Speakers and headphones related to vibrations in an audio system, and methods for operating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10206027-B2
Application number	US-201715589565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

A speaker assembly includes a support structure and a tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure. The tactile vibrator includes a plurality of rigid members coupled to a plurality of suspension members. 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. A headphone includes the speaker assembly. A method of operating a speaker assembly includes 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headphone, comprising:
a first speaker assembly for a first ear of a user; and
a second speaker assembly for a second ear of the user, wherein each speaker assembly includes:
a support structure;
an audio driver coupled to the support structure and configured to convert an audio signal to audible sound; and
a tactile vibrator configured as a multiple spring/mass driver system, the tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure and including:
a first rigid member including a first magnetic member coupled thereto;
a second rigid member including a second magnetic member coupled thereto;
a first suspension member coupled between the first rigid member and the support structure; and
a second suspension member coupled between the first rigid member and the second rigid member; and

at least one controller configured to generate at least one signal for driving the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member at the same time during operation of the respective speaker assembly to have a combined effect that generates tactile vibrations with the first rigid member and the second rigid member responsive to analyzing the audio signal.

2. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the first rigid member further includes a plurality of additional magnetic members coupled thereto.

3. The headphone of claim 2 , wherein the at least one signal is a single signal driving the plurality of additional magnetic members and the first magnetic member such substantially the same force is applied to the first rigid member at a location of each magnetic member when driving the plurality of magnetic members.

4. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to independently drive the first magnetic member coupled to the first rigid member and the second magnetic member coupled to the second rigid member at different frequencies at the same time during operation of the speaker.

5. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate according to different operational modes that produce different vibration responses for the tactile vibrator, and wherein operational modes include an operational mode during which the controller drives the first rigid-magnetic member and the magnetic rigid member at different frequencies at the same time during operation of the speaker.

6. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate according to different operational modes that produce different vibration responses for the tactile vibrator, and wherein operational modes include an operational mode during which the at least one controller drives the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member at a same frequency at the same time during operation of the speaker.

7. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to operate according to different operational modes that produce different vibration responses for the tactile vibrator, and wherein operational modes include an operational mode during which the at least one controller drives one of the first magnetic member or the second magnetic member at a first frequency while not driving the other of the first rigid member of the second rigid member to vibrate in a passive manner.

8. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to generate the at least one signal for driving the first magnetic member coupled to the first rigid member and the second magnetic member coupled to the second rigid member at the same time to create the combined effect of tactile vibrations at bass frequencies during a first operational mode, tactile vibrations at midrange frequencies during a second operational mode, tactile vibrations at upper midrange frequencies during a third operational mode, tactile vibrations at high end frequencies during a fourth operational mode.

9. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the first suspension member includes a plurality of distinct beams that are spaced apart from each other and extend between the first rigid member and the support structure.

10. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the first suspension member includes a single structure extending between the first rigid member and the support structure.

11. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the single structure is one of a passive radiator structure, a diaphragm structure, or a speaker surround material.

12. The headphone of claim 1 , further comprising a third rigid member and a third suspension member coupled between the second rigid member and the third rigid member, wherein the second rigid member is annular and concentric to the third rigid member.

13. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein each of the first speaker assembly and the second speaker assembly further includes another tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure in a stacked configuration in a plane parallel with the tactile vibrator.

14. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to analyze the audio signal to calculate driving frequencies for each of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member that cause actual movement of the first rigid member at about a resonant frequency for a combined mass-spring system including the first rigid member and the second rigid member.

15. The headphone of claim 14 , wherein the at least one controller includes memory having stored thereon masses for each of the first rigid member and the second rigid member, and spring constants for each of the first suspension member and the second suspension member used to calculate the driving frequencies.

16. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to dynamically tune a vibration response for each respective tactile vibrator by selecting different driving frequencies for each of the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member responsive to analyzing the audio signal.

17. A method of operating a headphone including a first speaker assembly for a first ear of a user and a second speaker assembly for a second ear of the user, the method comprising:
driving a first audio driver positioned within the first speaker assembly causing audible sound waves to be produced responsive to an input audio signal;
driving a second audio driver positioned within the second speaker assembly causing audible sound waves to be produced responsive to the input audio signal;
driving a first tactile vibrator positioned within the first speaker assembly to cause tactile vibrations in the second speaker assembly; and
driving a second tactile vibrator positioned within the second speaker assembly to cause tactile vibrations in the second speaker assembly, wherein each of the first and second tactile vibrators include:
a first rigid member including a first magnetic member coupled thereto;
a second rigid member including a first magnetic member coupled thereto;
a first suspension member coupled between the first rigid member and the support structure; and
a second suspension member coupled between the first rigid member and the second rigid member,

wherein driving the first tactile vibrator and the second tactile vibrator include driving the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member of each respective tactile vibrator at the same time to create a combined effect for causing tactile vibrations responsive to analyzing the input audio signal.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein driving each of the first tactile vibrator and the second tactile vibrator at the same ti

Assignees

• Skullcandy Inc

Inventors

• Timothy John
• Noertker Sam

Classifications

• H04R11/14

  Resonant transducers, i.e. adapted to produce maximum output at a predetermined frequency · CPC title

• H04R31/006

  Interconnection of transducer parts (of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003) · CPC title

• H04R2400/07

  Suspension between moving magnetic core and housing · CPC title

• H04R2205/022

  Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure · CPC title

• H04R9/063

  using a plurality of acoustic drivers (H04R1/24 and H04R1/403 take precedence) · CPC title