Hand held telephone set and audio processing method

• US 6,961,591 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Osano, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US09/957,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20020037746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/355, 455/575.2, 455/575.6, 455/570, 379/430, 379/428.02, 381/58, 381/74, 381/370, 381/374, 381/375, 381/384, 370/420, 330/281
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/585 implemented without inductive element
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone

Abstract

A handheld telephone set used by connecting a dual-ear mount type or single-ear mount type earphone that automatically sets an optimal signal level of an ambient sound according to the earphone type used, provided with: a telephone set main body unit, a detection device for detecting which type of earphone is mounted to the telephone set main body unit, an amplifier for amplifying the ambient sound to be delivered to the earphone, and a control device for controlling a signal level of the ambient sound output from the amplifier according to an output of the detection device. When either of these earphones is mounted, the control device controls the signal level of the ambient sound output from the amplifier to be fed back according to an output of the detection device.

Claims

1. A handheld telephone set used by connecting an earphone, comprising:

a telephone set main body unit;

detecting means for detecting which of a dual-ear mount type earphone and a single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit;

an amplifier for amplifying an ambient sound and delivering said sound to said earphone; and

a control device for adjusting a signal level of said ambient sound output from said amplifier according to an output of said detecting means,

wherein when said dual-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit a gain of said amplifier is increased to increase said signal level of said sound output from said amplifier, and when said single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said gain of said amplifier is reduced to decrease said signal level of said sound output from said amplifier.

2. The handheld telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said dual-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said control device controls the gain of said amplifier by feedback according to an analog audio signal delivered to said earphone.

3. The handheld telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said control device reduces the gain of said amplifier to a fixed level.

4. The handheld telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said amplifier superposes a digital signal on a digital audio signal according to said ambient sound.

5. The handheld telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said amplifier superposes an analog signal on an analog audio signal according to said ambient sound.

6. The handheld telephone set as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ambient sound is acquired by a microphone.

7. An audio processing method performed in a handheld telephone set used by connecting an earphone to a telephone set main body unit, comprising the steps of:

detecting which of a dual-ear mount type earphone and a single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit; and

adjusting a signal level of an ambient sound according to said earphone type when said ambient sound is superposed on said earphone,

wherein when said dual-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said signal level of said ambient sound is increased, and when said single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said signal level of said ambient sound is decreased.

8. The audio processing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when said dual-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said signal level of said ambient sound is controlled by feedback according to an analog audio signal delivered to said earphone.

9. The audio processing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein when said single-ear mount type earphone is mounted to said telephone set main body unit said signal level of said ambient sound is reduced to a fixed level.