Speaker cooling

• US 9,730,359 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2016
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Reilly, Jonathon, Lehnert, Hilmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Teshale, Akelaw
• Application Number:
  US15/235,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 381123, 381386, 381 59, 381 97, 381162, 381190, 381309, 381333, 381384, 381400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/03 Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments are provided for cooling one or more components of a playback device using speaker vibrations that result from playback of inaudible audio. Movement of air molecules arising from the speaker vibrations may disperse heat away from the one or more components of a playback device. In an example implementation, a playback device detects that playback of audible audio content via at least one speaker has stopped, and in response to the detection, plays inaudible audio content to cause the at least one speaker to vibrate thereby inducing air movement within the playback device.

Claims

1. A playback device, comprising:

one or more one processors;

at least one speaker; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

detecting that playback of audible audio content via the at least one speaker has stopped; and

in response to the detection, playing inaudible audio content to cause the at least one speaker to vibrate thereby inducing air movement within the playback device.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the audible audio content is a first audible audio content, and wherein the functions further comprise:

while playing the inaudible audio content, receiving input data indicating an instruction to begin playing a second audible audio content; and

based on the input data, (i) stopping playback of the inaudible audio content and (ii) beginning playback of the second audible audio content.

3. The playback device or claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

while playing the inaudible audio content, detecting, via a thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature of the playback device;

determining that the temperature is less than a threshold temperature; and

stopping playback of the inaudible audio content after determining that the temperature is less than the threshold temperature.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises:

playing the inaudible audio content for a pre-determined duration of time.

5. The playback device of claim 1, further comprising at least one thermal sensor, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting, via the at least one thermal sensor, a temperature associated with the playback device; and

wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises playing the inaudible audio content while the detected temperature is greater than a threshold temperature.

6. The playback device of claim 1, further comprising at least one thermal sensor, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting via the at least one thermal sensor, a temperature associated with the playback device; and

prior to playing the inaudible audio content, determining that the temperature associated with the playback device is above a threshold temperature.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the at least one speaker comprises one or more first speakers and one or more second speakers, and wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises:

causing the one or more first speakers to vibrate; and

causing the one or more second speakers to vibrate out of phase with the one or more first speakers.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the inaudible audio content comprises audio content at frequencies above 20 kHz.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the inaudible audio content comprises audio content at frequencies below 20 Hz.

10. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a playback device, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

detecting that playback of audible audio content via at least one speaker of the playback device has stopped; and

in response to the detection, playing inaudible audio content to cause the at least one speaker to vibrate thereby inducing air movement within the playback device.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the audible audio content is a first audible audio content, and wherein the functions further comprise:

while playing the inaudible audio content, receiving input data indicating an instruction to begin playing a second audible audio content; and

based on the input data, (i) stopping playback of the inaudible audio content and (ii) beginning playback of the second audible audio content.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the functions further comprise:

while playing the inaudible audio content, detecting, via at least one thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature associated with the playback device;

determining that the temperature is less than a threshold temperature; and

stopping playback of the inaudible audio content after determining that the temperature is less than the threshold temperature.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises:

playing the inaudible audio content for a pre-determined duration of time.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the functions further comprise:

detecting, via a thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature of the playback device; and

wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises playing the inaudible audio content while the detected temperature is greater than a threshold temperature.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the

functions further comprise:

detecting, via a thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature associated with the playback device; and

prior to playing the inaudible audio content, determining that the temperature associated with the playback device is above a threshold temperature.

16. A method comprising:

detecting, via a playback device, that playback of audible audio content via at least one speaker of the playback device has stopped; and

in response to the detection, playing, via the playback device, inaudible audio content to cause the at least one speaker to vibrate thereby inducing air movement within the playback device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the audible audio content is a first audible audio content, and wherein the method further comprises:

while the playback device is playing the inaudible audio content, rece1vmg, via the playback device, input data indicating an instruction to begin playing a second audible audio content; and

based on the input data, (i) stopping playback of the inaudible audio content and (ii) beginning, via the playback device, playback of the second audible audio content.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

while the playback device is playing the inaudible audio content, detecting, via at least one thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature associated with the playback device;

determining, via the playback device, that the temperature is less than a threshold temperature; and

stopping playback of the inaudible audio content after determining that the temperature is less than the threshold temperature.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, via at least one thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature associated with the playback device; and

wherein playing the inaudible audio content comprises playing the inaudible audio content while the detected temperature is greater than a threshold temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, via at least one thermal sensor of the playback device, a temperature associated with the playback device; and

prior to playing the inaudible audio content, determining that the temperature associated with the playback device is above a threshold temperature.