Adjusting acoustic speaker output based on an estimated degree of seal of an ear about a speaker port

• US 8,144,897 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Ranta, Craig Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, DAVID L
• Application Number:
  US11/934,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/98, 381/101, 381/102, 381/103, 381/104, 381/107, 381/108, 381/56, 381/58, 381/59, 379/388.01, 379/388.02, 379/422.01, 379/420.02, 379/433.02, 379/432, 455/569.1, 455/200.1
• US Class Current: 381/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

A degree of seal of an ear about a speaker port may be estimated by detecting touch contact between the ear and at least one touch sensor in fixed relation to the speaker port. The degree of seal is estimated based on the detected touch contact. Based upon the estimated degree of seal, the acoustic output of the speaker may be adjusted. The adjustment may compensate for perceived changes to the quality of the acoustic output resulting from the degree of seal. The at least one touch sensor may be a plurality of touch sensors spaced around the speaker port. Each sensor may have a truncated wedge shape, with a narrow end closest to the speaker port. Upon receipt of user input indicative of a high degree of ear seal, a sample of the sensor(s) may be taken and stored for using during future estimation of the degree of seal.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting the acoustic output of a speaker, comprising:

detecting touch contact between an ear and at least one touch sensor in fixed relation to a speaker port for the speaker;

based on said detecting, estimating a degree of seal of said ear about said speaker port; and

based on the estimated degree of seal, adjusting the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein said estimating estimates a high degree of seal when the detected touch contact is on opposite sides of said speaker port.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said adjusting comprises amplifying low frequencies of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is low or attenuating low frequencies of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is high.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said adjusting comprises increasing the volume of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is low or decreasing the volume of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is high.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically repeating said detecting, said estimating and said adjusting during a period of contact between said ear and said at least one touch sensor.

5. A method of adjusting the acoustic output of a speaker, comprising:

detecting touch contact between an ear and at least one touch sensor in fixed relation to a speaker port for the speaker;

based on said detecting, estimating a degree of seal of said ear about said speaker port; and

based on the estimated degree of seal, adjusting the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein said estimating estimates a low degree of seal when the detected touch contact fails to occur on opposite sides of said speaker port.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said estimating estimates a low degree of seal when, in a notional circle that is concentric with said speaker port, two directly opposing sectors, each said sector spanning α

degrees, cannot be rotated about the center of the circle such that said touch contact occurs within the opposing sectors.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device having a speaker and at least one touch sensor in fixed relation to a speaker port for the speaker, causes said processor to:

receive data representing touch contact between an ear and said at least one touch sensor;

based on the received data, estimate a degree of seal of said ear about said speaker port; and

based on the estimated degree of seal, adjust the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein said estimating estimates a high degree of seal when the detected touch contact is on opposite sides of said speaker port.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein said estimating estimates a high degree of seal when, in a notional circle that is concentric with said speaker port, two directly opposing sectors, each said sector spanning α

degrees, can be rotated about the center of the circle such that said touch contact occurs within the opposing sectors.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein said adjusting comprises amplifying low frequencies of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is low or attenuating low frequencies of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is high.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein said adjusting comprises increasing the volume of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is low or decreasing the volume of the acoustic output when the estimated degree of seal is high.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device having a speaker and at least one touch sensor in fixed relation to a speaker port for the speaker, causes said processor to:

receive data representing touch contact between an ear and said at least one touch sensor;

based on the received data, estimate a degree of seal of said ear about said speaker port; and

based on the estimated degree of seal, adjust the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein said estimating estimates a low degree of seal when the detected touch contact fails to occur on opposite sides of said speaker port.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said estimating estimates a low degree of seal when, in a notional circle that is concentric with said speaker port, two directly opposing sectors, each said sector spanning a degrees, cannot be rotated about the center of the circle such that said touch contact occurs within the opposing sectors.