Electronic furniture systems with speaker tuning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10972838-B2
Application number	US-201916696712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2019
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

An electronic furniture assembly of the present invention comprises: (i) a furniture assembly comprising: (A) a base (e.g., a seat portion), (B) at least one transverse member (e.g., a side, armrest or backrest), and (C) a coupler for selectively coupling the base to the transverse member; (ii) an electrical hub for providing electrical power to the speakers, the hub configured to selectively reside within the furniture assembly; and (iii) a speaker system mounted within one or more portions of the furniture assembly. The speaker system comprises one or more speakers mounted within the base and transverse member, hiding the speakers therein, and saving space within a home or office, using the same footprint for both furniture and speakers, providing a high fidelity surround sound system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An audio-enhanced furniture system, comprising:
an assemble-able furniture assembly comprising:
(A) a base; and
(B) first and second transverse members; and
wherein the first and second transverse members are selectively coupleable to the base;

(ii) a speaker system positioned within at least one of the first or second transverse members, and covered by an upholstery fabric of the furniture system, so that the speaker system is hidden from view,
wherein the speaker system is tuned by boosting one or more select frequencies to compensate for attenuation of such frequencies as sound from the speaker system is emitted through the upholstery fabric,
wherein the first and second transverse members can be selectively coupled at different locations of the base, thereby allowing a user to selectively position the speaker system in different locations relative to the base;
wherein the upholstery fabric has a fabric weight in a range of approximately 50 grams per square meter to approximately 1500 grams per square meter.

2. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the upholstery fabric is a decorative upholstery fabric that is not acoustically transparent.

3. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker system is positioned within the furniture assembly and underneath upholstery fabric of the furniture system so as to enhance the audio quality by resonance.

4. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker system is positioned within the furniture assembly and underneath upholstery fabric of the furniture system so as to protect the speaker system from inadvertent damage caused by a user.

5. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein an overall tuned output of the speaker system as emitted through the upholstery fabric is within ±3 dB of an unattenuated target value.

6. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 5 , wherein a plurality of frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz are boosted to compensate for attenuation of said frequencies through the upholstery fabric.

7. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz are boosted to compensate for attenuation of said frequencies through the upholstery fabric.

8. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the upholstery fabric has a fabric weight in a range of approximately 100 grams per square meter to approximately 1000 grams per square meter.

9. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the upholstery fabric has a fabric weight in a range of approximately 100 grams per square meter to approximately 1000 grams per square meter, and wherein the speaker system is mounted in a frame of at least one of the first or second transverse member, where the fabric is mounted on a frame of at least one of the first or second transverse member, covering at least a portion of the speaker.

10. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a first speaker of the speaker system is mounted in a frame of the first transverse member and a second speaker is mounted in a frame of the second transverse member.

11. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 10 , wherein the first speaker mounted in the frame of the first transverse member is an inward facing speaker.

12. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 10 , wherein the first speaker mounted in the frame of the first transverse member is a front facing speaker.

13. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 10 , wherein the first transverse member and the second transverse member are selectively coupleable to the base.

14. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the audio enhanced furniture system further comprises an app or other control interface configured to allow a user to select between different tuning characteristics dependent on what type of upholstery fabric covers the speaker.

15. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 14 , wherein the app or other control interface allows a user to select between different types of upholstery fabrics, the types being selectable from at least two or more of polyester, chenille, tweed, linen, velvet, leather, polyester, cotton, cotton blend, denim, twill, faux fur, or leather.

16. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the speaker system includes an inwardly facing first speaker mounted in the first transverse member and an upwardly facing second speaker, also mounted within the first transverse member.

17. An audio-enhanced furniture system, comprising:
(i) an assemble-able modular furniture assembly comprising:
(A) a base; and
(B) a first transverse member having a frame assembly; and
(C) a second transverse member having a frame assembly;
wherein the first transverse member and the second transverse member are selectively coupleable to the base;

(ii) a speaker positioned within at least one of the frame assemblies of the first transverse member or the second transverse member, the speaker being at least partially covered by upholstery fabric positioned over the frame assembly of the transverse member within which the speaker is positioned, such that the speaker is hidden from view;
wherein the first transverse member and the second transverse member can be selectively coupled at different locations of the base, thereby allowing a user to selectively position the speaker in different locations relative to the base;
wherein the speaker is tuned by boosting one or more select frequencies to compensate for attenuation of such frequencies as sound from the speaker is emitted through the upholstery fabric which covers the frame assembly in which the speaker is positioned; and
wherein the upholstery fabric has a fabric weight in a range of approximately 50 grams per square meter to approximately 1500 grams per square meter.

18. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 17 , wherein the upholstery fabric is a decorative upholstery fabric that is not acoustically transparent.

19. The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 17 , wherein the speaker is positioned in a cavity of the frame assembly of the transverse member in which it is positioned, thereby enhancing the audio quality by resonance and positioning.

20. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 17 , wherein the upholstery fabric has a fabric weight in a range of approximately 100 grams per square meter to approximately 1000 grams per square meter.

21. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 17 , wherein a plurality of frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz are boosted to compensate for attenuation of said frequencies through the upholstery fabric.

22. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 17 , wherein the audio enhanced furniture system further comprises an app or other control interface configured to allow a user to select between different tuning characteristics dependent on what type of upholstery fabric covers the speaker.

23. The audio enhanced furniture system of claim 22 , wherein the app or other control interface allows a user to select between different types of upholstery fabrics, the types being selectable from at least two or more of polyester, chenille, tweed, linen, velvet, leather, polyester, cotton, cotton blend, denim, twill, faux fur, or leather.

24. An audio-enhanced furniture system, comprising:
an assemble-able modular furniture assembly comprising:
(A) a base;

Assignees

• LoveSac Company

Inventors

• Nelson Shawn
• Underwood David
• Kuchler Brian

Classifications

• A47C7/727 Primary

  with speakers · CPC title

• A47C4/028

  Upholstered chairs, e.g. metal, plastic or wooden chairs · CPC title

• H04R2201/028

  Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure (H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026) · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R5/023 Primary

  in a chair, pillow · CPC title