Speaker equalization for mobile devices

• US 9,300,266 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Grokop, Leonard Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/765,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 379/406.01, 379/406.03, 381/103, 381/56, 381/58, 381/71.6, 381/74, 381/107, 381/309, 455/566, 455/570, 455/575.1, 455/41.1, 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/63.1, 702/152, 375/229, 704/201
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• 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 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for speaker equalization in a mobile device. In one embodiment, placement of a mobile device including a speaker is determined and speaker equalization is performed in accordance with the determined placement.

Claims

1. A method of performing speaker equalization for a mobile device, comprising:

dynamically detecting, via one or more sensors of the mobile device, a placement of the mobile device that is relative to one or more physical objects adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes a speaker; and

performing speaker equalization of the mobile device in accordance with the placement of the mobile device,

wherein the placement of the mobile device includes one or more of;

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face down on a surface, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed,

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face up on a surface, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held by a user, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held in a concealed position, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed, or

any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing speaker equalization further comprises:

identifying a predetermined speaker equalization configuration based at least in part on the placement of the mobile device; and

adjusting a frequency range output by the speaker of the mobile device in accordance with the predetermined speaker equalization configuration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the placement of the mobile device at least partially obstructs the speaker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the placement of the mobile device removes an obstruction to the speaker.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically detecting the placement of the mobile device further comprises inferring the placement based on data from at least one of:

camera, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometric pressure sensor, global positioning sensor, and WiFi sensor.

6. A machine readable non-transitory storage medium containing executable program instructions which cause a data processing device to perform a method comprising:

dynamically detecting, via one or more sensors of a mobile device, a placement of the mobile device that is relative to one or more physical objects adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes a speaker; and

performing speaker equalization of the mobile device in accordance with the placement of the mobile device,

wherein the placement of the mobile device includes one or more of;

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face down on a surface, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed,

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face up on a surface, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held by a user, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held in a concealed position, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed, or

any combination thereof.

7. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6, wherein the performing speaker equalization further comprises:

identifying a predetermined speaker equalization configuration based at least in part on the placement of the mobile device; and

adjusting a frequency range output by the speaker of the mobile device in accordance with the predetermined speaker equalization configuration.

8. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6, wherein the placement of the mobile device at least partially obstructs the speaker.

9. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6, wherein the placement of the mobile device removes an obstruction to the speaker.

10. The machine readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6, wherein determining the placement of the mobile device further comprises inferring the placement based on data from at least one of:

camera, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometric pressure sensor, global positioning sensor, and WiFi sensor.

11. A data processing device comprising:

a processor;

a speaker; and

a storage device coupled to the processor and the speaker, the processor configurable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

dynamically detect, via one or more sensors of a mobile device, a placement of the mobile device that is relative to one or more physical objects adjacent to the mobile device; and

perform speaker equalization of the mobile device in accordance with the placement of the mobile device,

wherein the placement of the mobile device includes one or more of;

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face down on a surface, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed,

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face up on a surface, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held by a user, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held in a concealed position, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed, or

any combination thereof.

12. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein the performing speaker equalization further comprises instructions to cause the processor to:

identify a predetermined speaker equalization configuration based at least in part on the placement of the mobile device; and

adjust a frequency range output by the speaker of the mobile device in accordance with the predetermined speaker equalization configuration.

13. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein the placement of the mobile device at least partially obstructs the speaker.

14. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein the placement of the mobile device removes an obstruction to the speaker.

15. The data processing device of claim 11, wherein the processor dynamically detects the placement of the mobile device by:

inferring the placement based on data from at least one of;

camera, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometric pressure sensor, global positioning sensor, and WiFi sensor.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for dynamically detecting, via one or more sensors of a mobile device, a placement of the mobile device that is relative to one or more physical objects adjacent to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes a speaker; and

means for performing speaker equalization of the mobile device in accordance with the placement of the mobile device,

wherein the placement of the mobile device includes one or more of;

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face down on a surface, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed,

the mobile device being placed with the speaker face up on a surface, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held by a user, wherein the speaker is unobstructed,

the mobile device being held in a concealed position, wherein the speaker is at least partially obstructed, or

any combination thereof.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for performing speaker equalization further comprises:

means for identifying a predetermined speaker equalization configuration based at least in part on the placement of the mobile device; and

means for adjusting a frequency range output by the speaker of the mobile device in accordance with the predetermined speaker equalization configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the placement of the mobile device at least partially obstructs the speaker.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the placement of the mobile device removes an obstruction to the speaker.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for dynamically detecting includes:

means for inferring the placement based on data from at least one of;

camera, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, barometric pressure sensor, global positioning sensor, and WiFi sensor.