MXPA00003750A - Volume control for an alert generator - Google Patents

Abstract

In an apparatus for controlling the volume of a device's user alert sound based on an analysis of the device's environment, the device (20) emits a signal and receives a resulting reflected signal. A processor (25) measures characteristics such as the amplitude and/or delay of the reflected signal to determine the type of environment in which the communication device (20) is located. The volume of the alert sound is then adjusted based on the type of environment indicted by the characteristics of the reflected signal. For example, if the characteristics indicate a closed environment such as a brief case, the volume is adjusted to a high level, and if the characteristics indicate an open environment such as a desk top, the volume is adjusted to a low level.

Description

VOLUME CONTROL FOR ALERT GENERATOR Technical Field The present invention relates generally to the field of telephones and more particularly to telephones that control the volume of an alert. Background of the Invention Telephones have a ringtone or other warning sound for the user, indicating when there is an incoming call. In some phones, the volume of the ringing tone is adjustable so that it can be audible in different environments that have different noise levels. A type of telephone having an adjustable volume of the ringing tone is illustrated in European patent application No. EP 0 507 182 A2. European Patent Application No. EP 0 507 182 A2 describes a telephone in which a circuit detects the level of an ambient noise signal and produces a detection signal in response to the ambient noise signal. The detection signal is then used to produce a control signal that regulates the ring tone volume. The technique described above for controlling the ringtone volume has a disadvantage. If the phone is kept in a container such as a portfolio or in a bag or jacket, it will not be REF .: 32871 audible ringing tone. This problem occurs because the volume of the ringing tone will be adjusted to a low level based on the low ambient noise in the vessel. Compendium of the Invention The present invention solves the above-described problem of volume control of the alert sound of the user of a device based on an analysis of the environment of the device. In one embodiment, the device emits a sound and receives a resulting reflected sound. A processor measures characteristics such as amplitude and / or delay of the reflected sound, to determine the type of environment in which the device is located. The volume of the user alert sound is then adjusted based on the type of environment indicated by the characteristics of the reflected sound. For example, if the characteristics indicate a closed environment such as a portfolio or suitcase, the volume is adjusted to a high level, and if the characteristics indicate an open environment such as a desk, the volume is adjusted to a low level. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 is a block diagram of a telephone 10, such as a cellular or wireless telephone.

Although the present embodiment of the invention is illustrated with the use of a telephone, this should not be considered as limiting the present invention to the telephone. The present invention may equally be applicable to any device that has an alert such as a handheld (palm) or a watch. The telephone 10 has a processor 25. The processor 25 can be any processor, such as a microcomputer, microprocessor 11, digital signal processor 12, or any combination of the foregoing. Although the processor 25 in Figure 1 is illustrated to have both a microprocessor 11 and a digital signal processor 12, the processor 25 may include only one of the two devices, and the functionality ascribed to the microprocessor 11 and the signal processor Digital 12 is done by the device alone. Telephone 25 also has a digital to analog converter 13, speaker amplifier 14, speaker 15, microphone 18, microphone amplifier 17, digital analog converter 16 and bell 19. Telephone 10 can also include other elements (not shown) such as an antenna and a transceiver When the telephone 10 receives a call, the microprocessor 11 instructs the digital signal processor 12 to analyze the environment of the telephone 10 to determine, for example, whether the telephone is in a storage 20 such as a suitcase or the cavity of a sack The microprocessor 11 then generates a control signal to activate the chime 19, to alert a user that there is an incoming call. The microprocessor 11 instructs the digital signal processor 12 to analyze the environment of the telephone 10 in order to ensure that the sound generated by the chime 19 is audible to the user. The digital signal processor 12 performs this analysis when a new incoming call is detected, but before activating the doorbell 19. To analyze the location of the telephone 10, the digital signal processor 12 generates digital measurement signals. The digital measurement signals are converted to analog signals by the digital-to-analog converter 13, amplified by the horn amplifier 14 and converted to an acoustic signal 21 by the horn 15. To avoid disturbing the user, the measurement signals can be selected from such that the generated acoustic signal 21 is in a frequency range that is not audible to the user. The acoustic response signal 22 is received by the microphone 18. The microphone 18 converts the acoustic response signal 22 to an analog signal, which is provided to the microphone amplifier 17. The amplified signal is converted to a digital signal by the analog converter to digital 16 and is powered to the digital signal processor 12. The digital signal processor 12 analyzes the digital samples of the response signal to determine the location of the telephone 10. When the telephone 10 is kept in a storage such as a suitcase or a cavity or a bag, the response signal is received by the digital signal processor 12 having a short delay referred to the time in which the measurement signal was generated. The delay is in proportion to an impulse response of the space surrounding the telephone 10. Long delay times, such as any delay time in about 92 milliseconds (ms) characterize a wider space and short delay times such as any delay time less than about 92 ms, characterize a closed space such as a portfolio or a bag. In addition, the attenuation of the response signal can be analyzed by the digital signal processor 19 to further characterize the environment of the telephone. Response signals having characteristics such as short delay and strong attenuation, such as about 50%, indicate that the telephone is in a reservoir that is highly sound absorbing, such as a cavity or bag of a jacket or jacket. Response signals that have a short delay and weak attenuation such as below about 50%, indicate a deposit such as a portfolio that absorbs sound to a lesser degree. Response signals that have a long delay indicate an open space. The result of the analysis of the digital signal processor 12 is used by the microprocessor 11 to adjust the volume of the ringing tone produced by the timbre 19. For short delays and strong attenuation, the volume is adjusted to high level, for short delays and weak Attenuation, the volume is adjusted to a medium level, and for long delays, the volume is adjusted to a lower level. The microprocessor 11 can also adjust the volume of the timbre 19 using volumes that correlate with the delay times. For example, a table containing ringtone values corresponding to delay times may be stored in a memory that is accessible to the microprocessor 11. The digital signal processor 12 passes the delay time to the microprocessor 11, which uses the time of delay to find the corresponding ring tone value from the table. The process of analysis and adjustment as described above can be repeated after each ringtone, or after a certain number of ring tones to produce a comfortable ringtone tone volume. This avoids excessively loud pealing when a high volume value is initially selected by the microprocessor 11, for example when the telephone was originally in a warehouse and then removed from it. If the telephone 20 has a vibrator, the vibrator can be activated by the microprocessor 11 at the time of an incoming call when the characteristics of the response signal 22 indicate that the telephone is in a bag. For example, when the time delay is below a time delay threshold of approximately 46 ms and the attenuation exceeds an attenuation threshold of approximately 50%, the vibrator will be activated. Additionally, a temperature detector can be coupled to the microprocessor 11. If the temperature sensor measures a temperature close to the temperature of the human body, the vibrator can be activated. It should be noted that instead of a bell 19, the horn 15 can be used to produce the ring tone. Additionally, although the alert has been illustrated as a ringing tone, the alert may be any audio signal such as a pre-recorded voice. While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art having reference to the specification and drawings that various modifications may be made and various alternatives are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. . It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (22)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property: 1.- A device, characterized by: an alert generator that generates an alert with a volume, and a processor coupled to the alert generator, in where the processor performs an analysis of a space surrounding the device and controls the volume of the alert in response to the analysis.
2. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor produces a measurement signal; it receives a response signal that results from the measurement signal that interacts with the space, analyzes a delay time between the measurement signal and the response signal and controls the volume of the alert in response to the delay time.
3. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the processor comprises a memory for storing a table of alert volume values corresponding to delay times.
4. 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the processor analyzes an attenuation of the response signal with respect to the measurement signal and controls the volume of the alert in response to the attenuation.
5. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that a vibrator wherein the vibrator is activated in response to the time delay of the response signal that is below a time delay threshold and attenuation of the signal of response that exceeds an attenuation threshold.
6. 6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor performs the analysis and controls the volume at the start of each incoming call before the alert generator generates the alert.
7. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor performs the analysis and controls the volume before the alert generator generates each alert.
8. 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the alert generator generates one or more alert groups, each having a plurality of alerts; and the processor performs the analysis and controls the volume before the alert generator generates each group of alerts.
9. 9. - The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the alert generator is a bell.
10. 10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor is a microprocessor.
11. 11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor is a digital signal processor.
12. 12.- A method to generate and control an alert in a device, the method is characterized by the steps of: analyzing a space surrounding the device, adjusting the volume of the alert in response to the analysis of space; and generate the alert.
13. 13. - A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space comprises the steps of: generating a measurement signal; receive a response signal that results from the measurement signal interacting with the space and analyzing the response signals.
14. 14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space comprises analyzing a delay time between the measurement signal and the response signal.
15. 15. - A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the step of adjusting the volume of the alert in response to the analysis of the space comprises the steps of: increasing the volume of the alert in response to a short delay time; and decrease the volume of the alert in response to a long delay time.
16. 16. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space comprises analyzing an attenuation of the response signal with respect to the measurement signal and the step of adjusting the volume of the alert in response to analysis of the Space includes the steps of: adjusting the volume of the alert to a high level in response to a short delay time and strong attenuation, adjust the volume of the alert to a medium level in response to a short delay time and weak attenuation, and adjust the volume of the alert to a low level in response to a long delay time.
17. 17. A method according to claim 16, characterized in that the device further comprises a vibrator and the method further comprises the step of activating the vibrator response to the time delay of the response signal which is below a threshold of time delay and attenuation of the response signal exceeds an attenuation threshold.
18. 18. A method according to claim 14, characterized in that the step of adjusting the volume of the alert in response to the analysis of the space, comprises the steps of: obtaining an alert level from a table of alert volume values correspond to delay times, and adjust the volume of the alert to the alert volume value that is obtained from the table.
19. 19. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space comprises analyzing an attenuation of the response signal with respect to the measurement signal.
20. 20. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space is performed for each incoming call before generating the alert.
21. 21. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of analyzing the space is performed before generating each alert.
22. 22. - A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the step of generating the alert includes generating one or more alert groups, each having a plurality of alerts and the stage of analyzing the space is performed before generating each group of alerts. VOLUME CONTROL FOR ALERT GENERATOR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling the volume of alert sound for the user of a device, based on an analysis of the environment of the device. The device (20) emits a signal and receives a resultant reflected signal. A processor (25) measures characteristics such as the amplitude and / or delay of the reflected signal, to determine the type of environment in which the communications device (20) is located. The volume of the alert sound is then adjusted based on the ambient time indicated by the characteristics of the reflected signal. For example, if the characteristics indicate a closed environment such as a portfolio, the volume is adjusted to a high level, and if the characteristics indicate an open environment such as a desk, the volume is adjusted to a low level.