IP Library Granted Patent US 8,706,162
Granted Patent B1
US 8,706,162 · App. 13/785,678 · Granted Apr 22, 2014

Automatic routing of call audio at incoming call

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,706,162
App. No.
13/785,678
Granted
Apr 22, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

A mobile device receives notification of an incoming call and identifies that an external speaker is connected to the mobile device. The mobile device detects that a user has positioned the mobile device in a position, relative to the user, to use an integrated ear speaker of the mobile device. When the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker, the mobile device answers the incoming call and routes audio for the incoming call away from the external speaker and to the integrated ear speaker.

Claims (63)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, notification of an incoming call;

identifying, by the mobile device, that an external speaker is connected to the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device, that a user has positioned the mobile device in a position, relative to the user, to use an integrated ear speaker of the mobile device; and

routing, by the mobile device, audio for the incoming call away from the external speaker and to the integrated ear speaker when the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

answering the call when the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting further comprises:

monitoring handling activities for the mobile device during a ringing period associated with the notification,

comparing data from the monitored handling activities against stored handling patterns that are indicative of positioning the mobile device near the user's ear, and

identifying a match between the monitored data and one of the stored handling patterns.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the monitoring the handling activities includes collecting one or more of:

proximity sensor data,

accelerometer data,

gyroscope data,

magnetometer data,

touch data, or

camera data.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the monitoring the handling activities further includes collecting voice data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the routing audio for the incoming call includes overriding default audio routing to the external speakers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external speakers are connected via a wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external speakers are connected via a wired connection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external speakers include one or more of headphones, portable speakers, a hands-free headset, an external display, a home audio system, or car audio system.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

an integrated ear speaker for outputting sound;

an interface to divert sound from the integrated ear speaker to an external speaker;

a memory to store a plurality of instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions in the memory to:

receive notification of an incoming audio call;

identify that the external speaker is connected to the mobile device;

detect that a user has moved the mobile device in a position to use the integrated ear speaker; and

route audio for the incoming call to the integrated ear speaker when the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:

answer the call when the mobile device detects that the user has moved the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 , wherein, when, detecting that the user has moved the mobile device, the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:

monitor handling activities for the mobile device during a ringing period associated with the notification,

compare data from the monitored handling activities against stored handling patterns that are indicative of positioning the mobile device near the user's ear, and

identify a match between the monitored data and one of the stored handling patterns.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein, when monitoring the handling activities, the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:

collect proximity sensor data,

collect accelerometer data,

collect gyroscope data,

collect magnetometer data,

collect touch data, or

collect camera data.

14. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein, when monitoring the handling activities, the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to collect voice data.

15. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein, when routing audio for the incoming call, the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to override default audio routing to the external speakers.

16. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the mobile device comprises:

a smart phone,

a cellular telephone, or

a hand-held computational device.

17. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the interface includes an audio port that supports a wired interface with the external speakers.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the interface comprises one or more of:

a personal area network (PAN) interface, a near-field communication (NFC) interface, or a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface for communicating with the external speakers.

19. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processing unit, the computer-readable medium, comprising one or more instructions for:

receiving notification of an incoming call to a mobile device;

identifying that an external speaker is connected to the mobile device;

detecting that a user has positioned the mobile device in a position, relative to the user, to use an integrated ear speaker of the mobile device;

answering the incoming call when the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker; and

routing audio for the incoming call away from the external speaker and to the integrated ear speaker when the mobile device detects that the user has positioned the mobile device in position to use the integrated ear speaker.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions for:

detecting that the incoming call has been terminated; and

routing post-call audio to the external speaker based on the detecting that the incoming call has been terminated.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2019
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048713/0511 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2014
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY CORPORATION; SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 032321/0080 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2013
From: ABRAHAMSSON, MAGNUS; NYSTROM, MARTIN
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 029925/0570 →