Audio assemblies for electronic devices

• US 9,641,919 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: List, Timothy Theodore, Grillo, Jacobi Colton, Li, Wei, David, Tony, Poole, David Wilson
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/502,301
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• 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 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2400/00 Loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Voice-controlled devices that include one or more speakers for outputting audio. In some instances, the device includes at least one speaker within a cylindrical housing, with the speaker aimed or pointed away from a microphone coupled to the housing. For instance, if the microphone resides at or near the top of the cylindrical housing, then the speaker may point downwards along the longitudinal axis of the housing and away from the microphone. By pointing the speaker away from the microphone, the microphone will receive less sound from the speaker than if the speaker were pointed toward the microphone). Because the voice-controlled device may perform speech recognition on audio signals generated by the microphone, less sound from the speaker represented in the audio signal may result in more accurate speech recognition, and/or a lesser need to perform acoustic echo cancelation (AEC) on the generated audio signals.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a substantially cylindrical housing;

a microphone coupled to the substantially cylindrical housing and near a top of the substantially cylindrical housing;

a first speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing and pointing substantially downwards away from the top of the substantially cylindrical housing;

a second speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing and substantially in line with the first speaker, the second speaker pointing substantially downwards away from the top of the substantially cylindrical housing;

a diffuser element disposed within the substantially cylindrical housing and at least partly between the first speaker and the second speaker; and

a light ring disposed near the top of the substantially cylindrical housing, the light ring configured to rotate along a longitudinal axis of the substantially cylindrical housing.

2. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the diffuser element diffuses sound from the first speaker substantially equally about the substantially cylindrical housing.

3. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the diffuser element comprises a first diffuser element, and further comprising a second diffuser element disposed within the substantially cylindrical housing and at least partly underneath the second speaker, the second diffuser element to diffuse sound from the second speaker substantially equally about the substantially cylindrical housing.

4. An electronic device as recited in claim 3, wherein the second diffuser element includes a cone substantially centered on a top surface of the diffuser element.

5. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the substantially cylindrical housing includes holes around an entirety of the substantially cylindrical housing.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a substantially cylindrical housing;

a microphone coupled to the substantially cylindrical housing and disposed near a top of the substantially cylindrical housing;

a speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing and pointed downwards, away from the microphone disposed near the top of the substantially cylindrical housing; and

a diffuser element positioned at least partly underneath the speaker, the diffuser element to diffuse sound from the speaker,

and wherein at least a portion of the substantially cylindrical housing that surrounds the diffuser element includes holes around an entirety of the substantially cylindrical housing to allow the sound diffused by the diffuser element to travel from within the substantially cylindrical housing to outside of the substantially cylindrical housing.

7. An electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the speaker comprises a first speaker, and further comprising a second speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing, substantially in line with the first speaker, and pointed downwards, away from the microphone disposed near the top of the substantially cylindrical housing.

8. An electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the diffuser element includes a cone disposed on a top surface of the diffuser element, the cone residing substantially in line with the speaker.

9. An electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the speaker comprises a first speaker and the diffuser element comprises a first diffuser element, and further comprising:

a second speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing, substantially underneath and in line with the first speaker, and pointed downwards, away from the microphone disposed near the top of the substantially cylindrical housing; and

a second diffuser element positioned at least partly underneath the first speaker and the second speaker, the second diffuser element to diffuse sound from the second speaker substantially equally about the electronic device.

10. An electronic device as recited in claim 6, further comprising a light ring disposed near a top of the substantially cylindrical housing, the light ring configured to rotate along a longitudinal axis of the substantially cylindrical housing.

11. The electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein:

the portion includes a first portion of the substantially cylindrical housing, the first portion located near a bottom of the substantially cylindrical housing; and

a second portion of the substantially cylindrical housing does not include holes, the second portion located near a top of the substantially cylindrical housing.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the diffuser element comprises a first diffuser element and the sound comprises first sound, and further comprising:

a second speaker disposed at least partly within the substantially cylindrical housing, substantially underneath and in line with the first speaker, and pointed downwards, away from the microphone disposed near the top of the substantially cylindrical housing; and

a second diffuser element disposed within the substantially cylindrical housing and at least partly underneath the second speaker, the second diffuser element to diffuse second sound from the second speaker,

and wherein the are holes are further configured to allow the second sound diffused the by the second diffuser element to travel outside of the substantially cylindrical housing.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a microphone coupled to the housing and disposed near an end of the housing;

a speaker disposed at least partly within the housing and pointed substantially along a longitudinal axis of the housing, away from the microphone disposed near the end of the housing; and

a diffuser element positioned at least partly underneath the speaker, the diffuser element to diffuse sound from the speaker,

and wherein at least a portion of the housing that surrounds the diffuser element includes holes around an entirety of the substantially cylindrical housing to allow the sound diffused by the diffuser to travel from within the housing to outside of the housing.

14. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the speaker comprises a first speaker, and further comprising a second speaker disposed at least partly within the housing, substantially in line with the first speaker, and pointed in a same direction as the first speaker, away from the microphone disposed near the end of the housing.

15. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the diffuser element includes a cone disposed on a top surface of the diffuser element, the cone residing substantially in line with the speaker.

16. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the speaker comprises a first speaker and the diffuser element comprises a first diffuser element, and further comprising:

a second speaker disposed at least partly within the housing, substantially underneath and in line with the first speaker, and pointed in a same direction as the first speaker, away from the microphone disposed near the end of the substantially cylindrical housing; and

a second diffuser element positioned at least partly underneath the first speaker and the second speaker, the second diffuser element to diffuse sound from the second speaker substantially equally about the electronic device.

17. An electronic device as recited in claim 13, further comprising a light assembly disposed near a top of the housing, the light assembly including at least:

one or more lighting elements;

a light reflector; and

a light ring disposed around the housing.

18. A method of assembling at least a portion of an electronic device, the method comprising:

coupling a first speaker to and at least partly within a housing such that the first speaker points along a longitudinal axis of the housing and towards a first end of the housing;

coupling a second speaker to and at least partly within the housing such that the second speaker also points along the longitudinal axis of the housing and towards the first end of the housing;

coupling a diffuser element to the housing, the diffuser element to reside at least partly between the first speaker and the second speaker;

coupling a microphone to the housing near a second, opposite end of the housing; and

coupling a light ring near the second, opposite end of the housing, the light ring configured to rotate along the longitudinal axis of the housing.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the diffuser element is configured to diffuse sound about the longitudinal axis of the housing.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the diffuser element comprises a first diffuser element, and further comprising:

coupling a second diffuser element to the housing, nearer the first end of the housing than both the first and second speakers, the second diffuser element configured to diffuse sound about the longitudinal axis of the housing.