Display-based speaker structures for electronic devices

• US 8,934,228 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, Jeremy C., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Myers, Scott A., Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US13/422,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20120243719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1688 the I/O peripheral being integrated loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 Loudspeakers

Abstract

Electronic devices that contain flexible displays and one or more display-based speaker structures may be provided. The speaker structures may be positioned under the flexible display. Portions of the flexible display may be used as speaker membranes for the speaker structures. The speaker structures may be driven by transducers that convert electrical audio signal input into sound. Piezoelectric transducers or transducers formed from coils and magnets may be used to drive the speaker structures. Speaker membranes may be formed from active display areas of the flexible display. Some, all, or substantially all of the flexible display may be used as a speaker membrane for one or more display-based speaker structures. An optional cover layer may be provided with speaker openings so that sound may pass from the display-based speaker structures to the exterior of the device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a flexible display;

a speaker structure having a speaker membrane, wherein the speaker membrane is formed from a portion of the flexible display; and

a stiffening structure configured to stiffen the portion of the flexible display that forms the speaker membrane, wherein the stiffening structure comprises a layer of foam and first and second stiffening sheets that are attached to opposing first and second sides of the layer of foam.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible display comprises an active portion configured to display images and wherein the speaker membrane is formed from the active portion of the flexible display.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a rigid structure; and

a suspension structure configured to attach portions of the speaker structure to the rigid structure.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3, further comprising:

an electronic device housing in which the flexible display is mounted, wherein the rigid structure is formed at least partly from the electronic device housing.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a cover layer formed over the flexible display, wherein the cover layer comprises at least one opening formed over the speaker membrane.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising an electronic device housing in which the flexible display is mounted, wherein the electronic device housing has at least one acoustic port.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display having a substrate formed from a flexible sheet of polymer.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the speaker structure comprises a transducer mounted to the flexible display.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 20 wherein the stiffening structure is interposed between and in contact with the transducer and the flexible display.

22. The electronic device defined in claim 21 wherein the transducer comprises coils and a magnet.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a flexible display; and

a plurality of speaker structures, wherein portions of the flexible display form speaker membranes for the plurality of speaker structures, wherein the flexible display comprises;

a set of stiffened regions, wherein each of the stiffened regions in the set of stiffened regions forms part of a respective one of the speaker structures;

flexible regions, wherein each of the flexible regions surrounds a respective one of the stiffened regions in the set of stiffened regions; and

a surrounding stiffened region, wherein each of the flexible regions is surrounded by portions of the surrounding stiffened region.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of stiffening structures configured to stiffen the portions of the flexible display that form the speaker membranes.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the speaker structures comprise a left channel speaker and a right channel speaker.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 8, further comprising:

transducers configured to drive the speaker structures, wherein each transducer comprises coils and a magnet.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising piezoelectric transducers configured to drive the speaker structures.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the flexible display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display having a substrate formed from a flexible sheet of polymer.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the surrounding stiffened region completely surrounds each of the flexible regions to mechanically isolate each speaker structure from adjacent speaker structures.

14. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a flexible organic light-emitting diode display mounted in the housing, wherein the flexible organic light-emitting diode display has a substrate formed from a flexible sheet of polymer;

at least one speaker having a transducer and a speaker membrane formed from a portion of the flexible sheet of polymer, wherein the transducer is mounted to the flexible sheet of polymer; and

a stiffening structure interposed between and in contact with the flexible sheet of polymer and the transducer.

15. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the stiffening structure comprises a composite material.

16. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the speaker membrane has a concave shape.

17. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the housing comprises a rectangular housing with four peripheral edges and wherein the flexible organic light-emitting diode display and the speaker membrane extend between the four peripheral edges.

18. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the transducer comprises coils and a magnet.