Patent Application
20160234588
The disclosure relates generally to speaker devices. More specifically, disclosed embodiments relate to speaker devices that include a speaker configured to generate tactile vibrations that may be sensed by a person using the speaker, to headphones including such speakers, and to methods of operating and using such speakers and headphones.
Conventional portable audio systems often include a headphone that is connected to a media player (e.g., by one or more wires or by wireless technology). Conventional headphones may include one or two speaker assemblies having an audio driver that produces audible sound waves with a diaphragm. For example,
Referring to
Conventionally, the diaphragm 110 includes a single suspension member coupled between two rigid members (e.g., the rim of the support structure 120 and the cone member). As a result, the speaker assembly 100 acts as a single mass/spring system having a single resonant frequency that is at least partially dependent on the mass of the rigid cone member and the spring constant of the flexible suspension member of the diaphragm 110. For example, some diaphragms may have a resonant frequency of approximately 90 Hz. The resonant frequency in such a configuration may be decreased by increasing the diameter of the diaphragm 110 and/or by reducing the thickness of the plastic material. It may, however, be difficult or impractical to form a diaphragm 110 having a conventional design that exhibits a lower resonant frequency, because the size of the diaphragm 110 would be too large, and/or the diaphragm 110 would be too thin and susceptible to damage.
Referring to
Speaker assemblies may also include tactile bass vibrators that are configured to generate tactile vibrations within the speaker assemblies that may be felt by the user. Tactile bass vibrators may also at least partially supplement the acoustic bass frequencies of the speaker assembly. Conventional tactile bass vibrators may include a single suspension member coupled between two rigid members, which result in a resonant frequency that is tuned to a desired bass frequency to achieve the desired effect; however, conventional tactile vibrators typically have a limited optimal frequency range of vibration amplitude (i.e., bass frequencies only).
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the disclosure in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Disclosed embodiments relate generally to speakers and headphones that are configured to generate tactile vibrations that may be felt by a person using the speakers and headphones. In particular, disclosed embodiments may include a speaker configured to vibrate responsive to an electronic audio signal. In some embodiments, the speaker may include a tactile vibrator that is configured as a multi-resonant system to generate vibrations. The speaker may include multiple voice coil/magnet and mass-spring systems, which may be independently driven to achieve different vibration responses. As a result, an overall wider range of vibration response may also be generated. By joining multiple mass-spring systems together, the frequency range over which vibrations of large amplitude may be generated is increased. The tactile vibrator includes multiple rigid members that are connected to each other through suspension members. The rigid members can either be passive or actively driven. In the active scenario, the respective rigid member may be actuated via a Lorentz force actuator typically consisting of a coil of wire and a magnet assembly as in a typical speaker. The actuator may include large concentric coils that surround the rigid member, or the rigid members may also be forced as a multi-actuator transducer in which multiple actuators are placed at different points along the rigid member to create the vibration. The frequency response of the tactile vibrator may change depending on which rigid members are driven actively or passively, which may add additional modes of controlling the vibration characteristics of the tactile vibrator.
A “speaker assembly” is as an acoustic device configured to contribute to the generation of sound waves, such as with the reproduction of speech, music, or other audible sound. Thus, a speaker assembly may include an audio driver configured to produce audible sound. A speaker assembly may also produce tactile vibrations that may be felt by a person. Thus, a speaker may include a tactile vibrator. A tactile vibrator may also be referred to as a transducer, a driver, a shaker, etc. Thus, an audio driver is configured primarily to emit audible sound frequencies, although some minor tactile vibrations may be generated by the audio driver in some embodiments. A tactile vibrator is configured primarily to generate tactile vibrations, although some low frequency audible sound may also be generated by the tactile vibrator 450 in some embodiments. While examples are given for speaker assemblies that are incorporated within headphones, incorporation within other devices is also contemplated.
A “magnetic member” may be a coil or a permanent magnet that is used to form a coil/magnet pair of a speaker assembly that are driven to move the rigid members back and forth relative to the support structure. In some configurations, a coil may be coupled to the tactile vibrator while a magnet is coupled to a support structure (e.g., ear cup), while in other embodiments, a magnet may be coupled to the tactile vibrator and a coil is coupled to the support structure.
A “bass frequency” is a relatively low audible frequency generally considered to be within the range extending from approximately 16 Hz to approximately 512 Hz. For purposes of this disclosure, a “low bass frequency” refers to bass frequencies that may be felt as well as heard. Such low bass frequencies may be within the range extending from approximately 16 Hz to approximately 200 Hz. A “midrange frequency” is generally considered to be within the range extending from 512 Hz to 2.6 kHz. An “upper midrange frequency” is generally considered to be within the range extending from 2.6 kHz to 5.2 kHz. A “high end frequency” is generally considered to be within the range extending from 5.2 kHz to 20 kHz.
As used herein, the term “rigid” refers to a member of a tactile vibrator that, for the forces applied in an acoustic driver, exhibits a suitable stiffness so that the entire rigid member moves together when being displaced as opposed to different regions deforming non-uniformly. For example, when viewing a cross section of the tactile vibrator, the rigid member remains substantially parallel to the resting plane. A suspension member of the tactile vibrator may experience some oscillation with a force applied thereto during the intended operation of the tactile vibrator. The oscillation may include non-uniform deformation of the suspension member. For example, when viewing a cross section of the tactile vibrator, the suspension member does not remain substantially parallel to the resting plane (i.e., are tilted relative to the resting plane).
The headphone 302 may comprise two speaker assemblies 308 and a headband 310. The headband 310 may be configured to rest on a user's head, and to support the two speaker assemblies 308 when in use. The headband 310 may also be configured to position the two speaker assemblies 308 attached to the headband 310 proximate (e.g., on or over) a user's ears such that sound from the speaker assemblies 308 is heard by the user. In yet further embodiments, the headphone 302 may comprise ear bud speaker assemblies (which may or may not be carried on a headband 310), which may be inserted into the ears of the user.
The media player 306 may include any device or system capable of producing an audio signal and connectable to a speaker to convert the audio signal to audible sound. For example, the media player 306 may include smart phones or other phones, gaming systems, DVD players or other video players, laptop computers, tablet computers, desktop computers, stereo systems, microphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), eBook readers, and music players such as digital music players, portable CD players, portable cassette players, etc. Other types of media players are also contemplated. As shown in
The speaker assemblies 308 may include an audio driver configured to convert the audio signal to audible sound and a tactile vibrator configured to generate a tactile response (e.g., vibrations), as described in further detail hereinbelow.
The driver system 400 may include a controller 404 configured to receive an input audio signal 401 (e.g., from the media player 306 (
Referring still to
The tactile vibrator 450 may include a plurality of rigid members 502, 504, and a plurality of suspension members 512, 514. The first rigid members 502 may be coupled to a support structure 520 via the first suspension member 512. The first rigid member 502 and the second rigid member 504 may be coupled together via the second suspension member 514. The rigid members 502, 504 may be configured for mounting one or more magnetic 556 members thereon. As shown in
The support structure 520 may further include a lower support structure 560 and a circumferentially extending rim 562. A radially outer portion of the first suspension member 512 may be connected to the circumferentially extending rim 562, such as by adhesive, a fastener, a snap fit, etc. In some embodiments, the first suspension member 512 may be integrally formed with the support structure 560. The tactile vibrator 450 may further include one or more additional magnetic members 558 (e.g., coils, magnets). The additional magnetic members 558 may be configured to generate a magnetic field responsive to an audio signal (e.g., second audio signal 405 (
In some embodiments, the permanent magnet and coils may be reversed, such that permanent magnets may be coupled to the lower support structure 560 and one or more coils may be coupled to the rigid members of the tactile vibrator 450. In either embodiment, coils may receive the audio signal (e.g., second audio signal 405) and generate a magnetic field in response to the current flowing through the coils. The magnitude of magnetic field may oscillate based, at least in part, on the frequency of the audio signal. The magnetic member 556 may respond to the changing magnetic field such that the suspension members enable the magnetic member 556 to be displaced relative to the resting plane. As a result, the tactile vibrations within the speaker assembly 308 are generated while the magnetic member 556 is displaced.
The tactile vibrator 450 may be oriented parallel with the plate 542. In other words, the vibrations of the tactile vibrator 450 may be at least substantially perpendicular to the plate 542. The vibrations caused from the displacement of the tactile vibrator 450 may cause the plate 542 to vibrate. While vibrating, the plate 542 may produce pressure waves in the air cavity 580, which may enhance the certain frequencies that are approximately near the resonant frequencies that are produced by the operation of the tactile vibrator 450. The pressure waves and other physical vibrations in the headphone 302 may also be felt as vibrations to the user, which may further enhance the user's listening experience. Some modifications to the headphone 302 may affect the feel of the vibrations generated by the bass. For example, the size of the air cavity 580 may affect the strength of the vibrations. Forming apertures in the plate 542 may also have a similar effect as increasing the size of the air cavity 580, as the effective size of the air cavity 580 would be increased.
As discussed above,
In some embodiments, the rigid members 602, 604 may be generally circular and concentrically arranged with respect to each other. As a result, the first rigid member 602 (e.g., the outer rigid member) may be configured as an annular disk that has a greater radius than the second rigid member 604 (e.g., the center rigid member). In such a configuration, the suspension members 612, 614 may be attached to the edges of the respective rigid members 602, 604 to extend in a lateral direction such that the suspension members 612, 614 oscillate by bending up and down to generate the vibrations.
The first suspension member 612 and the second suspension member 614 are each shown symbolically in
The tactile vibrator 600 may also include magnetic members 630A, 630B coupled to the rigid members 602, 604. For example, one or more magnetic members 630A may be coupled to the first rigid member 602, and one or more magnetic members 630B may be coupled to the second rigid member 604. In some embodiments, the second rigid member 604 (e.g., the center rigid member) may include a single magnetic member 630B, whereas the first rigid member 602 (e.g., the outer rigid member) may include a plurality of magnetic members 630A. The magnetic members associated with the same rigid member 602, 604 may be driven with the same signal. For example, the each of the magnetic members 630A coupled to the first rigid member 602 may be driven with the same signal so that the same forces are applied the first rigid member 602 at different locations.
While four magnetic members 630A are shown in
Each rigid member 602, 604 may be independently driven by the controller 404 (
In operation, a changing magnetic field responsive to the audio signal received by the tactile vibrator 600 may cause corresponding oscillations in a corresponding suspension member 612, 614, which results in the corresponding magnetic members 630A, 630B and rigid members 602, 604 being displaced. The resulting vibrations may cause an increased tactile response (e.g., vibrations) that is experienced by the user. If the received audio signal is at the resonant frequency of the system, the tactile vibrator 600 may resonate, which may result in an increased tactile response at that resonant frequency. Because the tactile vibrator 600 is a multiple spring/mass driver system, the tactile vibrator 600 may have a plurality of different resonant frequencies depending on how the tactile vibrator 600 is driven.
The first system 630 is defined as the entire combined system of all of the rigid members 602, 604 and the suspension members 612, 614. The second system 632 is defined as the sub-system of the second rigid member 604 and the second suspension member 614 alone without the effect of the first rigid member 602 and the first suspension member 612. The third system 634 is defined as the sub-system of the first rigid member 602 and the first suspension member 612 alone without the effect of the second rigid member 604 and the second suspension member 614. In some embodiments, mass M1 and mass M2 may be equal, while in other embodiments mass M1 and mass M2 may be different. Similarly, spring constant K1 and spring constant K2 may be the same or different depending on the particular embodiment. As the resonant frequency is dependent on the mass M and the spring constant K, the resonant frequencies for each individual system 630, 632, 634 may be different.
As discussed above, each rigid member 602, 604 may be independently driven to produce different vibration responses for the tactile vibrator 600 depending on how each rigid member 602, 604 is driven. For example, in some operational modes, the rigid members 602, 604 may be driven at the same frequency. In other modes, the rigid members 602, 604 may be driven at different frequencies. In some modes, one of the rigid members 602, 604 may be driven at a particular frequency, while the other rigid member 602, 604 may not be actively driven but may be in a passive mode.
Referring specifically to
One situation in which this may occur, is if the driving frequencies to the second system 632 are so far removed from the resonant frequency of the second system 632 that the components of the second system 632 do not move relative to each other. As an example, mass M2 may be relatively heavy compared to mass M1. As a result, the second system 632 may exhibit a relatively lower resonant frequency than the resonant frequency of the third system 634. If the driving frequency of both the rigid members 602, 604 is high such that the driving frequency is close to the resonant frequency of the third system 634 and far from the resonant frequency of the second system 632, the second system 634 may not oscillate and may move together with the third system 634. Thus, the resulting movement in the tactile vibrator 600 may be close to that of the first system 630 as if only one rigid member (having a combined mass of M1+M2) is moving. In addition, the first system 630 may exhibit a resonant frequency (based on M1+M2 and K1) that is different than the resonant frequencies of either of the second system 632 or third system 634. Because the actual movement of the first system 630 may oscillate at a frequency that is different than the actual driving frequency of the coils associated with the rigid members 602, 604, the driving frequencies may be selected to achieve an actual movement that is near the resonant frequency of the first system 630.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Thus, the tactile vibrator 600 may have multiple resonant frequencies, and a plurality of vibration responses may result depending on the different combinations of driving frequencies used. In some embodiments, the controller 404 (
As a result, different vibration sensations may be generated with different audio signals. In addition, vibrations may be generated along a broader range of frequencies in comparison to a conventional tactile vibrator that typically can only provide vibrations in the bass frequency range. Instead, tactile vibrations may also be generated for midrange frequencies, upper midrange frequencies, and/or high end frequencies depending on the combination of driving frequencies and physical characteristics (masses, spring constants, etc.) of the components of the tactile vibrator 600. Such vibration frequencies may be desirable for different types of media content, such as music, movies, television, gaming, etc. For example, in a gaming application, it may be desirable to have different vibration profiles at different times. The controller 404 may generate a low frequency vibration response to accompany an explosion, and a higher frequency vibration response to accompany a gun shot.
The tactile vibrator 800 may also include magnetic members 830A, 830B, 830C that are associated with each rigid member 802, 804, 806, respectively. The magnetic members 830A, 830B, 830C may be independently driven by the controller 404 (
It is also contemplated that embodiments of the present disclosure include multi-resonant systems having more than three spring/mass systems. Thus, additional levels of rigid members and suspension members are also contemplated as additional embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure may include a coil/magnet assembly associated with each rigid member in the tactile vibrator. By including more resonant frequencies and additional options for vibration responses, embodiments of the present disclosure may have a greater frequency range of operation. In addition, having more resonant frequencies permits the tactile vibrators to operate closer to a resonant frequency, which may improve efficiency of the system. An improved efficiency may require less power and/or a smaller amplifier (or no amplifier), which may reduce costs and/or size of the headphone.
The tactile vibrator 1100 may be configured as a single piece of material (e.g., stamped metal), such that the suspension members 1112, 1114 and the rigid members 1102, 1104 may be integrally formed. The suspension members 1112, 1114 may be configured with flexible beams separated by apertures that enable the suspension members 1112, 1114 to be deformed (i.e., tilt) relative to the resting plane during operation of the tactile vibrator 1100. The rigid members 1102, 1104 may be solid regions that remain parallel to the resting plane while being displaced during operation of the tactile vibrator 1100.
The tactile vibrator 1200 may be configured as multiple elements, such that the suspension members 1212, 1214 and the rigid members 1202, 1204 may be not be integrally formed (e.g., may be separate materials). The suspension members 1212, 1214 may be formed from a flexible material (e.g., silicon speaker surround material) that enables the suspension members 1212, 1214 to be deformed (i.e., tilt) relative to the resting plane during operation of the tactile vibrator 1200. The rigid members 1202, 1204 may be formed from a more rigid material (e.g., a solid metal structure, a solid plastid structure, etc.) that remains parallel to the resting plane while being displaced during operation of the tactile vibrator 1200.
In some embodiments, a tactile vibrator may include a combination of suspension members that are formed with beams (e.g.,
Additional non-limiting embodiments are described below.
A speaker assembly, comprising: a support structure; and a tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure, the tactile vibrator including a plurality of rigid members coupled to a plurality of suspension members, wherein each rigid member of the plurality of rigid members has at least one magnetic member coupled thereto for generating tactile vibrations during operation of the speaker assembly.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of rigid members are arranged in a stacked configuration.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of rigid members are arranged in a concentric configuration.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the plurality of rigid members and the plurality of suspension members form a plurality of individual mass/spring systems that exhibit a different resonant frequency.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the at least one rigid member of the plurality of rigid members has a plurality of magnetic members coupled thereto.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the at least one magnetic member coupled with a first rigid member and the at least one magnetic member coupled with a second rigid member are configured to be driven independently from each other.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 6, further comprising a controller having a first channel that drives the at least one magnetic member of the first rigid member, and a second channel that drives the at least one magnetic member of the second rigid member.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the at least one magnetic member includes a coil coupled to the respective rigid member, and a magnet coupled to the support structure.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the at least one magnetic member includes a magnet coupled to the respective rigid member, and a coil coupled to the support structure.
The speaker assembly of Embodiment 1, wherein the tactile vibrator further includes an additional suspension member coupled to an additional rigid member that is passively driven without a magnetic member coupled thereto.
A headphone including at least one speaker assembly and a device for operatively coupling the at least one speaker assembly with a media player configured to send an electrical audio signal to the at least one speaker assembly, the at least one speaker assembly comprising: a support structure; and a tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure, the tactile vibrator including: a first rigid member coupled to the support structure via a first support member; a second rigid member coupled to the first rigid member via a second support member; at least one magnetic member coupled to the first rigid member; and at least one magnetic member coupled to the second rigid member, wherein the at least one magnetic members of the first rigid member and the second rigid member are configured to be displaced within the support structure and generate tactile vibrations responsive to receipt of the electrical audio signal.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, further comprising a headband, the at least one speaker assembly attached to the headband.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, wherein the at least one speaker assembly comprises an ear bud speaker assembly configured to fit within an ear of a person using the headphone.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, wherein the at least one speaker assembly further comprises: a housing; and a cushion attached to the housing and configured to be disposed on or over an ear of a person using the headphone.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, wherein the tactile vibrator further includes: a third rigid member coupled to the second rigid member via a third support member; and at least one magnetic member coupled to the third rigid member.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, further comprising a controller configured to drive coils associated with the at least one magnetic members of the first rigid member, the second rigid member, and the third rigid member according to different operational modes.
The headphone of Embodiment 16, wherein the different operational modes result in a plurality of different resonant frequencies for the tactile vibrator.
The headphone of Embodiment 17, wherein the different resonant frequencies are dependent on a combination of different drive frequencies for the at least one magnetic members of the first rigid member, the second rigid member, and the third rigid member.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, wherein at least two of the first rigid member, the second rigid member, and the third rigid member have different masses.
The headphone of Embodiment 11, wherein at least two of the first suspension member, the second suspension member, and the third suspension member have different spring constants.
A method of operating a speaker assembly, the method comprising: driving a tactile vibrator having a plurality of magnetic members coupled to a plurality of rigid members and a plurality of suspension members to cause tactile vibrations in the speaker assembly.
The method of Embodiment 21, wherein driving the tactile vibrator during a first mode including: driving a first magnetic member coupled to a first rigid member with a first driving frequency; and driving a second magnetic member coupled to a second rigid member with a second driving frequency different than the first driving frequency.
The method of Embodiment 22, wherein driving the tactile vibrator during a second mode including actively driving the first magnetic member while allowing the second magnetic member to remain passive.
The method of Embodiment 21, wherein the tactile vibrations exhibit a frequency that is different than a driving frequency associated with at least one rigid member.
The method of Embodiment 24, wherein the wherein the frequency of the tactile vibrations is a bass frequency.
The method of Embodiment 24, wherein the wherein the frequency of the tactile vibrations is one of a midrange frequency and an upper midrange frequency.
The method of Embodiment 24, wherein the wherein the frequency of the tactile vibrations is one of a midrange frequency and an upper midrange frequency.
The method of Embodiment 24, wherein the wherein the frequency of the tactile vibrations is a high end frequency.
While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connection with the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that embodiments of the invention are not limited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described herein. Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention as hereinafter claimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from one embodiment may be combined with features of another embodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of embodiments of the invention as contemplated by the inventors.
