Etiquette Call Audio Gain Control for Clearer Private Speaker Calls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile devices lack an effective way to adjust call volume in etiquette situations, where maximum transmission gain can cause noise pollution and privacy issues, and reducing volume may lead to missed low voices during calls.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method for an etiquette call mode in mobile devices, which adjusts the reception gain to a specific minimum level and amplifies the received call to a given reference level range, allowing for volume adjustment based on a selectable reference point curve to ensure the call is audible without being too loud.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If maximum transmission gain is set for the microphone, then the recipient can hear a caller speaking in a low voice well, but the received call may be easily heard through a speaker by persons around the recipient, causing noise pollution and invading the caller's privacy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehearing clarityVSAvoidnoise pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic volume adjustment by detecting whether the caller is speaking in a low voice and automatically adjusting the reception gain accordingly. The system transitions from static maximum gain to dynamic adaptive gain control, allowing the volume to change based on real-time speech characteristics while maintaining privacy in quiet environments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the reception gain parameter based on detected speech characteristics. When a low voice is detected, the system adjusts the gain parameter to amplify the signal appropriately, while in normal situations it maintains lower gain to prevent noise pollution and privacy invasion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the recipient reduces the volume of a received call through a volume key, then privacy is protected, but the recipient may fail to hear a caller's low voice

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidhearing clarity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from voice activity detection to automatically adjust volume settings. The detection unit monitors the caller's speech characteristics and provides feedback to the control unit, which then adjusts the reception gain to ensure low voices are heard clearly while maintaining privacy protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-adjustment of volume settings based on automatic detection of speech characteristics. Instead of requiring manual user intervention, the system autonomously detects low voices and adjusts the reception gain accordingly, providing self-service volume optimization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2472836B1Adaptation of microphone gain and loudspeaker volume dependent on phone mode
Publication Date: 2019.08.28 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2472836B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2472836B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2472836B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An apparatus and method are provided to output a received call with a volume adjusted to a reference level range in the etiquette call mode. In the method for providing the etiquette call mode of a mobile device (100), the apparatus determines whether the etiquette call mode is activated in a call mode (205). When the etiquette call mode is activated, the apparatus establishes a transmission gain to a given gain value (207) and also establishes a reception gain to a specific gain value corresponding to a minimum receiving volume level (209). Then the apparatus amplifies a received call by means of the established reception gain, adjusts a volume of the amplified received call to a given reference level range (211), and outputs the adjusted received call through a speaker.