IP Library Patent Application 12171433
Patent Application
App. No. 12/171,433

ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/171,433
Abstract

An electronic appliance is equipped with: a voice processing unit for executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations; a zapping detecting unit for detecting a zapping condition; and a process switching unit for switching the presently executed voice processing operation to a different voice processing operation in response to a detection result for indicating whether or not the zapping condition is detected. When the zapping detecting unit detects the zapping condition, the process switching unit controls the voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which does not contain a sound quality improving function.

Claims (65)

1 . An electronic appliance, comprising:

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations;

a zapping detecting unit detecting a zapping condition; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice processing operation to a different voice processing operation in response to a detection result for indicating whether or not said zapping condition is detected; wherein:

when said zapping detecting unit detects the zapping condition, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which does not contain a sound quality improving function.

2 . An electronic appliance comprising:

an image processing unit executing one image processing operation selected from plural sorts of image processing operations;

a zapping detecting unit detecting a zapping condition; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed image processing operation to a different image processing operation in response to a detection result for indicating whether or not said zapping condition is detected; wherein:

when said zapping detecting unit detects the zapping condition, said process switching unit controls said image processing unit to switch the presently executed image processing operation to an image processing operation which does not contain an image quality improving function.

3 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations a judging unit judging whether a signal transmission path defined from said voice processing unit up to a voice output unit corresponds to a wired signal transmission path, or a wireless signal transmission path; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice processing operation to a different voice processing operation in response to a judgement result of said signal transmission path; wherein:

when said signal transmission path is the wired signal transmission path, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which contains a sound quality improving function, whereas

when said signal transmission path is the wireless signal transmission path, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which does not contain said sound quality improving function.

4 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations;

an information acquiring unit acquiring genre information about contents which are processed by said voice processing unit; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice processing operation to a different voice processing operation in response to the genre information acquired by said information processing unit; wherein:

said plural sorts of voice processing operations include a voice processing operation which contains a sound quality improving function, and another voice processing operation which does not contain the sound quality improving function.

5 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations;

a sound volume measuring unit measuring a surrounding sound volume; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice processing operation in response to information related to the surrounding sound volume measured by said sound volume measuring unit, wherein

when said measured surrounding sound volume is lower than a reference value, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which contains a sound quality improving function.

6 . An electronic appliance comprising:

an image processing unit executing one image processing operation selected from plural sorts of image processing operations;

a luminance detecting unit detecting surrounding luminance; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed image processing operation to a different image processing operation in response to information related to the surrounding luminance detected by said luminance detecting unit; wherein:

when said detected surrounding luminance is lower than a reference value, said process switching unit controls said image processing unit to switch the presently executed image processing operation to an image processing operation which contains an image quality improving function.

7 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a key operating unit;

an image processing unit executing one image processing operation selected from plural sorts of image processing operations;

a key operation detecting unit detecting a time interval of key input operations with respect to said key operating unit; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed image processing operation to a different image processing operation in response to the time interval of the key input operations detected by said key operation detecting unit; wherein:

when said detected time interval of the key input operations is longer than, or equal to a reference value, said process switching unit controls said image processing unit to switch the presently executed image processing operation to an image processing operation which contains an image quality improving function.

8 . An electronic appliance comprising:

two housings which can be opened and closed with each other;

an image processing unit executing one image processing operation selected from plural sorts of image processing operations;

a condition detecting unit detecting open/close conditions of said two housings; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed image processing operation to a different image processing operation in response to a condition detected by said condition detecting unit; wherein:

when said two housings are under open condition, said process switching unit controls said image processing unit to switch the presently executed image processing operation to an image processing operation which contains an image quality improving function.

9 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation-selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations;

a data broadcast processing unit executing a processing operation in order to display a data broadcasting content; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice process operation to a different voice process operation in response to a situation for indicating whether or not said data broadcast processing unit performs said digital broadcasting content display processing operation; wherein:

when said data broadcast processing unit does not execute said digital broadcasting content display processing operation, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which contains a sound quality improving function.

10 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving a wireless signal;

a reception strength detecting unit detecting an electromagnetic wave reception strength of a wireless signal received by said receiving unit;

an image processing unit executing an image processing operation;

a voice processing unit executing a voice processing operation; and

a process switching unit switching said image processing operation and said sound processing operation in response to an electromagnetic wave reception strength detected by said reception strength detecting unit; wherein:

when the electromagnetic wave reception strength detected by said reception strength detecting unit is larger than, or equal to a reference value, said process switching unit controls both said image processing unit and said voice processing unit so as to execute both said image processing operation and said voice processing operation.

11 . An electronic appliance comprising:

an image processing unit executing one image processing operation selected from plural sorts of image processing operations;

a noise detecting unit detecting a noise strength indicative of a situation of an error occurred when a decoding operation is carried out by said image processing unit; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed image process operation: to a different image processing operation in response to a noise strength detected by said noise detecting unit; wherein:

when the noise strength detected by said noise: detecting unit is smaller than a reference value, said process switching unit controls said image processing unit to switch the presently executed image processing operation to an image processing operation which contains an image quality improving function.

12 . An electronic appliance comprising:

a voice communication processing unit performing a voice communication processing operation by utilizing a wireless signal;

a voice processing unit executing one voice processing operation selected from plural sorts of voice processing operations; and

a process switching unit switching the presently executed voice processing operation to a different voice processing operation in response to a situation for indicating whether or not said voice communication processing unit performs said voice communication processing operation; wherein:

when said voice communication processing unit does not perform said voice communication processing operation, said process switching unit controls said voice processing unit to switch the presently executed voice processing operation to a voice processing operation which contains a sound quality improving function.

13 . A process switching program for causing a computer to function as the respective units comprised in the electronic appliance recited in any one of claim 1 to claim 12 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 6, 2009
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022363/0306 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 19, 2008
From: TAKEMOTO, MASATO; NAKAMOTO, SHINJI; HARA, YASUYUKI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021555/0407 →