the audio data of a second volume larger than the first volume to be transmitted.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives a plurality of repeated wireless signals, and

controls the audio data being reproduced to be transmitted to an audio output device corresponding to a wireless signal having a highest strength or level among the received wireless signals.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives a plurality of repeated wireless signals, and

controls the audio data being reproduced to be transmitted to an audio output device corresponding to a wireless signal having a strength or level greater than or equal to the first predetermined value among the received wireless signals.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the same audio data to be transmitted to a plurality of audio output devices such that the same sound is output from the plurality of audio output devices.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls audio data of different channels to be transmitted to a plurality of audio output devices.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sensing unit to sense motion,

wherein the controller distinctively sets channels for a plurality of audio output devices based on motion information sensed by the sensing unit, and controls audio data of different channels to be transmitted to the plurality of audio output devices according to the set channels.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein when strengths or levels of sequentially received different wireless signals are greater than or equal to the first predetermined value within a predetermined time, the controller controls the same audio data to be transmitted to a plurality of audio output devices having transmitted the different wireless signals.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs main setting or sub setting or performs channel setting for a plurality of audio output devices based on the strength or level of the received wireless signal.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs channel setting for a first audio output device among a plurality of audio output devices, based on a drag and drop input for an object for channel setting displayed on a screen.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of a wireless signal in the first communication module is narrower than a bandwidth of a wireless signal of the second communication module.

16. An audio output system comprising:

a mobile terminal to receive a repeated wireless signal and to wirelessly transmit audio data to the audio output device during reproduction of the audio data when a strength or level of the repeated wireless signal is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value; and

an audio output device to output the repeated wireless signal and to output, when receiving audio data from the mobile terminal, sound corresponding to the received audio data,

wherein the mobile terminal comprises;

a first communication module to receive the repeated wireless signal; and

a second communication module to output the audio data to the audio output device.

17. An audio output device comprising:

an audio output unit;

a communication unit to output a repeated wireless signal to an outside and to receive audio data from a mobile terminal; and

a controller to control sound corresponding to the received audio data to be output through the audio output unit,

wherein the communication unit comprises;

a first communication module to transmit the repeated wireless signal to an outside; and

a second communication module to receive audio data from the mobile terminal.

18. The audio output device according to claim 17, wherein the controller performs a control operation to separate channels of the received audio data based on grouping information on a plurality of audio output devices and to output audio data corresponding to the separated channels to the plurality of audio output devices.

19. The audio output device according to claim 17, wherein the controller receives the audio data and volume value information from the mobile terminal and controls sound corresponding to the audio data to be output, based on the received volume value information, and

performs a control operation to transmit, to a second audio output device, audio data and volume value information corresponding to the second audio output device.

20. The audio output device according to claim 17, further comprising:

a memory to store a music file list,

wherein the communication unit transmits at least a part of the music file list and receives, from the server, mood information about the at least a part of the music file list.