Speaker system, mobile terminal device, and electronic device

• US 7,050,600 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Saiki, Shuji, Konishi, Shuhei, Usuki, Sawako
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/185,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20030003879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 381/150, 381/152, 381/182, 381/184, 381/345, 381/349, 381/350, 381/351, 381/396, 381/398, 381/423, 381/186, 381/342, 381/388, 381/432, 181/148, 181/164, 181/183
• US Class Current: 381/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/046 Construction

Abstract

A speaker system includes a display panel for displaying an image; a transparent panel provided such that the image displayed in the display panel is viewed through the transparent panel; an electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer having a diaphragm for outputting a sound by vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electric signal; and an acoustic signal transfer member for transferring the sound output from the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer to a space provided between the display panel and the transparent panel. The transparent panel is allowed to be vibrated by the sound transferred to the space from the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer via the acoustic signal transfer member.

Claims

1. A speaker system, comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image;

a transparent panel provided such that the image displayed in the display panel is viewed through the transparent panel;

an electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer having a diaphragm for outputting a sound by vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electric signal; and

an acoustic signal transfer member for transferring the sound output from the electric-mechanical-acoustic transducer to a space provided between the display panel and the transparent panel,

wherein one end of the acoustic signal transfer member is connected to the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer; and

the transparent panel is allowed to be vibrated by the sound transferred to the space from the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer via the acoustic signal transfer member.

2. A speaker system according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member for supporting a peripheral portion of the transparent panel.

3. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal transfer member is an acoustic pipe.

4. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the transparent panel is a film.

5. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer includes a mechanical vibration section for generating a mechanical vibration.

6. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein:

the acoustic signal transfer member has a sound hole for transferring the sound, and

the sound hole extends in a direction parallel to a direction in which the display panel extends.

7. A speaker system according to claim 1, wherein:

the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer includes a housing for surrounding the diaphragm,

the housing has art opening extending in a direction vertical to a direction in which the diaphragm vibrates, and

the opening is in connection with the acoustic signal transfer member.

8. A speaker system, comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image;

a transparent panel provided such that the image displayed in the display panel is viewed through the transparent panel;

at least two electric-mechanical-acoustic transducers, each having a diaphragm for outputting a sound by vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electric signal; and

at least two acoustic signal transfer members, each for transferring the sound output from the respective electric-mechanical-acoustic transducer to a space provided between the display panel and the transparent panel,

wherein the transparent panel is allowed to be vibrated by the sound transferred to the space from the at least two electric-mechanical-acoustic transducers via the respective at least two acoustic signal transfer members, and

the acoustic signal transfer members are connected to the space at different positions.

9. A speaker system according to claim 8, wherein:

the electric signal represents at least one of a received sound, a call arrival sound, and audio information for a plurality of channels,

when the electric signal represents at least one of the received sound and the call arrival sound, the electric signal is input to the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducers, and

when the electric signal represents the audio information for the plurality of channels, an electric signal representing audio information for each of the plurality of channels is input to the respective electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer.

10. A speaker system, comprising:

a display panel for displaying an image;

a transparent panel provided such that the image displayed in the display panel is viewed through the transparent panel;

a substrate provided between the display panel and the transparent panel such that the image is viewed through the substrate;

an electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer having a diaphragm for outputting a sound by vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electric signal; and

an acoustic signal transfer member for transferring the sound output from the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer to a space provided between the transparent panel and the substrate,

wherein the transparent panel is allowed to be vibrated by the sound transferred to the space from the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer via the acoustic signal transfer member.

11. A speaker system according to claim 10, wherein:

the substrate has a sound hole, and

the substrate acts as the acoustic signal transfer member.

12. A speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the space is provided among a spacer, for connecting a peripheral portion of the transparent panel and a peripheral portion of the substrate, the transparent panel and the substrate.

13. A speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the transparent panel is a film.

14. A speaker system according to claim 10, wherein the acoustic signal transfer member is an acoustic pipe.

15. A speaker system according to claim 10, comprising:

at least one more electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer; and

at least one more acoustic signal transfer member,

wherein;

the electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducers each include a diaphragm and each output a sound by vibrating the diaphragm in accordance with an electric signal,

the acoustic signal transfer members each transfer the sound output from the respective electric-mechanical-acoustic-transducer to the space, and

the acoustic signal transfer members are connected to the space at different positions.