Method and apparatus for adjusting audio for a user environment

• US 8,285,344 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kahn, Philippe, Kinsolving, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US12/469,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 455/570, 455/63.1, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/501, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 381/56, 381/57
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

The method defines a user environment based on detected motion data and/or ambient noise data. The user environment is then used to apply an appropriate audio adjustment mode. In one embodiment, the user environment definition further includes location data. In one embodiment, the location data is obtained from one of: a global positioning system (GPS), and network triangulation.

Claims

1. A method and to define a user environment comprising:

detecting motion data;

detecting ambient noise data;

identifying a user environment based on the motion data and the ambient noise data, wherein the user environment is selected from a plurality of predefined environments, each predefined environment associated with a certain user activity level, ambient noise data, and location data when available; and

selecting an appropriate audio input and output adjustment mode based on the selected user environment data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting location data; and

utilizing the location data in defining the user environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the location data is obtained from one of:

a global positioning system (GPS), and network triangulation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting location data comprises:

receiving coordinate data from a location sensor; and

mapping the coordinate data onto a map to determine the location data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting location data comprises:

determining whether a user is in an inside environment or an outside environment, based on one or more of;

temperature data, barometer data, global positioning.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio input adjustment mode includes one or more of the following:

noise reduction, noise cancellation, and audio output adjustment mode includes one or more of;

speaker adjustment, and audio output mode selection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined environments comprise:

in office, on street, in moving vehicle, at exercise, in home, in restaurant or store.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user environment is identified continuously during a telephone call, and a change in the predefined environment results in adjusting an audio input and/or an audio output to improve communication quality based on the user environment.

9. A mobile device comprising:

a motion data receiver logic to receive motion data;

a sound receiving logic to receive ambient noise data;

a user environment generation logic to identify a user environment associated with the mobile device based on a user activity level based on the motion data, the ambient noise data, and location information when available, the user environment being one of a plurality of predefined environments; and

an audio adjustment mode selection logic to select an appropriate adjustment to be applied to an audio output and an audio input of the mobile device based on the identified environment.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, further comprising:

a motion analysis logic to categorize how a user is using the mobile device based on the motion data; and

a memory coupled with the motion analysis logic to store one or more motion signatures, each motion signature associated with a category of user motion.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising:

the motion analysis logic to receive motion data from two or more motion sensing components, analyze motion data associated with each of the motion sensing components, and combine the analyzed motion data before determining how a user is using the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, further comprising:

an ambient noise analysis logic to determine whether one or more microphones coupled with the mobile device are relevant to identifying a user environment,

when a plurality of microphones are identified as relevant, a normalization logic to normalize microphone data based on a relative location with respect to a user'"'"'s ear of the plurality of microphones, and a noise level calculator to calculate an ambient noise level based on data from all microphones that have been determined relevant.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, further comprising:

a location logic to receive location data from one of a global positioning system (GPS) and network triangulation; and

a mapping logic coupled with the location logic to convert the location data to a location, and to provide the location to the user environment generation logic.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, further comprising:

the user environment generation logic to receive additional environmental data from one or more of a pressure monitor and a temperature sensor to evaluate when identifying the user environment.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the adjustment to be applied to the audio input of mobile device includes one or more of the following:

noise reduction, noise cancellation, and/or the adjustment applied to the audio output includes one or more of;

speaker adjustment, and audio output mode selection.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the defined environments comprise one of:

in office, on street, in moving vehicle, at exercise, in home, in restaurant or store.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user environment generation logic determines changes to the user environment during a telephone call made with the mobile device, such that the audio adjustment mode selection logic changes the appropriate adjustment during the telephone call, when the predefined environment changes.

18. An apparatus comprising:

an accelerometer to receive motion data, and send the motion data to a motion data receiver logic;

a processor to classify a user environment as one of a plurality of possible predefined environments based on user activity data based on the motion data and ambient noise data detected by the apparatus and location data; and

a speaker capable of adjustment, and the processor to adjust the speaker volume based on the classification of the user environment; and

a microphone to receive sound from the user, the microphone capable of being adjusted based on the classification of the user environment.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising;

a filter to adjust a sound response of the speaker, based on the user environment.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the filter is one of:

a low pass filter, a high pass filter, and band pass filter, and a band gap filter, and further,

where the filter is implemented as one of;

a hardware filter connected inline, a software filter implemented by the processor, and a combination of hardware and software element.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to receive GPS data; and

the processor to adjust the user environment based on the GPS data.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

the processor monitoring for changes in the user environment during a telephone call, and changes the appropriate adjustment during the telephone phone call when the predefined environment changes.