WO2022092535A1

WO2022092535A1 - Electronic device and control method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2022092535A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/011739
Authority: WO
Inventors: 김정수; 이정섭
Original assignee: 삼성전자주식회사
Priority date: 2020-10-29
Filing date: 2021-09-01
Publication date: 2022-05-05
Also published as: KR20220057335A

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device comprises a communication interface and a processor, which controls the communication interface so that an audio signal is transmitted to an external audio output device, identifies, on the basis of frequency band information included in the audio signal, a frequency band in which a test pattern signal is to be transmitted, and controls the communication interface so that information corresponding to the identified frequency band is transmitted to the audio output device and the test pattern signal is transmitted to the audio output device through the identified frequency band.

Description

Electronic device and its control method

The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly, to an electronic device for outputting an audio signal to an external audio output device and a method for controlling the same.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0110539 filed on April 7, 2019, and all contents of the application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND ART With the development of electronic technology, various types of electronic devices are being developed and distributed. In particular, a system in which a source device provides content and a sink device reproduces received content has been rapidly developing in recent years.

According to an example, multimedia data input to a source device is separated and extracted into a video signal and an audio signal, the video signal is processed by a device having a display such as a TV, and the audio signal is provided to the audio reproduction device through a wired/wireless communication channel. In this case, it is possible to check whether the audio signal is successfully transmitted from the source device to the sink device, but it is difficult to check whether the audio signal is normally output from the sink device without using a separate hardware configuration (microphone, etc.) there was

The present disclosure has been made in accordance with the above-mentioned necessity, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device and a control method thereof for analyzing an audio signal provided to an audio output device and transmitting a test signal for checking an output error of the audio output device is in

To achieve the above object, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure controls the communication interface to transmit an audio signal to a communication interface and an external audio output device, and frequency band information included in the audio signal to identify a frequency band to transmit a test pattern signal based on, transmit information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device, and transmit the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band It may include a processor for controlling the communication interface.

Also, the processor may control the communication interface to transmit reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device. Here, the reference pattern information may be information for confirming an output error of the audio output device based on the test pattern signal.

The processor may vary at least one of the pattern of the test pattern signal or the identified frequency band based on at least one of device information of the audio output device or a communication method between the electronic device and the audio output device there is.

Also, the processor may identify frequency band information included in the audio signal based on multi-channel information of the audio signal.

In addition, the communication interface includes a first communication interface and a second communication interface, and the processor is configured to transmit the audio signal including the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band. The first communication interface may be controlled, and the second communication interface may be controlled to transmit information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device.

In addition, the processor transmits a signal for checking an output state of the audio output device and the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the communication interface, and when output error information is received from the audio output device, the reception An output of the audio output device may be controlled based on the output error information.

In addition, the processor may transmit the test pattern signal for checking the output error of the audio output device when the connection error of the communication interface, the input error of the audio output device, and the reproduction error of the audio output device are not identified. there is.

In addition, it further includes a display, wherein the processor is configured to obtain a video signal and an audio signal from the content data, control the display to display the video signal, and transmit the audio signal to the audio output device, the communication interface can control

Meanwhile, an electronic system including an electronic device and an audio output device identifies a frequency band in which to transmit a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in an audio signal transmitted to the audio output device, and applies the frequency band to the identified frequency band. an electronic device that transmits corresponding information to the audio output device and transmits the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band, and based on information corresponding to the frequency band received from the electronic device to obtain the test pattern signal from the audio signal, and compare the pattern information and reference pattern information included in the test pattern signal to check an output error.

Here, the reference pattern information may be received from the electronic device or may be pre-stored in the audio output device.

In addition, the audio output device stores sub identification information mapped to each of a plurality of sub patterns, and when the test pattern signal is received from the electronic device, pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal based on the stored information may be obtained, and an output error may be checked by comparing the obtained pattern information and the reference pattern information.

In addition, the audio output device checks at least one of a communication connection error with the electronic device, an input error of the audio output device, or a reproduction error of the audio output device, and if no error is identified, the test pattern signal is Based on the above output error can be checked.

In addition, the method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes transmitting an audio signal to an external audio output device, and identifying a frequency band in which to transmit a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal and transmitting information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device and transmitting the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band.

In addition, the transmitting of the test pattern signal to the audio output device may include transmitting reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal to the audio output device together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band. Here, the reference pattern information may be information for confirming an output error of the audio output device based on the test pattern signal.

The method may further include varying at least one of the pattern of the test pattern signal or the identified frequency band based on at least one of device information of the audio output device or a communication method between the electronic device and the audio output device. can

Also, the identifying of the frequency band may include identifying frequency band information included in the audio signal based on multi-channel information of the audio signal.

In addition, the transmitting of the test pattern signal to the audio output device includes transmitting an audio signal including the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band in a first communication method, and Information corresponding to the frequency band may be transmitted to the audio output device through the second communication method.

The transmitting of the test pattern signal to the audio output device includes transmitting a signal for checking an output state of the audio output device together with the test pattern signal to the audio output device, and the control method includes: When output error information is received from the output device, an output error of the audio output device may be restored based on the received output error information.

In addition, the step of transmitting the test pattern signal to the audio output device may include checking an output error of the audio output device when a communication connection error, an input error of the audio output device, and a reproduction error of the audio output device are not identified. It is possible to transmit the test pattern signal for

The method may further include obtaining a video signal and an audio signal from the content data, displaying the video signal, and outputting the audio signal to the audio output device.

As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to detect an audio reproduction error in advance by checking the audio output state of the sink device periodically or when necessary in the source device, and restore the error when the error occurs. Accordingly, the reliability and continuity of the user service may be improved.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2A and 2B are block diagrams illustrating a configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining operations of a data communication channel and a control communication channel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an audio output device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of sub-pattern information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

6 is a view for explaining an output error checking method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

7 is a diagram for explaining an audio signal output process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

8 is a diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the present disclosure will be described in detail.

Terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering the functions in the present disclosure, which may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, etc. . In addition, in a specific case, there is a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the present disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the contents of the present disclosure, rather than the simple name of the term.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be subjected to various transformations and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all transformations, equivalents and substitutions included in the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprises" or "consisting of" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, and are intended to indicate that one or more other It should be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of addition or presence of features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

The expression "at least one of A and B" is to be understood as indicating either "A" or "B" or "A and B".

In the present disclosure, a “module” or “unit” performs at least one function or operation, and may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, a plurality of “modules” or a plurality of “units” are integrated into at least one module and implemented with at least one processor (not shown) except for “modules” or “units” that need to be implemented with specific hardware. can be

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily implement them. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present disclosure in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic system includes an electronic device 100 and an audio output device 200 .

The electronic device 100 operates as a source device that provides an audio signal to the audio output device 200 . Accordingly, the audio output device 200 may operate as a sink device.

The electronic device 100 includes a set-top box, a digital TV, a DVD player, a Blu-ray disc player, a game machine, a network TV, a smart TV, an Internet TV, a web TV, an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), a signage, a PC, and a head mounted (HMD). Display, wearable device) may be implemented as various types of electronic devices capable of providing an audio signal. Also, the audio output device 200 may be implemented as a speaker device capable of outputting an audio signal, such as a sound bar, a speaker, a wireless speaker, a room speaker, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 may communicate through at least one of wired communication or wireless communication. For example, the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 may be implemented as devices supporting a high-speed multimedia interface (HDMI). In this case, the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 may have an HDMI port and may communicate with each other through the corresponding port. Here, the electronic device 100 operating as a source device transmits a corresponding audio signal to the audio output device 200 based on information (eg, EDID information) received from the audio output device 200 operating as a sink device. can be provided as Such prior information, for example, device information may be exchanged through HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronic Control).

However, the connection between the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 through HDMI is only an example, and it goes without saying that other communication methods such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may be used. In this case, the electronic device 100 transmits through a router connected with the audio output device 200, a probe request packet or probe response packet according to the Wi-Fi standard, and an inquiry packet or inquiry response packet according to the Bluetooth standard. The dictionary information may be received from the audio output device 200 .

Hereinafter, various embodiments in which it can be confirmed whether the audio signal is normally output from the audio output device 200 through information exchange between the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2A , the electronic device 100 includes a communication interface 110 and a processor 120 . According to an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a display (not shown) to directly output a video signal (or an image signal), but when a display (not shown) is provided separately, the video signal It is also possible to be implemented in the form of reproducing and providing a display (not shown). When the electronic device 100 includes a display, it may include a general display that displays a video signal, or a simple display that displays only a notification or the like.

The communication interface 110 is configured to communicate with various types of external devices according to various types of communication methods.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the communication interface 110 includes HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), AV, Composite, MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link), USB (Universal Serial Bus), DP (Display Port), and Thunderbolt. , a video graphics array (VGA) port, an RGB port, a D-subminiature (D-SUB), a digital visual interface (DVI), an optical port, and an input/output interface of at least one component.

According to another embodiment, the communication interface 110 includes at least one of a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, an Ethernet communication module, and an infrared communication module. Here, each communication module may be implemented in the form of at least one hardware chip. The Wi-Fi module and the Bluetooth module perform communication using a WiFi method and a Bluetooth method, respectively. In the case of using a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, various types of connection information such as an SSID and a session key are first transmitted and received, and then various types of information can be transmitted/received after communication connection using this. The infrared communication module communicates according to the infrared data association (IrDA) technology, which wirelessly transmits data in a short distance using infrared that is between visible light and millimeter waves.

In addition to the above-described communication methods, the wireless communication module includes Zigbee, 3rd Generation (3G), 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), 4th Generation (4G), 5G It may include at least one communication chip that performs communication according to various wireless communication standards such as (5th Generation).

In addition, the communication interface 110 may include at least one of a local area network (LAN) module, an Ethernet module, or a wired communication module for performing communication using a pair cable, a coaxial cable, or an optical fiber cable.

The processor 120 is a digital signal processor (DSP) for processing a digital signal, a microprocessor (microprocessor), a time controller (TCON), a central processing unit (CPU), MCU (Micro Controller Unit) ), a micro processing unit (MPU), a controller, an application processor (AP), a graphics-processing unit (GPU) or a communication processor (CP), or an ARM processor. In addition, the processor 120 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or large scale integration (LSI) in which a processing algorithm is embedded, or in the form of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 120 may perform various functions by executing computer executable instructions stored in a memory (not shown).

The processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to communicate with the audio output device 200 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may communicate with the audio output device 200 through the communication interface 110 . Here, the communication connection may refer to all operations related to communication connection, such as a communication initialization operation, a network forming operation, and a device pairing operation, according to a predefined communication method.

According to an example, the communication interface 110 may be implemented as an HDMI interface, and the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 may communicate with each other through the corresponding HDMI interface. According to another example, the communication interface 110 may be implemented as a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, and the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 may communicate with each other through the corresponding communication module.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may control the communication interface 110 to transmit an audio signal to the audio output device 200 . Here, the audio signal may be a signal received from an external server, an external device, or an external storage medium, or a signal separated from a multimedia signal stored in an internal memory or the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be an audio signal included in audio content.

For example, when implemented as an HDMI interface, the communication interface 110 may transmit an audio signal to the audio output device 200 through an Audio Return Channel (ARC) or an Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC). However, when the communication interface 110 is implemented by another communication method such as a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, it goes without saying that an audio signal may be transmitted to the audio output device 200 through a corresponding communication method.

In this case, the processor 120 may identify a frequency band in which to transmit the test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal transmitted to the audio output device 200 .

According to an example, the processor 120 may identify frequency band information included in the audio signal based on multi-channel information of the audio signal. For example, when the audio signal is a multi-channel signal that does not include a high frequency band signal of a critical band, the processor 120 may identify the high frequency band as a band to transmit the test pattern signal. For example, if the audio signal is a 5.1-channel signal that includes 20/40 Hz to 150 Hz (woofer), 40 Hz to 20 KHz (front), 60 Hz to 35 KHz (center), and 70 Hz to 35 KHz (rear), it is not included in the signal. It is possible to identify a frequency band that is not used as a band to transmit the test pattern signal.

According to another example, the processor 120 may analyze a frequency band of an audio signal transmitted to the audio output device 200 to identify a band through which the test pattern signal is transmitted. For example, after FFT-converting the audio signal, the processor 120 may identify a frequency band included in the audio signal based on a frequency distribution included in each frame signal in the frequency domain.

According to another example, the processor 120 may identify a band to transmit the test pattern signal based on the device information of the audio output device 200 . For example, when the audio output device 200 is a sound bar supporting a 5.1 channel, audio to be provided by the electronic device 100 based on frequency band information of a signal reproducible by a speaker included in the audio output device 200 . This is because the frequency band of the signal can be predicted.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 transmits information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device 200 and a communication interface to transmit a test pattern signal to the audio output device 200 through the identified frequency band. (110) can be controlled. For example, the processor 120 may mix the test pattern signal with the audio signal and transmit it to the audio output device 200 . Here, the test pattern signal is a signal for checking an output state error of the audio output device 200, and according to an example, the processor 120 includes a signal (eg, a request signal) for checking an output state of the audio output device. can be transmitted

Here, the information corresponding to the frequency band may be numerical information indicating the frequency band, but is not limited as long as it is information capable of identifying the frequency band in the audio output device 200 . For example, the electronic device 100 may transmit predetermined identification information “a” (eg, when a = 0 to 20 Hz is agreed) with the audio output device 200 .

However, if the test pattern signal is periodically transmitted, the frequency band identified at the first output error check may be maintained unless there is a special circumstance, so it is also possible not to transmit the frequency band information during the subsequent error check. For example, if the multi-channel information supported by the audio output device 200 is not changed, the maximum number of multi-channels of the audio signal may be maintained, so the frequency band information once identified based on the information may not be changed. there is. Accordingly, the processor 120 may not transmit frequency band information during the second output error check.

The test pattern signal may be a signal having a specific pattern as a test signal for checking an output error of the audio output device 200 . In particular, when the test pattern signal is decoded by the audio output device 200 , it may include pattern information convertible into a specific sequence. For example, the specific sequence may be a sequence, but is not limited thereto, and may be a character sequence such as an alphabet sequence.

According to an example, reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal may be pre-stored in the audio output device 200 . The reference pattern information may be information for confirming an output error of the audio output device 200 . For example, the reference pattern information may be information in the form of a sequence promised between the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 .

Meanwhile, the audio output device 200 may convert the received test pattern signal into pattern information based on the sub-pattern information. Here, the sub-pattern information may be pre-stored in the audio output device 200 as information for converting the test pattern signal into pattern information. For example, the sub-pattern information may include various sub-patterns constituting the test pattern signal and identification information corresponding thereto, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this case, the audio output device 200 may convert the received test pattern signal into a sequence of identification information based on the sub-pattern information, and compare the converted sequence with a sequence included in the reference pattern information.

According to another example, reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal may be transmitted from the electronic device 100 to the audio output device 200 . For example, the electronic device 100 may transmit reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device 200 .

Meanwhile, the processor 120 determines a pattern or an identified frequency of the test pattern signal based on at least one of device information of the audio output device 200 , update information, or a communication method between the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 . At least one of the bands may be varied.

As an example, it is assumed that after the transmission frequency band is identified, when device information of the audio output device 200 is changed, when software or hardware is updated, or when a communication method is changed. In this case, the processor 120 may change the transmission frequency band based on the updated information or the changed communication method. For example, this is because, depending on the communication method, there may be a loss of a signal in a specific frequency band or may cause interference to a signal in a specific frequency band in specific software or hardware.

As another example, when the device information of the audio output device 200 is changed or software or hardware is updated after the pattern of the test pattern signal is determined (including a case previously agreed with the audio output device 200), It is assumed that the communication method is changed. In this case, the processor 120 may change the pattern of the test pattern signal based on the update information or the changed communication method. For example, this is because, depending on the communication method, there may be loss of a signal of a specific pattern or may cause interference with a signal of a specific pattern in specific software or specific hardware.

As such, when at least one of the pattern of the test pattern signal and the transmission frequency band is changed, the processor 120 may transmit information corresponding to the changed information to the audio output device 200 .

When the converted pattern information and the reference pattern information do not match, the audio output device 200 may determine that there is an error in the output state. In this case, the audio output device 200 may transmit output error information, that is, information indicating that an output error exists, to the electronic device 100 . In this case, when output error information is received from the audio output device 200 , the processor 120 may control the output of the audio output device 200 based on the received output error information.

However, in the above embodiment, it is assumed that the electronic device 100 transmits the frequency band information to the audio output device 200 , but in some cases, the frequency band information may not be transmitted to the audio output device 200 . there is. For example, when the audio output device 200 knows the frequency band information in which the test pattern signal is transmitted, when transmitting the test pattern signal in the same frequency band as the frequency band in which the previous test pattern signal is transmitted, the audio output device ( When the audio output device 200 knows the corresponding frequency band information as the test pattern signal is transmitted based on the device information of 200), the frequency band information is transmitted to the audio output device 200. may not transmit.

Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may transmit frequency band information using the same communication method (eg, HDMI) as the communication method (eg, HDMI) for transmitting an audio signal. However, according to another embodiment, the electronic device 100 transmits frequency band information using a communication method (eg, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) different from a communication method (eg, HDMI) for transmitting an audio signal. may be

In the latter case, as shown in FIG. 2B , the electronic device 100 transmits an audio signal including a test pattern signal through the first communication interface 111 and frequency band information through the second communication interface 112 . Various control information including That is, the first communication interface 111 may operate as a data communication channel, and the second communication interface 112 may operate as a control communication channel.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, HDMI communication 310 operates as a data communication channel for transmitting and receiving data, and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth communication 320 can operate as a control communication channel for transmitting and receiving control information. there is. According to an example, as shown in FIG. 3B , an audio signal, particularly an audio signal including a test pattern signal 410, is transmitted through the HDMI communication 310, and the frequency is transmitted through the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth communication 320. Band information 420 may be transmitted. Also, although not shown in the drawings, reference pattern information may be additionally transmitted through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth communication 320 .

In addition, the processor 120 may transmit not only frequency band information but also information related to audio data, such as audio codec, sample rate, and channel information, to the audio output device 200 through the control communication channel.

According to an example, the processor 120 may obtain a video signal and an audio signal from content data (eg, multimedia data). For example, the processor 120 may demux the content data to separate it into a video signal and an audio signal, and if necessary, decode the separated signal. Thereafter, when the electronic device 100 does not have a display, the processor 120 transmits the video signal to an external display (not shown) and the communication interface 110 to transmit the audio signal to the audio output device 200 . ) can be controlled. However, when the audio output device 200 also includes a display, it goes without saying that a video signal and an audio signal can be transmitted to the corresponding device. For example, when the audio output device 200 is implemented to output even a video signal or to transmit a video signal to an external device, using DMI, DP, Thunderbolt, etc. capable of simultaneously transmitting a video signal and an audio signal Thus, the video signal and the audio signal may be transmitted together to the audio output device 200 . However, the video signal and the audio signal may be respectively transmitted to the audio output device 200 through different types of ports or through separate ports of the same type.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the electronic device 100 may further include a display (not shown) according to an embodiment. In this case, the processor 120 obtains a video signal and an audio signal from the content data, controls a display (not shown) to display the video signal, and transmits the audio signal to the audio output device 200 through the communication interface 110 ) can be controlled.

According to FIG. 4 , the audio output device 200 includes a communication interface 210 , a processor 220 , and an output unit 230 .

Since the implementation forms of the communication interface 210 and the processor 220 are the same as/similar to the implementation forms of the communication interface 110 and the processor 120 of the electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 2 , a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The output unit 230 may include a speaker outputting an audio signal. The speaker may include at least one speaker unit according to an implementation example of the audio output device 200 . For example, it may include an L-channel speaker and an R-channel speaker for reproducing the L channel and the R channel, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in the form of a sound bar that reproduces an L channel, an R channel, and a center channel. According to an embodiment, the output unit 230 may be implemented as a full-range speaker designed to reproduce almost all sound ranges of a home frequency. For example, a full-range speaker can reproduce a range of 0 to 22 Khz. According to another embodiment, the output unit 230 is a tweeter speaker for reproducing a high frequency range, a midrange speaker for reproducing an intermediate frequency range, or a woofer speaker for reproducing a low frequency range ( woofer speaker).

When an audio signal and frequency band information are received from the electronic device 100 , the processor 220 may extract a test pattern signal from the received audio signal based on the frequency band information. In this case, a signal requesting confirmation of an output error of the audio output device 200 may be received together with the electronic device 100 . For example, the electronic device 100 may transmit a corresponding signal periodically or according to a user command. However, in some cases, it is also possible for the electronic device 100 to transmit the test pattern signal according to the request of the audio output device 200 . For example, a user command for checking an output error may be received through the audio output device 200 , and the audio output device 200 may request the electronic device 100 to transmit a test pattern signal.

Subsequently, the processor 220 may check an output error based on the test pattern signal. Also, the processor 220 may control the output unit 230 to output the received audio signal. In this case, after removing the test pattern signal from the received audio signal, the output unit 230 may be controlled to output the corresponding signal. This is because the test pattern signal may act as noise.

Specifically, when the test pattern signal is extracted, the processor 220 may decode the test pattern signal and convert it into sequence information. In this case, the processor 220 may convert the test pattern signal into sequence information, for example, based on the sub-pattern information (sub-identification information mapped to each of the plurality of sub-patterns) as shown in FIG. 5 . For example, a sequence sequence having a specific pattern such as 123451234512345.. may be obtained. Here, the sub-pattern information may be stored in a memory (not shown) provided in the audio output device, an external memory, or an external server.

The processor 220 may check an output error by comparing a sequence obtained based on the test pattern signal with reference pattern information, that is, a reference sequence. Here, the reference pattern information may be received from the electronic device 100 as pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal or may be pre-stored in the audio output device 200 . Alternatively, it may be received from another external device such as an external server or an external memory.

Specifically, when the obtained sequence does not match the reference sequence, the processor 220 may determine that there is an error in the output state. In this case, the audio output device 200 may transmit output error information to the electronic device 100 .

According to an embodiment, the processor 220 may check various types of errors when an event for checking an output error occurs. According to an embodiment, the processor 220 checks at least one of a connection error, an input error, and a reproduction error, and when at least one of a connection error, an input error, and a reproduction error is not identified, an output error based on the test pattern signal can be checked.

According to an example, the processor 220 may check an output error based on a test pattern signal if the error is not identified after sequentially checking a connection error, an input error, and a reproduction error. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and some error checks may be omitted or added, and an error check order may be changed. However, in the following description, it is assumed that a communication connection error, an input error, a reproduction error, and an output error are sequentially checked with reference to FIG. 6 .

6 is a diagram for explaining an output error checking method according to an embodiment.

According to FIG. 6 , when a signal for checking an audio output error is received from the electronic device 100 ( S605 ), the processor 220 of the audio output device 200 detects a communication connection error, an input error, a reproduction error, and an output error. You can check them sequentially.

Specifically, the processor 220 may first check a connection error ( S610 ). Here, the connection error check is to check whether the communication channel between the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 normally functions, and the communication interface 210 that communicates with the electronic device 100 performs communication normally. You can check whether it works. For example, an HDMI cable connection error, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth communication connection error, etc. may be this. For example, an HDMI cable connection error may be identified by a hot plug detect signal. Here, the hot plug detect signal is a signal standard for determining whether the HDMI cable is connected or disconnected according to the HDMI standard. As another example, the electronic device 100 and the audio output device 200 are connected by an enhanced audio return channel (eARC), and the audio output device 200 transmits an audio signal to the electronic device while the electronic device 100 transmits an audio signal through the eARC. (100) may be switched to ARC (Audio Return Channel) without notice.

When it is identified that a communication connection error exists (S610:Y), the processor 220 may transmit information indicating that a communication connection error exists to the electronic device 100 (S615). For example, the processor 220 may transmit the corresponding information to the electronic device 100 through the control communication channel. In this case, the electronic device 100 may recover a communication connection error by performing communication reconnection with the audio output device 200 or providing a UI guiding communication reconnection (S620). When the electronic device 100 has a display, it can directly display the UI, but when it does not have a display, it can provide UI information to an external display device.

On the other hand, if it is identified that there is no communication connection error (S610:N), the processor 220 may check whether an input error (or reception error) exists (S625). Here, the input error check is to check whether data input (or data reception) is properly performed in the audio output device 200 . For example, the processor 220 may check the input error by checking the presence or absence of data in the input buffer (or the reception buffer) and the increase/decrease state.

As an example, a process of outputting audio data (or audio signal) received from the electronic device 100 is illustrated in FIG. 7 . Audio data (or audio signal) received from the electronic device 100 is stored in the input buffer 710 . Data stored in the input buffer 710 is provided to the decoder 720 to be decoded, and the decoded content is provided to and rendered to the renderer 730 . Here, the decoder 720 and the renderer 730 may be implemented in a type of DSP. Subsequently, the content rendered by the renderer 730 may be outputted through the AMP 750 while being buffered in the output buffer (or playback buffer) 740 . For example, the input buffer 710 is implemented as one component of the communication interface 210 , the decoder 720 and the renderer 730 are implemented as one component of the processor 220 , and the output buffer 740 and The AMP 750 may be implemented as an element of the output unit 230 . However, this is only an embodiment, and may be implemented in other forms according to embodiments.

In this process, the processor 220 may check the input error by checking the state of the input buffer 710 .

When it is identified that a pressure error exists (S625:Y), the processor 220 may transmit information indicating that an input error exists to the electronic device 100 (S630). For example, the processor 220 may transmit the corresponding information to the electronic device 100 through the control communication channel. In this case, the electronic device 100 may recover the error by checking the transmission state of the audio data transmitted to the audio output device 200 ( S635 ).

Meanwhile, if it is identified that there is no input error (S625:N), the processor 220 may check whether a reproduction error exists (S640). Here, the reproduction error check is to check whether the audio data received by the audio output device 200 is properly reproduced. For example, the processor 220 compares whether decoding is in progress, whether normal decoding is performed based on audio information obtained according to decoding, and the corresponding audio information and audio information received from the electronic device 100, and compares the same You can check whether or not Here, the audio information may be information related to audio data, such as audio codec information, sample rate information, and audio channel information received from the electronic device 100 . For example, the processor 220 may check the decoding state by comparing the audio codec information and a decoding value obtained according to decoding.

If it is identified that there is a reproduction error (S640:Y), the processor 220 resets or resets the setting value of the decoder 720 to recover the error (S645). In some cases, information indicating that a communication connection error exists may be transmitted to the electronic device 100 .

If it is identified that there is no reproduction error (S640:N), the processor 220 may check whether an output error exists (S650). Here, the output error check is to check whether the data decoded by the audio output device 200 is properly output. For example, the processor 220 may determine that an output error exists when the pattern information does not match by comparing the pattern information obtained from the test pattern signal and the reference pattern information as described above. As another example, the processor 220 may check the output error by checking whether there is data in the output buffer 740 and the increase/decrease state.

When it is identified that an output error exists (S650:Y), the processor 220 initializes various parameters and playback-related operations included in the audio playback path (eg, the path in FIG. 7 ) to control the output (or output error) can be restored). For example, the processor 220 may reset or reset a rendering parameter used in the renderer 730 based on at least one of device information of the electronic device 100 or a communication type with the electronic device 100 . For example, when the previously connected electronic device 100 is changed to another electronic device, various parameters included in the audio reproduction path may be changed, and also parameters may be different depending on a communication method.

Meanwhile, if it is identified that there is no output error (S650:N), the processor 220 may determine that there is no error related to the output of the audio signal. In this case, the processor 220 may transmit information indicating that there is no error in the output of the audio signal to the electronic device 100 . Alternatively, the audio output device 200 may directly output audio feedback indicating that there is no error in the audio output.

According to an embodiment, when information indicating that there is no error in outputting an audio signal is received from the audio output device 200 , the electronic device 100 may provide various feedbacks according to an event for checking an audio output error.

For example, when the audio output error check is performed as a certain period arrives, the electronic device 100 adjusts the audio output error check period when information indicating that there is no error is received from the audio output device 200 . can For example, the electronic device 100 may increase the period for checking an audio output error from before.

As another example, when an audio output error check is performed according to a user command, and when information indicating that there is no error is received from the audio output device 200 , the electronic device 100 detects an error in the output of the audio output device 200 . A UI including information indicating none (or normal) may be provided. For example, the electronic device 100 may directly display a corresponding UI or transmit a control signal for causing an external device (eg, a user terminal) to display the corresponding UI to the external device. However, according to an embodiment, as a certain period arrives, a UI may be provided if necessary even when an audio output error check is performed, and even when an audio output error check is performed according to a user command, an audio output error check is performed if necessary. Of course, it is possible to adjust the period for

However, although it has been described that the four types of error checks are sequentially performed in the above-described embodiment, at least two types of error checks may be performed simultaneously. In addition, although it has been described that when each type of error is identified, the corresponding error is restored before checking for another type of error, when the error type is defined after checking at least two types of errors, error recovery may be performed.

According to FIG. 8 , the electronic device 100 ′ may include a communication interface 110 , a processor 120 , a memory 130 , a display 140 , and a user interface 150 . Although the electronic device 100 ′ is illustrated as having the display 140 , it goes without saying that the display 140 may not be provided depending on the embodiment.

The memory 130 may store data necessary for various embodiments of the present disclosure. The memory 130 may be implemented in the form of a memory embedded in the electronic device 100 ′ or a memory that is detachable from the electronic device 100 ′ depending on the purpose of data storage. For example, data for driving the electronic device 100' is stored in a memory embedded in the electronic device 100', and data for an extension function of the electronic device 100' is stored in the electronic device 100'. ) can be stored in a removable memory. Meanwhile, in the case of a memory embedded in the electronic device 100 ′, a volatile memory (eg, dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), etc.), non-volatile memory, etc.) (e.g. one time programmable ROM (OTPROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable and programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM), mask ROM, flash ROM, flash memory (e.g. NAND flash or NOR flash) etc.), a hard drive, or a solid state drive (SSD), etc. In addition, in the case of a memory detachable to the electronic device 100 ′, a memory card (eg, a CF ( compact flash), SD (secure digital), Micro-SD (micro secure digital), Mini-SD (mini secure digital), xD (extreme digital), MMC (multi-media card), etc.) It may be implemented in a form such as a memory (eg, USB memory).

According to an embodiment, the memory 130 may store various data, programs, or applications for driving/controlling the electronic device 100 ′. The memory 130 may store a control program for controlling the electronic device 100 ′ and the processor 120 , an application initially provided by a manufacturer or downloaded from the outside, databases, or related data.

The display 140 may be implemented as a display including a self-luminous device or a display including a non-light-emitting device and a backlight. For example, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) display, LED (Light Emitting Diodes), micro LED (micro LED), Mini LED, PDP (Plasma Display Panel), QD (Quantum dot) display , Quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) may be implemented in various types of displays. A driving circuit, a backlight unit, etc. that may be implemented in the form of an a-si TFT, a low temperature poly silicon (LTPS) TFT, or an organic TFT (OTFT) may also be included in the display 140 . On the other hand, the display 140 is implemented as a touch screen combined with a touch sensor, a flexible display, a rollable display, a three-dimensional display (3D display), a display in which a plurality of display modules are physically connected, etc. can be

The user interface 150 may be implemented as a device such as a button, a touch pad, a mouse, and a keyboard, or may be implemented as a touch screen capable of performing the above-described display function and manipulation input function together. Here, the button may be various types of buttons such as a mechanical button, a touch pad, a wheel, etc. formed in an arbitrary area such as the front, side, or rear of the exterior of the main body of the electronic device 100 ′.

In addition, the user interface 150 may be implemented with a microphone, a camera, a motion sensor, etc. that enable voice recognition or motion recognition.

Also, the user interface 150 may be implemented to receive a signal corresponding to a user input (eg, touch, press, touch gesture, voice, or motion) from an external control device. Of course, when a user voice or user motion is received from an external control device (not shown), the external control device (not shown) may be implemented as a microphone, a camera, a motion sensor, or the like.

According to an example, the external control device (not shown) may be implemented as a remote controller including a microphone. When the remote control receives the user's analog voice signal through the microphone, the remote control converts the analog voice signal into a digital voice signal and transmits the converted digital voice signal to the electronic device 100 using at least one of infrared, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth communication methods. ') can be sent. When a digital voice signal is received from an external control device (not shown), the electronic device 100 ′ may perform voice recognition based on the received digital voice signal and perform a control operation based on voice recognition result information. .

According to another example, the external control device (not shown) may be implemented as a smartphone including a microphone. In this case, the smartphone may remotely control the electronic device 100 ′ using a remote control application that performs a remote control function. When the user's analog voice signal is received through the microphone, the smartphone may convert the analog voice signal into a digital voice signal and perform voice recognition on the digital voice signal using a voice recognition application. Here, the voice recognition application may be the same as or different from the above-described remote control application. When voice recognition is performed on a digital voice signal, the smartphone may remotely control the smartphone using a remote control application based on voice recognition result information. However, according to another embodiment, the smart phone may transmit the converted digital voice signal to the electronic device 100 ′ using at least one of infrared rays, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth communication methods. In this case, when the digital voice signal is received from the external control device, the electronic device 100 ′ may perform voice recognition based on the received digital voice signal and perform a control operation based on voice recognition result information.

According to an example, the electronic device 100 ′ may communicate with a server for various operations including voice recognition, and a communication interface for communicating with the server may be different from a communication interface for communicating with a remote controller (eg, Ethernet modem (, Wi-Fi module vs BT module), it may be the same (Wi-fi module).

Meanwhile, when the electronic device 100 ′ is implemented as a TV, it may further include a tuner (not shown), and the tuner (not shown) amplifies and mixes a broadcast signal received by wire or wirelessly. , resonance, and the like, among many radio wave components, only the frequency of a channel to be received by the electronic device 100 ′ may be tuned and selected.

In addition, the electronic device 100 ′ may additionally include various components according to an implementation example of the electronic device 100 ′, such as a camera, a microphone, a speaker, a motion sensor, a position sensor, a touch sensor, and a proximity sensor.

According to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 , the

electronic devices

100 and 100 ′ identify a frequency band in which to transmit a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal transmitted to the audio output device 200 ( S910 ). ).

Next, information corresponding to the identified frequency band is transmitted to the audio output device 200 (S920), and a test pattern signal is transmitted to the audio output device 200 through the identified frequency band (S930). Here, the transmission of steps S920 and S930 may be performed simultaneously or sequentially. Also, the pattern and frequency band of the test pattern signal may vary according to at least one of device information of an audio output device or a communication method between the

electronic devices

100 and 100 ′ and the audio output device 200 .

In operation S930, reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal may be transmitted to the audio output device 200 together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band. Here, the reference pattern information may be information for confirming an output error of the audio output device 200 based on the test pattern signal.

The control method may include at least one of a pattern of a test pattern signal or an identified frequency band based on at least one of device information of the audio output device 200 or a communication method between the

electronic devices

100 and 100 ′ and the audio output device 200 . It may further include the step of changing one.

In operation S910, frequency band information included in the audio signal may be identified based on the multi-channel information of the audio signal.

In step S930, the audio signal including the test pattern signal is transmitted to the audio output device 200 through the frequency band identified by the first communication method, and information corresponding to the identified frequency band is audio output through the second communication method may be transmitted to the device 200 .

In step S930 , a signal for checking the output state of the audio output device 200 is transmitted together with the test pattern signal to the audio output device 200 , and when output error information is received from the audio output device 200 , the received output An output of the audio output device 200 may be controlled based on the error information.

In step S930, when the communication connection error, the input error of the audio output device 200, and the playback error of the audio output device 200 are not identified, a test pattern signal for checking the output error of the audio output device 200 may be transmitted. there is.

In addition, the control method may further include obtaining a video signal and an audio signal from the content data, displaying the video signal, and outputting the audio signal to the audio output device 200 .

As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the source device checks the audio output error of the sink device periodically or when necessary, so that the audio reproduction error can be preemptively detected and restored when the error occurs. Accordingly, the reliability and continuity of the user service may be improved.

Meanwhile, the above-described methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of an application that can be installed in an existing electronic device or an audio output device.

In addition, the above-described methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented only by software upgrade or hardware upgrade of an existing electronic device or audio output device.

In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure described above include an embedded server provided in the

electronic device

100 or 100 ′ or the audio output device 200 , or an external device of the

electronic device

100 or 100 ′ or the audio output device 200 . It can also be done through a server.

Meanwhile, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in a recording medium readable by a computer or a similar device using software, hardware, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the embodiments described herein may be implemented by the processor itself. According to the software implementation, embodiments such as procedures and functions described in this specification may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more functions and operations described herein.

Meanwhile, computer instructions for performing a processing operation of the

electronic devices

100 and 100 ′ or the audio output device 200 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure described above are non-transitory computer readable media (non-transitory computer instructions). It can be stored in transitory computer-readable medium). When the computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium are executed by the processor of the specific device, the specific device performs the processing operation in the

electronic devices

100 and 100 ′ according to the various embodiments described above.

The non-transitory computer-readable medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently, not a medium that stores data for a short moment, such as a register, cache, memory, etc., and can be read by a device. Specific examples of the non-transitory computer-readable medium may include a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, and the like.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, but the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and it is common in the technical field pertaining to the present disclosure without departing from the gist of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those having the knowledge of

Claims

In an electronic device,

communication interface; and

controlling the communication interface to transmit an audio signal to an external audio output device;

identifying a frequency band in which to transmit a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal;

and a processor controlling the communication interface to transmit information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device and to transmit the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band.
According to claim 1,

The processor is

controlling the communication interface to transmit reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal to the audio output device together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band;

The reference pattern information,

The electronic device is information for confirming an output error of the audio output device based on the test pattern signal.
According to claim 1,

The processor is

and changing at least one of the pattern of the test pattern signal or the identified frequency band based on at least one of device information of the audio output device or a communication method between the electronic device and the audio output device.
According to claim 1,

The processor is

An electronic device that identifies frequency band information included in the audio signal based on multi-channel information of the audio signal.
According to claim 1,

The communication interface is

a first communication interface and a second communication interface;

The processor is

controlling the first communication interface to transmit an audio signal including the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band;

and controlling the second communication interface to transmit information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device.
According to claim 1,

The processor is

transmitting a signal for checking an output state of the audio output device and the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the communication interface;

When output error information is received from the audio output device, the electronic device controls output of the audio output device based on the received output error information.
According to claim 1,

The processor is

and transmitting the test pattern signal for checking an output error of the audio output device when the connection error of the communication interface, the input error of the audio output device, and the reproduction error of the audio output device are not identified.
According to claim 1,

Display; further comprising,

The processor is

obtaining a video signal and an audio signal from the content data;

control the display to display the video signal;

and controlling the communication interface to transmit the audio signal to the audio output device.
An electronic system comprising an electronic device and an audio output device, comprising:

Identifies a frequency band to transmit a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal transmitted to the audio output device, transmits information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device, and an electronic device transmitting the test pattern signal to the audio output device through a frequency band; and

Audio for obtaining the test pattern signal from the audio signal based on information corresponding to the frequency band received from the electronic device, and checking an output error by comparing pattern information and reference pattern information included in the test pattern signal An electronic system comprising an output device.
10. The method of claim 9,

The reference pattern information,

An electronic system that is received from the electronic device or pre-stored in the audio output device.
10. The method of claim 9,

The audio output device,

Stores sub-identification information mapped to each of a plurality of sub-patterns,

When the test pattern signal is received from the electronic device, pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal is obtained based on the stored information;

An electronic system for checking an output error by comparing the obtained pattern information and the reference pattern information.
10. The method of claim 9,

The audio output device,

Checking at least one of a communication connection error with the electronic device, an input error of the audio output device, or a reproduction error of the audio output device, and if no error is identified, the output error is checked based on the test pattern signal , electronic systems.
A method for controlling an electronic device, comprising:

transmitting an audio signal to an external audio output device;

identifying a frequency band for transmitting a test pattern signal based on frequency band information included in the audio signal; and

and transmitting information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device and transmitting the test pattern signal to the audio output device through the identified frequency band.
14. The method of claim 13,

Transmitting the test pattern signal to the audio output device comprises:

transmitting reference pattern information corresponding to the test pattern signal together with information corresponding to the identified frequency band to the audio output device;

The reference pattern information,

information for confirming an output error of the audio output device based on the test pattern signal.
14. The method of claim 13,

varying at least one of the pattern of the test pattern signal or the identified frequency band based on at least one of device information of the audio output device or a communication method between the electronic device and the audio output device; Way.