IP Library Granted Patent US 10,812,896
Granted Patent B2
US 10,812,896 · App. 16/555,058 · Granted Oct 20, 2020

High compliance microspeakers for vibration mitigation in a personal audio device

Inventors: Tetsuro Oishi (Bothell, WA); Chuming Zhao (Redmond, WA); Gelmont Rios (Redmond, WA)
Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
H04R1/2873H04R1/025H04R1/345H04R1/403H04R3/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,812,896
App. No.
16/555,058
Granted
Oct 20, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An audio system includes a speaker configured to emit sound. The speaker is contained in an enclosure, the enclosure forming a front cavity and a rear cavity that are on opposite sides of the speaker. The enclosure includes: at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity and at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity. The second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion. The audio system has an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

Claims (42)

1. An audio system comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound; and

at least part of an enclosure containing the speaker, the enclosure forming a front cavity and a rear cavity that are on opposite sides of the speaker, and the enclosure includes:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, and

at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of the sound,

wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

2. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker is a high compliance speaker comprising a membrane with a mechanical compliance (Cms) that is at least 10 millimeters/Newton, the membrane configured to generate the emitted sound.

3. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rear port is a resistive port configured to dampen the second portion of the sound.

4. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker has a rectangular shape.

5. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the sound has a 180° phase offset from the first portion of the sound.

6. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises two rear ports.

7. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the audio assembly includes the enclosure in its entirety, and the entirety of the enclosure is coupled to a frame of a headset.

8. The audio system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker has a force ratio less than 0.1, wherein the force ratio is equal to a force required to displace a membrane of the speaker by 0.3 millimeters divided by a reference force.

9. A headset comprising:

a frame; and

an audio system comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound; and

at least a part of an enclosure coupled to the frame and containing the speaker, the enclosure forming a front cavity and a rear cavity that are separated by the speaker, and the enclosure includes:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, and

at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion,

wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

10. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the speaker is a high compliance speaker comprising a membrane with a mechanical compliance (Cms) that is at least 10 millimeters/Newton, the membrane configured to produce the emitted sound.

11. The headset of claim 10 , wherein the high compliance speaker has a rectangular shape.

12. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the at least one output port faces an interior of the frame, and the at least one rear port faces an exterior of the frame.

13. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the audio system comprises a plurality of enclosures coupled to the frame in a speaker array, each enclosure of the plurality of enclosures containing one or more of the speakers.

14. The headset of claim 9 , wherein

the enclosure is positioned on a leg portion of the frame,

the enclosure has an elongated elliptical shape,

the enclosure extends from the leg portion of the frame in a direction corresponding to an ear of a user,

and the at least one output port is positioned in a lower portion of the enclosure proximate to the ear of the user, such that the first portion of the sound is directed towards the ear of the user.

15. The headset of claim 14 , wherein the speaker is positioned in the lower portion of the enclosure.

16. The headset of claim 14 , wherein the speaker and the front cavity are positioned in an upper portion of the enclosure and spaced apart from the output port.

17. The headset of claim 16 , further comprising:

an audio waveguide within the enclosure, the audio waveguide connecting the front cavity to the output port, wherein

the first portion of the sound travels from the front cavity through the audio waveguide to the output port.

18. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the frame forms at least a portion of the enclosure.

19. The headset of claim 9 , wherein the second portion of the sound has a 180° phase offset from the first portion of the sound.

20. An audio system comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound and contained within an enclosure that is part of a headset, the enclosure forming a front cavity and a rear cavity that are on opposite sides of the speaker, and the enclosure includes:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, and

at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of the sound,

wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 8, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060315/0224 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 4, 2019
From: OISHI, TETSURO; ZHAO, CHUMING; RIOS, GELMONT
To: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 050260/0009 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62821915 · Mar 21, 2019
Related Publication 20200304905A1 · Sep 24, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,219,331