Electronic devices with improved audio

• US 8,644,519 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pance, Aleksandar, Puskarich, Paul Gerard, Leong, Craig, Isaac, Ronald Nadim, Goel, Ruchi, Tenneboe, Jim Lynn, Culbert, Daniel, Warren, Niel, Johanningsmeier, Nathan Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giannone, Leonard M
• Application Number:
  US12/895,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20120082317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 381/59, 381/386, 381/98, 381101-103, 381/305, 381/306, 381/337, 381/388, 381/395, 700/94
• US Class Current: 381/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 7/045 using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/045 Mounting H04R9/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/066 using the principle of inertia

Abstract

An electronic device having an enclosure including an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel. A transducer is operably connected to the enclosure and the transducer is configured to mechanically vibrate the enclosure. The transducer includes an electromagnet, a magnet in communication with the electromagnet and a bracket substantially surrounding the electromagnet and the magnet, the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a portable electronic device that can be carried by a user, the portable electronic device having an outer enclosure having a top panel and a bottom panel that surrounds

a memory having stored therein a plurality of digital audio equalization profiles to account for a plurality of environments in which the portable electronic device can operate;

an audio transducer that operates to vibrate one of the top and the bottom panel of the outer enclosure in accordance with an audio input signal, wherein the audio transducer comprises a coil and a magnet in communication with the coil; and

a processor in electrical communication with the memory and the audio transducer, wherein the processor is to choose, based on a sensor measurement in the portable electronic device that is indicative of an operating environment that is likely to increase non-linear distortion in sound output of the audio transducer, one of the plurality of stored digital profiles and to apply digital signal processing associated with the chosen stored digital profile to pre-distort the audio input signal to the audio transducer to compensate for the non-linear distortion in the sound output of the audio transducer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is substantially waterproof.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising at least one speaker;

wherein

the speaker outputs a first frequency range; and

the audio transducer outputs a second frequency range that is below the first frequency range.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising at least two feet disposed on a bottom surface of the enclosure.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the at least two feet are impedance matched to the audio transducer.

15. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of environments includes a surface on which the electronic device rests and which is vibrated by the audio transducer.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the measurement is at least one of an accelerometer measurement of movement of the enclosure, a gyroscope measurement of an orientation of the device, and a proximity sensor measurement to detect a nearby object.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the measurement is an accelerometer measurement indicative of an operating environment in which the electronic device is uprightly oriented.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the digital signal processing associated with the chosen stored digital profile is preprogrammed based on one of sampled outputs of an audio transducer at different frequencies and a mathematical model.

4. The electronic device of claim wherein the magnet is substantially prevented from vibrating.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the audio transducer further comprises a transmission material disposed between the coil and the enclosure.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

an outer enclosure of a portable computing device having an upper panel and a bottom panel operably connected to the upper panel to surround the processor;

a transducer operably connected to the enclosure and electrically connected to the processor, wherein the transducer is to vibrate the bottom or upper panel of the enclosure, thereby producing a transducer audio signal the transducer having a coil, a magnet in communication with the coil and

a bracket substantially surrounding the coil and the magnet, wherein the bracket substantially secures the transducer to the bottom panel;

a first speaker electrically connected to the processor and operative to output a speaker audio signal;

wherein

the processor is to choose from a plurality of stored digital audio equalization profiles that account for a plurality of environments in which the portable electronic device can operate, based on a sensor measurement in the portable electronic device that is indicative of an operating environment that is likely to increase non-linear distortion in sound output of the transducer,

the speaker audio signal and the transducer audio signal cooperate to produce a sound while the digital audio equalization profile chosen by the processor is applied to pre-distort the transducer audio signal to account for the non-linear distortion in the sound output of the transducer.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the magnet is configured to alternate between a first position and a second position.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising at least two feet operably connected to a bottom surface of the bottom panel, wherein the at least two feet are configured to substantially match the impedance of the transducer.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the magnet is substantially prevented from moving in the vertical direction.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the enclosure is substantially air-tight.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising an external speaker operably connected to the enclosure.

14. A method for outputting a sound from an electronic device, comprising:

performing, in an outer enclosure of a portable electronic device, the following operations;

by a processor of the portable electronic device, determining a first audible portion and a second audible portion of the sound;

measuring at least one characteristic of a current operating environment of the portable electronic device with an accelerometer, a gyroscope or a proximity sensor, thereby producing a sensor measurement that is indicative of an environment that is likely to increase non-linear distortion in the sound;

choosing a digital audio equalization profile, from a plurality of stored digital audio equalization profiles that account for environments in which the portable electronic device can operate based on the sensor measurement;

electrically driving a magnet-coil audio transducer that is directly connected to an outer enclosure of the electronic device to produce a vibration that vibrates the enclosure to produce the first audible portion of the sound, while applying the chosen digital audio equalization profile to an input signal of the audio transducer thereby distorting the vibration that is producing the first audible portion of the sound; and

electrically driving a speaker within the enclosure to move all air mass, thereby producing the second audible portion of the sound.