Conjoined receiver and microphone assembly

• US 7,747,032 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Llamas-Young, Evan, Zei, John, Kirchhoefer, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson; Ryan C
• Application Number:
  US11/382,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 381/108, 381/182, 381/186, 381312-331, 381/351, 381357-358, 381/118
• US Class Current: 381/321
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2888 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/48 using constructional means for obtaining a desired frequency response H04R25/652 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Abstract

A transducer assembly may include a first transducer having a first front volume, a first back volume and a first port acoustically coupled to the first front volume; and a second transducer having a second front volume, a second back volume and second port acoustically coupled to the second front volume. The first front volume and the second front volume are acoustically coupled to increase the effective back volume of both the first transducer and the second transducer. An optional signal processing circuit may be used to control the output of the first transducer based upon a signal received from the second transducer.

Claims

1. A transducer assembly comprising:

a first housing enclosing a first transducer, the first housing defining a first front volume, a first back volume and a first port acoustically coupled to the first front volume, the first housing further defining a first aperture extending through the first housing and communicating with the first back volume; and

a second housing enclosing a second transducer, the second housing being constructed so as to be separate and self-contained with respect to the first housing, the second housing defining a second front volume, a second back volume and a second port acoustically coupled to the second front volume, the second housing further defining a second aperture extending through the second housing and communicating with the second back volume;

wherein, the first housing and the second housing are coupled together such that the first aperture at least partially aligns with the second aperture to couple the first back volume and the second back volume to provide an enlarged back volume in comparison to either the first back volume or the second back volume, separately, wherein the first transducer is a receiver and the second transducer is a microphone.

2. A transducer assembly comprising:

a first housing enclosing a first transducer, the first housing defining a first front volume, a first back volume and a first port acoustically coupled to the first front volume, the first housing further defining a first aperture extending through the first housing and communicating with the first back volume; and

a second housing enclosing a second transducer, the second housing being constructed so as to be separate and self-contained with respect to the first housing, the second housing defining a second front volume, a second back volume and a second port acoustically coupled to the second front volume, the second housing further defining a second aperture extending through the second housing and communicating with the second back volume;

wherein, the first housing and the second housing are coupled together such that the first aperture at least partially aligns with the second aperture to couple the first back volume and the second back volume to provide an enlarged back volume in comparison to either the first back volume or the second back volume, separately,

further comprising a signal processing circuit operably coupled to each of the first transducer and the second transducer, wherein the signal processing circuit is operable on a signal from the first transducer for controlling an output of the second transducer.

3. A transducer assembly comprising:

a first housing enclosing a first transducer, the first housing defining a first front volume, a first volume and a first port acoustically coupled to the first front volume, the first housing further defining a first aperture extending through the first housing and communicating with the first back volume; and

a second housing enclosing a second transducer, the second housing being constructed so as to be separate and self-contained with respect to the first housing, the second housing defining a second front volume, a second back volume and a second port acoustically coupled to the second front volume, the second housing further defining a second aperture extending through the second housing and communicating with the second back volume;

wherein, the first housing and the second housing are coupled together such that the first aperture at least partially aligns with the second aperture to couple the first back volume and the second back volume to provide an enlarged back volume in comparison to either the first back volume or the second back volume, separately, wherein an input of the first transducer being coupled to an output of the second transducer, the input of the second transducer being coupled to an output of the first transducer, wherein the output of the first transducer is controlled.

4. A device comprising:

a receiver, the receiver having a receiver housing defining a receiver front volume and a receiver back volume and an acoustic outlet port formed in the receiver housing and being coupled to the receiver front volume and a receiver electric terminal, the receiver being operable to generate an acoustic output signal from the outlet port responsive to an electrical input signal at the receiver electric terminal;

a microphone, the microphone having a microphone housing defining a microphone front volume and a microphone back volume and an acoustic inlet port formed in the pg,9 microphone housing and being coupled to the receiver front volume and a microphone electric terminal, the microphone being operable to generate an electrical signal responsive at the electric terminal responsive to an acoustic input signal received at the inlet port; and

the receiver housing being formed with a receiver housing aperture extending through the receiver housing and acoustically coupled to the receiver back volume and the microphone housing being formed with a microphone housing aperture extending through the microphone housing and acoustically coupled to the microphone back volume and the receiver housing being coupled to the microphone housing so as to at least partially align the microphone aperture and the receiver aperture such that the receiver back volume is acoustically coupled to the microphone back volume via the receiver aperture and the microphone aperture to provide an enlarged conjoined back volume in comparison to either the receiver back volume or the microphone back volume, separately.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the inlet port and the outlet port are aligned in a common direction.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the inlet port is aligned along a first direction and the outlet port is aligned along a second direction, different than the first direction.

7. The device of claim 4, comprising a signal processing circuit operably coupled to each of the receiver electric terminal and the microphone electric terminal.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the signal processing circuit is operable on a signal from the microphone for controlling the output of the receiver.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the signal processing circuit is operable for controlling a sound pressure level output of the receiver.

10. The device of claim 4, an electric terminal of the receiver being coupled to the electric terminal of the microphone, the input port of the microphone being pg,10 coupled to the output port of the receiver, wherein the output of the receiver is controlled based upon the output of the microphone.