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

• US 10,440,456 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Sangin, Chi, Sanghoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/604,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20170347172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 381388, 381333, 381336, 381306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• 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 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20436 Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing

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 provided 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 provided 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 having a speaker configured to output sound;

communication circuitry provided in the main body and configured to wirelessly communicate with another device;

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

a cover housing having a lower surface coupled to a top surface of the main body and an upper surface that defines an opening and is inclined upward from a front side to a rear side thereof with respect to a horizontal plane;

a display panel provided in the cover housing and configured to display a screen;

a window that has a circular shape and is positioned above the display panel, the window being provided in the opening and substantially parallel to the upper surface of the cover housing;

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

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

a grille having a vertically elongated cylindrical shape defining a cavity, the grille including an upper end coupled to the cover housing, and a lower end coupled to the base,

wherein the main body is received within the cavity, and grille further includes a plurality of through-holes to pass the sound outputted by the speaker,

wherein the grille has a horizontal cross-sectional shape corresponding orthogonally projecting an outer periphery of the window on to the horizontal plane, and

wherein a lower surface of the base has an elliptical shape having a long diameter in a left-to-right direction and a short diameter in a front-to-rear direction, corresponding to the horizontal cross section of the grille.

2. A hub comprising:

a main body with a speaker configured to output sound;

communication circuitry provided on the main body and configured to wirelessly communicate with another device;

a base provided below the main body and coupled to a bottom surface of the main body;

a cover housing coupled to a top surface of the main body and having an opening that is formed in an upper surface, the opening extending in a first plane inclined upward from a front side to a rear side thereof at a first angle with respect to a horizontal plane;

a display panel provided in the cover housing and configured to present a screen;

a window to cover the display panel and positioned in the opening;

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

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

a grille having a vertically elongated cylindrical shape and provided with a plurality of through-holes therein, the main body being positioned within the grille, the grille including an upper end coupled to the cover housing and a lower end coupled to the base,

wherein the cover housing includes a cylindrical sidewall provided above the grille, an upper surface of the sidewall defines the opening, and an outer circumference of the sidewall of the cover housing has a circular shape,

wherein the upper surface of the sidewall has an annular outer circumference,

wherein the grille has a horizontal cross-section shape corresponding to orthogonally projecting the outer circumference of the sidewall of the cover housing on to a horizontal plane, and

wherein a lower surface of the base has an elliptical shape having a long diameter in a left-to-right direction and a short diameter in a front-to-rear direction, corresponding to the horizontal cross section of the grille.

3. The hub according to claim 2, wherein, when a highest point and a lowest point of the opening are orthogonally projected on a horizontal plane, the highest and lowest points of the opening are provided along a direction associated with orthogonally projecting a normal vector, which extends upward from the first plane, on the horizontal plane.

4. The hub according to claim 3, wherein the window has an upper surface inclined parallel to the first plane associated with the opening.

5. The hub according to claim 4, wherein the upper surface of the window is located on the first plane associated with the opening.

6. The hub according to claim 5, wherein the opening has a circular shape.

7. The hub according to claim 5, wherein the upper surface of the window has a circular shape corresponding to the opening.

8. The hub according to claim 7, wherein the window has a prescribed thickness, and the window includes a side surface spaced apart from an inner surface of the sidewall.

9. The hub according to claim 8, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall extends parallel to the side surface of the window.

10. The hub according to claim 2, wherein the shape obtained by orthogonally projecting the outer circumference of the sidewall on the horizontal plane has a short diameter along a vector acquired by orthogonally projecting a first normal vector, which extends upward from the first plane, on the horizontal plane, and a long diameter in a direction perpendicular to the vector acquired by orthogonally projecting the first normal vector on the horizontal plane.

11. The hub according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal cross-section of the grille forms an ellipse.

12. The hub according to claim 11, wherein a horizontal cross-section of a sidewall of the base coupled to the lower end of the grille has a shape corresponding to the ellipse.

13. The hub according to claim 12, wherein an opening defined by the upper side of the grille is on a second plane inclined at a second angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and

wherein a vector obtained by orthogonally projecting a second normal vector, extending upward from the second plane, on the horizontal plane direct extends in a same direction as a vector acquired by orthogonally projecting the first normal vector on the horizontal plane.

14. A sound output apparatus, comprising:

a main body including a speaker configured to output sound;

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

a cover housing coupled to a top surface of the main body and having an upper surface that defines an opening in a plane inclined upward from a front side to a rear side thereof at a prescribed angle with respect to a horizontal plane;

a display panel provided in the cover housing and configured to output playback information associated with the speaker;

a window having a circular shape and positioned over the display panel and in the opening;

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

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

a grille having a vertically elongated cylindrical shape and provided with a plurality of through-holes, the main body being positioned within the grille, an upper end of the grille being coupled to the cover housing and a lower end of the grille being coupled to the base,

wherein the cover housing includes a cylindrical sidewall that defines the opening,

wherein an outer surface of the sidewall has an annular outer circumference,

wherein the upper end of the grille is inserted over the outer surface of the sidewall and has a horizontal cross-section shape corresponding to orthogonally projecting the outer circumference of the sidewall of the cover housing on to a horizontal plane, and

wherein a lower surface of the base has an elliptical shape having a long diameter in a left-to-right direction and a short diameter in the front-to-rear direction, corresponding to the horizontal cross section of the grille.

15. The sound output apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the circular shape of the window has a diameter corresponding distance between a highest point of the opening and a lowest point of the opening.

16. The sound output apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a radiator plate positioned between the main body and the base, wherein the radiator plate receives and dissipates heat raising from the main body, and wherein the radiator plate is spaced from the main body.

17. A sound output apparatus comprising:

a main body including a speaker configured to output sound;

a base provided below the main body configured to support the main body;

a cover housing coupled to a top surface of the main body and having an opening formed in a plane that is inclined upward from a front side to a rear side thereof at a predetermined angle relative to a horizontal plane;

a display panel provided in the cover housing;

a window having a circular shape and provided in the opening to cover the display panel, the window having an upper surface inclined parallel to the plane of the opening of the cover housing

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

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

a grille having a vertically elongated cylindrical shape and provided with a plurality of through-holes, the main body being positioned within the grille, and the grille having an upper end coupled to the cover housing and a lower end coupled to the base,

wherein the grille has a horizontal cross section that is an ellipse having a short diameter in a front-to-rear direction and a long diameter in a left-to-right direction, and

wherein a lower surface of the base has an elliptical shape having a long diameter in the left-to-right direction and a short diameter in the front-to-rear direction, corresponding to the horizontal cross section of the grille.

18. The sound output apparatus of claim 17, wherein the cover housing includes a sidewall, and the sidewall extends into the upper end of the grille, and

wherein a portion of the sidewall that extends into the upper end of the grille has a cross-sectional shape of an ellipse with a short diameter in a front-to-rear direction and a long diameter in a left-to-right direction.

19. The sound output apparatus of claim 17, wherein the base includes a sidewall, an external surface of the sidewall of the base is inserted into the lower end of the grille, and the external surface of the sidewall of the base has a horizontal cross-section shape of a circle.