# US 12,003,931 B2 · Method for providing audio data according to the folding state of an electronic device and electronic device for supporting same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,931 B2 - Document ID: US12003931B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/436,237 - Filed: 2020-03-03 - Published: 2022-05-19 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-04 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Woosung Chun; Dongyup Lee; Hokeun Kwak; Chanyoung Moon; Doosik Park; Mooyoung Kim; Kihuk Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003931B2 ## CPC - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04M 1/02: Constructional features of telephone sets - H04M 1/725: Cordless telephones (user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724) - H04R 1/227: {using transducers reproducing the same frequency band} - H04S 7/301: {Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone} - H04S 7/307: {Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control (H04S7/301 takes precedence)} - H04R 2420/03: Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a housing including a first housing and a second housing; a hinge unit rotatably connected to the first housing and the second housing; a display; a first speaker disposed in the first housing; a second speaker disposed in the second housing; at least one sensor; and a memory. The memory may store instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to: receive an event related to audio data; identify a state of the electronic device on the basis of information obtained through the at least one sensor; determine at least one speaker to output the audio data, among the first speaker and the second speaker, on the basis of the state of the electronic device; and output the audio data through the at least one speaker. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a housing including a first housing having a first surface facing in a first direction, and a second housing having a second surface facing in a second direction; a hinge unit rotatably connected to the first housing and the second housing; a display exposed to an outside through the first surface of the first housing and the second surface of the second housing; a first speaker disposed within the first housing; a second speaker disposed within the second housing; at least one sensor; a processor operatively connected with the first speaker, the second speaker, and the at least one sensor; and a memory operatively connected with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when being executed, cause the processor to: receive a user input for receiving audio data from another electronic device after receiving an event related to a call reception from the other electronic device, output the audio data through the first speaker which is set by default, identify whether a state of the electronic device corresponds to a flat state, a folded state or an intermediate state, based on information acquired through the at least one sensor, determine whether to output the audio data through the second speaker in addition to the first speaker which is outputting the audio data, based on the identified state of the electronic device, and output the audio data through at least one speaker of the first speaker and the second speaker based on the determination. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to identify, between the first surface and the second surface, a surface that a user contacts or is in proximity of, based on information acquired through the at least one sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine to output the audio data through a speaker corresponding to the identified surface from among the first speaker and the second speaker. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to identify whether the electronic device is placed face down to a ground, based on information acquired through the at least one sensor, and, when it is identified that the electronic device is placed face down to the ground, to determine to output the audio data through a speaker corresponding to a surface that does not face the ground from among the first surface and the second surface, from among the first speaker and the second speaker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the audio data is to be outputted through the second speaker, in addition to the first speaker, the instructions further cause the first speaker and the second speaker to output the audio data at a same frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine a level of the audio data outputted through the at least one speaker, based on the state of the electronic device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to identify whether the state of the electronic device is changed while outputting the audio data, and to determine the at least one speaker to output the audio data from among the first speaker and the second speaker, based on the changed state of the electronic device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first speaker comprises a piezo-electric speaker having directionality in the first direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second speaker comprises a vibration module having directionality in the second direction. ### Claim 10 A method for providing audio data in an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a user input for receiving audio data from another electronic device after receiving an event related to a call reception from the other electronic device; outputting the audio data through a first speaker which is set by default; identifying whether a state of the electronic device corresponds to a flat state, a folded state or an intermediate state, based on information acquired through at least one sensor of the electronic device; determining whether to output the audio data through a second speaker, based on the identified state of the electronic device; and outputting the audio data through at least one speaker of the first speaker and the second speaker based on the determination, wherein the first speaker is disposed within a first housing having a first surface facing in a first direction, and wherein the second speaker is disposed within a second housing a second surface facing in a second direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the state of the electronic device based on the information acquired through the at least one sensor of the electronic device further comprises identifying, between the first surface and the second surface, a surface that a user contacts or is in proximity of, based on information acquired through the at least one sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein determining the at least one speaker to output the audio data further comprises determining to output the audio data through a speaker corresponding to the identified surface from among the first speaker and the second speaker. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the state of the electronic device based on the information acquired through the at least one sensor of the electronic device further comprises identifying whether the electronic device is placed face down to a ground, based on information acquired through the at least one sensor, and wherein determining the at least one speaker to output the audio data further comprises, when it is identified that the electronic device is placed facedown to the ground, determining to output the audio data through a speaker corresponding to a surface that does not face the ground from among the first surface and the second surface, from among the first speaker and the second speaker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein outputting the audio data through the at least one speaker further comprises, when it is determined that the audio data is to be outputted through the second speaker, in addition to the first speaker, outputting the audio data through the first speaker and the second speaker at a same frequency. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein outputting the audio data through the at least one speaker further comprises determining a level of the audio data outputted through the at least one speaker, based on the state of the electronic device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: identifying whether the state of the electronic device is changed while outputting the audio data; and determining the at least one speaker to output the audio data from among the first speaker and the second speaker, based on the changed state of the electronic device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first speaker comprises a piezo-electric speaker having directionality in the first direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second speaker comprises a vibration module having directionality in the second direction.