Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SELECTIVE ADAPTIVE AUDIO CANCELLATION ALGORITHM CONFIGURATION
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to audio noise and echo
cancellation processing
and more particularly to selecting audio noise and echo cancellation
processing algorithms based
on expected operating conditions.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Handheld audio devices, such as telephone handsets or other audio pick-
up devices, are
able to use two or more microphones to perform audio processing such as noise
cancellation or
echo cancellation upon signals picked up from a main microphone positioned on
the device to
detect a user's spoken voice. In many handheld audio devices, the main
microphone, which is
generally referred to below as a "voice microphone," is located close to a
central axis on the
front of the handheld device to maintain a left-right symmetry for picking up
the user's voice.
The left-right symmetry provides similar audio pick-up performance with both
left-handed and
right-handed use. However, the industrial design of some electronic devices
places other
components on the central axis of the front of the handheld device, and
displaces the voice
microphone from such a location. In some instances, the voice microphone is
asymmetrically
located on the front of the handheld device, i.e., away from the central axis
of the handheld
device. This asymmetrical location of the voice microphone often results in
disparate adaptive
sound cancellation, such as echo or noise cancellation, performance between
use of the handheld
device when it is held to a right side or a left side of a speaker's face. Due
to the likelihood that
a right-handed user is likely to hold a handset on the left side of his or her
face, and a left handed
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user is likely to hold a handset to the right side of his or her face, left-
handed and right-handed
users tend to experience different levels of echo or noise cancelling
performance.
[0003] Some designs address this concern by including multiple microphones
that are located on
different portions of the handset where different subsets of those multiple
microphones can be
selected as a main voice pick-up microphone while others of those multiple
microphones are
selected as ambient noise microphones used to support adaptive sound
cancellation processing.
In those designs, some of those multiple microphones configured or selected to
operate as voice
pick-up microphones when the handset is held to the right side of a speaker's
face, and others of
those multiple microphones are configured to operate or are selected to
operate as voice pick-up
microphones when the handset is held to the left side of the speaker's face.
The construction of
devices with these multiple microphones increases the costs and circuit
complexity of the device
due to, for example, the additional microphones and the audio switching and
selection processing
that must be included.
[0004] Therefore, the performance adaptive sound cancellation processing based
on ambient
sounds detected by an ambient sound microphone that is applied to audio
detected by another,
asymmetrically placed voice pick-up microphone on a handset is able to be
adversely affected
based upon which side of the user's face a user is holding the handset.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The accompanying figures where like reference numerals refer to
identical or
functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, and which
together with the detailed
description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification,
serve to further illustrate
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various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in
accordance with the
present disclosure, in which:
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a handheld audio device, according to an example;
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates a handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's
face, according to
one example;
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a handheld device held to a right side of a
speaker's face, according to
an example;
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates a handedness user interface, according to one
example;
[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates an adaptive sound cancellation processor connection
diagram, according
to one example;
[0011] FIG. 6 illustrates an adaptive sound cancellation process, according to
one example; and
[0012] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an electronic device and associated
components.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] As required, detailed embodiments are disclosed herein; however, it is
to be understood
that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and that the systems and
methods described
below can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and
functional details
disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis
for the claims and as a
representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ
the disclosed subject
matter in virtually any appropriately detailed structure and function.
Further, the terms and
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phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather, to provide an
understandable
description.
[0014] The terms "a" or "an", as used herein, are defined as one or more than
one. The term
plurality, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term
another, as used herein, is
defined as at least a second or more. The terms "including" and "having," as
used herein, are
defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term "coupled," as used
herein, is defined as
"connected," although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily
mechanically. The term
"configured to" describes hardware, software or a combination of hardware and
software that is
adapted to, set up, arranged, built, composed, constructed, designed or that
has any combination
of these characteristics to carry out a given function. The term "adapted to"
describes hardware,
software or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of, able to
accommodate, to
make, or that is suitable to carry out a given function. In the following
discussion, "handheld" is
used to describe items, such as "handheld devices," that are sized, shaped,
designed or otherwise
configured to be carried and operated while being held in a human hand.
[0015] Described below are systems and methods that perform effective audio
improvement
processing, on a handheld device, of voice signals picked up by a single voice
microphone that is
placed asymmetrically on the handheld device. In one example, adaptive sound
cancellation
based upon ambient sounds detected by a separate ambient sound microphone is
performed on
audio signals detected by the voice microphone. The below described systems
and methods are
incorporated on handheld devices that have a voice microphone that is placed
asymmetrically
relative to a centerline of the handheld device as the device is held to the
user's face when the
user is speaking into the voice microphone. In the following discussion, a
voice microphone
describes a microphone configured to pick-up a speaker's voice and produces an
electrical
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signal, referred to as a voice signal, that represents that spoken voice.
Handheld devices with an
asymmetrically placed microphone are likely to produce voice signals with
different voice
A
signal-to-noise ratios based upon whether the handheld device is held to a
left side or a right side
of a speaker's face. The below described systems and methods use a single
voice microphone to
pick-up spoken voice sounds regardless of the orientation of the handheld
device with respect to
the speaker's face. The use of a single voice microphone in the below
described systems and
methods allows effective audio improvement processing, such as adaptive audio
cancellation
processing including noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and the like,
without the added
expense and complexity of including multiple microphones that are each used
for voice pick-up
under different conditions.
[0016] The below described systems and methods perform adaptive audio
cancellation
processing on the voice signal to reduce or remove ambient sounds, such as
noise or echo
sounds. Ambient sounds are detected in one example by an ambient sound
microphone that is
placed on the handheld device at a location that is likely to pick-up ambient
sounds but not
emphasize picking-up spoken voice energy by a user holding the device to his
or her face.
Adaptive audio cancellation techniques that are able to be applied to a voice
signal are known by
practitioners in the relevant art and include a number of possible adaptive
processing algorithms
where each algorithm is further able to be adjusted by varying values of
parameters used by
those algorithms. As is generally understood by practitioners in the relevant
arts, although these
voice signal improvement processes are usually referred to in the art as
"cancellation" processes,
the processing often only produces an improved voice signal that has a reduced
level of ambient
sound relative to the ambient sound content of the pre-processed signal. In
the following
discussion, the term "cancellation" is used as it is normally referred to in
the art, and is to be
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understood to include ambient noise "reduction" or other processing that
improves a desired
sound signal, such as a voice signal, by reducing the presence of ambient
sounds that are picked-
up by the voice microphone. Although the following discussion describes
processing that
reduces ambient sounds from a voice signal, a reference to "reducing" ambient
noise also
includes removal of ambient noise from a voice signal.
[0017]
In order to improve the performance of adaptive audio cancellation processing
applied to a voice signal that is produced by a voice microphone that is
asymmetrically located
on a handheld device, the below described systems and methods use an audio
processor that
accepts an orientation indication that indicates an expected position in which
the handheld device
is likely to be held. In the following discussion, the expected position is
able to be an actual or
current position of the handheld device, or the expected position is a
position that is based upon a
user's input. As used herein, the term "expected position" does not refer to a
value or data that is
derived by a mental process or subjective concepts, but refers to an
algorithmically determined
value based upon measured values or user inputs. The expected position in one
example is either
a left position, which corresponds to the handheld device being held to a left
side of a speaker's
face, or a right position, which corresponds to the handheld device being held
to a right side of
the speaker's face. In the following discussion, the term expected position of
a handheld device
refers to either a position in which a user of the handheld device is likely
to hold the device to his
or her face, or to the position in which the user is holding the handheld
device to his or her face
based on positional assumptions. The description of the following examples
refers to making
selections based upon an expected position of the handheld device relative to
a speaker's face.
This selection is referred to as being based upon an expected position because
the determination
of the expected position is based upon information that does not unequivocally
indicate the
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actual orientation of the handheld device relative to the speaker's face. The
following examples
describe various techniques to determine the expected position of the handheld
device.
[0018] In one example, an orientation indication is provided by a user through
a user interface
facility, such as an input screen slider, check box, or the like, that allows
a user of the handheld
device to indicate if he or she is left handed or right handed. In this
example, the expected
position is indicated by this orientation indication based upon which side of
a person's face a left
handed or a right handed person is likely to prefer to hold the handheld
device. In an alternative,
an orientation indication is able to be a user input that specifies which side
of his or her face he
or she prefers to hold the handheld device. Based on the received orientation
indication, an
adaptive audio processor selects or alters one or more adaptive sound
cancelling algorithm
configurations to more effectively operate with the expected voice signal
characteristics, such as
different signal-to-noise ratios, that are produced by an asymmetrically
located voice microphone
when the handheld device is held to one side of the speaker's face or the
other. In this example,
the orientation indication does not reflect the actual or current orientation
of the device.
[0019] In further examples, the expected orientation of the handheld device is
able to be
indicated by an orientation indication that indicates a measured or determined
orientation of the
handheld device with respect to a horizontal reference, such as the ground.
The orientation of
the handheld device with respect to the ground is able to be measured or
determined by various
other techniques, such as accelerometer or gyroscope based orientation sensors
that determine
the orientation of the handheld device with respect to the ground. In one
example, orientation of
a device is able to be determined by using a Microelectromechanical System
(MEMS)
accelerometer based orientation sensor. In those examples, the expected
position is indicated by
the determined orientation of the handheld device with respect to the ground
given an
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assumption that the user's head is upright. In this example, the orientation
indication reflect the
current or actual orientation of the handheld device. Based on that
orientation and the assumed
position of the speaker's head, the expected position of the handheld device
is indicated as being
one of held to the left side or held to the right side of a speaker's face. An
expected position
based upon a present orientation as determined by an orientation sensor may
not accurately
reflect which side of the speaker's face the handheld device is being held
since, for example, the
user may by lying down.
[0020] The expected orientation of the handheld device is able to be detected
in further examples
by other techniques. In one example, a likely orientation of the handheld
device is able to be
determined by light sensors that are placed at various locations around the
body of the handheld
device. For example, a first set of one or more light sensors is able to be
placed at locations on
the body of the handheld device such that a hand, the person's ear or other
areas of the persons
head or body is likely to be covering those light sensors when the handheld
device is held on one
side of the person's head. Additionally, a second set of light sensors is able
to be placed at
locations that are not likely to be covered when the handheld device is held
to that side of the
person's head. The locations of the first set and, if present, the second set
of light sensors are
selected so as to also be in locations where the first set of light sensors is
not likely to be covered
when held to the other side of the person's head, while the second set of
light sensors are likely
to be covered when the handheld device is held on the other side of the
person's head. A
processor is able to determine which light sensors are exposed to light, and
which light sensors
are not exposed to light, and an orientation indication is able to be provided
based on those
determinations.
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=
[0021] As described below, two characteristics that are affected by the side
of the speaker's face
to which the handheld device is held is the voice signal-to-noise ratio
present in the voice signal
produced by a voice microphone, and the level of the speaker's voice that may
be present in the
ambient sound signal produced by the ambient sound microphone. The placement
of
microphones is generally chosen to maximize voice sound pick-up by the voice
microphone and
lessen the voice pick-up by the ambient sound microphone. This placement is
generally chosen
based on an assumption that the user is right-handed, and therefore likely to
hold the handheld
device to the left side of his or her face. When the handheld device is held
to the right side of the
speaker's face, the voice signal-to-noise ratio is likely to be reduced, and
in some designs the
voice energy picked-up by the ambient sound microphone is likely to increase
over the voice
signal picked-up by the ambient sound microphone when the device is held to
the left side of the
speaker's face.
[0022] The below described adaptive sound cancellation processing is able to
use various
adaptive sound cancellation processing algorithms that are each able to have
different parameter
values to control their operation. In the below discussion, an adaptive sound
cancellation
processing algorithm configuration refers to a combination of the particular
adaptive sound
cancellation processing algorithm and the specific parameter values used to
control the operation
of the that algorithm. The adaptive sound cancellation processing algorithm
configurations used
by the below described systems and methods are able to accommodate the changes
in voice
signals and ambient sound signals by various techniques. For example,
different adaptive sound
cancellation algorithms are able to be selected based upon whether the
expected position in
which the handheld device is held is to the left side or the right side of the
speaker's face.
Further, the same adaptive sound cancellation algorithm is able to be used but
different
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. ,
,
parameters are able to be set for that algorithm based upon whether the
expected position of the
handheld device is to the left side or the right side of the speaker's face.
_
[0023] In general, the below described systems and methods select algorithms,
parameters, or
,
both, for adaptive sound cancellation processing to accommodate lower voice
signal-to-noise
ratios in voice signals that are produced when the handheld device is held to
a right side of a
speaker's face relative to when it is held to the left side of the speaker's
face. In some examples,
the below described systems and methods select algorithms, parameters, or
both, for the adaptive
sound cancellation processing to also accommodate a higher level of the
speaker's voice in the
detected ambient sound signal when the expected position is a right side of a
speaker's face
relative to when the expected position is to the left side of the speaker's
face.
[0024] The following discussion describes a handheld device with microphones
placed at
locations that are selected to operate more effectively when the handheld
device is held to the left
side of a user's face. It is clear that the below described systems and
methods are able to be
applied to other devices with other microphone locations, such as handheld
devices with
microphone placements that operate more effectively when the handheld device
is held to the
right side of the user's face. Further, the below described systems and
methods are able to be
applied to non-handheld devices to accommodate expected locations of persons
speaking into the
device.
[0025] Various differences are possible between adaptive sound cancellation
algorithm
configurations that are selected based upon which side of speaker's face the
handheld device is
likely to be held. One example of differences based upon a side of the
speaker's face on which
the handheld device is likely to be held includes performing ambient sound
cancellation or
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reduction such that the amount of ambient sound reduction is different based
upon which side of
speaker's face the handheld device is likely to be held. In one example, noise
cancellation or
reduction processing using a spectral subtraction algorithm is able to select
different amounts of
noise reduction when it is expected that the handheld device is held on the
left side and the right
side of the speaker's face. In one example, when high voice signal-to-noise
ratios are expected,
such as when the expected location of the handheld device is on the left side
of a speaker's face,
an adaptive sound cancellation algorithm configuration is selected that uses a
spectral subtraction
algorithm with 20 dB of noise reduction. When a low voice signal-to-noise
ratios is expected,
such as when the expected position of the handheld device is on the right side
of a speaker's
face, an adaptive sound cancellation algorithm configuration is selected that
uses a spectral
subtraction algorithm with 10 dB of noise reduction. Another example includes
selecting to use
an adaptive noise cancellation algorithm that uses a dynamic noise model when
high voice
signal-to-noise ratios are expected, such as when the expected position of the
handheld device is
on the left side of a speaker's face, and a static model is used when low
voice signal-to-noise
ratios are expected, such as when the expected position of the handheld device
is on the right
side of a speaker's face. Additional differences between adaptive sound
cancellation algorithm
configurations that are selected based upon the side of a speaker's face on
which the handheld
device is expected to be held include, for example, changes in frequency
dependent factors in the
algorithm and changes in a beta factor of some noise reduction algorithms.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a handheld audio device 100, according to an
example. The handheld
audio device 100 is an example of a portable electronic device that is able to
include an audio
processor as is described below. The handheld audio device 100 in this example
is a wireless
voice and data communication device such as a smartphone. Further examples of
a handheld
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device that is able to include an audio processor as is described below
include cellular telephone
handsets, telephone handsets, other audio pick-up devices, and the like.
[0027] The handheld audio device 100 includes a handheld body 102 that
provides mounting
locations and that serves as an enclosure for various components. Illustrated
as mounted on
outside locations of the handheld body 102 are an earpiece speaker 112, a
display screen 110, a
voice microphone 106 and an ambient sound microphone 104. Further electronic
components
are mounted within the handheld body 102 to provide functions whereby the
handheld audio
device 100 is able to operate as a wireless voice and data communications
device and perform
other audio and data processing functions.
[0028] The illustrated handheld body 102 depicts a view of an aspect of the
handheld device 100
that shows a front 120 and a left side 122 of the handheld device 100. A
centerline 108 is
depicted on the front 120 so as to bisect the front into a right half 124 and
a left half 126. In the
following discussion, the centerline 108 is referred to as extending in a
vertical direction, and a
direction extending across the front 120 and that is perpendicular to the
centerline is referred to
as a horizontal direction. It is to be understood that the handheld device 100
is able to be held in
any orientation and that references to a vertical direction or a horizontal
direction are to facilitate
the description of various aspects of the illustrated example and are not to
be understood as
limiting in any way.
[0029] In the illustrated example, the display screen 110 occupies most of the
area of the front
120 such that little area remains for externally mounting components on the
front 120 of the
handheld device 100. The earpiece speaker 112 is shown in this example to be
located in a
horizontally central position at the vertical top of the handheld body 102.
The voice microphone
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106, however, is positioned on the right half 124 at a location that is near a
right horizontal edge
130 of the handheld body 102.
_
[0030] In various modes of operation, the handheld device 100 is used when a
user of the device
is speaking and the user can be considered to be a speaker whose voice is to
be detected by the
voice microphone 106. As described in further detail below, the location of
the voice
microphone 106 near the right horizontal edge 130 causes the voice microphone
to be expected
to be located at a farther distance from a speaker's mouth when the handheld
body 102 is held to
a right side of a speaker's face than when the handheld body 102 is held to
the left side of a
speaker's face. In other words, when the handheld body 102 is held to the
right side of the
speaker's face, the voice microphone is expected to be located closer to the
speaker's mouth than
when the handheld body 102 is held to the left side of the speaker's face.
[0031] The voice microphone 106 is located on the front 120 of the handheld
body 102 and
detects a speaker's voice when the handheld body 102 is held near the
speaker's face. The voice
microphone produces a voice signal that represents the detected speaker's
voice. The voice
microphone will also, however, detect ambient sounds, such as noise and
echoes, and those
additional ambient sounds will also be represented in the voice signal
produced by the voice
microphone. In general, it is desirable to reduce or remove ambient sounds
other than the
speaker's voice that are present in the voice signal produced by the voice
microphone 106.
[0032] The illustrated handheld device 100 depicts an ambient sound microphone
104 that is
mounted on an upper part of the left side 122 of the handheld body 102. The
mounting of the
ambient sound microphone 104 in the upper part of the left side 122 places the
ambient sound
microphone 104 near the earpiece speaker 112 and near the speaker's ear. The
ambient sound
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microphone 104 detects ambient sounds and produces an ambient sound signal
that is used by
various functions performed by an audio processor, which is described in
further detail below,
located within the handheld body 102. For example, an adaptive sound
cancellation processor is
able to apply one or more adaptive sound cancellation algorithms to voice
signals produced by
the voice microphone 106 to reduce the ambient sounds contained in the voice
signal based upon
the ambient sound signal produced by the ambient sound microphone 104.
[0033] An example application for the ambient sound signal produced by the
ambient sound
microphone 104 is to detect echo sounds that are either echoes of a user's
speech when talking
into the voice microphone 106, or that are echoes of sounds emitted by the
earpiece speaker 112
or by other speakers (not shown) emitting sound produced by the handheld
device 100. Ambient
sound signals representing echo sounds detected by an ambient sound microphone
104 are
provided in one example to an adaptive sound cancelation processor to
implement echo
cancellation processing on the voice signal produced by the voice microphone
106. Echo
cancellation processing is able to be applied when the handheld body 102 is
held to a speaker's
face or when the handheld device 100 is used as a speaker phone.
[0034] Another example application of ambient sound signals produced by the
ambient sound
microphone 104 is to detect ambient acoustic noise that is present in the
environment in which
the handheld device 100 is being used. Ambient acoustic noise detected by the
ambient sound
microphone 104 is used in one example by an adaptive sound cancellation
processor to cancel
similar ambient acoustic noise energy that is present in a voice signal
produced by the voice
microphone 106.
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. .
[0035] The illustrated example depicts an ambient sound microphone 104 that is
located on a left
side 122 of the handheld body 102. In further examples, an ambient sound
microphone is able to
be located on any surface of the handheld body 102, or is able to be located
remotely. In yet
further examples, multiple ambient sound microphones are able to be located at
various locations
around the handheld body 102.
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's
face 200, according
to one example. The handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's face
200 depicts a side
view of a right side of a speaker's head 202 with a handheld device 204 placed
on the far, or left,
side of the depicted speaker's head 202. In this example, the handheld device
204 is a cellular
telephone handset and the depicted user is speaking into the handheld device
204 as part of
carrying out a telephone call. In the illustrated example, and further
referring to FIG. 1 discussed
above, the handheld device 204 is similar to the above described handheld
device 100 and has a
form similar to the above described handheld body 102.
[0037] In operating as a cellular telephone handset, the handheld device 204
also produces audio
that is delivered to the user's ear. Referring to the handheld body 102 and
earpiece speaker 112
described above, the handheld device 204 has a similar earpiece speaker (not
show in this figure)
that is placed over the user's left ear (not shown) when in the position
illustrated in the handheld
device held to a left side of a speaker's face 200.
[0038] As shown in the handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's face
200, the user is
able to be considered as a speaker, and the speaker's head 202 includes a
speaker's face on
which the handheld device 204 is held to one side or the other. It is clear
from the illustrated
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perspective of the handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's face 200
that the handheld
device 204 is on the left side of the speaker's face.
[0039] The handheld device 204 is shown to have a voice microphone 208. The
voice
microphone 208 is shown at a location that is close to a right edge 210 of the
handheld device
204. As shown in a typical arrangement where the user is holding the handheld
device 204 to the
left side of his or her face, it is seen that the voice microphone 208 is
located at a first distance d1
212 from the speaker's mouth 206. As is discussed above with regards to FIG.
1, the voice
microphone is located to one side on the front of the handheld device 204.
Because right handed
people tend to hold a handset, such as the handheld device 204, to the left
side of their face, the
voice microphone 208 is placed so as to be closer to the speaker's mouth 206
when held to the
left side of the speaker's face. In the design of this handheld device 204,
the voice microphone is
near the right edge 210, which is near the top of the handheld device 204 as
it is positioned on
the left side of the speaker's face.
[0040] The handheld device 204 in this example further has an ambient sound
microphone (not
shown) that is located on an upper part of a left side 214 of the handheld
device 204. The
ambient sound microphone on the left side 214 of the handheld device 204 is
similar to the
ambient sound microphone 104 located on the left side 122 of the handheld
device 100 described
above. As shown for the handheld device 100, the ambient sound microphone of
the handheld
device 204 is located near the top of the left side 214, near the speaker's
ear. As depicted in the
handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's face 200, the voice
microphone 208 is relatively
close to the speaker's mouth 206. It is also clear that an ambient sound
microphone located on
the upper part of the left side 214 is much farther from the speaker's mouth
than the voice
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microphone 208, and is likely to pick-up a lower level of voice energy from
the speaker's mouth
206.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates a handheld device held to a right side of a
speaker's face 300, according
to an example. The elements of the handheld device held to a right side of a
speaker's face 300
are similar to the above described handheld device held to a left side of a
speaker's face 200
except that the user is holding the handheld device 204 to the right side of
his or her face. In this
orientation, the voice microphone 208, along with the right edge 210 of the
handheld device 204,
is located near the bottom of the handheld device as it is positioned on the
right side of the
speaker's face.
[0042] As shown, when the handheld device 204 is held to the right side of the
speaker's face,
the voice microphone is located at a second distance d2 302 from the speaker's
mouth 206. In
this orientation, the second distance d2 302 is longer than the first distance
d1 212. Due to the
close proximity of a handheld device 204 to a speaker's mouth, an
asymmetrically located voice
microphone, such as voice microphone 208 that is located near an edge of a
handheld body, the
second distance d2 is able to be many times the first distance d1 212. Because
sound energy
decreases with the square of distance, the sound energy reaching the voice
microphone 208 when
the handheld device 204 is held on the right side of the user face is able to
be much lower than
the sound energy reaching the voice microphone 208 when the handheld device
204 is held on
the left side of the speaker's face.
[0043] For example, if d2 is twice the distance of d1, the sound energy from
the speaker's mouth
206 when the handheld device 204 is held to the speaker's face right side is
one fourth of the
sound energy as when the handheld device 204 is held to the speaker's face
left side. If d2 is
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three time the distance of di, the sound energy from the speaker's mouth 206
when the handheld
device 204 is held to the speaker's face right side is one ninth of the sound
energy as when the
handheld device 204 is held to the speaker's face left side. This reduction in
sound energy of the
speaker's voice as a function of which side of the speaker's face the handheld
device is held
causes a correspondingly large reduction in signal-to-noise ratio for the
voice signal produced by
the voice microphone 208.
[0044] As described above, the handheld device 204 has an ambient sound
microphone (not
shown in this figure) on the upper part of the left side 214. As depicted in
the handheld device
held to a right side of a speaker's face 300, the left side 214 is closer to
the speaker's mouth 206
than in the handheld device held to a left side of a speaker's face 200. This
arrangement is likely
to increase the sound energy of the speaker's voice that the ambient sound
microphone (not
shown in this figure) on the left side 214 receives, thereby increasing the
voice content in the
ambient sound signal produced by the ambient sound microphone. The combination
of a
reduced voice signal-to-noise ratio in the voice signal produced by the voice
microphone 208
along with the increased voice signal energy in the ambient sound signal
produced by the
ambient microphone when the handheld device 204 is held to the right side of
the speaker's face
is able to cause poor performance with adaptive sound cancellation algorithms
that operate to
reduce signals present in an ambient sound signal from the voice signal. In
some instances, a
significant cancellation of the desired voice signal has been observed by
these algorithms when
operating under these conditions.
[0045] Several other factors also contribute to the degradation in adaptive
sound cancellation
algorithm performance when a handheld device 204, that has an asymmetrically
located voice
microphone, is held to one side of a speaker's face rather than another. For
example, some
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. .
adaptive sound cancelling algorithms are sensitive to low signal-to-noise
ratios in the voice
signal, i.e., the signal from which sound is to be adaptively cancelled. In
one example, an
_
adaptive noise cancelling algorithm with a particular set of parameters may be
able to very
_
effectively cancel ambient noise from voice signals with high voice signal-to-
noise ratios. That
adaptive noise cancelling algorithm with those parameters, however, may also
operate to poorly
isolate the voice content in a voice signal with a low signal-to-noise ratio
and therefore operate to
cancel most of the audio in the voice signal, including the desired voice
content.
[0046] In order to improve the performance of adaptive audio cancellation
processing applied to
a voice signal that is produced by a voice microphone that is asymmetrically
located on a
handheld device, an audio processor in one example receives an orientation
indication that
indicates if the handheld device is expected to be one held to a left side of
a speaker's face or to a
right side of the speaker's face. In one example, the orientation indication
is provided through a
user interface facility, such as an input screen slider, check box, or the
like, that allows a user of
the handheld device to indicate if he or she is left handed or right handed.
Based on the
orientation indication, and assumptions regarding preferences of a left handed
or right handed
person in holding a handheld device, an adaptive audio processor selects or
alters one or more
adaptive sound cancelling algorithm configurations to more effectively operate
with the expected
voice signal-to-noise ratios that are produced by an asymmetrically located
voice microphone
when the handheld device is held to one side of the speaker's face or the
other.
[0047] In this description, a particular sound cancellation algorithm
configuration includes a
particular processing algorithm and also the particular values of any
parameters that are able to
be adjusted for that particular algorithm. In one example, some algorithms are
able to be
configured with different parameter values to control the operation of the
algorithm and thereby
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cause the algorithm to operate differently with different parameter values. In
this description,
two instances of a similar processing algorithm that are each configured with
parameters having
_
different values are considered to be different sound cancellation algorithm
configurations.
_
[0048] An example design and operation of a system including an adaptive sound
cancellation
processor is described below. The following discussion describes an example
user interface to
control part of the operation of the adaptive sound cancellation processor and
also depicts a
circuit configuration for an example system. It is clear that the following
example is not limiting
and that other designs, configurations, and operational details are also able
to effectively utilize
the concepts described by the following example.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates a handedness user interface 400, according to one
example. The
handedness user interface 400 depicts a graphical user interface 402 that is
displayed, for
example, on a touch screen of a handheld device. With reference to FIG. 1, the
graphical user
interface 402 is able to be displayed on the display screen 110. The
handedness user interface
400 is an example of an orientation sensor that produces an orientation
indication that indicates
an expected position of a device. In one example, the orientation indication
produced by the
handedness user interface 400 is able to have two states. In one example, the
first state indicates
that the expected position of a handheld body is its being held to a left side
of a speaker's face.
In that example, the second state that indicates that the expected position of
the handheld body is
its being held to the right side of the speaker's face.
[0050] The graphical user interface 402 includes a slider switch 404 that is a
graphical user
interface element. The slider switch 404 is shown as selecting a right handed
operation, whereby
the displayed graphical user interface element includes a component, such as a
filled block of the
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. .
,
slider switch 404, that is closest to the "RIGHT HANDED" label 410. When the
slider switch
404 is selecting the right handed operation, an orientation indication is
provided to an adaptive
_
sound cancellation processor that indicates that expected position of the
handheld device the left
_
side of the speaker's face. In one example, the adaptive sound cancellation
processor selects
adaptive sound cancellation algorithms that perform well under the expected
voice signal-to-
noise ratios contained in the voice signals produced by a voice microphone
when the handheld
device is held to the left side of the speaker's face.
[0051] The user is able to cause the slider switch 404 to move from selecting
the right handed
operation position (shown) to selecting a left handed operation position. In
one example, a user
is able to place his or her finger on the slider switch 404 and move that
finger from the right to
left, thereby causing the slider switch 404 to move to, so as to select, a
left handed operation
position (not shown). When selecting the left handed operation position, the
graphical user
interface element has a component, such as a filled block of the slider switch
404, that is closest
to the "LEFT HANDED" label 412. When the slider switch 404 is selecting the
left handed
operation position, an orientation indication is provided to an adaptive sound
cancellation
processor indicating that the handheld device is expected to be on the right
side of the speaker's
face.
[0052] In one example, the adaptive sound cancellation processor selects
adaptive sound
cancellation algorithms that perform well under the expected voice signal-to-
noise ratios
contained in the voice signals produced by a voice microphone when the
handheld device is held
to the right side of the speaker's face. As is discussed above, an
asymmetrically located voice
microphone may be positioned on the front 120 of a handheld device 100 so as
to operate more
effectively when used by a right handed user, i.e., when the handheld device
is held to the left
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side of the a speaker's face. When the handheld device 100 is held to the
right side of the
speaker's face, a lower voice signal-to-noise ratio is expected due to the
voice microphone
placement. In the above described example, different adaptive sound
cancellation algorithm
- configurations are used based upon the selection of the slider switch
404 to more effectively
accommodate these different voice signal-to-noise ratios.
[0053] In further examples, an indication of the expected position of the
handheld device as
being to a left side or a right side of a speaker's face is able to be
provided by any suitable
technique. For example, an electro-mechanical switch is able to be operated by
a user in a
manner similar to the above graphical user interface of the handedness user
interface 400 to
allow a user to select a left handed or right handed operation. An orientation
sensor, such as an
accelerometer or gyroscope based orientation sensor, is further able to be
used in addition to or
instead of the handedness user interface 400 to further detect if the handheld
device is positioned
in a manner that is likely to indicate that it is being held to the left side
or the right side of the
speaker's face.
[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates an adaptive sound cancellation processor connection
diagram 500,
according to one example. The adaptive sound cancellation processor connection
diagram 500
depicts a portion of an audio processor that is able to be included in the
above described
handheld device 100, handheld device 204, or in any handheld device to
adaptively process an
audio signal based on detected ambient sound energy.
[0055] The adaptive sound cancellation processor connection diagram 500
includes a noise/echo
cancellation processor 502. The noise/echo cancellation processor 502 is an
adaptive sound
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cancellation processor that performs adaptive filtering of a voice signal to
reduce or remove
detected ambient noise, echoes, or both.
[0056] The noise/echo cancellation processor 502 receives a voice signal 504
from a voice
microphone 520. With reference to FIG. 1, the voice signal 504 in one example
is produced by
the depicted voice microphone 106. The noise/echo cancellation processor 502
further receives
an ambient sound signal 506 that contains ambient sound information, such as
ambient noise
sound information or echo sound information, from an ambient sound microphone
522. With
reference to the above described handheld device 100, the ambient sound signal
506 in one
example is produced by an ambient sound microphone 104.
[0057] In various examples an electronic device that includes a noise/echo
cancellation
processor 502 is able to operate with multiple voice microphones, multiple
ambient sound
microphones, or both multiple voice microphones and multiple ambient sound
microphones. In
some examples, a particular microphone may be alternatively used as either a
voice microphone
or as an ambient sound microphone based upon, for example, the orientation of
the electronic
device relative to the person speaking. In some examples, multiple microphones
are able to be
connected as a microphone array where their output signals are added with
appropriate phase
delays to form a synthesized audio reception beam for the microphone array.
Such microphone
arrays are able to form a reception beam that is directed to a speaker's mouth
or form a reception
pattern with attenuated sensitivity in a particular direction, such as in a
direction from which an
acoustic noise source is received.
[0058] The noise/echo cancellation processor 502 further receives an
orientation indication 508
that is able to have two states. The two states of the orientation indication
508 indicate, for
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example, if the user of the handheld device is left handed or right handed,
and therefore whether
the expected position of the handheld device is to a left side or a right side
of the speaker's face.
In a further example, the orientation indication 508 is determined by an
orientation sensor, such
as an accelerometer or gyroscope based orientation sensor, and indicates the
current orientation
of the handheld device relative to a horizontal reference, such as the ground.
Two states of an
orientation indication determined by an orientation sensor are able to be
determined by, for
example, a value of orientation relative to a threshold. The two states of the
orientation
indication 508 are able to be indicated by, for example, different voltage
levels on a conductor, a
data message sent over a data interface, or any other indication
communications mechanism.
[0059] In one example, the noise/echo cancellation processor 502 is able to
select from a number
of adaptive sound cancellation algorithm configurations to apply to voice
signals 504 to reduce
or remove ambient noise based upon noise content detected in the ambient noise
signal 506. The
noise/echo cancellation processor 502 selects an adaptive sound cancellation
algorithm
configuration to use to adaptively cancel ambient sound from the voice signal
504 based upon
the state of the orientation indication 508. An ambient sound cancelled audio
output 510 is
produced by the noise/echo cancellation processor 502 and is used in one
example as an audio
signal to be transmitted by a cellular telephone.
[0060] In the above example, the noise/echo cancellation processor 502 is able
to implement a
single selected processing algorithm to adaptively cancel ambient noise from
the voice signal
504 when the orientation indication 508 is in either state but different
parameter values are used
for the processing algorithm based upon the state of the orientation
indication 508. For example,
a first set of parameter values for the selected processing algorithm is used
when the orientation
indication 508 is in a first state, and a second set of parameter values for
the selected processing
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. .
algorithm is used when the orientation indication 508 is in a second state.
The values of the first
set of parameters in one example are defined to cause the selected algorithm
to more effectively
_
process voice signals that have a low signal-to-noise ratio. The values of the
second set of
,
parameters are then defined to cause the selected algorithm to more
effectively process voice
signals that have higher signal-to-noise ratios.
[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates an adaptive sound cancellation process 600,
according to one example.
The adaptive sound cancellation process 600 is an example of a method of
processing audio
signals that is performed in one example by a noise/echo cancellation
processor 502 described
above. In further examples, all or parts of the adaptive sound cancellation
process 600 is able to
be performed by an audio processor or by a general purpose processor that is
controlling an
audio processor that is performing adaptive sound cancellation processing. For
example, a
general purpose processor is able to adjust or reconfigure parameters that
control an adaptive
sound cancellation algorithm executed by a separate audio processor.
[0062] The adaptive sound cancellation process 600 begins by determining, at
602, whether a
device is selected for left handed operation. In one example, a user is able
to indicate via a user
interface whether the user is right handed or left handed. In that example, a
determination that
the device is selected for left handed operation is based on input received
through that user
interface. In further examples, the determination of whether a device is
selected for left handed
operation is based upon an output of an orientation sensor, such as an
accelerometer or
gyroscope based orientation sensor, that determines the orientation of a
device with respect to the
ground.
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[0063] If it is determined that the device is selected for left handed
operation, the adaptive sound
cancellation process 600 selects, at 604, a first sound cancellation algorithm
configuration
selected to process voice signals. In one example, the first sound
cancellation algorithm
configuration is defined to effectively process voice signals with a low voice
signal-to-noise
ratio. The first sound cancellation algorithm configuration is also defined to
accommodate
differences in voice pick-up between a voice microphone and an ambient sound
microphone
when the handheld device is held to a right side of the speaker's face.
[0064] If it is not determined that the device is selected for left handed
operation, the adaptive
sound cancellation process 600 selects, at 606, a second sound cancellation
algorithm
configuration. In one example, the second sound cancellation algorithm
configuration is defined
to effectively process voice signals with a higher voice signal-to-noise
ratio. The second sound
cancellation algorithm configuration is also defined to accommodate
differences in voice pick-up
between a voice microphone and an ambient sound microphone when the handheld
device is
held to a left side of the speaker's face.
[0065] After selecting either a first sound cancellation algorithm
configuration or a second sound
cancellation algorithm, the adaptive sound cancellation process 600 receives,
at 608, a voice
signal from a voice microphone. The adaptive sound cancellation process 600
further receives,
at 610, an ambient sound signal from an ambient sound microphone. The adaptive
sound
cancellation process 600 proceeds to perform, at 612, adaptive sound
cancellation processing to
at least partially remove ambient sounds from the voice signal. The adaptive
sound cancellation
process 600 then returns to determine, at 602, whether a device is selected
for left handed
operation.
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. ,
[0066] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an electronic device and associated
components 700 that is
able to include the above described systems and perform the above described
methods. In this
_
example, an electronic device 752 is a wireless two-way communication device
with voice and
- data communication capabilities. Such electronic devices communicate with
a wireless network
750, which is able to include a wireless voice network, a wireless data
network, or both, that use
one or more wireless communications protocols. Wireless voice communications
are performed
using either an analog or digital wireless communication channel. Data
communications allow
the electronic device 752 to communicate with other computer systems via the
Internet.
Examples of electronic devices that are able to incorporate the above
described systems and
methods include, for example, a data messaging device, a two-way pager, a
cellular telephone
with data messaging capabilities, a wireless Internet appliance or a data
communication device
that may or may not include telephony capabilities.
[0067] The illustrated electronic device 752 is an example electronic device
that includes two-
way wireless communications functions. Such electronic devices incorporate a
wireless
communication component that includes a wireless communications subsystem
including
elements such as a wireless transmitter 710, a wireless receiver 712, and
associated components
such as one or more antenna elements 714 and 716. A digital signal processor
(DSP) 708
performs processing to extract data from received wireless signals and to
generate signals to be
transmitted. The particular design of the communication subsystem is dependent
upon the
wireless communications network and associated wireless communications
protocols with which
the device is intended to operate.
[0068] The electronic device 752 includes a microprocessor 702 that controls
the overall
operation of the electronic device 752. The microprocessor 702 interacts with
the above
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. ,
,
described communications subsystem elements and also interacts with other
device subsystems
such as flash memory 706, random access memory (RAM) 704, auxiliary
input/output (I/O)
_
device 738, USB Port 728, display 734, touch sensor 740, keyboard 736, speaker
732, audio
-, processor 744, a short-range communications subsystem 720, an
orientation sensor 754, a
handedness indicator 748, a power subsystem and charging controller 726, and
any other device
subsystems.
[0069] The handedness indicator 748 provides an orientation indication to the
microprocessor
702 that represents whether the electronic device 752 is expected to be
positioned on a left side
or a right side of a user's face based upon whether the user is left handed or
right handed. The
handedness user interface 400 is an example of a user interface of a
handedness indicator 748. In
the example of the handedness user interface 400, a user provides an input
that indicates whether
he or she is left handed or right handed. The indication provided by the
handedness indicator
748 is received, in one example, by an orientation input in the microprocessor
702 and is used to
select which sound cancellation algorithm configuration is to be applied in
adaptive sound
cancellation processing.
[0070] The electronic device 752 in one example further includes an
orientation sensor 754.
Various electronic devices are able to incorporate one or more orientation
sensors that include,
for example, accelerometer or gyroscope based orientation sensors, light
sensors that are located
at locations on a case of the electronic device such that the light sensors
are exposed or covered
based upon a position or location of a user's hand when holding the electronic
device 752 to
either the right side or left side of the user's face, or any other type of
apparatus that is able to
provide an indication of the orientation of the electronic device 752 or the
side of the user's face
to which the electronic device 752 is expected to be held. In some examples,
the orientation
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sensor produces an indication of the current orientation of the electronic
device relative to the
ground. As described above, an expected position of the handheld device is
indicted by the
current orientation of the electronic device 752 relative to a horizontal
reference such as the
ground. In various examples, the orientation sensor 754 is able to be used in
place of or in
conjunction with the handedness indicator 748.
[0071] The electronic device 752 in one example includes an audio subsystem
746 that includes
an audio processor 744, a voice microphone 730 and at least one ambient
microphone(s) 742. As
discussed above, an audio processor 744 in one example receives a voice signal
representing a
user's voice and some ambient sounds that are detected by the voice microphone
730 and an
ambient sound signal representing ambient sounds detected by the ambient
microphone 742, and
performs processing to partially cancel or reduce ambient sound content from
the voice signal.
As is also described above, the audio processor 744 is able to receive an
orientation indication
that indicates an expected position in which the electronic device 752 is
held, such as on a right
side or a left side of a speaker's face. In one example, the microprocessor
702 provides the
orientation indication based upon a signal received from one or both of the
handedness indicator
748 or the orientation sensor 754.
[0072] The display 734 in one example is able to be a touch screen display
such as is discussed
above. In this example, the display 734 has an attached touch sensor 740. In
the case of a touch
screen display, the display 734 and the touch sensor 740 provide user input
information to
microprocessor 702 in addition to presenting information provided by
microprocessor 702. In
the case of a touch screen display 734 with touch sensor 740, the keyboard 736
may not be
included in the electronic device 752 or the keyboard 736 may include a
reduced number of
keys.
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_ .
[0073] A power pack 724 is connected to a power subsystem and charging
controller 726. The
power pack 724 provides power to the circuits of the electronic device 752.
The power
_
subsystem and charging controller 726 includes power distribution circuitry
for providing power
to the electronic device 752 and also contains power pack charging controller
circuitry to manage
recharging the power pack 724.
[0074] The USB port 728 provides data communication between the electronic
device 752 and
one or more external devices. Data communication through USB port 728 enables
a user to set
preferences through the external device or through a software application and
extends the
capabilities of the device by enabling information or software exchange
through direct
connections between the electronic device 752 and external data sources rather
than through a
wireless data communication network.
[0075] Operating system software used by the microprocessor 702 is stored in
flash memory
706. Further examples are able to use a power pack backed-up RAM or other non-
volatile
storage data elements to store operating systems, other executable programs,
or both. The
operating system software, device application software, or parts thereof, are
able to be
temporarily loaded into volatile data storage such as RAM 704. Data received
via wireless
communication signals or through wired communications are also able to be
stored to RAM 704.
[0076] The microprocessor 702, in addition to its operating system functions,
is able to execute
software applications on the electronic device 752. A predetermined set of
applications that
control basic device operations, including at least data and voice
communication applications, is
able to be installed on the electronic device 752 during manufacture. Examples
of applications
that are able to be loaded onto the device may be a personal information
manager (PIM)
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application having the ability to organize and manage data items relating to
the device user, such
as, but not limited to, e-mail, calendar events, voice mails, appointments,
and task items.
[0077] Further applications may also be loaded onto the electronic device 752
through, for
example, the wireless network 750, an auxiliary I/O device 738, USB port 728,
short-range
communications subsystem 720, or any combination of these interfaces. Such
applications are
then able to be installed by a user in the RAM 704 or a non-volatile store for
execution by the
microprocessor 702.
[0078] In a data communication mode, a received signal such as a text message
or web page
download is processed by the communication subsystem, including wireless
receiver 712 and
wireless transmitter 710, and communicated data is provided the microprocessor
702, which is
able to further process the received data for output to the display 734, or
alternatively, to an
auxiliary I/O device 738 or the USB port 728. A user of the electronic device
752 may also
compose data items, such as e-mail messages, using the keyboard 736, which is
able to include a
complete alphanumeric keyboard or a telephone-type keypad, in conjunction with
the display
734 and possibly an auxiliary I/O device 738. Such composed items are then
able to be
transmitted over a communication network through the communication subsystem.
[0079] For voice communications, overall operation of the electronic device
752 is substantially
similar, except that received signals are generally provided to a speaker 732
and signals for
transmission are generally produced by a microphone, such as voice microphone
730. In some
examples, an audio processor 744 is able to produce a voice signal detected by
a voice
microphone 730 but with ambient sound detected by the ambient microphone 742
partially
cancelled. Alternative voice or audio I/O subsystems, such as a voice message
recording
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subsystem, may also be implemented on the electronic device 752. Although
voice or audio
signal output is generally accomplished primarily through the speaker 732, the
display 734 may
also be used to provide an indication of the identity of a calling party, the
duration of a voice
call, or other voice call related information, for example.
[0080] Depending on conditions or statuses of the electronic device 752, one
or more particular
functions associated with a subsystem circuit may be disabled, or an entire
subsystem circuit
may be disabled. For example, if the power pack temperature is high, then
voice functions may
be disabled, but data communications, such as e-mail, may still be enabled
over the
communication subsystem.
[0081] A short-range communications subsystem 720 is a further optional
component which
may provide for communication between the electronic device 752 and different
systems or
devices, which need not necessarily be similar devices. For example, the short-
range
communications subsystem 720 may include an infrared device and associated
circuits and
components or a Radio Frequency based communication module such as one
supporting
Bluetooth communications, to provide for communication with similarly-enabled
systems and
devices.
[0082] A media reader 760 is able to be connected to an auxiliary I/O device
738 to allow, for
example, loading computer readable program code of a computer program product
into the
electronic device 752 for storage into flash memory 706. One example of a
media reader 760 is
an optical drive such as a CD/DVD drive, which may be used to store data to
and read data from
a computer readable medium or storage product such as computer readable
storage media 762.
Examples of suitable computer readable storage media include optical storage
media such as a
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,
,
CD or DVD, magnetic media, or any other suitable data storage device. Media
reader 760 is
alternatively able to be connected to the electronic device through the USB
port 728 or computer
_
readable program code is alternatively able to be provided to the electronic
device 752 through
the wireless network 750.
[0083] Information Processing System
[0084] The present subject matter can be realized in hardware, software, or a
combination of
hardware and software. A system can be realized in a centralized fashion in
one computer
system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across
several
interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system - or other
apparatus adapted for
carrying out the methods described herein - is suitable. A typical combination
of hardware and
software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program
that, when being
loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the
methods described
herein.
[0085] The present subject matter can also be embedded in a computer program
product, which
comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods
described herein, and
which - when loaded in a computer system - is able to carry out these methods.
Computer
program in the present context means any expression, in any language, code or
notation, of a set
of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing
capability to
perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the
following a) conversion
to another language, code or, notation; and b) reproduction in a different
material form.
[0086] Each computer system may include, inter alia, one or more computers and
at least a
computer readable medium allowing a computer to read data, instructions,
messages or message
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packets, and other computer readable information from the computer readable
medium. The
computer readable medium may include computer readable storage medium
embodying non-
volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, disk drive
memory, CD-
ROM, and other permanent storage. Additionally, a computer medium may include
volatile
storage such as RAM, buffers, cache memory, and network circuits. Furthermore,
the computer
readable medium may comprise computer readable information in a transitory
state medium such
as a network link and/or a network interface, including a wired network or a
wireless network,
that allow a computer to read such computer readable information.
[0087] Non-Limiting Examples
[0088] Although specific embodiments of the subject matter have been
disclosed, those having
ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the
specific embodiments
without departing from the scope
of the disclosed subject matter. The scope of the
disclosure is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments,
and it is intended that
the appended claims cover any and all such applications, modifications, and
embodiments within
the scope of the present disclosure.
[0089] What is claimed is:
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