Microphone aided vibrator tuning
View Patent ↗A method of tuning an alert device in a portable communication apparatus having a microphone. The method involves the steps of recording, through the microphone, an acoustic signal which is emitted by the alert device in response to a drive signal; deriving a characteristic value of the recorded signal; comparing the characteristic value with a reference value and generating a comparison result; and controlling the drive signal of the alert device in response to the comparison result.
1. A method of tuning an alert device in a portable communication apparatus including a microphone, comprising the steps of:
recording, through the microphone, an acoustic signal which is emitted by the alert device in response to a drive signal;
deriving a characteristic value of the recorded signal;
comparing the characteristic value with a reference value and generating a comparison result; and
controlling the drive signal of the alert device in response to the comparison result.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic value is a frequency value.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the characteristic value is derived by the steps of:
performing a spectral analysis of the recorded signal; and
identifying a frequency peak from the spectral analysis, wherein the frequency peak determines the characteristic value.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the alert device is a vibrator.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic value is a volume value.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the alert device is a tone generator.
7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the alert device is a polyphonic sound generator.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the drive signal is an electric signal and is controlled in voltage steps to cause corresponding shifts in frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the alert device towards a desired reference value.
9. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing the said steps repetitively to tune the acoustic signal.
10. A portable communication apparatus having a microphone, an alert device and a controller, wherein:
the microphone is adapted to record an acoustic signal; which is emitted by the alert device in response to a drive signal; and
the controller is adapted to derive a characteristic value of the recorded signal, to compare the characteristic value with a reference value, to generate a comparison result and to control the drive signal of the alert device in response to the comparison result.
11. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the characteristic value is a frequency value.
12. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is adapted to perform a spectral analysis of the recorded signal to derive the characteristic value; and to identify a frequency peak from the spectral analysis, wherein the frequency peak determines the characteristic value.
13. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the alert device is a vibrator.
14. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the characteristic value is a volume value.
15. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the alert device is a tone generator.
16. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the alert device is a polyphonic sound generator.
17. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the drive signal is an electric signal and the controller is adapted to control the drive signal towards a desired reference value in voltage steps to cause corresponding shifts in frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the alert device.
18. A portable communication apparatus according to claim 10 , which is adapted to perform repetitive tuning of the acoustic signal.