Integrated microphone assembly for personal media device

• US 8,306,252 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Tan, Tang Yew, Barrentine, Derek Boyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/650,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 381/365, 381/351, 381/355, 381/360, 381/91, 381/357, 381/361, 379/433.03, 379/431
• US Class Current: 381/365
• 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: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for media devices including a housing, a frame disposed adjacent to the housing, and a microphone assembly that is integrated with the frame for receiving sound.

Claims

1. A media device comprising:

a housing,

a frame disposed adjacent to the housing, and

a microphone assembly being integrated with the frame, wherein the microphone assembly comprises;

a microphone subassembly for receiving sound from a first aperture of the housing,

an upper casing that resides on the frame on a first side of a backplane of the frame, and

a lower casing that resides on the frame on a second side of the backplane of the frame opposite the first side, wherein at least one of the upper casing and the lower casing at least partially encloses the microphone subassembly.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes detachably connected to.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes unitarily formed with.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein integrated with includes mounted to.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is disposed substantially within the housing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a sidewall.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the sidewall includes a second aperture in acoustic communication with the microphone assembly.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone subassembly is positioned substantially on the first side of the backplane.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the microphone subassembly is enclosed within the upper casing and the backplane.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the upper casing includes a rubber boot.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone subassembly is positioned substantially on the second side of the backplane.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the microphone subassembly is enclosed within the lower casing and the backplane.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the frame is connected to the housing at least one gasket.

30. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a first portion of the microphone subassembly resides within a first surrounding air chamber; and

the first surrounding air chamber is formed by at least a portion of at least one of the first side of the backplane of the frame and the second side of the backplane of the frame.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the first surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of at least one of the upper casing and the lower casing.

32. The device of claim 30, wherein:

the first surrounding air chamber is formed by the at least a portion of the first side of the backplane of the frame,

a second portion of the microphone subassembly resides within a second surrounding air chamber, and

the second surrounding air chamber is formed by the at least a portion of the second side of the backplane of the frame.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the first surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of the upper casing.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein the second surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of the lower casing.

35. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the upper casing is integrated to the frame on the first side of the backplane of the frame via at least a first gasket; and

the lower casing is integrated to the frame on the second side of the backplane of the frame via at least a second gasket.

36. The device of claim 1, wherein the upper casing and the lower casing are each attached to the frame.

14. A method for receiving sound at a media device comprising:

integrating a microphone assembly with a frame of the media device, wherein the microphone assembly comprises;

a microphone subassembly,

an upper casing, and

a lower casing,

positioning the upper casing on the frame on a first side of a backplane of the frame;

positioning the lower casing on the frame on a second side of the backplane of the frame opposite the first side, wherein at least one of the upper casing and the lower casing at least partially encloses the microphone subassembly; and

receiving, at the microphone subassembly, sound from a first aperture of a housing of the media device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein integrating includes detachably connecting to.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein integrating includes unitarily forming with.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein integrating includes mounting to.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising disposing the frame substantially within the housing.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the frame includes a sidewall.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sidewall includes a second aperture in acoustic communication with the microphone assembly.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising positioning the microphone subassembly substantially on the first side of the backplane.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising enclosing the microphone subassembly within the upper casing and the backplane.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the upper casing includes a rubber boot.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising positioning the microphone subassembly substantially on the second side of the backplane.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising enclosing the microphone subassembly within the lower casing and the backplane.

26. The method of claim 14 further comprising connecting the frame to the housing at least one gasket.

37. The method of claim 14, wherein:

a first portion of the microphone subassembly resides within a first surrounding air chamber; and

the first surrounding air chamber is formed by at least a portion of at least one of the first side of the backplane of the frame and the second side of the backplane of the frame.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of at least one of the upper casing and the lower casing.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein:

the first surrounding air chamber is formed by the at least a portion of the first side of the backplane of the frame,

a second portion of the microphone subassembly resides within a second surrounding air chamber, and

the second surrounding air chamber is formed by the at least a portion of the second side of the backplane of the frame.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the first surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of the upper casing.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the second surrounding air chamber is further formed by at least a portion of the lower casing.

42. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the positioning the upper casing comprises integrating the upper casing to the frame on the first side of the backplane of the frame via at least a first gasket; and

the positioning the lower casing comprises integrating the lower casing to the frame on the second side of the backplane of the frame via at least a second gasket.

43. The method of claim 14, wherein the upper casing and the lower casing are each attached to the frame.

27. A method for manufacturing a media device comprising:

providing a housing,

attaching a frame to the housing, and

integrating an enclosure that encloses at least a portion of a microphone subassembly to the frame, wherein the enclosure comprises an upper casing and a lower casing;

a first portion of the microphone subassembly is enclosed within the upper casing;

a second portion of the microphone subassembly is enclosed within the lower casing; and

the frame extends between at least a portion of the upper casing and the lower casing, and

the frame is adjacent to the microphone subassembly and supports the microphone subassembly by extending through at least a portion of the enclosure.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the frame is coupled to the microphone subassembly.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the frame is coupled to at least a portion of the housing.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein:

at least a first portion of the frame comprises a plurality of backplanes;

each one of the plurality of backplanes is positioned parallel with another one of the plurality of backplanes; and

at least one backplane of the plurality of backplanes comprises at least one of an opening, a cut-out, and a void.

45. The method of claim 27, wherein the frame further extends beyond an outer surface of the enclosure.