PORTABLE SPEAKER OF PORTABLE MULTIMEDIA DEVICE

• US 20070121981A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Noh-byung, Song, Young-suk, Koh, You-kyung
• Application Number:
  US11/468,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/334
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A portable speaker of a portable multimedia device includes a digital amplifier to receive a digital audio signal from the portable multimedia device and to digitally process and output the received digital audio signal to a speaker unit, and a battery to supply electric power to at least one of the digital amplifier and the portable multimedia device.

Claims

1. A portable speaker of a portable multimedia device, comprising:

a digital amplifier to receive a digital audio signal from the portable multimedia device and to digitally process and output the received digital audio signal to a speaker unit; and

a battery to supply electric power to at least one of the digital amplifier and the portable multimedia device.

2. The portable speaker of claim 1, wherein the battery always supplies the electric power to the portable multimedia device when the portable speaker is connected to the portable multimedia device.

3. The portable speaker of claim 1, wherein the battery supplies the electric power to the portable multimedia device only when an internal battery of the portable multimedia device is fully discharged and the portable speaker is connected to the portable multimedia device.

4. The portable speaker of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtualizer to provide a sound field effect to the audio signal; and

a dynamic range controller to prevent a clipping of the audio signal.

5. A portable speaker unit useable with a multimedia device, comprising:

a processing unit to process a digital audio signal received from the multimedia device and to output an audio analog signal corresponding to the received digital audio signal;

at least one speaker to receive the audio analog signal from the processing unit and to output sound corresponding to the audio analog signal; and

a battery unit to supply electric power to at least one of the processing unit and the multimedia device.

6. The portable speaker unit of claim 5, wherein the processing unit comprises:

a virtualizer unit to provide a sound field effect to the digital audio signal received from the multimedia device and to output the digital audio signal having the sound field effect;

a dynamic range controller unit to receive the digital audio signal having the sound field effect output from the virtualizer, to control a dynamic range of the digital audio signal having the sound field effect to prevent the signal from clipping, and to output a digital output signal; and

a digital amplifier unit to receive the digital output signal output from the dynamic range controller, and to output a demodulated audio analog signal to the at least one speaker.

7. The portable speaker unit of claim 6, wherein the digital amplifier unit converts the digital output signal received from the dynamic range controller into a pulse width modulation signal, amplifies the pulse width modulation signal to generate an audio analog signal, demodulates the audio analog signal, and outputs the demodulated audio analog signal to the at least one speaker.

8. The portable speaker unit of claim 7, wherein the digital amplifier unit comprises:

a converter to convert the received digital output signal into the pulse width modulation signal and to output the pulse width modulation signal;

a switching unit to receive the pulse width modulation signal output from the converter, to amplify the pulse width modulation signal to generate the audio analog signal, and to output the audio analog signal; and

a filter to receive the audio analog signal output from the switching unit, to demodulate the audio analog signal, and to output the demodulated audio analog signal to the at least one speaker.

9. The portable speaker unit of claim 6, wherein the digital output signal output from the dynamic range controller comprises a pulse code modulation signal having a low amplitude.

10. The portable speaker unit of claim 6, wherein the digital amplifier unit comprises an integrated circuit chip.

11. The portable speaker unit of claim 8, wherein the switching unit comprises a field effect transistor.

12. The portable speaker unit of claim 8, wherein the battery unit provides power to the switching unit.

13. The portable speaker unit of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one connecting unit to transmit the digital audio signal from the multimedia device to the portable speaker unit.

14. The portable speaker unit of claim 13, wherein the connecting unit comprises at least one of a connecting jack and a connecting dock.

15. The portable speaker unit of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one connecting unit to supply the electric power from the portable speaker unit to the multimedia device.

16. The portable speaker unit of claim 15, wherein the connecting unit comprises negative and positive poles and a ground unit to supply the electric power from the portable speaker unit to the multimedia device.

17. The portable speaker unit of claim 5, further comprising:

a multi-channel interface unit to transmit the digital audio signal from the multimedia device to the portable speaker unit and to supply the electric power from the portable speaker unit to the multimedia device.

18. The portable speaker unit of claim 17, wherein the multi-channel interface unit comprises:

a signal transmission pin to transmit the digital audio signal from the multimedia device to the portable speaker unit; and

a power transmission pin to supply the electric power from the portable speaker unit to the multimedia device.

19. A portable multimedia apparatus, comprising:

a multimedia unit, comprising;

a signal generating unit to decode audio data and to output a digital audio signal corresponding to the decoded audio data, and

an internal battery to provide electric power to the signal generating unit; and

a removable portable speaker unit, comprising;

a processing unit to process the digital audio signal output from the signal generating unit and to output an audio analog signal corresponding to the digital audio signal,

at least one speaker to receive the audio analog signal output from the processing unit and to output sound corresponding to the audio analog signal, and

a battery unit to supply electric power to at least one of the processing unit and the signal generating unit.

20. The portable multimedia apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a multi-channel interface unit to transmit the digital audio signal from the signal generating unit to the processing unit and to supply the electric power from the battery unit to the signal generating unit.

21. A portable multimedia apparatus, comprising:

a multimedia device, comprising;

a signal generating unit to decode audio data and to output a digital audio signal corresponding to the decoded audio data, and

an internal battery to supply electric power to the signal generating unit; and

an external battery pack to supply electric power to the portable multimedia device, comprising;

at least one speaker to output sound corresponding to the digital audio signal output from the signal generating unit, and

a battery unit to supply electric power to the signal generating unit of the portable multimedia device.

22. The portable multimedia apparatus of claim 21, wherein the internal battery supplies the electric power to the signal generating unit until the internal battery is discharged, and then the battery unit supplies the electric power to the portable multimedia device thereafter.

23. The portable multimedia apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a multi-channel interface unit to transmit the digital audio signal from the portable multimedia device to the external battery pack and to supply the electric power from the external battery pack to the portable multimedia device.

24. The portable multimedia apparatus of claim 21, wherein the external battery pack recharges the internal battery by transmitting electric power thereto.

25. A method of providing electric power to a portable multimedia device, comprising:

supplying the electric power to the portable multimedia device from an internal battery thereof while the internal battery contains a charge; and

supplying the electric power to the portable multimedia device from a portable external speaker based on the charge remaining in the internal battery.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

recharging the internal battery of the portable multimedia device by providing electric power from the portable external speaker.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

supplying the electric power to the portable multimedia device from a portable external speaker while maintaining a charge of an internal battery of the portable multimedia device.