IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,531,942
Granted Patent B2
US 12,531,942 · App. 18/477,803 · Granted Jan 20, 2026

Electronic device and operating method thereof

Inventors: Byunggun Choi (Suwon-si, KR); Younseob Seo (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H04M1/6041G10L15/02G10L19/005G10L19/012G10L25/78H04R25/554
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,531,942
App. No.
18/477,803
Granted
Jan 20, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes: a microphone, a communication module including a first communication circuit configured to provide a call channel with a first external electronic device and a second communication circuit configured to provide a communication channel with a second external electronic device, a processor electrically connected with the communication module. The processor is configured to: allow the electronic device operating in a first transmission mode and the first external electronic device to establish a call connection with each other through the first communication circuit, identify whether there is an utterance of a user wearing the second external electronic device, while the call connection is maintained, and operate in a second transmission mode different from the first transmission mode, based on a voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device not being recognized, while the call connection is maintained, and operate in the first transmission mode, based on the voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device being recognized, while the call connection is maintained.

Claims (57)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a microphone;

a communication module including a first communication circuit configured to provide a call channel with a first external electronic device and a second communication circuit configured to provide a communication channel with a second external electronic device;

a processor electrically connected with the communication module,

wherein the processor is configured to:

allow the electronic device operating in a first transmission mode and the first external electronic device to establish a call connection with each other through the first communication circuit,

identify whether there is an utterance of a user wearing the second external electronic device, while the call connection is maintained,

operate in a second transmission mode different from the first transmission mode, based on a voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device not being recognized, while the call connection is maintained, and

operate in the first transmission mode, based on the voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device being recognized, while the call connection is maintained.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate a plurality of voice frames including the voice signal of the user and a plurality of silent frames not including the voice signal of the user.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein at least any one of the plurality of silent frames includes a comfort noise, wherein the processor is configured to generate the comfort noise.

4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication module is configured to: transmit the plurality of voice frames to the first external electronic device in the first transmission mode and transmit the plurality of silent frames to the first external electronic device in the second transmission mode.

5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the plurality of voice frames and the silent frames as a radio frequency (RF) signal, and

wherein the communication module is configured to backoff to adjust a transmit power of the RF signal, based on the electronic device operating in the second transmission mode.

6 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the plurality of voice frames and the silent frames as a radio frequency (RF) signal, and

wherein the communication module is configured to: transmit the RF signal with a first transmit power, based on the electronic device operating in the first transmission mode, and transmit the RF signal with a second transmit power lower than the first transmit power, based on the electronic device operating in the second transmission mode.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the communication module is configured to adjust the second transmit power to be lower based on the first transmit power being in a medium electric field and a strong electric field than the first transmit power being in a weak electric field lower than the medium electric field and the strong electric field.

8 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the communication module is configured to transmit the plurality of voice frames and the silent frames as a radio frequency (RF) signal, and

wherein the communication module is configured to: transmit the RF signal of a first peak current, based on the electronic device operating in the first transmission mode, and transmit the RF signal of a second peak current lower than the first peak current, based on the electronic device operating in the second transmission mode.

9 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor a number of times of consecutiveness of a discontinuous transmission interval in which the plurality of silent frames are consecutive, after a last voice frame of a voice interval including the plurality of voice frames,

maintain the first transmission mode, based on the number of times of the consecutiveness being less than a first threshold, and

switch from the first transmission mode to the second transmission mode, based on the number of times of the consecutiveness being greater than or equal to the first threshold.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor the number of transmitted voice frames, after a last silent frame included in the discontinuous transmission interval,

maintain the second transmission mode, based on the number of the voice frames being less than a second threshold, and

restore the second transmission mode to the first transmission mode, based on the number of the voice frames being greater than or equal to the second threshold.

11 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor a duration of a discontinuous transmission interval in which the plurality of silent frames are consecutive, after a last voice frame of a voice interval including the plurality of voice frames,

maintain the first transmission mode, based on the duration of the discontinuous transmission interval being less than a first threshold period of time, and

switch from the first transmission mode to the second transmission mode, based on the duration of the discontinuous transmission interval being greater than or equal to the first threshold period of time.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor a duration of a voice interval in which the plurality of voice frames are consecutive, after a last silent frame included in the discontinuous transmission interval,

maintain the second transmission mode, based on the duration of the voice interval being less than a second threshold period of time, and

restore the second transmission mode to the first transmission mode, based on the duration of the voice interval being greater than or equal to the second threshold period of time.

13 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to whether there is a voice signal of the user, the voice signal being received through the microphone, using a voice activity detection (VAD) scheme.

14 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a voice decoder configured to encode a silent signal received from the first external electronic device and restore the encoded silent signal in an error concealment scheme.

15 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to support a hearing aids compatibility (HAC) mode, and

wherein the second external electronic device includes hearing aids.

16 . A method of operating an electronic device, the operating method comprising:

establishing a communication channel with a first external electronic device in a first transmission mode and establishing a communication channel with a second external electronic device;

identifying whether there is an utterance of a user wearing the second external electronic device, while a call connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device is maintained;

operating in a second transmission mode different from the first transmission mode, based on a voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device not being recognized, while the call connection is maintained; and

operating in the first transmission mode, based on the voice signal of the user to be transmitted to the first external electronic device being recognized, while the call connection is maintained.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting a plurality of voice frames including the voice signal of the user to the first external electronic device in the first transmission mode; and

transmitting a plurality of silent frames not including the voice signal of the user to the first external electronic device in the second transmission mode.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of voice frames are transmitted as an RF signal of a first transmit power, and

wherein the plurality of silent frames are transmitted as the RF signal of a second transmit power lower than the first transmit power.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of voice frames are transmitted as an RF signal having a first peak current, and

wherein the plurality of silent frames are transmitted as the RF signal of a second peak current lower than the first peak current.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring a number of times of consecutiveness of a discontinuous transmission interval in which the plurality of silent frames are consecutive, after a last voice frame of a voice interval including the plurality of voice frames;

switching from the first transmission mode to the second transmission mode, based on the number of times of the consecutiveness being greater than or equal to a first threshold;

monitoring the number of transmitted voice frames, after a last silent frame included in the discontinuous transmission interval; and

restoring the second transmission mode to the first transmission mode, based on the number of the voice frames being greater than or equal to a second threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2023
From: CHOI, BYUNGGUN; SEO, YOUNGSEOB
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065072/0162 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0129475 · Oct 11, 2022 · national
KR 10-2022-0156496 · Nov 21, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2023014757 · Sep 26, 2023
Related Publication 20240121333A1 · Apr 11, 2024
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