Speaker integrated environmental sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11579024-B2
Application number	US-201816040290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having sensors such as pressure sensors. A pressure sensor may be integrated into an audio component of an electronic device such that the pressure sensor is fluidly coupled to an environment external to a device housing via at least a portion of an internal cavity of the audio component housing. The audio component housing may include an opening. The pressure sensor may be mounted adjacent to or within the opening. The opening may be sealed to prevent passage of gas or liquid through the opening. The pressure sensor may be integrally formed with an inner wall of the audio component housing. The audio component may be a speaker or a microphone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a device housing including a main cavity having an opening;
an audio component having an audio component housing surrounded by the main cavity and disposed within the device housing, the audio component housing having a sensor opening and a port, the port being disposed within the opening in the device housing to allow flow of air and sound between an internal cavity of the audio component housing and an environment outside the device housing through the opening via the port;
a pressure sensor disposed in the main cavity of the device housing, wherein the pressure sensor is attached to a flexible circuit within the main cavity and the attachment and the pressure sensor are sealed with an encapsulation layer that is configured to seal the main cavity from the port of the audio component housing;
an audio component membrane disposed entirely within the internal cavity of the audio component housing, wherein the audio component membrane is configured to be operated by a processing circuit to clear a liquid from within the port and to protect the pressure sensor against the liquid,
wherein the port is at least partially covered with a mesh structure that is permeable to sound and air.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the main cavity is sealed to prevent ingress of liquid into the main cavity.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the audio component housing is disposed within the main cavity of the device housing.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulation layer is configured to prevent ingress of liquid into the main cavity of the device housing through the sensor opening.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is mounted onto an external surface of the audio component housing adjacent the sensor opening.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the pressure sensor is disposed within the sensor opening.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the internal cavity of the audio component housing comprises a first chamber adjacent the port, a second chamber having the audio component membrane disposed therein, and a third chamber disposed on an opposing side of the second chamber from the first chamber.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the sensor opening in the audio component housing is formed in a wall of the first chamber.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the audio component is a speaker.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the audio component is a microphone.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a device housing having an opening;
a pressure sensor disposed in a main cavity of the device housing; and
an audio component having an audio component housing that is disposed within the device housing, the audio component housing having a port and an internal cavity defined by an inner wall of the audio component housing, wherein the port is disposed adjacent to the opening in the device housing to allow flow of air and sound between the internal cavity of the audio component housing and an environment outside the device housing through the opening via the port, and wherein the audio component includes a membrane that is configured to be operated by a processing circuit to clear a liquid from within the port,
wherein the pressure sensor is attached to a flexible circuit within the main cavity and the attachment and the pressure sensor are sealed with an encapsulation layer that is configured to seal the main cavity from the port of the audio component housing, and
wherein the port is at least partially covered with a mesh structure that is permeable to sound and air.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a pressure sensing element mounted in a recess in the inner wall.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising at least one contact on the audio component housing for communication with the pressure sensor, and at least one contact on the audio component housing for communication with control circuitry for an audio component membrane disposed entirely within the audio component housing.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising a sealing member between the port of the audio component housing and the device housing.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising electrical routing within the internal cavity or embedded within the audio component housing for routing pressure signals from the pressure sensor.

16. A smart phone, comprising:
a device housing defining a sealed internal cavity, the device housing having an opening;
processing circuitry disposed within the sealed internal cavity;
a pressure sensor disposed in a main cavity of the device housing; and
a speaker having a speaker housing disposed within the sealed internal cavity, wherein the speaker housing includes a port sealingly coupled to the opening in the device housing, a first chamber adjacent the port, a second chamber adjacent the first chamber, and a speaker membrane in the second chamber, and wherein the speaker membrane is configured to be operated by the processing circuitry to clear a liquid from within the port and to protect the pressure sensor against the liquid,
wherein the pressure sensor is attached to a flexible circuit within the main cavity and the attachment and the pressure sensor are sealed with an encapsulation layer that is configured to seal the main cavity from the port of the speaker housing, and
wherein the port is at least partially covered with a mesh structure that is permeable to sound and air.

17. The smart phone of claim 16 , wherein the speaker housing comprises a third chamber that forms a back volume for the speaker.

18. The smart phone of claim 16 , wherein the speaker housing comprises an opening and an external surface and wherein the pressure sensor is located adjacent the opening in the speaker housing and includes at least a portion in contact with the external surface.

19. The smart phone of claim 16 , wherein the speaker housing comprises an opening and wherein the pressure sensor is located at least partially within the opening.

20. The smart phone of claim 16 , wherein the pressure sensor is formed on an inner wall of the first chamber.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Lee William S
• Cater Tyler B
• Yang Shannon X
• Crosby Justin D
• Lui Timothy S
• Nyland Eric N

Classifications

• G01K7/02 Primary

  using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples · CPC title

• H04R1/025

  Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04M1/03 Primary

  Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title