Compact public address access point apparatuses

• US 10,136,233 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ubiquiti Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Ubiquiti Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jude, Blanchard, Mark A., Pera, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan D
• Application Number:
  US15/262,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20170078810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/24 Structural combinations of separate transducers or of two parts of the same transducer and responsive respectively to two or more frequency ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2803 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/021 Transducers or their casings adapted for mounting in or to a wall or ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/028 Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Apparatuses that operate as both a public address speaker and a wireless access point (AP) for mounting to a ceiling or wall. The compact public address access points described herein may include an AP housing, enclosing a radio (e.g., a 3×3 MIMO radio) and antenna, that is coupled to a speaker assembly including a speaker, a conical acoustic reflector positioned between a front of the speaker and the housing of the AP, and an annular region comprising a concave inner wall facing the conical acoustic reflector. Although the AP is nested atop the front of the speaker, the speaker may produce high-quality sound with accurate voice reproduction without interfering with the operation of the wireless transmission of the AP. Methods of operating and installing these apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A compact public address access point apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a speaker having a front from which sound is projected;

a frame mounted over the speaker, the frame comprising;

a conical acoustic reflector centered over the front of the speaker, and

an annular region surrounding the conical acoustic reflector, wherein the annular region comprises a concave inner wall facing the conical acoustic reflector;

an access point (AP) housing mounted to the frame so that the AP housing covers the front of the speaker and the conical acoustic reflector is between the AP housing and the front of the speaker,

wherein an outer surface of the AP housing is opposite from the concave inner wall of the annular region of the frame; and

an antenna and a radio housed within the AP housing and configured to connect a plurality of wireless devices to a network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a microphone coupled to the frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conical acoustic reflector has a concave outer profile.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conical acoustic reflector tapers as it approaches the front of the speaker.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a network connector coupled to the frame and configured to couple a cable in communication with a network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of clamps on a back side of the frame, wherein the clamps are configured to compress a portion of a ceiling surface between each clamp and the frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a circuity coupled to the frame and configured to receive input from a network connection to drive the speaker.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power over Ethernet connection configured to connect to a power over Ethernet source to provide power to the radio and speaker.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an Ethernet connection within the annular region configured to connect to the AP housing and provide data and power to the radio.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further wherein the AP housing is recessed within the annular region.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises an Ethernet dongle, USB dongle, or both Ethernet dongle and USB dongle passing through an axis of the speaker.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a digital to analog (D/A) converter and an analog amplifier coupled to the speaker.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a two-way acoustic transducer and filter network coupled to the speaker.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a conical phase plug on a central axis of speaker for improvement of bandwidth and polar directivity pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio is a dual-radio AP.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio is configured as a 3×

3 Multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) radio.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker, conical acoustic reflector and annular region are configured so that an acoustic signal between 100 Hz and 20 kHz emitted by the compact public address access point when the access point is mounted over the speaker apparatus is greater than 82 dBSPL.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker, conical acoustic reflector and annular region are configured so that an acoustic signal between 100 Hz and 20 kHz emitted by the compact public address access point when the access point is mounted over the speaker apparatus is greater than 82 dBSPL.

19. A compact public address access point (AP) apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a speaker having a front from which sound is projected;

a frame mounted over the speaker, the frame comprising

a conical acoustic reflector centered over a central region of the front of the speaker, wherein the conical acoustic reflector tapers towards a point in a direction of the speaker, and

an annular region surrounding the conical acoustic reflector, wherein the annular region comprises a concave inner wall facing the conical acoustic reflector;

a microphone coupled to the frame; and

an AP housing mounted to the frame so that the AP housing covers the front of the speaker and the conical acoustic reflector is between the AP housing and the front of the speaker, wherein an outer surface of the AP housing is opposite from the concave inner wall of the annular region of the frame,

further wherein the AP housing encloses an antenna and a radio configured to connect a plurality of wireless devices to a network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the conical acoustic reflector has a concave outer profile.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a network connector coupled to the frame and configured to couple a cable in communication with a network.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of clamps on a back side of the frame, wherein the clamps are configured to compress a portion of a wall between each clamp and the frame.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a circuity coupled to the frame and configured to receive input from a network connection to drive the speaker.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a power over Ethernet connection configured to connect to a power over Ethernet source.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising an Ethernet connection within the annular region configured to connect to the radio and provide data and power to the radio.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, further wherein the AP housing is recessed within the annular region.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprises an Ethernet dongle, USB dongle, or both Ethernet dongle and USB dongle passing through an axis of the speaker.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a digital to analog (D/A) converter and an analog amplifier coupled to the speaker.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprises a two-way acoustic transducer and filter network coupled to the speaker.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprises a conical phase plug on a central axis of speaker for improvement of bandwidth and polar directivity pattern.