Portable speaker configurations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10306386-B2
Application number	US-201715634081-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

A portable public address (PA) speaker comprises an enclosure constructed and arranged for positioning at a first position having a vertical orientation to output audio shaped for a first acoustic coverage area, a second position having an angular orientation to output audio shaped for a second acoustic coverage area, and a third position having a horizontal orientation to output audio shaped for a third acoustic coverage area. The weight of the speaker rests on a bottom surface of a base when in the first position having the vertical orientation or the second position having the angular orientation. The weight of the speaker rests on a side surface when in the third position having the horizontal orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable public address (PA) loudspeaker system, comprising:
an enclosure, comprising:
a top portion;
a base;
a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top portion and the base; and
a speaker arrangement in the enclosure that outputs sound through a first side surface of the plurality of side surfaces, the speaker arrangement including a single first speaker positioned in a central region of the enclosure and a plurality of second speakers smaller than the first speaker and extending along a curvilinear path between the first speaker and the first side surface;
the enclosure constructed and arranged for positioning at a first position having a vertical orientation to output audio shaped for a first acoustic coverage area, a second position having an angular orientation to output audio shaped for a second acoustic coverage area, and a third position having a horizontal orientation to output audio shaped for a third acoustic coverage area, wherein the weight of the loudspeaker system rests on a bottom surface of the base and the curvilinear path that the second speakers extend along is vertical when in the first position having the vertical orientation, wherein the weight of the loudspeaker system rests on an angled surface of the base when the enclosure is at the second position having the angular orientation, and wherein the weight of the loudspeaker system rests on a side surface other than the first side surface and the curvilinear path that the second speakers extend along is horizontal when in the third position having the horizontal orientation, the portable PA loudspeaker system further comprising:
an equalization device that provides:
(1) a first equalization parameter for equalizing and outputting the audio shaped for the first acoustic coverage area in response to a detection of the vertical orientation and maintaining the single first speaker and plurality of second speakers to provide the first acoustic coverage area having a vertical coverage angle and a horizontal coverage angle that maintains the first acoustic coverage within at least a height of an audience,
(2) a second equalization parameter for equalizing and outputting the audio shaped for the second acoustic coverage area in response to a detection of the angular orientation and maintaining the single first speaker and plurality of second speakers to provide the second acoustic coverage area having a vertical coverage angle less than the vertical coverage angle of the first acoustic coverage area and having a horizontal coverage angle greater than the horizontal coverage angle of the first acoustic coverage area to direct the output audio shaped for the second acoustic coverage area at a wider, more dispersed audience than the first acoustic coverage area, and
(3) a third equalization parameter for equalizing and outputting the audio shaped for the third acoustic coverage area in response to a detection of the horizontal orientation and maintaining the single first speaker and plurality of second speakers to provide the third acoustic coverage area having a horizontal coverage angle less than the horizontal coverage angle of the first or second acoustic coverage area.

2. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , wherein the top portion includes a tapered border that forms a cavity, and further includes a handle in the cavity.

3. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , wherein the top portion includes a plurality of wall portions, each aligned with a side surface of the plurality of side surfaces.

4. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of control elements extending from at least one side surface, wherein a width of each of the top portion and base is greater than a width of a combination of the control elements and a portion of the enclosure formed by the at least one side surface.

5. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 4 , wherein the control elements are visible and accessible to a user in each of the first, second, and third positions of the enclosure.

6. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the base comprises a flat bottom surface and an angled bottom surface extending from the flat bottom surface, wherein the weight of the speaker rests on the flat bottom surface of the base when in the first position having the vertical orientation, and wherein the weight of the speaker rests on the angled bottom surface of the base when in the second position having the angular orientation.

7. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 6 , wherein the base includes a plurality of wall portions that extend from the flat bottom surface and angled bottom surface each aligned with a side surface of the plurality of side surfaces.

8. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 6 , further comprising a first compressible foot at the flat bottom surface of the base, and at the angled bottom surface of the base, and a second compressible foot at the side surface other than the first side surface.

9. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 6 , further comprising a pole mount positioned in the angled surface of the base at an opposite end of the enclosure as the first side surface, for receiving a pole for positioning the portable PA loudspeaker system above a ground surface.

10. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 9 , wherein the pole mount is positioned to (1) allow a user to insert the pole, (2) separate a battery from heat-generating sources in the enclosure, and (3) improve a center of gravity.

11. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board comprising a wireless data interface device constructed and arranged to establish or maintain a communication with an electronic device in any of the first, second, or third positions of the enclosure.

12. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 11 , further comprising an omni-direction wireless antenna at the top portion in communication with the wireless data interface device on the circuit board.

13. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable nameplate assembly that rotates to accommodate either the horizontal, angular, or vertical orientation of the enclosure.

14. The portable PA loudspeaker system of claim 13 , wherein the rotatable nameplate assembly comprises a nameplate in communication with an alignment part, the alignment part including four elements that permit rotation of the nameplate in one of four different positions, each 90 degrees from each other.

15. A portable public address (PA) loudspeaker system, comprising:
an enclosure, comprising:
a top portion;
a base;
a plurality of side surfaces extending between the top portion and the base;
a speaker arrangement in the enclosure that outputs sound through a first side surface of the plurality of side surfaces, the speaker arrangement including a single first speaker positioned in a central region of the enclosure and a plurality of second speakers smaller than the first speaker and extending along a curvilinear path between the first speaker and the first side surface,
the enclosure constructed and arranged for positioning at a first position having a vertical orientation, a second position having an angular orientation, and a third position having a horizontal orientation; and
a rotatable nameplate assembly that rotates to accommodate either the horizontal, angular, or vertical orientation of the enclosure, the portable PA loudspeaker system further comprising:
an equalization device that provides:
a first equalization parame

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Warden Robert A
• Fidlin Paul F
• Mochimaru Akira
• Jackson Craig
• Mittersinker Gregor
• Carbone Richard
• Zastoupil Greg J
• Brousseau Kevin

Classifications

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R2201/025

  Transducer mountings or cabinet supports enabling variable orientation of transducer of cabinet · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R27/00 Primary

  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