Voice controlled assistant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10375471-B2
Application number	US-201715691383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus including a housing and a sleeve that engages and at least partially encloses the housing. The housing may include a top portion having a loudspeaker and an exterior surface and a bottom portion having a loudspeaker and an exterior surface. An audio diffuser may be positioned between the top portion of the housing and the bottom portion of the housing so as to radially disperse sound from the loudspeakers. A light ring on the housing may indicate a functional state of the apparatus. Protrusions on the housing may interact with indentations on the sleeve to position and align the housing within the sleeve. The sleeve may include holes to allow sound to be outputted from the loudspeakers. Magnets and alignment elements may further situate and secure the housing to the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio device comprising:
a cylindrical housing including:
a top portion having an exterior surface;
a bottom portion having an exterior surface;
a first loudspeaker disposed within the top portion of the cylindrical housing, the first loudspeaker oriented to emit sound towards the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing;
a second loudspeaker disposed within the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing, the second loudspeaker oriented to emit sound towards the top portion of the cylindrical housing;
an audio diffuser positioned between the top portion of the cylindrical housing and the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing, the audio diffuser interposed between the first loudspeaker and the second loudspeaker to diffuse sound radially outward from the cylindrical housing;
a first plurality of protrusions positioned around the exterior surface of the top portion of the cylindrical housing; and
a second plurality of protrusions positioned around the exterior surface of the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing; and

a cylindrical sleeve including:
a partially enclosed base end;
an open end;
a cylindrical wall extending between the partially enclosed base end and the open end, the cylindrical wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface; and
multiple openings extending through the cylindrical wall positioned proximate to the partially enclosed base end.

2. The audio device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an alignment element disposed on the interior surface of the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical sleeve;
a first magnetic element disposed on the partially enclosed base end of the cylindrical sleeve or the interior surface of the cylindrical wall of the sleeve;
an indentation disposed on an exterior surface of the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing and configured to engage with the alignment element; and
a second magnetic element disposed on the exterior surface of the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing and configured to engage with the first magnetic element.

3. The audio device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening extending through the partially enclosed base end of the cylindrical sleeve; and
a plug located on the bottom portion of the cylindrical housing, the plug resting within the opening and extending into or at least partially through the opening.

4. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the audio diffuser includes:
a convex dome oriented with an apex of the convex dome towards the first loudspeaker; and
a bell-shaped portion oriented with an apex of the bell-shaped portion towards the second loudspeaker.

5. The audio device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
a first plurality of depressions disposed on the interior surface of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein each first depression of the first plurality of depressions is positioned to align with a corresponding protrusion of the first plurality of protrusions; or
a second plurality of depressions disposed on the interior surface of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein each second depression of the second plurality of depressions is positioned to align with a corresponding protrusion of the second plurality of protrusions.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a housing including:
a top portion having an exterior surface;
a bottom portion having an exterior surface;
first protrusions extending radially outward from a perimeter of the top portion of the housing; and
second protrusions extending radially outward from a perimeter of the bottom portion of the housing; and

a sleeve including:
a partially enclosed base end;
an open end; and
a wall extending between the partially enclosed base end and the open end, the wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising at least one of:
first depressions disposed on the interior surface of the wall, wherein each first depression of the first depressions is configured to engage with a corresponding protrusion of the first protrusions; or
second depressions disposed on the interior surface of the wall, wherein each of the second depressions is configured to engage with a corresponding protrusion of the second protrusions.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one first alignment element disposed on at least one of the partially enclosed base end or the interior surface of the wall; and
at least one second alignment element disposed on at least one of the bottom portion of the housing or the exterior surface of the bottom portion, wherein the at least one second alignment element is configured to engage the at least one first alignment element.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the sleeve includes a grill surrounding at least a portion of the exterior surface of the sleeve, and wherein the grill comprises fabric, plastic, wood, or a combination thereof.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one first magnetic element positioned on the partially enclosed base end of the sleeve; and
at least one second magnetic element positioned on the bottom portion of the housing, the at least one second magnetic element configured to engage with the at least one first magnetic element.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one first alignment element disposed on at least one of the partially enclosed base end or the interior surface of the wall;
at least one first magnetic element disposed on the at least one first alignment element;
at least one second alignment element disposed on the exterior surface of the bottom portion, wherein the at least one second alignment element is configured to engage the at least one first alignment element; and
at least one second magnetic element disposed within the at least one first alignment element, the at least one second magnetic element configured to engage with the at least one first magnetic element.

12. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising:
an opening extending through the partially enclosed base end; and
a plug positioned on the bottom portion of the housing, wherein the plug extends into or at least partially through the opening.

13. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising a light ring disposed around the top portion of the housing between an annulus of the open end of the sleeve and a lip around the top portion of the housing.

14. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising an audio diffuser interposed between the top portion of the housing and the bottom portion of the housing.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the audio diffuser comprises:
a first portion having a dome shape directed towards a top of the electronic device; and
a second portion having a bell shape directed towards a bottom of the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the sleeve includes one or more orifices extending through at least a portion of the wall proximate to the partially enclosed base end.

17. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises a plurality of legs adjoining a bottom surface of the top portion and a top surface of the bottom portion, and wherein at least one gap is interposed between at least two adjacent legs of the plurality of legs.

18. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the housing comprises a leg extending between the top portion and the bottom portion; and
the leg includes a channel through which one or more electr

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Kelly Erin
• Chamberlin Christopher Mann
• Nataraja Aashish
• Whyte Duane Everard
• Hoster Alexandra Hall

Classifications

• H04R1/345 Primary

  for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/086

  Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens · CPC title

• G06F3/165

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

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title