Mobile wireless communications device having improved RF immunity of audio transducers to electromagnetic interference (EMI)

• US 7,974,582 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mankaruse, George, Zhu, Lizhong, Corrigan, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US12/025,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 4555751-5752, 455/90.3, 455/550.1, 4555561-5562, 455/68.1, 455/569.1, 455/296, 455/300, 455/570, 455/67.13, 455/41.2, 455/517, 455/569.2, 455/419, 455/552.1, 455/66.1, 455/418, 455/234.1, 455/63.1, 455/114.2, 455/278.1, 439/78, 439/73, 439/76.1, 379/167.15, 379/433.03, 379/430, 331181-186, 381/71, 381/318, 381/94, 381/91, 381/1, 381/365, 381/55, 381/111, 381/116, 381/117, 381/189, 361/816, 361/818
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing and circuit board carried by the housing and having radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor operative with each other. Audio circuitry is carried by the circuit board and an audio transducer assembly, such as a speaker, has electrical contacts that electrically engage the audio circuitry for carrying audio signals between the audio circuitry and audio transducer assembly. A filter is mounted at the audio transducer assembly and reduces radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic interference to the audio transducer assembly during device operation.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of circuit boards carried by the housing and including radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor operative with each other and each carried by at least one of the circuit boards;

audio circuitry carried by at least one of the circuit boards and operative with the RF circuitry and processor;

an audio transducer assembly that includes a transducer housing and carried by at least one of the circuit boards and having an electrical contact pad member that electrically engages the audio circuitry for carrying audio signals between the audio circuitry and the audio transducer assembly wherein the audio circuitry engaging the electrical contact pad member comprises uninterrupted signal traces on at least one of the circuit boards; and

a first filter serially connected within each uninterrupted signal trace of the audio circuitry at the audio transducer assembly, and further comprising at least one of a second filter mounted serially at the electrical contact pad member and a third filter mounted within the transducer housing of the audio transducer assembly for reducing radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic interference to the audio transducer assembly during device operation.

2. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said second filter is positioned within said transducer housing.

3. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said electrical contact pad member comprises resilient contact pads that engage the audio circuitry.

4. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 3, wherein said second filter is connected at said audio circuitry adjacent said resilient contact pads.

5. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 3, wherein said second filter is located between said audio transducer housing and resilient contact pads.

6. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said second filter is located adjacent the electrical contact pad member of said audio transducer assembly.

7. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said second filter comprises a ferrite bead.

8. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said second filter comprises a surface mount filter device mounted on at least one of the circuit boards and positioned adjacent said electrical contact pad member.

9. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said second filter comprises a serial inductor or shunt capacitor.

10. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein said audio transducer assembly comprises a receiver speaker.

11. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, further comprising a RF shield that surrounds the audio transducer assembly.

12. A mobile wireless communications device according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of circuit boards comprises an antenna circuit board.

13. A method of making a mobile wireless communications device, which comprises:

providing a housing, a plurality of circuit boards carried by the housing and including radio frequency (RF) circuitry and a processor operative with each other and each carried by at least one of the circuit boards, audio circuitry carried by at least one of the circuit boards and operative with the RF circuitry and processor, and an audio transducer assembly that includes a transducer housing and carried by at least one of the circuit boards and having an electrical contact pad member that electrically engages the audio circuitry for carrying audio signals between the audio circuitry and the audio transducer assembly wherein the audio circuitry engaging the electrical contact pad member comprises uninterrupted signal traces on at least one of the circuit boards; and

reducing radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic interference to the audio transducer assembly during device operation by serially connecting a first filter within each uninterrupted signal trace of the audio circuitry at the audio transducer assembly and mounting at least one of a second filter serially at the electrical contact pad member and a third filter within the transducer housing of the audio transducer assembly.

14. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises serially connecting the second filter within audio circuitry.

15. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises positioning the second filter adjacent the electrical contact pad member.

16. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises forming the second filter as a ferrite bead, shunt capacitor or serial inductor.

17. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises forming a RF shield around the audio transducer assembly.

18. The method according to claim 13, which further comprises positioning an antenna on an antenna circuit board of the plurality of circuit boards.