Artificial intelligence sound output apparatus, hub for communication network, method of manufacturing the apparatus, and grille for the apparatus

• US 10,356,499 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Eom, Dajeong, Kim, Sangin, Ryu, Jisung, Chi, Sanghoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/604,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 381386, 381336
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• 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 2201/029 Manufacturing aspects of enclosures transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182

Abstract

Disclosed is an artificial intelligence hub including: a main body having a speaker for outputting sound; a communication module for wirelessly communicating with a surround ding device; a base arranged below the main body to support the main body; a cover coupled to a top of the main body, the cover having an upper surface for displaying a screen based on information exchanged via the communication module; and a grille having a vertically elongated cylindrical shape and provided with a plurality of through-holes therein, the main body being arranged within the grille, the grille being coupled at an upper end thereof to the cover housing and coupled at a lower end thereof to the base.

Claims

1. A hub comprising:

a main body including a housing defining a cavity to receive a speaker that generates sound;

communication circuitry coupled to the housing of the main body, the communication circuitry exchanging data with another device;

a base coupled to a lower surface of the housing of the main body;

a cover including a cover housing, the cover housing including a lower surface coupled to a top of the housing of the main body, and an upper surface to receive a display panel to output visual content associated with the data exchanged with the other device via the communication circuitry; and

a grille having a surface defining a cylinder with a central cavity, an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening of the grille being coupled to the cover housing, the lower opening of the grill being coupled to the base, and the main body being positioned within the central cavity to be encapsulated by the base, the cover, and the grille, the surface of the grille including a plurality of through-holes to pass the sound generated by the speaker,

wherein;

an upper surface of the cover housing defines an opening;

the display panel is positioned in the opening of the cover housing; and

a window is positioned over the display panel and in the opening to cover the display panel, and

wherein the cover further includes;

a display Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided in the cover housing and having an upper surface on which the display panel is installed; and

a window support provided below the window to support the window, wherein the window support includes;

a window support plate provided above the display panel to support the window and having an opening to expose the display panel; and

at least one support boss extending downward and away from the window support plate and coupled to the cover housing.

2. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the cover housing inclines the window and the display panel with respect to a horizontal plane.

3. The hub according to claim 2, wherein the window has a circular shape.

4. The hub according to claim 3, wherein a horizontal cross section of the grille is an ellipse.

5. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the opening in the window support plate has a rectangular shape with a left-to-right length that is longer than a front-to-rear length, and

wherein the at least one support boss is included in a plurality of support bosses, one of the support bosses is formed in a first area at a rear side of the opening in the window support plate, and another of the support bosses is formed in a second area at a front side of the opening in the window support plate.

6. The hub according to claim 5, wherein the display PCB has at least one through-hole through which at least one of the support bosses extends.

7. The hub according to claim 1, further comprising a volume switch positioned on the display PCB to a volume of the speaker,

wherein the cover housing includes:

an opening formed in a sidewall thereof; and

a volume button positioned in the opening in the sidewall, and

wherein the volume button is activated in response to a force applied to the volume switch.

8. The hub according to claim 1,

wherein the cover includes an inclined window over the display panel, and

wherein the grille has a horizontal cross-sectional shape corresponding to a shape associated with orthogonally projecting the window on the horizontal plane.

9. The hub according to claim 8, wherein the window has a circular shape.

10. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the base includes:

a base body having an open upper surface, the base body defining a predetermined space therein; and

a support rubber fixed on a bottom surface of the base body.

11. The hub according to claim 10, wherein the base body includes:

a bottom surface that includes an insertion groove to receive a support pad;

a base outer wall extending upward from a periphery of the bottom, the base outer wall extending below the grille; and

a lower-end holding extension upwardly extending from the base outer wall and inserted into the grille, the lower-end holding extension contacting an inner surface of the lower opening of the grille.

12. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry includes WiFi®

circuitry and Bluetooth®

circuitry,

wherein the WiFi®

circuitry and the Bluetooth®

circuitry are coupled to the main body, and

wherein antennas for the WiFi®

circuitry and the Bluetooth®

circuitry are positioned in the cover above the grille.

13. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry includes a Zigbee®

circuitry.

14. A hub comprising:

a main body including a housing defining a cavity to receive a speaker that generates sound;

communication circuitry coupled to the housing of the main body, the communication circuitry exchanging data with another device;

a base coupled to a lower surface of the housing of the main body;

a cover including a cover housing, a cover housing including a lower surface coupled to a top of the housing of the main body, and an upper surface to receive a display panel to output visual content associated with the data exchanged with the other device via the communication circuitry; and

a grille having a surface defining a cylinder with a central cavity, an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening of the grille being coupled to the cover housing, the lower opening of the grill being coupled to the base, and the main body being positioned within the central cavity to be encapsulated by the base, the cover, and the grille, the surface of the grille including a plurality of through-holes to pass the sound generated by the speaker,

wherein an upper surface of the cover housing defines an opening, the display panel is positioned in the opening of the cover housing, and a window is positioned over the display panel and in the opening to cover the display panel,

wherein the cover further includes;

a display Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided in the cover housing and having an upper surface on which the display panel is installed; and

a window support provided below the window to support the window, wherein the window support includes;

a window support plate provided above the display panel to support the window and having an opening to expose the display panel; and

at least one support boss extending downward and away from the window support plate and coupled to the cover housing,

wherein the cover housing further includes;

a cylindrical sidewall extending in a vertical direction; and

a partition extending from an inner circumferential surface of the sidewall, the partition dividing an inside of the sidewall into upper and lower regions,

wherein the display PCB is provided at an upper surface of the partition within an upper region of the cover housing, and

wherein the partition includes at least one insertion boss to receive the at least one support boss, respectively.

15. The hub according to claim 14, wherein the window support plate inclines the window and the partition extends parallel to the inclined window.

16. A hub comprising:

a main body including a housing defining a cavity to receive a speaker that generates sound;

communication circuitry coupled to the housing of the main body, the communication circuitry exchanging data with another device;

a base coupled to a lower surface of the housing of the main body;

a cover including a cover housing, the cover housing including a lower surface coupled to a top of the housing of the main body, and an upper surface to receive a display panel to output visual content associated with the data exchanged with the other device via the communication circuitry; and

a grille having a surface defining a cylinder with a central cavity, an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening of the grille being coupled to the cover housing, the lower opening of the grill being coupled to the base, and the main body being positioned within the central cavity to be encapsulated by the base, the cover, and the grille, the surface of the grille including a plurality of through-holes to pass the sound generated by the speaker,

wherein;

an upper surface of the cover housing defines an opening;

the display panel is positioned in the opening of the cover housing; and

a window is positioned over the display panel and in the opening to cover the display panel,

wherein the cover further includes;

a display Printed Circuit Board (PCB) provided in the cover housing and having an upper surface on which the display panel is installed; and

a window support provided below the window to support the window, wherein the window support includes;

a window support plate provided above the display panel to support the window and having an opening to expose the display panel; and

at least one support boss extending downward and away from the window support plate and coupled to the cover housing,

wherein contact switches are provided on the upper surface of the display PCB,

wherein the window support includes protrusions protruding downward from the window support plate at respective positions corresponding to the contact switches, and

wherein pressure applied on the window support plate through the window activates one or more of the contact switches.

17. A hub comprising:

a main body including a housing defining a cavity to receive a speaker that generates sound;

communication circuitry coupled to the housing of the main body, the communication circuitry exchanging data with another device;

a base coupled to a lower surface of the housing of the main body;

a cover including a cover housing, the cover housing including a lower surface coupled to a top of the housing of the main body, and an upper surface to receive a display panel to output visual content associated with the data exchanged with the other device via the communication circuitry; and

a grille having a surface defining a cylinder with a central cavity, an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening of the grille being coupled to the cover housing, the lower opening of the grill being coupled to the base, and the main body being positioned within the central cavity to be encapsulated by the base, the cover, and the grille, the surface of the grille including a plurality of through-holes to pass the sound generated by the speaker,

wherein;

an upper surface of the cover housing defines an opening;

the display panel is positioned in the opening of the cover housing; and

a window is positioned over the display panel and in the opening to cover the display panel,

wherein the upper surface of the cover housing inclines the window and the display panel with respect to a horizontal plane,

wherein the window has a circular shape,

wherein a horizontal cross section of the grille is an ellipse,

wherein the cover housing includes at least one fastening boss extending in a lateral direction from the upper-end holding extension and coupled to the main body,

wherein the main body includes a speaker case to receive the speaker therein,

wherein the speaker case has at least one boss-insertion recess for insertion of the at least one fastening boss,

wherein the speaker case includes;

a front case and a rear case that combine to define the cavity,

wherein the at least one fastening boss is included in a plurality of fastening bosses, and one of the fastening bosses protrudes rearward from a front surface of the upper-end holding extension,

wherein another one of the fastening bosses protrudes forward from a rear surface of the upper-end holding extension,

wherein at least one of the boss-insertion recesses is indented rearward from a front surface of the front case, and the front case has an opening formed in an upper surface thereof so that the fastening boss, protruding rearward from the front surface of the upper-end holding extension, is inserted into the boss-insertion recess from a top side, and

wherein at least another one of the boss-insertion recesses is indented forward from a rear surface of the rear case, and the rear case has an opening formed in an upper surface thereof so that the fastening boss, protruding forward from the rear surface of the upper-end holding extension, is inserted into the boss-insertion recess from a top side.

18. The hub according to claim 17, wherein the speaker case includes at least one fastening boss protruding downward from a lower surface thereof, and

wherein the base includes at least one insertion boss protruding upward from an inner surface thereof for insertion of the respective at least one fastening boss.

19. The hub according to claim 17, wherein the cover further includes a display PCB provided in the cover housing and having an upper surface to support the display panel, and

wherein the hub further comprises a main PCB positioned between a lower surface of the speaker case and the base and electronically connected to a display PCB.