Background music play device and method thereof for mobile station

• US 6,407,325 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yi, Sang Yong, Yoon, Du Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US09/748,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20010039873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00--02, 846/15--16, 846/18, 846/34, 846/45, 846/53--54, 846/56, 846/66, 379/185, 379/374
• US Class Current: 84/610
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/021 Background music, e.g. for video sequences, elevator music musical accompaniment G10H2210/005
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021

Abstract

The present invention provides a background music play device equipped in a mobile station and methods for playing the background music capable of playing the background music during voice communication between two mobile stations. A background music play device for a mobile station of the present invention includes storage means for storing digital music file; music file play means for playing the digital music file stored in the storage means; output means for outputting voice of caller and music played by the music file play means; input means for inputting voice of receiver; control means which control signal transmittance and receipt, encoding signals to be transmitted and decoding signals received, and outputting the music as a background music according to user'"'"'s selection. Using the mobile station equipped with the background music play device, specific background music is preset relative to each phone number set in the mobile station such that the preset background music is automatically played when a communication channel is established with the mobile station having one of the preset phone numbers.

Claims

1. A music play device for a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

storage means for storing at least one digital music file in a mobile communication terminal;

music file play means for playing the at least one digital music file stored in the storage means;

output means for outputting a voice of a counterpart user and music played by the music file play means;

input means for inputting a voice of a user of the mobile communication terminal; and

control means which controls signal transmission and reception, encodes signals to be transmitted and decodes signals received, and outputs the music according to the user'"'"'s selection, wherein the music file play means is capable of playing the at least one digital music file stored in the storage means during voice communications between the user and the counterpart user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control means outputs the music through the output means of the mobile communication terminal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the control means transmits the music to a counterpart user together with the user'"'"'s voice such that the user and the counterpart user listen to the music during voice communication.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage means is a card type storage.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the output means is at least one of a speaker and an ear-jack.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the music file play means comprises a decoding means for decoding music data into digital signals, a D/A converter for converting the decoded digital signals into analog signals, and a microcomputer for controlling the music file play means and the D/A converter.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the music file is formatted in MP3 compression.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a sound volume of the music outputted by the output means is adjusted from an initial level to a prescribed level when a call is connected between the user and the counterpart user, and wherein the sound volume is readjusted to the initial level when the call connection is terminated.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein if the music file play means is playing the at least one digital music file, the music file play means pauses the playing of the at least one digital music file when a call is connected between the user and the counterpart user, and resumes the playing of the least one digital music file when the call connection is terminated.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a time location indicating a point in time at which the file play means pauses the playing is stored such that the file play means can resume the playing at the point of pause when the call connection is terminated.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the music file is audible to each of the user and the counterpart user.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the music file is transmitted from the user'"'"'s mobile communication terminal to the counterpart user'"'"'s mobile communication terminal in MP3 format.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the music file play means comprises a microprocessor coupled to receive an input from the control means and the storage means and configured to provide a formatted data output, a decoder coupled to receive the formatted data from a microprocessor and to decode the formatted data into a digital audio signal, and a digital to analog converter coupled to receive the digital audio signal and convert it to an analog output signal and provide the analog output signal to the output means.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage means comprises a multimedia card configured to store MP3 file data.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage means further stores at least one phone number to automatically play music when communicating with a counterpart user having the at least one phone number.

16. A method of playing music in a mobile communication terminal equipped with a music play device, comprising:

determining whether a mobile communication terminal is playing music through a music play device;

determining whether to stop playing music when voice communication is initialized if it is determined that music is playing;

performing voice communication with a counterpart user while the music is being played if it is determined not to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized, a sound volume of the music being lowered to a prescribed level during the voice communication and being recovered after the voice communication finishes; and

performing voice communication with the counterpart user without playing music if it is determined to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the music is transmitted to the counterpart user such that the counterpart user can hear the music during the voice communication.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein if it is determined to stop playing music, a point in time when the music pauses on starting voice communication is recorded.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein a start point of the voice communication is when the mobile station rings.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein if it is determined to stop playing music, a point in time when the music pauses on starting voice communication is recorded and the music is replayed from the recorded point after the voice communication finishes.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining whether to initiate playing music if it is determined that music is not playing through the music play device, and performing voice communication with a counterpart while music is being played if it is determined that music playing is to be initiated.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the music is transmitted to the counterpart user such that the counterpart user can hear the music during the voice communication if it is determined not to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the determination of whether to stop playing music when voice communication is initialized is based on at least one of an identification of a telephone number of an incoming call and the dialed telephone number of an outgoing call.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing at least one phone number to automatically determine to play music when communicating with a counterpart user having the at least one phone number.

25. A method of playing music in a mobile station equipped with a music play device, comprising:

presetting at least one phone number for automatically playing background music when communicating with a counterpart user having one of the at least one preset phone numbers;

determining if the counterpart mobile station has one of the at least one phone number;

playing and transmitting background music during voice communication if it is determined the counterpart user has one of the at least one phone number.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein phone numbers are preset in relation to specific background music to be played during the voice communication such that the preset music is played and transmitted to the counterpart user when the number is selected to establish a voice communication channel.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the background music is preset for each phone number.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the background music to be played is determined by comparing a received phone number to the preset phone numbers.

29. Method of claim 26, wherein the background music to be played is determined by comparing a number entered by the user to the preset phone numbers.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the background music is played on the communication channel being established.

31. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) processor coupled to receive RF signals through an antenna;

a controller coupled to receive an output of the RF processor and control voice coding, channel coding, and power of the communication terminal;

a coder/decoder (CODEC) coupled to the controller and configured to provide analog voice data as an output;

a memory device coupled to the controller to store MP3 data;

a microprocessor coupled between the controller and the memory, and configured to process MP3 data; and

a signal processor coupled to receive MP3 data from the processor and output analog audio signals, wherein the output of the CODEC and the output of the signal processor are configured to be combined at an option of a user, wherein the analog audio signals can be outputted while a communication channel is open between the mobile communication terminal and a receiving terminal.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the controller comprises a mobile station modem (MSM).

33. The device of claim 31, wherein the signal processor comprises:

a decoder coupled to receive MP3 data and decode the MP3 data into digital audio signals; and

a digital to analog converter coupled to receive the digital audio signals and generate analog audio signals.

34. The device of claim 31, wherein MP3 data is received as an RP signal through the antenna.

35. The device of claim 31, wherein the memory circuit comprises a multimedia card.

36. The device of claim 31, further comprising a first audio jack coupled to receive the output analog audio signals, and configured to receive at least one of an earphone plug and a headphone plug.

37. The device of claim 36, further comprising a second audio jack configured to receive a voice output from the mobile communication terminal.

38. The device of claim 31, wherein MP3 data can be transmitted from the memory device through the RF processor and the antenna to a counterpart user.

39. The device of claim 31, wherein the analog audio signals are transmitted to the receiving terminal while the communication channel is open.

40. The device of claim 31, further comprising an output device configured to receive and audibly output the voice signals, wherein a sound volume of the audibly outputted signals by the output device is adjusted from an initial level to a prescribed level when a call is connected between a user and a counterpart user, and wherein the sound volume is readjusted to the initial level when the call connection is terminated.

41. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) processor, coupled to receive RF signals through an antenna;

a controller coupled to receive an output of the RF processor and control voice coding, channel coding, and power of the communication terminal;

a processor coupled to the controller and configured to manipulate Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) formatted data;

a memory device coupled to the processor to store MPEG data; and

a signal processor coupled to receive MPEG data from the processor and output decoded signals to a monitoring device, wherein a voice call can be connected between a user and a counterpart user while decoded signals are outputted to the monitoring device, wherein a determination is made as to whether to stop outputting decoded signals to the monitoring device when voice communication is initialized, and wherein the determination is based on at least one of an identification of a telephone number of an incoming call and the dialed telephone number of an outgoing call.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the MPEG data is MP3 data.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein the decoded output signals comprise analog audio signals.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the signal processor comprises:

a decoder coupled to receive MPEG data and decode the MPEG data into digital audio signals; and

a digital to analog converter coupled to receive the digital audio signals and generate analog audio signals.

45. The device of claim 41, further comprising storing at least one phone number to automatically determine to continue outputting decoded signals when communicating with a counterpart user having the at least one phone number.

46. The device of claim 41, wherein when a voice call is connected between a user and a counterpart user while decoded signals are outputted to the monitoring device, and audio level of the decoded signal is reduce during the voice call.

47. A method of playing music in a mobile communication terminal equipped with a music playing device, comprising:

determining whether a mobile communication terminal is playing music through a music playing device;

determining whether to stop playing music when voice communication is initialized if it is determined that music is playing;

performing voice communication with a counterpart user while the music is being played if it is determined not to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized; and

performing voice communication with the counterpart user without playing music if it is determined to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising determining whether to initiate playing music if it is determined that music is not playing through the music play device, and performing voice communication with a counterpart while music is being played if it is determined that music playing is to be initiated.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the determination of whether to initiate playing music when voice communication is initialized is based on at least one of an identification of a telephone number of an incoming call and the dialed telephone number of an outgoing call.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the music is transmitted to the counterpart user such that the counterpart user can hear the music during the voice communication if it is determined not to stop playing music when the voice communication is initialized.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the determination of whether to stop playing music when voice communication is initialized is based on at least one of an identification of a telephone number of an incoming call and the dialed telephone number of an outgoing call.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising storing at least one phone number to automatically determine to play music when communicating with a counterpart user having the at least one phone number.