Docking station having structure for sound amplification and sound quality enhancement

• US 8,483,420 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Tai, Han, Jung Eun, Lee, Byoung-Hee, Kang, Jang Hoon, Cho, Joon Rae, Kim, Ki Won, Kim, Tae Eon, Lee, Sun Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US13/176,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 381/334, 381/337, 381/338, 381/339, 381/340, 381/341, 381/342, 381/386, 379/441, 379/447, 379/454, 379/455, 455/344, 455/350, 455/351, 455/575.1, 455/90.1
• US Class Current: 381/337
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2853 using an acoustic labyrinth or a transmission line
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2861 using a back-loaded horn
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/30 Combinations of transducers with horns, e.g. with mechanical matching means , i.e. front-loaded hornshorns in general G10K; transducer enclosures or mountings using a back-loaded horn H04R1/2861; application of horns as guiding means to obtain a predetermined directivity characteristic H04R1/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A docking station for sound amplification and sound quality enhancement is provided. The docking station includes a support structure for holding a mobile terminal having an internal speaker to sustain the posture of the mobile terminal, and a body for supporting the support structure, and for physically contacting the speaker to increase the volume of sound output from the speaker. The body includes a collecting hole for contacting the speaker to collect sound waves, and a guide hole that extends from the collecting hole through the body to the outside along an extension direction, is divided into two branches within the body to guide the collected sound waves along different paths, and has a horn shape whose cross section increases along the extension direction. Hence, the docking station can increase the volume of audible sound and sound quality without separate supply of power.

Claims

1. A docking station comprising:

a support structure for holding a mobile terminal having an internal speaker to sustain the posture of the mobile terminal; and

a body for supporting the support structure, and for physically contacting the speaker of the mobile terminal placed on the support structure to increase the volume of sound output from the speaker,

wherein the body comprises;

a collecting hole for contacting the speaker to collect sound waves, and

a guide hole that extends from the collecting hole through an inside of the body to an outside of the body, wherein the guide hole is divided into at least two branches within the inside of the body to guide the collected sound waves along different paths that extend to different surfaces of the body and has a horn shape whose cross section increases along an extension direction.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a second guide hole having a structure symmetrical with that of the guide hole.

3. The docking station of claim 2, wherein the body further comprises a second collecting hole that physically contacts a second speaker of the mobile terminal to collect sounds output by the second speaker and is connected with the second guide hole.

4. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the guide hole is configured to be divided into two branches and combined into one within the body.

5. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a guide pipe that is inserted in the guide hole and extended along the extension direction, and contains a vibration hole having a horn shape whose cross section increases along the extension direction to guide collected sounds along the extension direction within the guide hole.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein, in the guide hole, the amount of increase in sound volume with respect to frequency within a range of hearing is kept uniform within a given range.

7. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises:

a rotating part that contains a receiving hole to expose the collecting hole to the outside and to securely accommodate the mobile terminal, is rotatably coupled to the body, and changes, when the mobile terminal is placed thereon, the posture of the mobile terminal through rotation relative to the body; and

a fixing part that stops rotation of the rotating part to fix the rotating part to the body, and fixes, when the mobile terminal is placed thereon, the posture of the mobile terminal

8. The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a contact pad that is placed between the speaker and a zone around the collecting hole to tightly contact the speaker and the collecting hole.

9. The docking station of claim 8, wherein the contact pad is made of at least one of rubber, silicone and synthetic polymer to prevent leakage of sounds from the speaker.

10. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the body comprises:

an upper body having an upper guide groove that extends from the collecting hole via a central region to the outside along the extension direction on a lower surface thereof; and

a lower body coupled with the upper body, and having a lower guide groove, which forms the guide hole when combined with the upper guide groove, on an upper surface thereof

11. The docking station of claim 10, wherein the body further comprises a sealing member inserted in both the upper body and the lower body and combines a region around the upper guide groove with a region around the lower guide groove to seal the guide hole.

12. The docking station of claim 10, wherein the upper body and the lower body are coupled together using an adhesive applied to at least one of the lower surface of the upper body and the upper surface of the lower body.