Enhancing a listening experience by adjusting physical attributes of an audio playback system based on detected environmental attributes of the system's environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12407979-B2
Application number	US-202217886613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2022
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for enhancing a user's listening experience by adjusting physical attributes of an audio playback system based on detected environmental attributes of the system's environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
wireless communications circuitry that is configured to wirelessly receive user location information;
a speaker; and
a motor that is configured to adjust the speaker based on the user location information, wherein the motor is configured to adjust a diaphragm of the speaker.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to adjust a tautness of the diaphragm of the speaker.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to move a portion of the diaphragm relative to a housing of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to move a sound-blocking structure that overlaps the speaker.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the user location information is transmitted by an auxiliary electronic device and wherein the electronic device receives information indicating a distance between the electronic device and the auxiliary electronic device.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the user location information is transmitted by an auxiliary electronic and wherein the electronic device receives information indicating a current state of the auxiliary electronic device.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the auxiliary electronic device comprises a cellular telephone.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the electronic device receives a geometry of an environment from the auxiliary electronic device.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the electronic device receives user identity information from the auxiliary electronic device.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the electronic device receives ear geometry information from the auxiliary electronic device.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives transmitted user location information;
a display;
a speaker that emits sound waves in a first direction; and
a motor, wherein the motor is configured to adjust a position of the display relative to the speaker based on the user location information.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the speaker is mounted in a housing of the electronic device and wherein the motor is configured to move a structure of the electronic device that is mounted outside the housing.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications circuitry wirelessly receives distance information indicating a distance between the electronic device and an auxiliary electronic device.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 , wherein the user location information is transmitted by the auxiliary electronic device.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
wireless communications circuitry that wirelessly receives transmitted user location information;
a speaker that emits sound waves in a first direction; and
a motor, wherein the motor is configured to adjust the speaker to emit the sound waves in a second direction based on the user location information and wherein the motor is configured to adjust a tautness of a membrane of the speaker.

16. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a speaker that emits sound waves, wherein the speaker is mounted in the housing;
wireless communications circuitry that receives information indicating a user location; and
a discrete movement structure that moves based on the user location, wherein the discrete movement structure is coupled to a display and is configured to move the display relative to the speaker.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 , wherein the discrete movement structure moves by rotating about a hinge structure.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 , wherein the discrete movement structure moves along a first axis.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 , wherein the discrete movement structure moves along a second axis that extends at a non-zero angle to the first axis.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wang Paul X
• Maric Ivan S

Classifications

• H04R2460/07

  Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection · CPC title

• H04R29/00

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title

• H04R1/1091

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R1/2803

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title