Liquid detection for an acoustic module

• US 10,209,123 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vitt, Nikolas T., Dave, Ruchir M, Lippert, Jesse A., Boozer, Brad G., Evans, Neal D., Wilkes, Jr., David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Seo, Justin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Rose M
• Application Number:
  US15/245,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20180058918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 73574, 73587, 73579
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 13/00 Measuring resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 15/00 Measuring mechanical or acoustic impedance
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/028 by measuring mechanical or acoustic impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

An acoustic module is coupled to an acoustic passage. The acoustic module includes an acoustic transducer coupled to a diaphragm. A controller or other circuitry measures an impedance of the acoustic transducer. Based on the impedance, the controller determines whether the impedance indicates that the acoustic passage is blocked. The controller may determine that the acoustic passage is blocked by liquid that is present in the acoustic passage. When the controller determines based on the impedance that liquid is present in the acoustic passage, the controller may drive out, purge, and/or otherwise remove the liquid, such as by using the acoustic transducer to vibrate the diaphragm.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

an acoustic passage internal to the housing;

an acoustic transducer coupled to the acoustic passage; and

circuitry electrically coupled to the acoustic transducer and operable to;

measure an impedance of the acoustic transducer at approximately a reference frequency of the acoustic transducer; and

detect a presence of liquid based on the measured impedance;

wherein;

the reference frequency corresponds to a resonant frequency of the acoustic transducer in an unobstructed condition; and

the presence of liquid is detected based on a reduction of impedance over a range of frequencies that includes the resonant frequency as compared to a reference value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the reference value corresponds to an operation of the acoustic transducer without the presence of liquid.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the presence of liquid is detected when the measured impedance is approximately equal to the impedance of the acoustic transducer when dry at a non-resonant frequency.

4. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

an acoustic passage internal to the housing;

an acoustic transducer coupled to the acoustic passage; and

circuitry electrically coupled to the acoustic transducer and operable to;

measure an impedance of the acoustic transducer at approximately a reference frequency of the acoustic transducer;

detect a presence of liquid based on the measured impedance; and

apply a drive signal to a transducer, the drive signal is configured to purge the liquid from the acoustic passage.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

the transducer is the acoustic transducer; and

the drive signal is a voltage signal.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the transducer is separate from the acoustic transducer.

7. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further operable to:

measure an updated impedance of the acoustic transducer while applying the drive signal; and

adjust the drive signal based on the updated impedance.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a port defined in the housing;

an acoustic module coupled to the port, the acoustic module including an acoustic transducer; and

a controller coupled to the acoustic module and operable to;

measure an impedance of the acoustic transducer at approximately a resonant frequency of the acoustic transducer;

determine a blockage condition based on the measured impedance; and

distinguish if the blockage condition is due to a blockage of the port or a foreign material within the housing.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to estimate a type of foreign material within the housing based on the measured impedance.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller measures the impedance prior to signaling the acoustic module to provide output.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the acoustic module comprises at least one of a speaker or a microphone.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a port defined in the housing;

an acoustic module coupled to the port, the acoustic module including an acoustic transducer;

a microphone; and

a controller coupled to the acoustic module and the microphone, the controller operable to;

measure an impedance of the acoustic transducer at approximately a resonant frequency of the acoustic transducer;

determine a blockage condition based on the measured impedance;

measure an ambient acoustic level; and

in response to the measured ambient acoustic level exceeding a threshold, drive the acoustic transducer at the resonant frequency and measure the impedance of the acoustic transducer.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the controller:

determines the blockage condition is a presence of liquid in the port; and

drives the liquid out of the port.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the controller ceases driving the liquid out of the port in response to an updated impedance.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the updated impedance indicates the liquid is not present in the port.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure;

an acoustic module including an acoustic transducer, the acoustic module coupled to a passage within an interior of the enclosure;

a detector coupled to the acoustic transducer operable to measure a change in impedance of the acoustic transducer; and

a processing unit coupled to the detector operable to determine a blockage condition based on the change in impedance;

wherein the processing unit uses the impedance to determine at least one of an amount of a contaminant or a type of a contaminant.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the detector comprises a sensing resistor.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising a capacitive touch component coupled to the processing unit, wherein the detector measures the impedance in response to a signal from the capacitive touch component.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is operable to respond to a query regarding whether the electronic device has been exposed to contaminants.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processing unit is operable to prompt a user before attempting to remove contaminants from the passage.