Mobile terminal using a vibration motor as a loudspeaker and method of use thereof

• US 6,809,635 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaaresoja, Topi
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/821,084
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 340/407.1, 340/7.6, 340/965, 340/7.57, 340/384.1, 340/388.1, 340/384.73, 340/384.7, 310/81
• US Class Current: 340/407.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention is a mobile terminal (102). The mobile terminal includes a vibration motor (108) which provides a silent vibration alert to a user of the mobile terminal during reception of incoming communications which include audio communications; and an amplifier (106, 312) the amplifier amplifying the audio communications and producing an amplified audio output coupled to at least the vibration motor which outputs the audio communications as audible sound.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

a vibration motor comprising an imbalanced rotor which rotates about an axis to provides a silent vibration alert to a user of the mobile terminal during reception of incoming communications which include audio communications; and

an amplifier, the amplifier amplifying the audio communications and producing an amplified audio output coupled to at least the vibration motor which outputs the audio communication as audible sound.

2. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 1 comprising:

a loudspeaker, coupled to the amplifier, which outputs the audio communications as audible sound whereby the amplified audio signal causes the vibration motor and the loudspeaker to reproduce the audio communications as audible sound.

3. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 2 comprising:

a high pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the loudspeaker, which passes substantially non-attenuated higher frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates lower frequency components of the audio communications.

4. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the high pass filter provides an output which is coupled as an input to the amplifier.

5. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the loudspeaker is a tweeter.

6. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 4 wherein:

the loudspeaker is a tweeter.

7. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the high pass filter is a capacitor.

8. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

the high pass filter is a capacitor.

9. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 3 wherein:

the high pass filter is within a cross-over network and couples an output of the amplifier to the loudspeaker.

10. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

the high pass filter is within a cross-over network and couples an output of the amplifier to the tweeter.

11. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 1 comprising:

a low pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the vibration motor, which passes substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates higher frequency components of the audio communications.

12. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 2 comprising:

a low pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the vibration motor, which passes substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates higher frequency components of the audio communications.

13. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 3 comprising:

a low pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the vibration motor, which passes substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates higher frequency components of the audio communications.

14. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 4 comprising:

a low pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the vibration motor, which passes substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates higher frequency components of the audio communications.

15. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 5 comprising:

a low pass filter, coupled to the amplifier and the vibration motor, which passes substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications and substantially attenuates higher frequency components of the audio communications.

16. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 9 comprising:

a low pass filter within the cross-over network which couples substantially non-attenuated lower frequency components of the audio communications amplified by the amplifier to the vibration motor.

17. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 1 comprising:

a high pass filter having an input which receives the audio communications and an output coupled to an input of a first amplifier having an output coupled to a tweeter;

a low pass filter having an input which receives the audio communications and an output coupled to an input of a second amplifier having an output coupled to the vibration motor; and

wherein

an amplification gain of the second amplifier is greater than an amplification gain of the first amplifier.

18. A mobile terminal in accordance with any one of claims 1-17 further comprising:

a base plane, coupled to the vibration motor, which also outputs the audible sound.

19. A mobile terminal in accordance with claim 18 wherein:

the base plane is a part of an external cover of the mobile terminal.

20. A method of receiving audio communications with a mobile terminal having a vibration motor comprising an imbalanced rotor which rotates about an axis to provides a silent alert to a user of the mobile terminal during reception of incoming communications which include audio communications comprising:

detecting incoming audio communications with the mobile terminal;

amplifying the detected audio communications with an amplifier in the mobile terminal; and

coupling the amplified audio communications to the vibration motor which outputs the audio communications as audible sound.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein the mobile terminal includes a loudspeaker comprising:

coupling the amplified audio communications to the loudspeaker whereby the amplified audio communications are also reproduced by the loudspeaker as audible sound.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein:

the audio communications have higher and lower frequency components and the lower frequency components are produced substantially as audible sound by the vibration motor and the higher frequency components are produced substantially by the loudspeaker.