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

• US 8,385,990 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zhu, Lizhong, Mankaruse, George Soliman, Corrigan, Michael Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US13/545,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450.1, 455/73, 455/88, 455/85, 455/310, 455/303, 455/298, 455/309, 455/312, 455/558, 455/557, 455/90.1, 455/234.1, 455/234.2, 455/245.1, 455/246.1, 455/250.1, 455/418, 455/417, 455/67.13
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• 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. An electronic device comprising:

at least one circuit board;

radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried by said at least one circuit board;

an audio transducer assembly carried by said at least one circuit board and comprising an audio transducer, a transducer housing for said audio transducer, and at least one electrical contact pad member on said transducer housing and coupled to said audio transducer;

audio circuitry on said at least one circuit board and engaging said at least one electrical contact pad member; and

at least one filter mounted at said at least one electrical contact pad member.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one electrical contact pad member comprises a plurality of resilient contact pads.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein said at least one filter comprises a plurality thereof connected adjacent respective resilient contact pads.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one filter comprises at least one ferrite bead.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one filter comprises at least one surface mount filter.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said audio transducer assembly comprises a speaker within said transducer housing.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one circuit board comprises an antenna circuit board.

8. An electronic device comprising:

at least one circuit board;

radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried by said at least one circuit board;

an audio transducer assembly carried by said at least one circuit board and comprising an audio transducer, a transducer housing for said audio transducer, and at least one electrical contact pad member on said transducer housing and coupled to said audio transducer;

audio circuitry on said at least one circuit board and engaging said at least one electrical contact pad member; and

at least one filter mounted within said transducer housing.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one electrical contact pad member comprises a plurality of resilient contact pads.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one filter comprises at least one ferrite bead.

11. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one filter comprises at least one surface mount filter.

12. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said audio transducer assembly comprises a speaker within said transducer housing.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one circuit board comprises an antenna circuit board.

14. A method for making an electronic device comprising:

providing at least one circuit board with radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried thereby;

mounting an audio transducer assembly to the at least one circuit board and comprising an audio transducer, a transducer housing for the audio transducer, and at least one electrical contact pad member on the transducer housing and coupled to the audio transducer;

providing audio circuitry on the at least one circuit board and engaging the at least one electrical contact pad member; and

mounting at least one filter at the at least one electrical contact pad member.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one electrical contact pad member comprises a plurality of resilient contact pads.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one filter comprises a plurality thereof connected adjacent respective resilient contact pads.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one filter comprises at least one ferrite bead.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one filter comprises at least one surface mount filter.

19. A method for making an electronic device comprising:

providing at least one circuit board with radio frequency (RF) circuitry carried thereby;

mounting an audio transducer assembly to the at least one circuit board and comprising an audio transducer, a transducer housing for the audio transducer, and at least one electrical contact pad member on the transducer housing and coupled to the audio transducer;

providing audio circuitry on the at least one circuit board and engaging the at least one electrical contact pad member; and

mounting at least one filter within the transducer housing.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one electrical contact pad member comprises a plurality of resilient contact pads.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one filter comprises at least one ferrite bead.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one filter comprises at least one surface mount filter.