Wireless audio player and speaker system

• US 9,071,906 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hogue, Douglas K., Bruss, John, Olson, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/737,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 381/300, 381/311, 381/334, 455/41.2, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2834 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an audio player and speaker system, and particularly, to a wireless audio player and speaker system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a semi-permanent, wireless boombox-style audio player, for playing audio from an external audio source.

Claims

1. An audio playback system, comprising:

a housing having front, back, left side, right side, top, and bottom panels;

a plurality of passive radiators or ports positioned in one or more of the front, left side, and right side panels of the housing;

a plurality of speakers or transducers provided in the housing, the plurality of speakers or transducers configured for at least stereo sound, wherein each of the speakers or transducers is configured for a full range of frequencies or a relatively higher range of frequencies and at least one of the speakers or transducers is configured for driving a bandpass enclosure tuned with at least one of the passive radiators or ports;

a short-range, wireless communication module configured for receiving audio data from an external audio source comprising a media device, wherein the plurality of speakers or transducers is configured to play audio from the external audio source;

a controller configured for directing the audio for playback at the plurality of speakers or transducers based on the audio data, and to select a sound profile relating to a configuration of the speakers or transducers by which to play the audio to obtain a particular sound image; and

a selector control mechanism for selecting between an omni-directional sound image in which all full range speakers or transducers are driven and a directional sound image in which only some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven or some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven at reduced power.

2. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein:

the system is configured to monitor for the media device in a standby mode;

said short-range, wireless communication module is configured to perform Bluetooth pairing with the media device; and

the system is configured to automatically power on and begin playback when the media device is in range and transmitting the audio.

3. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein the media device provides remote control functionality for control of the selected sound image.

4. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein said external audio source comprising the media device is selected from the group consisting of a portable media player, a smartphone, a tablet computer, and a personal computer.

5. The audio playback system of claim 1, further comprising a subwoofer channel comprising the at least one of the speakers or transducers configured for driving the bandpass enclosure.

6. The audio playback system of claim 1, further comprising a charging port adapted to connect to and recharge the external audio source comprising the media device.

7. The audio playback system of claim 6, wherein said charging port is a USB port configured for firmware updates.

8. The audio playback system of claim 1, further comprising a video display configured to play video files and provide color images including three-dimensional video.

15. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of speakers or transducers includes speakers or transducers provided at upper corners of the housing.

16. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein the selected sound profile relates to a configuration where only some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven and others of the full range speakers or transducers are not driven to provide the directional sound image.

17. The audio playback system of claim 1, wherein the selected sound profile relates to a configuration where some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven at reduced power to provide the directional sound image.

9. An audio playback system, comprising:

a housing having front, back, left side, right side, top, and bottom panels;

a plurality of passive radiators or ports positioned in one or more of the front, left side, and right side panels of the housing;

a plurality of speakers or transducers provided in the housing, each of the speakers or transducers configured for a full range of frequencies or a relatively higher range of frequencies and at least one of the speakers or transducers configured for driving a bandpass enclosure tuned with at least one of the passive radiators or ports;

a reflex tube configured to tune the bandpass enclosure;

a short-range, wireless communication module configured for receiving audio data from an external audio source comprising a media device, wherein the plurality of speakers or transducers is configured to play audio from the external audio source;

a controller configured for receiving audio data from the communication module and directing the audio for playback at the plurality of speakers or transducers based on the audio data to obtain a particular sound image; and

a configuration control configured to select between sound profiles relating to a configuration of the speakers or transducers by which to play the audio to obtain the particular sound image;

wherein a first one of said sound profiles provides an omni-directional sound image in which all full range speakers or transducers are driven and a second one of said sound profiles provides a directional sound image in which only some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven or some of the full range speakers or transducers are driven at reduced power.

10. The audio playback system of claim 9, wherein:

the system is configured to monitor for the media device in a standby mode;

said short-range, wireless communication module is configured to perform Bluetooth pairing with the media device; and

the system is configured to automatically power on and begin playback when the media device is in range and transmitting the audio.

11. The audio playback system of claim 9, further comprising a subwoofer channel comprising the at least one of the speakers or transducers configured for driving the bandpass enclosure.

12. The audio playback system of claim 9, further comprising a charging port adapted to connect to and recharge the external audio source comprising the media device.

13. The audio playback system of claim 12, wherein said charging port is a USB port configured for firmware updates.

14. The audio playback system of claim 9, further comprising a video display configured to play video files, wherein the media device provides remote control functionality for control of the particular sound image.

18. The audio playback system of claim 9, wherein four of the speakers or transducers are provided at upper corners of the housing and the selected sound profile relates to a configuration where some of the speakers or transducers are driven at reduced power to provide the directional sound image.

19. The audio playback system of claim 9, wherein each of the speakers or transducers is configured as acoustically independent in its own substantially sealed enclosure.

20. The audio playback system of claim 19, wherein each substantially sealed enclosure includes a passive radiator.

21. An audio playback system, comprising:

a housing having front, back, left side, fight side, top, and bottom panels;

a plurality of passive radiators or ports positioned in one or more of the front, left side, and right side panels of the housing;

a plurality of speakers or transducers provided in the housing, at least one of the speakers or transducers configured for driving a bandpass enclosure tuned with at least one of the passive radiators or ports;

wherein each of the speakers is configured as acoustically independent in its own substantially sealed enclosure, each substantially sealed enclosure including a passive radiator;

a reflex tube configured to tune the bandpass enclosure;

a short-range, wireless communication module configured for receiving audio data from an external audio source comprising a media device, wherein the plurality of speakers or transducers is configured to play audio from the external audio source;

a controller configured for receiving audio data from the communication module and directing the audio for playback at the plurality of speakers or transducers based on the audio data to obtain a particular sound image; and

a configuration control configured to select between more than one sound profiles relating to a configuration of the speakers or transducers by which to play the audio to obtain the particular sound image;

wherein;

the system is configured to monitor for the media device in a standby mode;

said short-range, wireless communication module is configured to perform Bluetooth pairing with the media device; and

the system is configured to automatically power on and begin playback when the media device is in range and transmitting the audio.