Compact home assistant with combined acoustic waveguide and heat sink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10290302-B2
Application number	US-201715840844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

This application is directed to a compact voice-activated electronic device with speakers and electronic components and a dual waveguide/heatsink structure configured to direct sound from the speakers to the outside of the device and to dissipate to the outside of the device heat from the electronic components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an overall exterior including an upper portion and a base portion;
electronic components contained within the overall exterior, the electronic components including a first electrical connector configured to supply power and/or data to the electronic components and/or to output data signals from the electronic components when the first electrical connector is connected to an external power and/or data connector;
one or more speakers, the one or more speakers mounted within the electronic device such that there is no direct path for transmission to the outside of the electronic device of sound generated by the one or more speakers; and
a waveguide that is provided within the electronic device and has a reflective surface, wherein:
the reflective surface of the waveguide faces the one or more speakers and is configured to redirect sound output by the one or more speakers from the inside to the outside of the electronic device,
the reflective surface of the waveguide is opposite to a second surface of the waveguide to which a subset of the electronic components is attached; and
the waveguide is also configured to serve as a heatsink to dissipate to the outside of the electronic device heat generated by operation of the electronic components.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the electronic components are mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the PCB is thermally attached to the second surface of the waveguide allowing the waveguide to dissipate the heat generated by operation of the electronic components.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more speakers are mounted in the base portion of the electronic device and have a primary sound projection direction that faces upwards within the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more speakers are mounted in the upper portion of the electronic device and have a primary sound projection direction that faces downward within the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is wrapped on an interior of the overall exterior, such that the overall exterior provides additional thermal mass and heat dissipation surface for thermal radiation of the heat generated by operation of the electronic components.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes a speaker grill at an outer surface of the upper portion, and the speaker grill is configured to transmit sound outside the electronic device from the one or more speakers.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a rear side of the electronic device includes a power supply connector configured to couple to a power supply.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a front side of the electronic device includes at least one of a power switch and a control button.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device has no visible button.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device is configured to be controlled based on one of voice and touch gestures.

11. A voice interface device, comprising:
an overall exterior including an upper portion and a base portion;
electronic components contained within the overall exterior, the electronic components including a first electrical connector configured to supply power and/or data to the electronic components and/or to output data signals from the electronic components when the first electrical connector is connected to an external power and/or data connector;
one or more speakers, the one or more speakers mounted within the voice interface device such that there is no direct path for transmission to the outside of the voice interface device of sound generated by the one or more speakers; and
a waveguide that is provided within the electronic device and has a reflective surface, wherein:
the reflective surface of the waveguide faces the one or more speakers and is configured to redirect sound output by the one or more speakers from the inside to the outside of the electronic device,
the reflective surface of the waveguide is opposite to a second surface of the waveguide to which a subset of the electronic components is attached; and
the waveguide is also configured to serve as a heatsink to dissipate to the outside of the electronic device heat generated by operation of the electronic components.

12. The voice interface device of claim 11 , further comprising visual indicators that are used to indicate a status of voice processing associated with a spoken user request.

13. The voice interface device of claim 11 , further comprising a microphone connected to a voice-activated voice assistant service.

14. The voice interface device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more speakers are concealed in the voice interface device and configured to project sound through a porous wall of the overall exterior to allow sound waves generated from the one or more speakers to penetrate to the outside of the voice interface device.

15. The voice interface device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more speakers are configured to output audible responses to user verbal inputs, play back audio tracks of media content, and generate audible alerts.

16. An electronic system, comprising:
electronic components, the electronic components including a first electrical connector configured to supply power and/or data to the electronic components and/or to output data signals from the electronic components when the first electrical connector is connected to an external power and/or data connector;
one or more speakers, the one or more speakers mounted within the electronic system such that there is no direct path for transmission to the outside of the electronic system of sound generated by the one or more speakers; and
a waveguide that is provided within the electronic device and has a reflective surface, wherein:
the reflective surface of the waveguide faces the one or more speakers and is configured to redirect sound output by the one or more speakers from the inside to the outside of the electronic device,
the reflective surface of the waveguide is opposite to a second surface of the waveguide to which a subset of the electronic components is attached; and
the waveguide is also configured to serve as a heatsink to dissipate to the outside of the electronic device heat generated by operation of the electronic components.

17. The electronic system of claim 16 , wherein the reflective surface of the waveguide is configured to redirect the sound output generated by the one or more speakers from the inside to the outside of the electronic device via at least part of a periphery of the electronic device.

18. The electronic system of claim 16 , wherein the reflective surface of the waveguide is part of a curved portion of the waveguide.

19. The electronic system of claim 16 , wherein the electronic components further include one or more of: microprocessors, memory, support chips, wireless receivers and transmitters, antennas, power supply circuitry and one or more cameras.

20. The electronic system of claim 16 , wherein the waveguide is configured substantially symmetric with respect to an axis, and both the waveguide and the one or more speakers are aligned along the axis.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Heckmann Frédéric
• Lee Yau-Shing
• Rose Robert
• Hou Jun
• Peri Patanjali
• Ancha Phanindraja

Classifications

• G10K11/26

  Sound-focusing or directing, e.g. scanning · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title

• H05K7/20136

  Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans (H05K7/202 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title