Patent Application
20120276948
1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to electronic device control methods, and more particularly to an electronic device and a method for switching to a voice mode.
2. Description of Related Art
An electronic device (e.g., a mobile phone) may be a pocket-sized computing device, which has a small visual display for output and a miniature keyboard or touch screen for input. However, for people who have poor or no eyesight, such as old people or blind people, it may not be easy for them to dial a telephone number, for example, they may not be sure of the number which he/she is dialing. What is needed, therefore, is an electronic device and a method to overcome aforementioned problems.
The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
In general, the word “module”, as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as in an EPROM. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-playable medium or other storage device. Some non-limiting examples of non-transitory computer-playable media include CDs, DVDs, BLU-RAY, flash memory, and hard disk drives.
The electronic device 1 is generally controlled and coordinated by an operating system, such as UNIX, LINUX, WINDOWS, MAC OS X, an embedded operating system, or any other compatible operating systems. In other embodiments, the electronic device 1 may be controlled by a proprietary operating system. All such operating systems control and schedule computer processes for execution, perform memory management, provide a file system, networking, and I/O services, and provide a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), among other things.
The electronic device 1 further includes a mode switching unit 100. The mode switching unit 100 is used to switch the electronic device 1 to the voice mode and dial the telephone number under the voice mode. In one embodiment, the mode switching unit 100 includes a setting module 110, a controlling module 111, a receiving module 112, and a dialing module 113. The modules 110-113 may include computerized code in the form of one or more programs that are stored in the storage system 10. The computerized code includes instructions that are executed by the at least one processor 20 to provide functions for modules 110-113.
The setting module 110 sets parameters for the voice mode in the electronic device 1. In one embodiment, the parameters include a number of repetitions (e.g., three) that are used to play the first audio recording and the second audio recording, and a volume level (e.g., twenty decibels) that is used to play the first audio recording and the second audio recording.
The controlling module 111 controls the speaker 30 to play the first audio recording when the user presses the mode button 400 a first time. For example, the speaker 30 plays the first audio recording on twenty decibels three times. The user is notified that the electronic device 1 enters the voice mode when the speaker 30 plays the first audio recording.
The receiving module 112 receives a number corresponding to a number key of the keyboard 410 when the user presses the number key on the keyboard 410. For example, if the user presses the number key “5,” the receiving module 112 receives the number “5” from the keyboard 410.
The controlling module 111 controls the speaker 30 to play an audible announcement of the received number. The user can know what key he/she presses when the user hears the audible announcement of the received number played by the speaker 30.
The dialing module 113 dials a telephone number consisting of the received numbers when the user presses the mode button 400 a second time, and controls the speaker 30 to play the second audio recording corresponding to the telephone number. In one embodiment, the dialing module inserts the telephone number into the second audio recording, then the speaker 30 can play the second audio recording including the telephone number. The content of the seconding recording changes according to the telephone number. For example, if the telephone number is “123456,” and the speaker 30 announces “The telephone number you dialed is ‘123456,’ the electronic device is connecting to the telephone number, please wait!” If the telephone number is “987654,” the speaker 30 announces “The telephone number you dialed is ‘987654,’ the electronic device is connecting to the telephone number, please wait!”
In block S10, the setting module 110 sets parameters for a voice mode in the electronic device 1. As mentioned above, the parameters include a number of repetitions (e.g., three) that are used to play the first audio recording and the second audio recording, and a volume level (e.g., twenty decibels) that is used to play the first audio recording and the second audio recording.
In block S20, the controlling module 111 controls the speaker 30 to play the first audio recording when the user presses a mode button 400 a first time. For example, if the first audio recording is played by the speaker 30, it is audibly indicated that the electronic device 1 has entered a voice mode when the speaker 30 plays the first audio recording.
In block S30, the receiving module 112 receives a number corresponding to a number key of the keyboard 410 when the user presses the number key on the keyboard 410. For example, if the user presses number key “5,” the receiving module 112 receives the number “5” from the keyboard 410.
In block S40, the controlling module 111 controls the speaker 30 to play an audible announcement of the received number. For example, the speaker 30 announces the number “5” on a volume level of twenty decibels, three times.
In block S50, dialing module 113 dials a telephone number consisting of the received numbers when the user presses the mode button 400 a second time, and controls the speaker to play the second audio recording corresponding to the telephone number. For example, if the user presses number key “1,” key “2,” key “3,” key “4,” key “5,” and key “6,” the telephone number is consisted of “123456”. The dialing module 113 dials the telephone number “123456” when the user presses the mode button 400 a second time. The speaker 30 announces “The telephone number you dialed is “123456,” the electronic device is connecting to the telephone number, please wait!” In one embodiment, the dialing module 113 inserts the telephone number into the second audio recording, then the speaker 30 can play the second audio recording including the telephone number. For example, if the telephone number is “123456,” the dialing module inserts the telephone number “123456” into the second audio recording. If the telephone is “987654,” the dialing module 113 inserts the telephone number “987654” into the second audio recording.
Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201110106687.3 | Apr 2011 | CN | national |
