Processing method for earphone and user equipment

• US 9,420,369 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tao, Rui, Ji, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhu, Qin
• Application Number:
  US13/871,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130236027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• 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 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A processing method for an earphone includes receiving a sense signal sent by a proximity sensor. A distance between an earphone and an ear corresponding to the earphone is obtained according to the sense signal and compared with a first preset threshold. Within a first preset time, if the distance is greater than the first preset threshold, an audio playing program is closed or an earphone channel of the earphone is closed.

Claims

1. A processing method for an earphone, the method comprising:

obtaining a sense signal;

obtaining a distance between an earphone and an ear corresponding to the earphone according to the sense signal;

comparing the distance with a first preset threshold;

closing an audio connection of the earphone if the distance is greater than the first preset threshold for a first preset time after obtaining the sense signal;

starting an audio playing program and opening an earphone channel of the earphone in response to the distance being less than or equal to the first preset threshold for a second preset time; and

increasing a volume of the earphone channel while the audio playing program is playing and the earphone channel of the earphone is open and in response to the distance changing to be less than or equal to a second preset threshold for a third preset time, wherein the second preset threshold is smaller than the first preset threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein closing the audio connection comprises closing the audio playing program.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein closing the audio connection comprises closing the earphone channel of the earphone.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the earphone comprises a first earphone and a second earphone, the distance comprises a first distance between the first earphone and a first ear corresponding to the first earphone and a second distance between the second earphone and a second ear corresponding to the second earphone, and the closing comprises:

closing at least one of the audio playing program or the earphone channel of the first earphone in response to the first distance being greater than the first preset threshold for the first preset time and further in response to the second distance being less than or equal to the first preset threshold for the first preset time.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising storing audio information when the audio playing program is being closed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein starting the audio playing program comprises starting the audio playing program and opening the earphone channel of the first earphone and the earphone channel of the second earphone in response to the first distance being than or equal to the first preset threshold for a second preset time;

and

wherein the second preset time is less than the first preset time.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising reading the stored audio information, wherein starting the audio playing program comprises starting the audio playing program according to the audio information.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the increasing the volume comprises increasing volume of the first earphone and the second earphone in response to at least one of the first distance and the second distance being less than or equal to the second preset threshold for the third preset time, wherein the third preset time is shorter than the second preset time.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising decreasing volume of at least one of the first earphone and the second earphone in response to at least one of the first distance and the second distance changing, and after changing, being greater than the second preset threshold for the third preset time, wherein the third preset time is shorter than the second preset time, and the second preset threshold is smaller than the first preset threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a reflective optical proximity sensor is used to collect and obtain the sense signal and the proximity sensor is arranged on the earphone.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the proximity sensor transfers the sense signal to user equipment via a data wire.

12. A user equipment, comprising:

sensor configured to collect and obtain a sense signal;

a processor connected to the sensor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium connected to the processor and having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

obtain a distance between an earphone and an ear corresponding to the earphone according to the sense signal and to compare the distance with a first preset threshold;

close an audio playing program or close an earphone channel of the earphone if the distance is greater than the first preset threshold for a first preset time after obtaining the sense signal;

start an audio playing program and open an earphone channel of the earphone in response to the distance being less than or equal to the first preset threshold for a second preset time; and

increase a volume of the earphone channel while the audio playing program is playing and the earphone channel of the earphone is open and in response to the distance changing to be less than or equal to a second preset threshold for a third preset time, wherein the second preset threshold is smaller than the first preset threshold.

13. The user equipment according to claim 12, wherein the earphone comprises a first earphone and a second earphone, the distance comprises a first distance between the first earphone and a first ear corresponding to the first earphone and a second distance between the second earphone and a second ear corresponding to the second earphone, and wherein the instructions causing the processor to close an audio playing program or close an earphone channel comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to close, if the first distance is greater than the first preset threshold for the first preset time after obtaining the sense signal and the second distance is smaller than or equal to the first preset threshold for the first preset time after obtaining the sense signal, at least one of the audio playing program or an earphone channel of the first earphone.

14. The user equipment according to claim 13, further comprising a storage device connected to the processor;

wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to store audio information on the storage device when the audio playing program is being closed.

15. The user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to, if the first distance is smaller than or equal to the first preset threshold for a second preset time, perform one of start the audio playing program and open the earphone channel of the first earphone and the earphone channel of the second earphone or start the audio playing program and open the earphone channel of the first earphone.

16. The user equipment according to claim 15, further comprising:

a storage device connected to the processor;

wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

store audio information when the audio playing program is being closed; and

read the stored audio information.

17. The user equipment according to claim 15, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform one of:

increase volume of a least one of the first earphone and the second earphone, if at least one of the first distance or the second distance is smaller than or equal to a second preset threshold for the third preset time;

or

decrease the volume of at least one of the first earphone and the second earphone, if at least one of the first distance and the second distance is greater than the second preset threshold for the third preset time;

wherein the third preset time is shorter than the second preset time, and the second preset threshold is smaller than the first preset threshold.

18. The user equipment claim 12, wherein the user equipment is a mobile phone.

19. The user equipment according to claim 12, wherein the sensor is a reflective optical proximity sensor arranged on the earphone.

20. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein the proximity sensor is connected to the user equipment through a data wire.