Portable electronic apparatus and sound output-controlling program

• US 8,509,458 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tohiba
• Inventors: Nakamura, Atsushi, Morimoto, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, DAVID L
• Application Number:
  US11/850,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,169 Days
• Field of Search: 381/123, 455/569.1, 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 381/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/023 in a chair, pillow

Abstract

Information on a use situation of a portable electronic apparatus possessed by a user is acquired from an illuminance sensor, a contact sensor, and a GPS portion as use situation-acquiring portions, and a volume of a sound outputted either to a speaker provided as an internal sound-outputting unit in the portable electronic apparatus or to an external sound-outputting unit such as a headphone is controlled in accordance with the acquired information. Thus, even when a plug of the headphone falls off from the portable electronic apparatus despite an intention of the user, an unpleasant sound is prevented from being outputted from the speaker to a circumference.

Claims

1. A portable electronic apparatus, comprising:

a display portion arranged on a front surface of the apparatus;

a group of manipulating switches provided in the same surface as the display portion that includes at least a start switch with which a start image is displayed on the display portion, a back switch with which a picture displayed the last time by the last manipulation is displayed on the display portion, and a navigation switch with which desired ones of the menus and items displayed on the screen of the display portion are selected;

a GPS portion configured to be selectively activated or deactivated by a setting and upon activation, to provide area location information;

a contact sensor configured to detect contact with a user;

an illuminance sensor provided in the same surface as the display portion and configured to detect illuminance of an environment;

an antenna configured to receive a wireless signal bearing broadcast data;

a USB terminal;

a headphone jack configured to output a sound;

an MPEG decoder configured to generate a video signal and graphic data;

a speaker provided in the same surface as the display portion and configured to output a sound;

a storage portion configured to store applications including at least a sound output-controlling program, an operating system, or a driver group, the storage portion further comprising storing priority levels for the GPS portion, the contact sensor, and the illuminance sensor; and

a control portion configured to execute the sound output-controlling program and control the outputting of sound in accordance with the detection of at least one of the GPS portion, the contact sensor, or the illuminance sensor;

wherein the control portion is further configured to control the outputting of sound based on the stored priority levels when two or more of the GPS portion, the contact sensor, or the illuminance sensor are detected,

wherein when the luminance sensor detects luminance lower than a predetermined level, the control portion reduces sound volume level, and

wherein the GPS portion provides area location information in which a first area is a silent area and a second area is a normal volume area, and if the control portion determines that the apparatus main body is located within the silent area and sound is outputted from the speaker and not from the headphone, the control portion controls a reduces sound volume level.