This application claims priority based on Chinese Patent Application No. 201310048038.1, filed by Jia, et al., on Feb. 6, 2013, commonly assigned with this application and incorporated herein by reference.
This application relates generally to the field of electronics and more particularly to an audio playing apparatus and a flat panel electronic device having the audio playing apparatus.
Flat panel electronic devices, including tablet PCs, flat panel mobile phones, etc., are widely used as audio playing apparatuses because of advantages, such as portable characteristic, fashion and multifunction. In the prior art, a pair of speakers which are disposed at the left side and right side of the flat panel electronic device are usually used for playing the left channel audio and the right channel audio corresponding to the left ear and the right ear respectively, so that a user can experience the stereo effect. However, in use, the flat panel electronic device is often be rotated by the user according to actual requirement. The rotations of the flat panel electronic device result in changes of the positions of the speakers. For example, the initial left-and-right arrangement of the speakers changes into the top-and-bottom arrangement as the flat panel electronic device is rotated by 90° or 270°. The audio enjoyment of the user is inevitably affected when the left channel audio and the right channel audio are played from the top and the bottom of the flat panel electronic device, respectively. Even though, the rotation of 180° of the flat panel electronic device results that the left channel audio and the right channel audio are played from the right side and the left side of the flat panel electronic device, respectively, thus it will also affect the audio enjoyment of the user.
It is realized herein that a need exists for a flat panel electronic device and an audio playing apparatus capable of addressing at least some of the problems described in the Background above.
To solve the above problem, in one embodiment, an audio playing apparatus for a flat panel electronic device is disclosed. The audio playing apparatus includes an audio generator operable to generate a left channel audio and a right channel audio. The audio playing apparatus also includes a plurality of speakers configured such that at least one pair of speakers of the plurality of speakers is symmetrically disposed at a left side and a right side of the flat panel electronic device in an installed state that the audio playing apparatus is installed to the flat panel electronic device, respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device is placed. The audio playing apparatus further includes a sensor operable to detect a placed state of the flat panel electronic device in the installed state. Finally, the audio playing apparatus further includes a controller operable to receive a detecting signal from the sensor so as to control the at least one pair of speakers to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly according to the placed state of the flat panel electronic device.
In one embodiment, the plurality of the speakers are configured such that multi-pairs of speakers of the plurality of speakers are symmetrically disposed at the left side and the right side of the flat panel electronic device in the installed state, respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device is placed.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus has a power saving mode, and wherein the controller is operable to control only one pair of speakers of the multi-pairs of speakers to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly under the power saving mode.
In one embodiment, the multi-pairs of speakers include a first pair of speakers and a second pair of speakers, wherein the left channel audio includes a first left channel audio and a second left channel audio and the right channel audio includes a first right channel audio and a second right channel audio, and wherein the first pair of speakers are used for playing the first left channel audio and the first right channel audio correspondingly and the second pair of speakers are used for playing the second left channel audio and the second right channel audio correspondingly.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus includes four speakers which are disposed at four corners of the flat panel electronic device in the installed state, respectively.
In one embodiment, the controller includes a first multiplexer, a second multiplexer and a control unit. Wherein an input of the first multiplexer and an input of the second multiplexer receive the left channel audio and the right channel audio respectively and outputs of the first multiplexer and outputs of the second multiplexer are connected to each of the plurality of the speakers. The control unit is operable to control the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer according to the detecting signal.
In one embodiment, the controller further includes a GPIO (general purpose input and output) through which the control unit controls the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer.
In one embodiment, the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are integrated in the audio generator.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus includes three speakers which are disposed at three corners of the flat panel electronic device in the installed state, respectively.
In one embodiment, the sensor is selected from the group including a 9-axis sensor, a 6-axis sensor, a gravity sensor, a magnetic sensor and a gyro.
According to another aspect, a flat panel electronic device is further provided. The flat panel electronic device has an audio playing apparatus. The audio playing apparatus includes an audio generator operable to generate a left channel audio and a right channel audio. The audio playing apparatus also includes a plurality of speakers configured such that at least one pair of speakers of the plurality of speakers is symmetrically disposed at a left side and a right side of the flat panel electronic device respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device is placed. The audio playing apparatus further includes a sensor operable to detect a placed state of the flat panel electronic device. Finally, the audio playing apparatus further includes a controller operable to receive a detecting signal from the sensor so as to control the at least one pair of speakers to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly according to the placed state of the flat panel electronic device
In one embodiment, the plurality of the speakers are configured such that multi-pairs of speakers of the plurality of speakers are symmetrically disposed at the left side and the right side of the flat panel electronic device respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device is placed.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus has a power saving mode, and wherein the controller is operable to control only one pair of speakers of the multi-pairs of speakers to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly under the power saving mode.
In one embodiment, the multi-pairs of speakers include a first pair of speakers and a second pair of speakers, wherein the left channel audio includes a first left channel audio and a second left channel audio and the right channel audio includes a first right channel audio and a second right channel audio, and wherein the first pair of speakers are used for playing the first left channel audio and the first right channel audio correspondingly and the second pair of speakers are used for playing the second left channel audio and the second right channel audio correspondingly.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus includes four speakers which are disposed at four corners of the flat panel electronic device, respectively.
In one embodiment, the controller includes a first multiplexer, a second multiplexer and a control unit. Wherein an input of the first multiplexer and an input of the second multiplexer receive the left channel audio and the right channel audio respectively and outputs of the first multiplexer and outputs of the second multiplexer are connected to each of the plurality of the speakers. The control unit is operable to control the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer according to the detecting signal.
In one embodiment, the controller further includes a GPIO through which the control unit controls the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer.
In one embodiment, the first multiplexer and the second multiplexer are integrated in the audio generator.
In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus includes three speakers which are disposed at three corners of the flat panel electronic device respectively.
In one embodiment, the sensor is selected from the group including a 9-axis sensor, a 6-axis sensor, a gravity sensor, a magnetic sensor and a gyro.
Various embodiments of the audio playing apparatus are able to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio corresponding to the left ear and the right ear respectively, according to the current placed state of the flat panel electronic device.
Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In the following discussion, details are presented so as to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be implemented without one or more of these details as would be apparent to one of skill in the pertinent art. Certain examples are illustrated without elaborate discussion of technical features that would be within the purview of one of skill in the pertinent art so as to avoid confusion.
According to one aspect, an audio playing apparatus for a flat panel electronic device (hereinafter referred to as the audio playing apparatus) is provided. To understand the audio playing apparatus integrally, the audio playing apparatus is described in combination with
The audio generator can be any device which is able to generate the left channel audio and the right channel audio. The audio generator includes but is not limited to an Audio CodeC. In one embodiment, as an audio generator 110, the Audio CodeC may process the original audio signals, such as analog-to-digital conversion, digital signal processing and digital-to analog conversion, so as to generate the left channel audio and the right channel audio.
The plurality of speakers 140 are configured such that at least one pair of speakers of the plurality of speakers 140 is symmetrically disposed at a left side and a right side of the flat panel electronic device 150 in an installed state that the audio playing apparatus 100 is installed to the flat panel electronic device 150, respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device 150 is placed.
In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, the flat panel electronic device 150 includes four speakers 140A, 140B, 140C and 140D. These four speakers 140A, 140B, 140C and 140D may be arranged in the way shown in
In another embodiment, the flat panel electronic device 150 may include three speakers 140A, 140B and 140C, as shown in
The numbers and the arrangements of the speakers mentioned above are provided for illustration only. In practice, those skilled in the art can arrange the plurality of the speakers suitably, in view of various aspects, such as the actual situation and cost, etc.
The sensor 120 is operable to detect the placed state of the flat panel electronic device 150 in the installed state that the audio playing apparatus 100 is installed to the flat panel electronic device 150. Different users always place the flat panel electronic device 150 differently according to actual requirements and/or their personal habits in use, for example, as shown in
The controller 130 receives a detecting signal from the sensor 120 so as to control the at least one pair of speakers 140 to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly according to the placed state of the flat panel electronic device 150. As an example, as shown in
In one embodiment, the plurality of the speakers are configured such that multi-pairs of speakers of the plurality of speakers are symmetrically disposed at the left side and the right side of the flat panel electronic device 150 in the installed state that the audio playing apparatus 100 is installed to the flat panel electronic device 150, respectively, no matter how the flat panel electronic device 150 is placed. In the embodiment shown in
Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment mentioned above, the audio playing apparatus 100 may have a plurality of playing modes, since each side has a plurality of speakers. In one embodiment, the audio playing apparatus 100 may have a power saving mode. In the power saving mode, the controller 130 may control only one pair of speakers of the multi-pairs of speakers 140 which is symmetrically disposed at the left side and right side of the flat panel electronic device 150 to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio correspondingly. Thus only one pair of speakers is chosen to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio respectively, when the external environment is quite. Thus, the power is saved.
Further, each side with a plurality of speakers may also bring the audio playing apparatus 100 with the sound effects and enhanced mode, for example, bass boost mode and/or surrounding sound enhanced mode, etc. They will be described in detail hereinafter. Naturally, the audio playing apparatus 100 may further have other modes, and they are not explained herein for the sake of simplicity.
In one embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, as shown in
Following is the description of an audio playing apparatus 100 in accordance with
As shown in
It can be understand that the controller 130 can also have other configurations.
A schematic block diagram of an audio playing apparatus 100″ of a preferred embodiment is shown in
A flat panel electronic device is also provided. Referring to
In conclusion, the audio playing apparatus is able to play the left channel audio and the right channel audio corresponding to the left ear and the right ear respectively, according to the current placed state of the flat panel electronic device.
The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best use the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as may be suited to the particular use contemplated.
Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments.
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Translation of German Examination Report dated Jun. 11, 2014, Applicant: Nvidia Corporation, 12 pages. |
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