Speaker arrangement for communication terminal

• US 7,233,678 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Simonsson, Olof, Erixon, Mats, Frohlund, Stig, Schack, Go
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr.; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/519,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20050233781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 381/345, 381/394, 381/162, 381/351, 381/353, 381/354, 381/386, 455/90.3, 455/347, 455/350, 455/351, 379/428.02, 379/429, 379/433.02
• US Class Current: 381/345
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A communication terminal includes a housing carrying therein a radio antenna element, a speaker, and a chamber that acts as an electromagnetic resonance cavity for the antenna and as an acoustic resonance cavity for the speaker. The speaker is mounted inside the chamber and is coupled to the outside of the housing through a sound channel. The terminal includes a user interface on a front side of the housing and the speaker is placed behind the user interface as viewed from the front side, with the sound channel extending from a channel inlet at the speaker to a channel front outlet at the front side.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

a housing;

a user interface on a front side of the housing, said housing carrying therein a radio antenna element, a PCB comprising a ground plane extending longitudinally through the terminal behind said user interface;

a speaker; and

a chamber that acts as an electromagnetic resonance cavity for the antenna and as an acoustic resonance cavity for the speaker;

wherein said speaker is mounted inside said chamber, wherein said speaker is placed behind said PCB and completely behind said user interface as viewed from said front side, wherein sound is coupled from the speaker to a front outlet by means of an opening formed in said PCB at the speaker, a sound channel extending from said opening longitudinally in the terminal between said PCB and said user interface, past said speaker, to a bent portion leading the sound channel around an edge of said user interface at an end portion of the terminal, and wherein the sound channel extends from the bent portion to the channel front outlet substantially perpendicular to said front side.

2. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said sound channel further comprises a channel top outlet extending in a substantially longitudinal direction of the terminal at a top side of said housing.

3. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface is a display.

4. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said user interface is a key pad.

5. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said ground plane defines a wall part of the chamber, through which wall part said sound channel front outlet extends.

6. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said chamber is sealed.

7. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said chamber has a substantially rectangular box shape.

8. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said antenna element comprises a substantially flat pattern of conductive material on a wall of said chamber.

9. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is configured to convey audio information to a terminal user.

10. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is configured to act as a ringer by transmitting a predetermined sound signal to bring a user'"'"'s attention to the terminal.

11. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker comprises a buzzer configured to act as a ringer by transmitting a predetermined sound signal to bring a user'"'"'s attention to the terminal.

12. The communication terminal as recited in claim 1, wherein said speaker is a multi mode actuator configured to act as a ringer and as a vibrator by transmitting predetermined sound signals or vibrations to bring a user'"'"'s attention to the terminal.