Patent Application
20080149417
This invention relates to personal media devices and, more particularly, to acoustic assemblies for personal media devices.
The proliferation of compact portable personal media devices (e.g., portable MP3 players, portable video players, and media capable cellular telephones) has created a need for improved delivery of audio (e.g., voice and music) to users while respecting the need to minimize the overall form factor of personal media devices.
One problem with existing media devices such as cellular telephones is that the sensitivity of the media device's acoustic source, e.g., speaker, can be adversely effected by a user. For example, when a user presses their ear against the housing of a cellular telephone where the housing aperture of the speaker is located, the user's ear can form a seal that alters the sensitivity of the acoustic source. This effect may be the result of increased pressure applied to the acoustic source or the result of directly coupling the user's eardrum with the acoustic source. Existing media devices attempt to mitigate this problem by adjusting the dimensions of the housing aperture or including an additional housing aperture such that a seal with the user's ear is prevented. Because the shape and size of each user's ears can vary, this approach is not comprehensive enough to cover all potential users. Accordingly, there is a need for a more comprehensive approach to improving acoustic source audio quality for any potential user.
Another problem with existing media devices is that the acoustic source must typically be positioned adjacent to the housing aperture to maximize the acoustic coupling from the acoustic source to a user's ear. Because personal media devices require compact form factors, the need to position the acoustic source adjacent to the housing aperture limits the manufacturer's ability to configure or arrange certain internal circuit components within the personal media device. Accordingly, there is a need for efficiently coupling audio from an acoustic source to the housing aperture without requiring the acoustic source to be directly adjacent to the housing aperture.
Another problem with existing media devices is that the acoustic source may not be properly tuned for providing certain audio such as voice, music, or both. Accordingly, there is a need for more appropriately tuning the audio output of media devices such as cellular telephones to further improve acoustic source audio quality.
The invention, in various embodiments, addresses deficiencies in the prior art by providing systems, methods and devices that enhance sound quality and design flexibility of media devices while respecting the need for a compact and portable form factor for such devices.
In various aspects, the invention employs an acoustic assembly in a media device. The acoustic assembly includes an acoustic source that emits a sound into a first chamber. The first chamber then couples a first portion of the sound outside of the media device to a listening user. The first chamber also couples a second portion of the sound into a second chamber such as the inside cavity of the media device. The coupling of sound from the first chamber to the user and to the second chamber may be via apertures that enable the flow of sound waves from the first chamber. By adjusting the volume or size of the first chamber in relation to the volume or size of the second chamber, the sensitivity or frequency response of acoustic assembly is adjusted to enhance the quality of the sound received by the listening user. Also, by adjusting the size or area of the apertures, the sensitivity or frequency response of acoustic assembly is adjusted to enhance the quality of the sound received by the listening user. Further, the aggregate size of numerous opening or gaps in the shell or housing of the media device may be determined to define an effective leak aperture size for the second chamber which can then be used to optimize the size of the apertures and first chamber to enhance the frequency response of the acoustic assembly.
Various advantages and applications using an acoustic assembly for enhanced acoustic coupling from a media device to a user in accordance with principles of the present invention are discussed in more detail below.
The above and other features of the present invention, its nature and various advantages will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
In one embodiment, the housing 102 includes a first housing portion 104 and a second housing portion 106 that are fastened together to encase various components of the media device 100. The housing 102 and its housing portions 104 and 106 may include polymer-based materials that are formed by, for example, injection molding to define the form factor of the media device 100. In one embodiment, the housing 102 surrounds and/or supports internal components such as, for example, one or more circuit boards having integrated circuit components, internal radio frequency (RF) circuitry, an internal antenna, a speaker, a microphone, a hard drive, a processor, and other components. Further details regarding certain internal components are discussed later with respect to
In certain embodiments, the housing 102 includes one or more gaps 118 associated with the housing 102. These gaps 118 may result from the manufacturing and/or assembly process for the media device 100. For example, in certain circumstances, the mechanical attachment of the first housing portion 104 with the second housing portion 106 results in a crease 120 or joint between the portions 104 and 106. In certain media devices 100, the crease 120 is not air tight, resulting in gaps 118 along the crease. Other gaps may be formed during assembly between, for example, one or more keys of the keypad 110 and the housing 102 or the display 108 and the housing 102, resulting in additional gaps 118. In other embodiments, the housing 102 may include addition portions that are integrated to form the housing 102 for the media device 100.
The media device 100 may include a wireless communications device such as a cellular telephone, satellite telephone, cordless telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), pager, portable computer, or any other device capable of wireless communications. In fact,
The media device 100 may also be integrated within the packaging of other devices or structures such a vehicle, video game system, appliance, clothing, helmet, glasses, wearable apparel, stereo system, entertainment system, or other portable devices. In certain embodiments, device 100 may be docked or connected to a wireless enabling accessory system (e.g., a wi-fi docking system) that provides the media device 100 with short-range communicating functionality. Alternative types of media devices 100 may include, for example, a media player such as an ipod available by Apple Computer Inc., of Cupertino, Calif., pocket-sized personal computers such as an iPAQ Pocket PC available by Hewlett Packard Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif. and any other device capable of communicating wirelessly (with or without the aid of a wireless enabling accessory system).
In certain embodiments, the media device 100 may synchronize with, for example, a remote computing system or server to receive media (using either wireless or wireline communications paths). Wireless syncing enables the media device 100 to transmit and receive media and data without requiring a wired connection. Media may include, without limitation, sound or audio files, music, video, multi-media, and digital data, in streaming and/or discrete (e.g., files and packets) formats.
During synchronization, a host system may provide media to a client system or software application embedded within the media device 100. In certain embodiments, media and/or data is “downloaded” to the media device 100. In other embodiments, the media device 100 is capable of uploading media to a remote host or other client system. Further details regarding the capabilities of certain embodiments of the media device 100 are provided in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/423,490, filed on Apr. 25, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Storage device 304 may store media (e.g., music and video files), software (e.g., for implanting functions on device 300, preference information (e.g., media playback preferences), lifestyle information (e.g., food preferences), exercise information (e.g., information obtained by exercise monitoring equipment), transaction information (e.g., information such as credit card information), wireless connection information (e.g., information that may enable media device to establish wireless communication with another device), subscription information (e.g., information that keeps tracks of podcasts or television shows or other media a user subscribes to), and any other suitable data. Storage device 304 may include one more storage mediums, including for example, a hard-drive, permanent memory such as ROM, semi-permanent memory such as RAM, or cache.
Memory 320 may include one or more different types of memory which may be used for performing device functions. For example, memory 320 may include cache, ROM, and/or RAM. Bus 318 may provide a data transfer path for transferring data to, from, or between at least storage device 304, memory 320, and processor 302. Coder/decoder (CODEC) 112 may be included to convert digital audio signals into an analog signal for driving the speaker 324 to produce sound including voice, music, and other like audio. The CODEC 112 may also convert audio inputs from the microphone 326 into digital audio signals.
User interface 308 may allow a user to interact with the media device 300. For example, the user input device 308 can take a variety of forms, such as a button, keypad, dial, a click wheel, or a touch screen. Communications circuitry 322 may include circuitry for wireless communication (e.g., short-range and/or long range communication). For example, the wireless communication circuitry may be wi-fi enabling circuitry that permits wireless communication according to one of the 802.11 standards. Other wireless network protocols standards could also be used, either in alternative to the identified protocols or in addition to the identified protocol. Other network standards may include Bluetooth, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and code divisional multiple access (CDMA) based wireless protocols. Communications circuitry 322 may also include circuitry that enables device 300 to be electrically coupled to another device (e.g., a computer or an accessory device) and communicate with that other device.
In one embodiment, the media device 300 may be a portable computing device dedicated to processing media such as audio and video. For example, media device 300 may be a media player (e.g., MP3 player), a game player, a remote controller, a portable communication device, a remote ordering interface, an audio tour player, or other suitable personal device. The media device 300 may be battery-operated and highly portable so as to allow a user to listen to music, play games or video, record video or take pictures, communicate with others, and/or control other devices. In addition, the media device 300 may be sized such that is fits relatively easily into a pocket or hand of the user. By being handheld, the media device 300 (or media device 100 shown in
As discussed previously, the relatively small form factor of certain prior art media devices has constrained the ability of these media devices to provide or receive sound and/or audio having an adequate sensitivity or range of sensitivity. Conversely, the need to provide sound for a user having an adequate quality in prior art devices has often required the device speaker or acoustic source to be in close proximity or adjacent to its housing aperture. This requirement has limited the configuration and/or arrangement of internal components within prior art media devices. Accordingly, embodiments of the invention provide for improved sound quality along with flexible arrangement and/or positioning of a speaker, acoustic source, and/or acoustic assembly and other components within a media device 100.
In certain embodiments, the acoustic assembly 400 is included within, for example, the housing 102 of the media device 100 as shown in
In one embodiment, the size or area of the leak aperture 426 is derived from plurality of actual apertures or gaps 118 in the housing 102 (as shown in
In another embodiment, the acoustic source 402 is disposed in a position that overlaps or is adjacent to only a portion of the output aperture 416. To direct sound or sound waves from the acoustic source 402 to the aperture 416, the acoustic source 402 employs the first chamber 404, i.e., a front cavity, which is defined by the lateral walls 410 and 412 and the retaining wall 414 that extends between the lateral walls 410 and 412. The retaining wall may include at least one transfer aperture such as apertures 422 and 424 that permit sound waves to flow from the first chamber 404 to the second chamber 406. The transfer apertures 422 and 424 may be considered leak apertures from the first chamber 404. In one embodiment, the second chamber 406 includes the internal volume of the media device 100 other than the volume of the first chamber 404. To provide an outlet for sound waves that have leaked into the chamber 406, a plurality of apertures (represented conceptually as leak aperture 426) may be disposed throughout the housing of the media device (e.g., gaps 118). Alternatively, one or more gaps 118 may be selectively machined through the housing 408 to adjust the effective leak aperture 426 size.
In one embodiment, the retaining wall 414 provides a surface to which the acoustic source 402 is affixed. The retaining wall may include apertures such as source apertures 418 and 420 that permit the flow of sound waves from the acoustic source 402 into the first chamber 404. In certain embodiments, the transfer or internal leak apertures 422 and 424 permit improved control of the acoustic quality of the sound emitted from the aperture 416.
Accordingly,
It is understood the steps shown in
Along with adjusting the volumes of chambers 404 and 406, the sound quality may be modified by adjusting the aperture sizes and/or areas associated with the acoustic assembly 400. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, any one or more of the area of the first aperture, the area of the second aperture, the volume of the first chamber, and the volume of the second chamber may be adjusted, configured, and/or defined in relation to each other to tune the first portion of the sound.
In certain embodiments, an acoustic seal 902 is attached to the aperture 416 to optimize the size of the aperture 416. In one embodiment, by increasing the density of the material or medium used for the seal 902, the size of the aperture 416 can be increased which reduces the need a smaller aperture. Less stringent aperture dimensions may reduce the need for more precise aperture machining. In certain embodiments, the size of an aperture may be less than or equal to about 0.1 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, or 15 mm. Also, the shape or design of the aperture 416 or other apertures may be configured for aesthetic reasons while maintaining a desired sound flow. In another embodiment, one or more of the seal 902, at least one of the seals 904 and 906, the area of the output aperture 416, the area of the at least one of the transfer apertures 422 and 424, the volume of the first chamber 404, and the volume of the second chamber 406 are adjusted, configured, and/or defined in relation to each other to tune the sound emitted from the aperture 416 of the acoustic assembly 900.
In certain embodiments, the present invention includes one or more sensors 912 disposed within the first chamber 404 or a front cavity of the acoustic assembly 900. Sensors, such as sensor 912, may interact with the external environment and include, without limitation, an ambient light emitter, an ambient light sensor, and/or a proximity sensor. Rather than provide additional apertures or gaps 118 through the skin of the housing 102 of the media device 100, these sensors 912 can use the acoustic aperture 416 to interact with the environment surrounding or within a certain proximity of the media device 100. By reducing the number of apertures in the housing 102 of the media device 100, the face of the device 100 may be manufactured using fewer steps and/or operations, and provide greater aesthetic appeal.
In operation, the acoustic assembly 1000 operates a similar manner as described in
In certain embodiments, first, second, third, or any other chambers of a media device 100 may include substantially air. In other embodiments, at least one of the first, second, third, or other chambers may include at least one of a gas other than air, a gas mixture other than air, or acoustically conductive matter. The acoustically conductive material may include a solid, liquid, gel, or like material capable of conducting sound and/or sound waves.
In one embodiment, the first and second chambers 404 and 406 of
In certain embodiments, an acoustic assembly may be employed with a audio receiver such as the microphone 326 of
It is understood that the various features, elements, or processes of the foregoing figures and description are interchangeable or combinable to realize or practice the invention describe herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation, and the invention is limited only by the claims which follow.
