IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,513,565
Granted Patent B2
US 11,513,565 · App. 16/651,545 · Granted Nov 29, 2022

Multipurpose speaker enclosure in a display assistant device

Inventors: Xiaoping Qin (San Jose, CA); Christen Cameron Bilger (Sunnyvale, CA); Frederic Heckmann (Mountain View, CA); Frances Kwee (Redwood City, CA); Justin Leong (Milpitas, CA); James Castro (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Google LLC
G06F1/166G02F1/133308G02F1/133753G06F1/1605G06F1/1626G06F1/1637G06F1/1658G06F1/1683G06F1/1686G06F1/1688G06F1/1698G06F3/167G06F21/83G10L15/28H04R1/023H04R1/025H04R1/028H04R1/345G02F1/133325G02F1/133761H04L12/282H04R2499/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,513,565
App. No.
16/651,545
Granted
Nov 29, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.

Claims (42)

1. A display assistant device, comprising:

a screen;

a rear speaker;

one or more front speakers;

an enclosure structure in which the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers are mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of each of the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of each of the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and

one or more electronic components coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure;

wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the display assistant device to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker.

2. The display assistant device of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure structure includes a base portion distinct from the electrically conductive portion, wherein each of the one or more front speakers is individually packaged and integrated into the base portion of the enclosure structure, the one or more front speakers facing a front view that is opposite to a rear view which the rear speaker faces.

3. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure structure includes a plurality of separated sealed spaces each of which provides a respective sealed enclosure for one of the front and rear speakers.

4. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure structure is disposed and concealed in a housing, and the housing includes a plurality of speaker grill portions that permit sound generated by the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers to exit the housing of the base portion.

5. The display assistant device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of speaker grill portions is distributed on at least a rear side and a front side of the housing, facing the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers, respectively.

6. The display assistant device of claim 4 , wherein the housing is wrapped with a fabric that conceals the rear speaker and the one or more front speakers and is substantially transparent to sound generated thereby.

7. The display assistant device of claim 2 , wherein the rear speaker is a woofer speaker configured to produce first audio frequencies in a first frequency range, and each of the one or more front speakers is a tweeter speaker configured to produce second audio frequencies in a second frequency range, the second audio frequencies are higher than the first audio frequencies.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a speaker;

an enclosure structure in which the speaker is mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of the speaker and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and

one or more electronic components coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure;

wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the electronic device to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker; and

wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the one or more electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the one or more electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the one or more electronic components.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:

the enclosure structure is configured to attach to a base mount plate, and

the base mount plate includes a top surface facing a bottom surface of the enclosure structure; and

the top surface includes a plurality of stud fasteners configured to mate with a plurality of receiving fasteners on the bottom surface of the enclosure structure.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of stud fasteners includes a first stud configured to match a first receiving fastener with a first tolerance and a second stud configured to match a second receiving fastener with a second tolerance, the first tolerance being smaller than a threshold tolerance and the second tolerance being larger than the first tolerance.

11. A speaker assembly, comprising:

a speaker;

an enclosure structure in which the speaker is mounted, the enclosure structure exposing a speaker opening of the speaker and providing a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, wherein the enclosure structure further includes an electrically conductive portion; and

one or more electronic components that are mounted on a logic board, wherein the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, thereby allowing the one or more electronic components to be mechanically coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure via the logic board;

wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is electrically coupled to a ground of the speaker assembly to provide electromagnetic shielding for the one or more electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the one or more electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the one or more electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the one or more electronic components.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 12 , wherein a thermal spreader is disposed between the one or more electronic components and the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, and is configured to transfer heat generated by the one or more electronic components to the electrically conductive portion.

14. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure includes a recess configured to receive the one or more electronic components when the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:

a thermal spreader disposed in the recess and thermally coupled between the one or more electronic components and the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, wherein the thermal spreader is configured to transfer heat generated by the one or more electronic components to the electrically conductive portion.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the logic board further includes a ground plane that is electrically coupled to the electrically conductive portion to provide the electromagnetic shielding to enclose the one or more electronic components.

17. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein:

the one or more electronic components are surrounded by an electromagnetic shielding fence fixed on the logic board;

a flexible electrically conductive foam is disposed on top of the electromagnetic shielding fence; and

when the logic board is mounted on the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is pressed onto the flexible electrically conductive foam and electrically coupled to the electromagnetic shielding fence via the flexible electrically conductive foam, thereby forming the electromagnetic shielding that closely encloses the one or more electronic components.

18. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the speaker is a rear speaker and the enclosure structure includes a base portion distinct from the electrically conductive portion, the speaker assembly further comprising:

one or more front speakers each of which is individually packaged and integrated into the base portion of the enclosure structure, the one or more front speakers facing a front view that is opposite to a rear view which the rear speaker faces.

19. The speaker assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive portion provides an entire top surface of the enclosure structure.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2020
From: QIN, XIAOPING; BILGER, CHRISTEN CAMERON; HECKMANN, FREDERIC; KWEE, FRANCES; LEONG, JUSTIN; CASTRO, JAMES
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 053985/0250 →
Priority Claims (4)
WO PCT/US2018/064449 · Dec 7, 2018 · international
WO PCT/US2018/064452 · Dec 7, 2018 · international
WO PCT/US2018/064536 · Dec 7, 2018 · international
WO PCT/US2019/028601 · Apr 23, 2019 · international
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 62743464 · Oct 9, 2018
Provisional Application 62742892 · Oct 8, 2018
Provisional Application 62742888 · Oct 8, 2018
Related Publication 20210011518A1 · Jan 14, 2021