Patent Publication Number: US-8983087-B2

Title: Audio playing device having earphone jack with rotation detector

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an audio playing device which has an earphone jack with rotation detector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Audio playing devices include a speaker and a headphone jack for inserting an earphone plug. Each time the audio playing device changes operation from an earphone playing mode into a speaker playing mode, a user needs to pull out the earphone plug from the headphone jack and readjust output sound volume of the audio playing device, therefore, an operation of the audio playing device is relatively inconvenient. 
     Therefore, a new audio playing device is desired to overcome the above-described shortcomings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of at least one embodiment. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic, block diagram of an audio playing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 2-3  are schematic diagrams showing a method for changing operation mode of the audio playing device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe various inventive embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, wherein like numerals refer to like units throughout. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of an audio playing device  10  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The audio playing device  10  includes a speaker  110 , an earphone jack  120 , a sound output driver  130 , a sound volume adjustor  140 , an earphone detector  150 , a rotation angle detector  160 , and a processor  170 . 
     The earphone jack  120  is configured to receive an earphone plug (not shown) of an earphone  20 . 
     The speaker  110  or the earphone  20  is driven by the sound output driver  130  to output sounds for a user. 
     The sound volume adjustor  140  is configured to adjust a sound volume of the outputted sound from the earphone  20  or the speaker  110 . In one embodiment, the sound volume adjustor  140  may include a sound volume increasing button and a sound volume decreasing button for increasing and decreasing the sound, respectively. In an alternative embodiment, the sound volume adjustor  140  may further store a current sound volume, a maximum sound volume, and a maximum sound volume output from the speaker  110  or the earphone  20 . 
     The earphone detector  150  is configured to detect if the earphone plug is inserted into the earphone jack  120 , and generate an initial mode change signal to the processor  170  when the earphone plug is inserted into the earphone jack  120 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the rotation angle detector  160  is configured to detect a rotation angle of the earphone plug which is received in the earphone jack  120 . In one embodiment, the rotation angle detector  160  includes two first contacting pads  161 ,  162  arranged along the internal surface of the earphone jack  120  and a second contacting pad  163  arranged on the earphone plug corresponding to the first contacting pads  161 ,  162 . When the earphone plug is rotated in the earphone jack  120  along a first direction as shown in  FIG. 2 , the second contacting pad  163  electrically connects to the first contacting pads  161 ,  162 , sequentially in a first order, to generate a first mode change signal. When the earphone plug is rotated in the earphone jack  120  along a second direction as shown in  FIG. 3 , the second contacting pad  163  electrically connects to the first contacting pads  161 ,  162 , sequentially in a second order, to generate a second mode change signal. 
     The processor  170  controls the sound output driver  130  to drive the speaker  110  or the earphone  20  so as to provide the audio driving signal from the sound output driver  130  to the speaker  110  or the earphone  20 . 
     In operation, when the earphone plug is not inserted into the earphone jack  120 , only the speaker  110  is driven by the sound output driver  130  to output sound since the processor  170  does not receive the initial mode change signal. Under this condition, the audio playing device  10  operates in a speaker playing mode. 
     When the earphone plug is inserted into the earphone jack  120 , the processor  170  receives the initial mode change signal and controls the sound output driver  130  to only drive the earphone  20  so as to output the sound only to the earphone  20 . Under this condition, the audio playing device  10  changes from the speaker playing mode into an earphone playing mode. In one embodiment, the processor  170  records a first sound volume Vi of the sound outputted by the speaker  110  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the speaker playing mode without the earphone plug inserted into the earphone jack  120 . The processor  170  calculates a second sound volume Vi′ to control the sound outputted by the earphone  20  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the earphone playing mode. The second sound volume Vi′ may be calculated by a formula of Vi′=Vi*(Vb/Va), where Va represents a maximum sound volume outputted by the speaker  110  and Vb represents a maximum sound volume outputted by the earphone  20 . 
     When the rotation angle detector  160  detects that the earphone plug is rotated in the earphone jack  120  along the first direction by the user over a predetermined angle as shown in  FIG. 2 , the rotation angle detector  160  generates the first mode change signal and outputs the first mode change signal to the processor  170 . The processor  170  controls the sound output driver  130  to only drive the speaker  110 . Under this condition, the audio playing device  10  changes from the earphone playing mode into the speaker playing mode. In one embodiment, the processor  170  records a third sound volume Vj of the sound outputted by the earphone  20  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the earphone playing mode. The processor  170  then calculates a fourth sound volume Vj′ to control the sound outputted by the speaker  110  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the speaker playing mode with the earphone plug in the earphone jack  120 . The fourth sound volume Vj′ may be calculated by a formula of Vj′=Vj*(Va/Vb). 
     When the rotation angle detector  160  detects that the earphone plug is rotated in the earphone jack  120  along the second direction by the user over the predetermined angle as shown in  FIG. 3 , the rotation angle detector  160  generates the second mode change signal and outputs the second mode change signal to the processor  170 . The processor  170  controls the sound output driver  130  to only drive the earphone  20 , under this condition, the audio playing device  10  changes its playing mode from the speaker playing mode into the earphone playing mode again. In one embodiment, the processor  170  records a fifth sound volume Vk of the sound outputted by the speaker  110  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the speaker playing mode with the earphone plug in the earphone jack  120 , and calculates a sixth sound volume Vk′ to control the sound outputted by the earphone  20  when the audio playing device  10  operates in the speaker playing mode again with the earphone plug in the earphone jack  120 . The sixth sound volume Vk′ may be calculated by a formula of Vk′=Vk*(Vb/Va). 
     In the embodiment, the first direction is a clockwise direction and the second direction is a counterclockwise direction as shown in  FIGS. 2-3 . In alternative embodiment, the first direction may be a counterclockwise direction and the second direction may be a clockwise direction. In one embodiment, the predetermined angle is in range of 45 degrees-90 degrees. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of certain inventive embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of arrangement of parts within the principles of present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.