Disclosure of Invention
In order to solve the technical problems, the application is realized as follows:
The embodiment of the application provides a novel control method which is suitable for a control module of a wearable device, wherein the wearable device comprises at least one microphone. The microphone may be disposed inside the ear of the wearable device or outside the ear, each with different detection applications.
In one embodiment, the microphone may trigger a command input cycle when detecting a pulse signal. The wearable device may detect a plurality of pulse signals during the command input period. After the instruction input period is finished, the wearable device can transmit the total times of the detected pulse signals to the control module as the basis for the control module to execute the corresponding functions.
The wearable device can be a real wireless earphone, a wired earphone, or an application device with a microphone such as a virtual reality helmet.
The instruction input period is a customizable value, and the preset value can be one second or two seconds.
The total times of the pulse signals detected by the wearable device are customizable corresponding to the functions. For example, the different times may correspond to at least one of pause/replay, volume up, volume down, skip forward, skip backward, call a voice assistant, go up, go down, record, call a custom application, and shut down.
One example of the microphone detecting the pulse signal is as follows. The microphone may be in a state where sound is continuously collected, wherein the sound has a reference intensity. The specific physical definition of the pulse signal is that the energy is quenched by a first multiple, e.g. five or more times, within a few milliseconds, e.g. 50 milliseconds, and then returned to the signal near or below the reference intensity. When the received signal meets the above conditions, it can be determined that the microphone is receiving a touch or covering action.
In one embodiment, when the microphone acknowledges receipt of a pulse signal during a non-command input period, a command input period is triggered and timing and counting is started. The timing length exceeds the instruction input period, or the time when a new pulse signal is not received exceeds an idle time limit, the instruction input period can be considered to be ended.
Further, in the process of collecting the sound by the microphone, the environmental noise intensity can be distinguished from the sound collected by the microphone. After each time a pulse signal is received, the microprocessor can compare the duration of the weakening of the ambient noise intensity with a plurality of pitches to judge the action type of the pulse signal. For example, in the case of a touch, the ambient noise intensity changes approximately unchanged before and after receiving the pulse signal. When the microphone is covered by the palm, a significant drop in the ambient noise intensity can be detected after the pulse signal is received. The time of the covering action can be used for distinguishing the meaning of the input instruction. For example, a covering operation of not more than 500 milliseconds may be determined as a short covering, and a covering operation of not less than 500 milliseconds may be determined as a long covering.
Further, in the process of collecting the sound by the microphone, if the microphone is an active feedback microphone installed inside the ear of the wearing device, whether a wearing action or a removing action is detected can be further determined according to the influence degree of the air pressure change on the surface vibrating diaphragm of the microphone. For example, the pressure in the ear is large when worn, and the diaphragm vibrates inward. In contrast, the air pressure in the ear becomes small when the diaphragm is taken down, and the diaphragm vibrates outwards. The phases of the pulse signals received under the two conditions are different, and the pulse signals can be used as the judgment basis for putting on or taking off.
Further, the control method of the present embodiment can convert the combination of all action types received in the instruction input period into a digital type command code. And finally, transmitting the command code to the control module as a basis for the control module to execute the corresponding function.
The invention further provides an embodiment of the wearable device. The wearable device comprises at least one microphone for collecting sound, and a microprocessor for processing data and controlling and managing the wearable device. Therefore, the wearable device executes the control method.
In a specific implementation manner, the wearable device may be a real wireless earphone, and the real wireless earphone includes a bluetooth module connected to the microprocessor, and configured to communicate data with the control module through a bluetooth protocol.
The microphone is a conversation microphone or a noise reduction microphone positioned outside the ear on the real wireless earphone. The microphone may also be an active feedback microphone disposed inside the ear of the real wireless headset. The solution provided by the invention is mainly to judge whether the user has the action of covering the microphone by utilizing the characteristics of the pulse signals, and execute the corresponding command according to the action combination. Therefore, the user can achieve the effect of the control device without particularly accurate operation, and the inconvenience that the user can only touch a specific sensing part with a finger in the prior art is solved.
Detailed Description
The following description of the embodiments of the present application will be made clearly and fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is evident that the embodiments described are some, but not all embodiments of the application. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the application without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the application.
Fig. 1 is an external view of a conventional genuine wireless earphone product 100. The true wireless headset product 100 shown in fig. 1 is one type of wearable device that is commonly found today. The structure can be roughly divided into an outside ear part and an in-ear part. Speaker 120 and internal microphone 130 of fig. 1 are of the ear-in type, i.e., they would be in the ear canal of the user when worn. The external microphone 110 in fig. 1 is outside the ear and its functions include at least receiving user talk voice or receiving ambient noise. In some conventional products, the external microphone 110 may be implemented in combination with a plurality of different microphones, such as a non-directional noise reduction microphone dedicated to receiving ambient noise, or a directional microphone dedicated to receiving user's voice. The embodiments of the invention to be described below are not limited to what kind of microphone is used, so the detailed microphone type is not inked much.
Fig. 2 is a signal characteristic analysis chart of one embodiment of the present application. The signal input from the microphone may be expressed as signal strength on the time axis. The specific units may typically be millivolts mV or decibels dB. A reference intensity is typically present before the pulse signal is received. The pulse signal is intuitively defined as a signal that instantaneously bursts and then returns to the reference line. The actual magnitude ranges for the moment and the burst size may be varied as appropriate. For example, in the case of detecting the user's ear-covering action in the present embodiment, the pulse signal may be defined as a signal that is suddenly enhanced by a certain multiple, for example, three, five or more times, within several milliseconds, for example, 50 milliseconds, and then returns to the vicinity of the reference intensity or below. It is to be understood that the exemplary magnitude definitions herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not absolute limits, as persons skilled in the art may adjust to the application. When the received signal meets the above conditions, it can be determined that the microphone is receiving a touch or covering action. For example, when the user lifts his hand to cover the microphone, the signal strength suddenly increases due to the air pressure. If the user's hand is continuously covering the microphone, the microphone will detect that the signal intensity will return to below the original reference intensity, forming a reference intensity difference D1, because of blocking ambient noise. The reference intensity will not return until the user's hand is clear of the microphone. Thus, the time period T1 for the user to cover the microphone can be determined. According to this principle, it can be said that if the user simply touches or beats the microphone, only the pulse signal is detected, and the reference intensity difference D1 is not detected.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a real wireless headset 300 in an embodiment of the application. The true wireless headset 300 of fig. 3 includes at least one microphone for capturing sound. Such as external microphone 110 and internal microphone 130 of fig. 1. The external microphone 110 may in turn typically be a talk microphone or a noise reduction microphone. The internal microphone 130 is typically an active feedback microphone. For a conventional real wireless headset with an ambient noise reduction (ENC) function, the headset control can be performed directly with ambient noise reduction microphone signal variation. For the earphone without the ENC function, the communication microphone can also be directly used for executing the embodiment of the application, so that the cost is lower.
The true wireless headset 300 of fig. 3 also includes a microprocessor 320 that is integrally responsible for data manipulation and control management of the components. Microprocessor 320 is typically a commercially available digital processor chip, but may also be a custom application-tailored chip. In addition, the real wireless headset 300 also includes an audio module 340, which may be a type of audio chip controlled by the microprocessor 320, that receives audio data from the bluetooth module 310 and converts the audio data to analog signals for output through the speaker 120 of fig. 1. A bluetooth module 310 is connected to the microprocessor for transmitting data to and from a control module (not shown) via a bluetooth protocol.
In some embodiments, the control module may be control hardware and/or software in a computer device such as a mobile phone, tablet, smart watch, or notebook computer, and the control module may be communicatively connected to the real wireless headset 300 through a communication module in the computer device such as a mobile phone, tablet, smart watch, or notebook computer. In another embodiment, the real wireless headset 300 can be used as a stand-alone media player without transmitting audio data and control signals through an external device. The real wireless earphone 300 may implement the music playing function according to the above-mentioned control method embodiment by itself through a memory or a flash memory card (not shown). In the case of independent operation, the control module is disposed in the real wireless headset 300 and is electrically connected to the relevant components in the real wireless headset 300. For example, the control module may be composed of the microprocessor 320, the memory 324, and the flash memory card slot (not shown) in fig. 3 together with related control bodies and/or software, and is electrically connected to the bluetooth module 310, the audio module 340, the speaker 120, the external microphone 110 and/or the internal microphone 130, and various product architectures derived from the above basic architecture are numerous and will not be described in detail. The following embodiments are described in terms of the configuration in which the control module is disposed in a computer device such as a cell phone, tablet, smart watch, or notebook computer, and is communicatively coupled to the real wireless headset 300 via a communication module. It will be appreciated that in different embodiments, it is also possible to vary the configuration in which the control module is provided in the real wireless headset 300.
The method of controlling the control module (not shown) with the true wireless headset 300 of fig. 3 is as follows. First, after the user wears the real wireless earphone 300, the playing device can be controlled by covering the ears with the palm. Such as cover for play, or call. The lower part of the cover is the next yeast, and the lower part of the cover is the upper yeast. When the user performs ear covering, a pulse signal is generated. The embodiment of the application utilizes the microphone to detect the pulse signal characteristics generated during ear covering. When a pulse signal is detected during a non-command input period, a command input period may be triggered. The microphone in this control method is not limited to the external microphone 110 or the internal microphone 130 if it is not named.
The real wireless headset 300 may detect a plurality of pulse signals during the command input period. After the instruction input period is finished, the real wireless earphone 300 may transmit the total number of times of the detected pulse signal to the control module, as a basis for the control module to execute the corresponding function. The instruction input period is a customizable value. For example, the preset value may be one second or two seconds. On the other hand, the total number of times the real wireless headset 300 detects the pulse signal is customized according to the function. For example, the different times may correspond to at least one of pause/replay, volume up, volume down, skip forward, skip backward, go up, go down, record, call up a custom application, call a voice assistant, and shut down. These custom functions can be adjusted by bluetooth through the dedicated application of the handset and stored in the memory of the real wireless headset 300. Another way to implement the self-defining value is to directly store the user's selectable item by the application program or the operating system of the mobile phone.
The microphone in fig. 3 may be in a state of continuously collecting sound, or may be awakened by a pulse signal to start entering a command input period in a sleep power saving state. For example, when the microphone acknowledges receipt of a pulse signal during a non-command input period, a command input period is triggered and timing and counting is started. The microprocessor 320 typically has a built-in timer 322 (RTC) and basic memory 324 to perform the functions of timing and counting. The end condition of the command input cycle may include at least two cases that the command input cycle is terminated when the timer length exceeds the command input cycle or when the time when a new pulse signal is not received exceeds an idle time limit. Generally, a command input period of two seconds is a reasonable range acceptable to the user. In addition, when the user does not continuously input the pulse signal for more than 0.5 seconds, that is, does not continuously cover the ear, the user can be considered to finish inputting, and then the next procedure is operated according to the counting result of the pulse signal.
The control method for generating the pulse times by the plurality of ear covering actions is more convenient than the traditional mode of clicking a specific area by using a finger.
In a further embodiment, besides detecting the number of times of the pulse signal, the time of the ear covering operation can be further distinguished according to the signal characteristics of fig. 2, so that the input mode of the control command is more diversified and finer. The specific method is as follows. In the process of microphone collection, whether the microphone is an external microphone 110, such as a conversation microphone or a voice microphone, or an internal microphone 130, mounted outside the ear of the wearable device, the microprocessor 320 has means to distinguish the ambient noise intensity from the collected sound. The intensity of the environmental noise is significantly reduced because the hands are continuously covered. Each time a pulse signal is received, the microprocessor 320 may compare the duration of the weakening of the ambient noise with a plurality of pitches to determine the type of action of the pulse signal. For example, in the case that the user merely lightly touches the real wireless headset 300, the ambient noise intensity changes approximately unchanged before and after the microphone receives the pulse signal. When the microphone is covered by the palm, a significant drop in the ambient noise intensity can be detected after the pulse signal is received. The time of the covering action can be used for distinguishing the meaning of the input instruction. For example, a covering operation of not more than 500 milliseconds may be determined as a short covering, and a covering operation of not less than 500 milliseconds may be determined as a long covering.
Further, in the process of collecting sound by the microphone, if the microphone is an internal microphone 130, for example, an active feedback microphone, it can also be determined whether a wearing action or a removing action is detected according to the influence degree of the air pressure change on the surface of the microphone. In most cases, when the user wears the real wireless headset 300, the air pressure in the ear is large, and the diaphragm vibrates inward.
In contrast, when the real wireless earphone 300 is removed, the air pressure in the ear becomes small, and the diaphragm vibrates outwards. The phase of the pulse signal received in the two cases is different, and the pulse signal can be used as the judgment basis for putting on or taking off actions.
In a preferred embodiment, if the microprocessor 320 detects that the device is worn, the control module can automatically play the device by transmitting a broadcast command through the bluetooth module 310. The played sound is transmitted to the audio module 340 through the bluetooth module 310 and finally transmitted through the speaker 120 as shown in fig. 1. In contrast, if the microprocessor 320 detects the removal, a pause command can be transmitted through the bluetooth module 310 to stop the control module from playing the music.
In the above embodiment, in the instruction input period, after various types of actions of the user can be determined from the signal characteristics. The touch, the short cover, the long cover, the putting on or taking off can be easily identified. It will be appreciated that, by virtue of the permutation and combination of these different actions, the control instructions that can be actually implemented will be very diverse, breaking through the limitations of the conventional technology. The true wireless headset 300 of fig. 3 finally combines all the action types collected and converts them into a digital version of the command code in the microprocessor 320. Finally, the bluetooth module 310 transmits the command code to the control module as a basis for the control module to execute the corresponding function.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a control method according to one embodiment of the present application. Fig. 4 summarizes the foregoing method of detecting pulse signals as several key steps that are easy to understand. In step 401, detection of a pulse signal is started. In a general case, the microphone in the real wireless headset 300 may be in a continuously-receiving state. If the microphone is in a sleep power saving state. When the user suddenly touches or covers the wireless earphone 300, the microphone can also be awakened in real time by various sensing methods, for example, one of the pins of the microprocessor 320 is used to detect the signal of the abrupt change of the capacitance level of the microphone diaphragm. Thereby, the real wireless headset 300 is triggered into a command input cycle, such as one or two seconds. In step 403, the total number of pulse signals detected in the command input period is accumulated. Typically, the user will directly touch or cover the ear several times in succession. The first pulse received in step 401 is also counted in the total number of times. In step 405, the continuous detection of the pulse signal is terminated after waiting for the command input period to expire, i.e., after waiting for one or two seconds. Another possible case of ending the command input cycle is that when the real wireless headset 300 does not detect the pulse signal for more than a period of time, for example, more than 0.5 seconds, it is determined that the user has ended the operation, and the command input cycle may be ended early, and the next step is continued. Finally, in step 407, the corresponding command is executed according to the accumulated total number of pulse signals. Specifically, the accumulated total may be in digital form, and is transmitted to the control module through the bluetooth module 310 of fig. 3, and the operating system of the control module determines, according to a preset instruction table, what the command to be executed correspondingly, and executes the command accordingly. The corresponding mode of the accumulated total and the execution command can also be different according to the current mode of the control module. For example, if the control module is in a state of playing multimedia or music, the command to be executed may be to pause playing, fast-forward, reverse, last song, next song, etc. If the control module is in the phone mode, the corresponding command may be to make a call, hang up a call, turn up the volume, turn down the volume, etc. If the control module is an intelligent device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet, a smart watch, a computer, etc., dedicated applications can be designed to provide customized human-machine operation interfaces, thereby playing various unlimited operation possibilities.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart of another control method according to an embodiment of the present application. As described above, in addition to using the basic pulse signal times, the embodiments of the present application may further determine various types of actions of the user from the pulse signal characteristics, such as various actions of tapping, short-covering, long-covering, putting on, or taking off. With the diversity of these actions, finer control schemes can be combined. In step 501, the microphone detects the ear-covering operation, and then starts the continuous operation detection mode, i.e. enters a command input period. In step 503, the number of ear covers and the time for each ear cover is recorded in the command input period. The microprocessor in a real wireless headset is typically a commercially available digital processor or a custom chip with simple memory, timing and counting functions is sufficient to implement this step. In step 505, the microprocessor may determine whether the time elapsed since the command input period was triggered exceeds the length of the command input period. For example, if the command input period is predefined as two seconds, then the total time of the input action reaches two seconds to stop the input and proceed to the next step 509. Alternatively, if the microphone does not collect any action for more than half a second, it is determined that the user has finished inputting the command. Step 509 is also entered at this time.
As long as the command input period is not completed, the process repeats step 503, and the ear covering times and each ear covering time are continuously recorded. In the command input cycle, an additional step 507 may be performed, checking for special cases. For example, if the ear-covering duration exceeds two seconds, it may be that the user wishes to shut down or that the real wireless headset 300 has been stored in a closed package. In this case, step 513 is performed, and the device may be automatically turned off to save power, or the playing music may be automatically paused. Other actions that may result in a shutdown may also be detected and performed. For example, when the microprocessor 320 determines from the characteristics of the pulse signal that the real wireless headset 300 has been removed, a shutdown or a pause may be performed.
In step 509, after the command input is completed, the microprocessor 320 converts the combination of the number of ear covers and the length of time of each ear cover into a command code, and transmits the command code to the control module through the bluetooth module 310 for executing the corresponding command. For example, the user can easily combine more than ten different commands in two seconds by touching, short covering, long covering, etc. The multifunctional and convenient man-machine interface can be finished by the definition of an operating system or an application program on the control module in advance.
The solution provided by the application is mainly to judge whether the user has the action of covering the microphone by utilizing the characteristics of the pulse signals, and execute the corresponding command according to the action combination. Therefore, the user can achieve the effect of the control device without particularly accurate operation, and the inconvenience that the user can only touch a specific sensing part with a finger in the prior art is solved. In addition, the application focuses on the application of the signal characteristics received through the microphone, and the application is applicable to the improved control method provided by the application under the condition that the design does not need to be changed with extra cost as long as the microphone is arranged on a common wearable device. For example, the control method embodiment of the present application may be applied to a wireless earphone 300, a wired earphone, or a virtual reality helmet.
It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
The embodiments of the present application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, which are merely illustrative and not restrictive, and many forms may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of the present application and the scope of the claims, which are to be protected by the present application.