The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices that employ speakers within an exterior housing of an electronic device. More particularly, the present embodiments relate to piezoelectric speakers that are used in electronic devices.
Currently there are a wide variety of electronic devices that include one or more speakers located within their exterior housings. Many of these electronic devices employ traditional voice coil speakers that involve relatively large and complex assemblies. However, electronic devices are becoming smaller and more feature rich, leaving less room for the relatively large and complex voice coil speakers.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to piezoelectric speakers and to electronic devices that include such speakers. Piezoelectric speakers according to embodiments of the disclosure can be relatively thin compared to traditional voice coil speakers, which in turn, allows devices that incorporate such piezoelectric speakers to be made smaller and/or enables the devices to have extra room for additional components.
In some embodiments an electronic device according to the disclosure includes a housing having an exterior surface with an opening formed there through. A piezoelectric speaker, including a diaphragm and a piezoelectric receiver, is aligned with and fit within the opening. A vibration isolator is coupled between the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm and the housing to enable the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm to vibrate independently from the housing.
In some embodiments the vibration isolator is disposed around a periphery of the speaker diaphragm and creates a water tight seal between the speaker diaphragm and the housing. In various embodiments the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm is coplanar with and colored to match the exterior surface of the housing such that it appears to be a portion of the housing. In some embodiments a plurality of piezoelectric speakers are used together to create an aggregate speaker with improved sound quality as compared to a unitary piezoelectric speaker.
In some embodiments the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm is made from a transparent material and in various embodiments the diaphragm and the housing are both made from a transparent material. In some embodiments circuitry is operatively coupled to the piezoelectric receiver and is configured to cause the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm to vibrate and function as a speaker.
In some embodiments an electronic device according to the disclosure includes a transparent cover disposed over a graphical display of the electronic device. The transparent cover has an opening formed there through and a piezoelectric speaker is aligned with the opening. The piezoelectric speaker can include a speaker diaphragm and a piezoelectric receiver attached to the speaker diaphragm. A vibration isolator is coupled between the speaker diaphragm and the transparent cover to enable the speaker diaphragm to vibrate independently from the transparent cover.
In some embodiments the speaker diaphragm is made from a transparent material and is coplanar with the transparent cover. In various embodiments the piezoelectric receiver includes a layer of piezoelectric material bonded to the speaker diaphragm. In some embodiments the vibration isolator is arranged to cover a gap between the speaker diaphragm and the transparent cover creating a water tight seal between the speaker diaphragm and the transparent cover.
In some embodiments a plurality of vibration isolators are disposed around a periphery of the speaker diaphragm. In various embodiments there are a plurality of speakers used together to create an aggregate speaker with improved sound quality. Each of the plurality of speakers can each have a separate diaphragm aligned with an opening within the transparent cover. In some embodiments circuitry is operatively coupled to the piezoelectric receiver and is configured to cause the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm to vibrate and function as a speaker.
In some embodiments an electronic device includes a housing having an exterior surface with an opening formed there through. A piezoelectric speaker is aligned with the opening and includes a piezoelectric receiver attached to the speaker diaphragm. A speaker driver circuit is configured to transmit electronic signals to the piezoelectric speaker receiver that make the speaker diaphragm vibrate. A vibration isolator is coupled between the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm and the housing to enable the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm to vibrate independently from the housing.
In some embodiments the vibration isolator is arranged to cover a gap between the speaker diaphragm and the housing to create a water tight seal between the speaker diaphragm and the housing. In various embodiments the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm is coplanar with and colored to match the exterior surface of the housing such that it appears to be a portion of the housing. In some embodiments the piezoelectric speaker diaphragm is made from a transparent material.
In some embodiments the housing is made from a transparent material. In various embodiments there are a plurality of speaker diaphragms, each aligned with an opening within the housing.
To better understand the nature and advantages of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present disclosure. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to piezoelectric speakers that are used in electronic devices. For example, in some embodiments an electronic device, such as a smartphone, is equipped with a piezoelectric speaker that is used as a phone receiver. The electronic device has an exterior housing with an opening that is configured to receive the piezoelectric speaker. The piezoelectric speaker has a diaphragm that is aligned with the opening and coplanar with an exterior surface of the housing. A vibration isolator is used to secure the diaphragm to the housing and to isolate the diaphragm from the housing so the diaphragm can vibrate independently from the housing. A piezoelectric receiver, comprising piezoelectric material, is attached to an interior surface of the diaphragm and is driven by circuitry within the electronic device. The circuitry within the electronic device supplies electronic signals to the piezoelectric receiver which moves in response, causing the diaphragm to vibrate, creating sound waves the user can hear. The piezoelectric speaker is relatively thin as compared to traditional voice coil speakers, consuming relatively little space within the electronic device.
In some embodiments, the vibration isolator can be configured to form a watertight seal between the diaphragm and the housing so liquid and/or debris cannot pass into the electronic device through the opening in the housing. In various embodiments the diaphragm can be made out of the same material as the housing (e.g., glass, zirconia, aluminum, steel, etc.) and formed to be nearly imperceptible from the remainder of the housing, providing an aesthetically appealing continuous exterior housing.
In another example a combination of different sizes and/or shapes of piezoelectric speakers can be used together to improve the sound quality of the aggregated speaker. In a further example, a piezoelectric receiver can be mounted to a portion of the electronic device housing so the housing functions as the speaker diaphragm.
In order to better appreciate the features and aspects of piezoelectric speakers for electronic devices according to the present disclosure, further context for the disclosure is provided in the following section by discussing one particular implementation of an electronic device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. These embodiments are for example only and other embodiments can be employed in other electronic devices such as, but not limited to computers, watches, wearable electronic devices, media players and other devices.
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Piezoelectric speaker 135 functions by receiving electronic signals from circuitry within electronic device 100. More specifically, piezoelectric receiver 305 is made from a piezoelectric material that moves in response to receiving electronic signals. When piezoelectric receiver 305 moves (i.e., vibrates) it makes diaphragm 210 vibrate which creates sound waves that can be heard by a user.
In some embodiments diaphragm 210 can be arranged to be coplanar with and colored to match exterior surface 110 of housing 105 such that the diaphragm appears to be a portion of the housing, giving electronic device 100 an aesthetically appealing appearance. For example, in some embodiments housing 105 may have a front portion (also called a transparent cover) made from a transparent material, such as, for example, glass, sapphire, silicon dioxide or zirconia, and diaphragm 210 is made from the same or a similar looking material. In another example, housing 105 is made from a metal, such as aluminum or steel, and diaphragm 210 is made from the same or a similar looking material. As discussed above, housing 105 may have a transparent cover disposed over all of or a portion of the housing and the remainder of the housing may be made from a different material such as metal and/or plastic. These materials are for example only and other materials can be used for housing 105 and diaphragm 210 without departing from the disclosure. In some embodiments diaphragm 210 may be made from a relatively high modulus of elasticity material that can be above 25 GPa, while in various embodiments it can be above 50 GPa.
In some embodiments, diaphragm 210 can be made to look like a portion of housing 105 by minimizing gap 215 between diaphragm 210 and housing 105. In various embodiments gap 215 can be between 5 microns and 1500 microns while in other embodiments it can be between 5 microns and 100 microns and in some embodiments it can be between 10 microns and 50 microns.
In some embodiments piezoelectric receiver 305 includes a piezoelectric crystalline, polycrystalline material such as, for example: quartz, berlinite, sucrose, topaz, tourmaline, Rochelle salt, barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), potassium niobate (KNbO3), sodium tungstate (Na2WO3), Ba2NaNb5O5, Pb2KNb5O15, Zinc oxide (ZnO)-Wurtzite structure and Group III-V and II-VI materials, or other material.
In some embodiments, vibration isolator 315 is made from a material that enables piezoelectric speaker diaphragm 210 to vibrate independently from housing 105. More specifically, in some embodiments when piezoelectric diaphragm 210 vibrates to generate sound waves, it may be desirable to isolate the diaphragm from surrounding housing 105 so the housing does not also vibrate and broadcast the sound (i.e., acting as a loudspeaker). By isolating the vibrations to diaphragm 210, a user may be able to privately hear sound from the diaphragm by placing their ear over the diaphragm (i.e., over phone receiver 130 in
In some embodiments vibration isolator 315 can be made out of a relatively low modulus of elasticity elastic material, such as, for example: a silicone, a rubber, or an elastomer while other embodiments can be made out of a flexible membrane such as, for example, Mylar, polyamide, or other material. Vibration isolator 315 can be secured to diaphragm 210 and/or housing 105 by the adhesion of the isolator material itself, or with the aid of other materials like an adhesive or a heat activated film. Similar materials can be used to adhere piezoelectric receiver 305 to diaphragm 210. Myriad materials can be used for vibration isolator 315 and for the adhesion of the isolator without departing from the disclosure.
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In some embodiments, electronic signals can be coupled to receiver 305 with, for example, wires, a flexible circuit board or conductive traces that could be formed with insert molding or laser direct structuring. In embodiments where opening 610 is formed in a portion of housing 605 that is a transparent cover, conductive traces may be routed on the inside surface of the transparent cover and conductive vias can transition electrical signals within the recess where wires or a flexible circuit board can couple the electronic signals to the piezoelectric receiver. In some embodiments the traces and vias can be formed with printable metallic inks having a glass frit such as those used with ceramics. In other embodiments the traces and vias can be formed with a thin film process, such as electroplating or sputtering and patterned with photolithography. Other methods can be used without departing from this disclosure.
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Memory 1045 can include one or more different types of memory that can be used to perform device functions. For example, memory 1045 can include cache, flash memory, ROM, RAM and hybrid types of memory. Memory 1045 can also store firmware for the device and its applications (e.g., operating system, user interface functions and processor functions). Storage device 1050 can include one or more suitable storage mediums or mechanisms, such as a magnetic hard drive, flash drive, tape drive, optical drive, permanent memory (such as ROM), semi-permanent memory (such as RAM) or cache. Storage device 1050 can be used for storing media (e.g., audio and video files), text, pictures, graphics, advertising or any suitable user-specific or global information that can be used by electronic media device 1000. Storage device 1050 can also store programs or applications that can run on control circuitry 1030, can maintain files formatted to be read and edited by one or more of the applications and can store any additional files that can aid the operation of one or more applications (e.g., files with metadata). It should be understood that any of the information stored on storage device 1050 can instead be stored in memory 1045.
Electronic media device 1000 can also include input component 1020 and output component 1025 for providing a user with the ability to interact with electronic media device 1000. For example, input component 1020 and output component 1025 can provide an interface for a user to interact with an application running on control circuitry 1030. Input component 1020 can take a variety of forms, such as a keyboard/keypad, trackpad, mouse, click wheel, button, stylus or touch screen. Input component 1020 can also include one or more devices for user authentication (e.g., a smart card reader, a fingerprint reader or an iris scanner) as well as an audio input device (e.g., a microphone) or a video input device (e.g., a camera or a web cam) for recording video or still frames. Output component 1025 can include any suitable display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a touch screen display, a projection device, a speaker or any other suitable system for presenting information or media to a user. Output component 1025 can be controlled by graphics circuitry 1035. Graphics circuitry 1035 can include a video card, such as a video card with 2D, 3D or vector graphics capabilities. In some embodiments, output component 1025 can also include an audio component that is remotely coupled to electronic media device 1000. For example, output component 1025 can include a headset, headphones or ear buds that can be coupled to electronic media device 1000 with a wire or wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth headphones or a Bluetooth headset).
Electronic media device 1000 can have one or more applications (e.g., software applications) stored on storage device 1050 or in memory 1045. Control circuitry 1030 can be configured to execute instructions of the applications from memory 1045. For example, control circuitry 1030 can be configured to execute a media player application that causes full-motion video or audio to be presented or displayed on output component 1025. Other applications resident on electronic media device 1000 can include, for example, a telephony application, a GPS navigator application, a web browser application and a calendar or organizer application. Electronic media device 1000 can also execute any suitable operating system, such as Mac OS, Apple iOS, Linux or Windows and can include a set of applications stored on storage device 1050 or memory 1045, which applications can be compatible with the operating system running on the device.
In some embodiments, electronic media device 1000 can also include communications circuitry 1055 to connect to one or more communications networks. Communications circuitry 1055 can be any suitable communications circuitry operative to connect to a communications network and to transmit communications (e.g., voice or data) from electronic media device 1000 to other devices within the communications network. Communications circuitry 1055 can be operative to interface with the communications network using any suitable communications protocol such as, for example, Wi-Fi (e.g., a 802.11 protocol), Bluetooth, high frequency systems (e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.6 GHz communication systems), infrared, GSM, GSM plus EDGE, CDMA, quadband and other cellular protocols, VOIP or any other suitable protocol.
In some embodiments, communications circuitry 1055 can be operative to create a communications network using any suitable communications protocol. Communications circuitry 1055 can create a short-range communications network using a short-range communications protocol to connect to other devices. For example, communications circuitry 1055 can be operative to create a local communications network using the Bluetooth protocol to couple with a Bluetooth headset (or any other Bluetooth device). Communications circuitry 1055 can also include a wired or wireless network interface card (NIC) configured to connect to the Internet or any other public or private network. For example, electronic media device 1000 can be configured to connect to the Internet via a wireless network, such as a packet radio network, an RF network, a cellular network or any other suitable type of network. Communication circuitry 1045 can be used to initiate and conduct communications with other communications devices or media devices within a communications network.
Electronic media device 1000 can also include any other component suitable for performing a communications operation. For example, electronic media device 1000 can include a power supply, an antenna, ports or interfaces for coupling to a host device, a secondary input mechanism (e.g., an ON/OFF switch) or any other suitable component.
Speaker driver circuitry 1060 can include circuitry configured to convert audio signals to signals that are configured to drive one or more piezoelectric speakers 1005. In some embodiments piezoelectric speakers 1005 can be driven with a varying voltage, however other types of signals can be used. In various embodiments speaker driver circuitry can separate a higher frequency band from a lower frequency band and send the higher frequencies to a first piezoelectric speaker and the lower frequencies to a second piezoelectric speaker. Other configurations and variations of speaker driver circuitry 1060 and piezoelectric speaker 1005 are within the scope of this disclosure.
Although the electronic devices (e.g., electronic device 100 in
For simplicity, various internal components, such as the control circuitry, graphics circuitry, bus, memory, storage device and other components of electronic devices are not shown in the figures.
In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the disclosure have been described with reference to numerous specific details that can vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the disclosure, and what is intended by the applicants to be the scope of the disclosure, is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction. The specific details of particular embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of embodiments of the disclosure.
Additionally, spatially relative terms, such as “bottom or “top” and the like may be used to describe an element and/or feature's relationship to another element(s) and/or feature(s) as, for example, illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use and/or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as a “bottom” surface may then be oriented “above” other elements or features. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5118981 | Kobayashi | Jun 1992 | A |
6427017 | Toki | Jul 2002 | B1 |
7151837 | Bank | Dec 2006 | B2 |
7382890 | Saiki | Jun 2008 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20170303048 A1 | Oct 2017 | US |