Portable communication device with collapsible speaker enclosure

• US 6,292,573 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Matthew, Stoll, Thomas, Zurek, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDLETON, DIONNE
• Application Number:
  US09/409,556
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 381/386, 381/387, 381/393, 381/395, 381/333-336, 379/428, 379/430, 379/433, 455/575, 455/90, 455/347, 455/351, 455/100
• US Class Current: 381/386
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2811 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2834 for loudspeaker transducers

Abstract

A portable communication device includes a speaker enclosure having a speaker and a plurality of telescoping nested shells moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The shells have a top and bottom surface and interlocking sidewalls such that when the enclosure is deployed into an expanded configuration the shells form a rigid enclosure with a substantially sealed acoustic space therein. The space tunes an acoustic compliance for the speaker so as to improve broadband frequency response whether the communication device is using a privacy or speakerphone mode of operation.

Claims

1. A portable communication device including a speaker enclosure comprising:

a speaker having a first speaker side and a second speaker side;

a plurality of telescoping nested shells mounted on a rigid portion of the communication device, the shells moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the shells having interlocking rigid side walls such that when the enclosure is deployed into an expanded configuration the shells form a rigid enclosure with at least one substantially sealed acoustic space therein, the at least one space tunes an acoustic compliance for the speaker so as to improve broadband frequency response in an expanded configuration;

a middle shell of the plurality of nested shells having a surface including an acoustic baffle for transmitting audio signals from the speaker, the speaker being mounted on the surface to abut one side of the acoustic baffle with the first speaker side facing the acoustic baffle such that the enclosure encompasses a second substantially sealed space behind the second speaker side and a first substantially sealed space in front of the first speaker side so as to provide an acoustic bandpass system to improve efficiency.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shells includes a passive radiator acoustically coupled to at least one of the first and second spaces so as to provide improved low-frequency response appropriate to that of a bass-reflex or ported bandpass speaker enclosure.

3. A portable communication device including a speaker enclosure comprising:

a speaker having a first speaker side and a second speaker side;

a plurality of telescoping nested shells mounted on a rigid portion of the communication device, the shells moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, the shells having interlocking rigid side walls such that when the enclosure is deployed into an expanded configuration the shells form a rigid enclosure with at least one substantially sealed acoustic space therein, the at least one space tunes an acoustic compliance for the speaker so as to improve broadband frequency response in an expanded configuration;

a first shell of the plurality of nested shells having a surface conjoining a top edge of the side walls, the surface including an acoustic baffle with holes therethrough for transmitting audio signals from the speaker, the speaker being mounted on the surface to abut one side of the acoustic baffle with the first speaker side facing the acoustic baffle; and

wherein one of the shells of the plurality of nested shells includes a passive radiator acoustically coupled to the at least one space so as to provide improved low-frequency response appropriate to that of a bass-reflex or ported speaker enclosure when the enclosure is in the expanded configuration.

4. The portable communication device of claim 3, further comprising:

a latch operable to retain the shells in a collapsed configuration; and

a spring operable to deploy the shells in an expanded configuration when released from the latch.

5. The portable communication device of claim 3, further comprising a switch for detecting a position of the shells, the switch being mechanically coupled to the enclosure and electrically coupled to a controller carried in the communication device, the controller for operating the portable communication device in one of a standby mode, a speakerphone mode, and a private mode in response to the switch and an activation signal, the switch being operable to signal the communication device to change from a privacy mode of operation to a speakerphone mode of operation when the enclosure is in the expanded configuration and the communication device is active, the switch being operable to signal the communication device to change from a speakerphone mode of operation to a privacy mode of operation when the enclosure is in the collapsed configuration and the communication device is active.

6. The portable communication device of claim 3, further comprising a switch for detecting a position of the shells, the switch being mechanically coupled to the enclosure and electrically coupled to a controller carried in the communication device, the controller for operating the portable communication device in one of a standby mode and a speaker mode in response to the switch, the switch being operable to signal the communication device to change from a standby mode of operation to a speaker mode of operation when the enclosure is in the expanded configuration and the communication device is active, the switch being operable to signal the communication device to change from a speaker mode of operation to a standby mode of operation when the enclosure is in the collapsed configuration wherein the speaker is used as an alert.

7. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of shells are pivotally hinged near corresponding edges around a common axis.

8. The portable communication device of claim 3, further comprising an acoustic sealing apparatus, the sealing apparatus located between the shells and providing a seal around adjacent edges of the walls between shells.

9. The portable communication device of claim 8, wherein the sealing apparatus includes at least one of an elastic o-ring, a Teflon™

coating, interlocking extrusions including an elastic coating, and an interference fit between the shells.

10. The portable communication device of claim 3, further comprising an elastic boot enclosing the walls of the shells, the boot being operable to acoustically seal the enclosure formed by the plurality of shells.

11. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the first shell is the innermost nested shell such that the enclosure encompasses a single substantially sealed space behind the second speaker side to form a sealed substantially sealed space defining an acoustic suspension enclosure.

12. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the enclosure when collapsed encompasses a space that is one-half or less than that space when the enclosure is expanded.

13. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the acoustic compliance of both the expanded and collapsed configurations are tuned to provide optimal output for loudspeaker operation in the expanded state and alert operation in the collapsed state.

14. The portable communication device of claim 3, wherein the acoustic compliance of the collapsed configuration is tuned to provide optimal output when coupled to a user'"'"'s ear.