# US 2017/0366891 A1 · Apparatus for controlling an earphone or a media player in communication with the earphone, and controlling method thereof

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- Number: US 2017/0366891 A1
- Document ID: US20170366891A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/519,637
- Filed: 2016-10-31
- Published: 2017-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2015-12-07
- Assignees: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Boe Technology Group Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jiuxia Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170366891A1

## CPC

- H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)}
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06F 3/0304: {Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042)}
- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- H03G 3/32: the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
- H04R 1/1083: {Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06)}
- H04R 19/01: characterised by the use of electrets
- H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence)
- H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)}
- G01H 3/04: Frequency
- G06F 2203/0381: Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
- H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
- H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
- 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)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES

## Abstract

The present application discloses an apparatus for controlling an earphone and a media player in communication with the earphone, including an ambient sound detector configured to detect an ambient sound volume level; a processor configured to select an adjustment value to be applied to an audio volume level to be produced by an earphone speaker of the earphone based on the ambient sound volume level; and a controller configured to adjust the audio volume level of the earphone speaker based on the adjustment value selected by the processor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for controlling an earphone and a media player in communication with the earphone, comprising:
an ambient sound detector configured to detect an ambient sound volume level;
a processor configured to select an adjustment value to be applied to an audio volume level to be produced by an earphone speaker of the earphone based on the ambient sound volume level; and
a controller configured to adjust the audio volume level of the earphone speaker based on the adjustment value selected by the processor;
wherein the processor is configured to generate a first prompt signal when the ambient sound detector detects an ambient sound volume level higher than a threshold level; and
the controller is configured to receive and output the first prompt signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a second prompt signal when the ambient sound detector detects an ambient sound volume level higher than the threshold level upon lapse of a first time interval after the first prompt signal is generated; and
the controller is configured to output the second prompt signal at least once upon receiving the second prompt signal, and discontinue output of system sound from the earphone speaker after the second prompt signal is outputted for N times, N is an integer greater than 1.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ambient sound detector comprises a first sensor connected to a first analyzer;
the first sensor is configured to convert the ambient sound volume level to a first signal; the first signal being one of a voltage signal, a current signal, and a pressure signal; and
the first analyzer is configured to receive and analyze the first signal to generate a second signal representing the ambient sound volume level.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first sensor is a sound sensor comprising an electret condenser microphone.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first sensor is a pressure sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first adjustment value is selected and applied to the audio volume level when the ambient sound volume level is in a first ambient sound volume range, and a second adjustment value is selected and applied to the audio volume level when the ambient sound volume level is in a second ambient sound volume range;
a minimum ambient sound volume level in the second ambient sound volume range is higher than a maximum ambient sound volume level in the first ambient sound volume range; and
the second adjustment value is higher than the first adjustment value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to generate the first prompt signal when the ambient sound volume level is higher than a maximum ambient sound volume level in the second ambient sound volume range; and
the controller is configured to receive and output the first prompt signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ambient sound detector is configured to detect the ambient sound volume level upon lapse of the first time interval after the first prompt signal is generated;
the processor is configured to select the adjustment value to be applied to the audio volume level to be produced by an earphone speaker based on the ambient sound volume level; and
the controller is configured to adjust the audio volume level of the earphone speaker based on the adjustment value selected by the processor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to generate the second prompt signal when the ambient sound volume level upon lapse of the first time interval after the first prompt signal is generated is higher than a maximum ambient sound volume level in the second ambient sound volume range; and
the controller is configured to output the second prompt signal at least once upon receiving the second prompt signal, and discontinue output of system sound from the earphone speaker after the second prompt signal is outputted for N times, N is an integer greater than 1.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to resume output of system sound from the earphone speaker upon lapse of a second time interval after output of system sound is discontinued.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gesture detector configured to detect a user gesture;
wherein the processor is configured to select a control instruction for controlling a media player in communication with the earphone based on the user gesture; and
the controller is configured to transmit the control instruction to the media player.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus Of claim 11, wherein the gesture detector comprises a second sensor, and a second analyzer connected to the second sensor;
the second sensor is configured to detect at least one of an ultrasound signal and an optical signal; and
the second analyzer is configured to receive and analyze the ultrasound signal or the optical signal to generate a third signal representing the user gesture based on a wavelength or a frequency of the ultrasound signal or an optical image of the optical signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second sensor includes at least one of an ultrasound sensor and an optical sensor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to select the control instruction from a look-up table comprising a plurality of correlations between a plurality of user gestures and a plurality of corresponding control instructions;
the plurality of user gestures comprise at least one of:
a first user gesture comprising a translational motion with a substantial uniform speed;
a second user gesture comprising a translational motion with acceleration;
a third user gesture comprising an up-and-down motion;
a fourth user gesture comprising a clockwise circular motion;
a fifth user gesture comprising a counter-clockwise circular motion;
a sixth user gesture comprising a forward motion; and
a seventh user gesture comprising a backward motion;
the plurality of control instructions comprise at least one of:
a first control instruction comprising pausing the media player;
a second control instruction comprising playing the media player;
a third control instruction comprising changing sound tracks;
a fourth control instruction comprising playing a next track;
a fifth control instruction comprising playing a previous track;
a sixth control instruction comprising playing tracks in a sequential play mode; and
a seventh control instruction comprising playing tracks in a shuffle play mode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ambient sound detector comprises a first sensor connected to a first analyzer;
the first sensor is configured to convert the ambient sound volume level to a first signal;
the first analyzer is configured to receive and analyze the first signal to generate a second signal representing the ambient sound volume level; and
the first sensor and the second sensor constitute a dual-probe ultrasound sensor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second analyzer comprises a database and an inference engine;
the database is configured to store at least one of:
the wavelength or the frequency of the ultrasound signal,
a correlation between the user gesture and the wavelength or the frequency of the ultrasound signal, and
a correlation between the user gesture and the optical image of the optical signal; and
the inference engine is configured to perform an inference computation based on the wavelength or the frequency of the ultrasound signal and the correlation between the user gesture and the wavelength or the frequency of the ultrasound signal, or based on the optical signal and the correlation between the user gesture and the optical image of the optical signal, to determine the user gesture corresponding to the ultrasound signal or the optical signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the gesture detector further comprises a de-noising logic configured to receive the ultrasound signal or the optical signal, perform a de-noising process on the ultrasound signal or the optical signal, and output an denoised signal to the second analyzer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

An earphone, comprising an apparatus of claim 1.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The earphone of claim 18, wherein the earphone is one of a moving coil earphone and a bone conduction earphone.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A wearable apparatus, comprising an apparatus of claim 1.

### Claim at position 21

21-33. (canceled)