Granted Patent B2

US 12,256,032 · App. 17/471,748 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Inventors: Ethan R. Stobbe (Cupertino, CA); Cameron Bauer (Cupertino, CA); Samuel J. Pliska (Cupertino, CA); Macey E. Dade (Cupertino, CA); Baris Ozgen (Mountain View, CA); Lee E. Hooton (Massapequa, NY); Benjamin S. Bustle (Cupertino, CA); Jason M. Gillier (Cupertino, CA); Stoyan P. Hristov (San Jose, CA); Anthony B. Sinclair (Cupertino, CA); Nicholas Merz (San Francisco, CA); Daniel Jarvis (Sunnyvale, CA); Ian A. Spraggs (San Francisco, CA); Mitchell T. Hoertz (San Francisco, CA); Michael D. Quinones (Campbell, CA); David A. Pakula (San Francisco, CA); Brandon R Collins-Smoot (Campbell, CA); Matthew R. McGuire (Cupertino, CA); Richard H. Koch (Cupertino, CA); Simon C. Helmore (San Francisco, CA); Gareth L. Rose (Cupertino, CA); Marwan Rammah (San Francisco, CA); Zachary S. Scott (Cupertino, CA); Jonathan M. Lee (Fremont, CA); Melissa A. Wah (San Jose, CA); Jacob Barton (Cupertino, CA); Laura M. Burke (San Jose, CA); Jesse P. Harris (Saratoga, CA); Samruddhi A. Deshpande (San Jose, CA); Ekaterina Pease (Sausalito, CA); David J. Dunsmoor (San Jose, CA); Nawaf Al-Baghly (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: APPLE INC.

H04M1/026H04R1/023H04R1/025H04R1/2807

Abstract

Claims (83)

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a housing comprising:

a first housing member;

a second housing member; and

a molded member coupling the first housing member to the second housing member, at least one of the first or second housing members at least partially defining a wall, the wall defining:

an opening in the housing; and

at least a portion of four exterior side surfaces of the portable electronic device;

a display at least partially within the housing;

a front cover positioned in the opening in the housing and over the display, the front cover defining:

a front surface;

a peripheral side surface extending from the front surface and at least partially surrounded by the wall of the housing; and

a notch that, together with a portion of the wall of the housing, defines an acoustic port of the portable electronic device;

an acoustic port cover positioned at least partially in the acoustic port;

a microphone module at least partially within the housing and configured to receive sound through the acoustic port cover; and

a speaker at least partially within the housing and configured to direct sound through the acoustic port cover, wherein the molded member defines at least a portion of an acoustic path coupling the speaker to the acoustic port.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the speaker is positioned below an active region of the display.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic port comprises:

a trim piece defining an external surface of the portable electronic device; and

a separator member coupled to the trim piece to define, in a cavity of the trim piece:

at least part of an acoustic input path configured to guide sound to the microphone module from the acoustic port; and

at least part of an acoustic output path configured to guide sound from the speaker to the acoustic port.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the trim piece is a unitary component defining a plurality of laser-formed holes extending through a top surface of the trim piece and configured to allow sound to pass through the trim piece.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the acoustic port is positioned proximate a top side of the portable electronic device and is configured to direct sound into a user's ear during voice communications; and

the microphone module is configured to capture sound from the user during voice communications.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic port cover is flush with the front surface of the front cover.

7. A mobile phone comprising:

a housing comprising:

a first housing member;

a second housing member; and

a molded member coupling the first housing member to the second housing member, at least one of the first or second housing members at least partially defining a wall, the wall defining:

a side surface of the mobile phone; and

a first side of a speaker port opening;

a display at least partially within the housing and including an active region;

a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned over the display, the front cover having a cutout defining a second side of the speaker port opening;

a front-facing sensor array below the front cover and at least partially surrounded by the active region of the display, the front-facing sensor array including an optical sensor configured to receive light through the front cover;

a speaker port cover positioned at least partially in the speaker port opening and between the wall and the front-facing sensor array;

a microphone module at least partially within the housing and configured to receive sound through the speaker port cover; and

a speaker at least partially within the housing, wherein

the molded member of the housing defines at least a portion of an acoustic path configured to direct sound from the speaker to the speaker port opening.

8. The mobile phone of claim 7 , wherein:

the optical sensor is a first camera configured to capture first images through the front cover; and

the mobile phone further comprises:

a second camera positioned in the front-facing sensor array and configured to capture second images through the front cover;

a proximity sensor positioned in the front-facing sensor array and configured to detect, through the front cover, a presence of an object; and

an infrared light projector positioned in the front-facing sensor array and configured to emit infrared light through the front cover.

9. The mobile phone of claim 7 , wherein a third side and a fourth side of the speaker port opening are defined by the cutout of the front cover.

10. The mobile phone of claim 9 , wherein a front surface of the speaker port cover is flush with an exterior surface of the front cover.

11. The mobile phone of claim 7 , wherein the speaker is positioned below the active region of the display.

12. The mobile phone of claim 11 , wherein:

the portion of the acoustic path is a first portion of the acoustic path; and

the acoustic path has a second portion positioned below the front-facing sensor array.

13. A portable electronic device comprising:

a front cover;

a rear cover;

a housing structure coupled to the front cover and the rear cover, the housing structure comprising:

a first housing member extending along a side of the front cover and defining a first portion of an exterior surface of the housing structure;

a second housing member defining a second portion of the exterior surface of the housing structure; and

a molded member coupling the first housing member to the second housing member and defining:

a third portion of the exterior surface of the housing structure; and

a portion of an acoustic path configured to direct sound through a speaker port of the portable electronic device, the speaker port defined between the first housing member and a peripheral side of the front cover;

a speaker at least partially within the portable electronic device and configured to direct sound into the acoustic path;

a speaker port cover positioned in the speaker port; and

a microphone module at least partially within the housing structure and configured to receive sound through the speaker port cover.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:

the molded member defines a hole acoustically coupled to the acoustic path;

the speaker is coupled to a speaker module; and

a portion of the speaker module extends into the hole defined in the molded member to couple the speaker module to the molded member.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14 , wherein:

the portion of the acoustic path is a first portion of the acoustic path; and

the first housing member at least partially defines a second portion of the acoustic path.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:

the front cover is part of a top module of the portable electronic device;

the top module comprises a frame member coupled to an interior surface of the front cover; and

the frame member at least partially defines the second portion of the acoustic path.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the speaker port cover comprises a trim piece defining an external surface of the portable electronic device.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein:

the microphone module is coupled to the top module;

the frame member of the top module defines a first portion of an acoustic input path acoustically coupling the microphone module to the speaker port; and

the portable electronic device further comprises a boot member coupled to the frame member and extending into a recess of the trim piece, the boot member defining a second portion of the acoustic input path.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the speaker port cover is flush with a front exterior surface of the front cover.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the speaker port cover is a unitary component defining a plurality of laser-formed holes extending through a top surface of the speaker port cover and configured to allow sound to pass through the speaker port cover.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (237)

Cited By (2)

US 12,368,232 US 12,666,202