Audio transducer systems for electronic devices with displays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12495233-B2
Application number	US-202318233864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2023
Priority date	Aug 14, 2023
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices having speakers. An electronic device may operate a pair of speakers to in a way that mitigates electromagnetic interference with a display of the electronic device. For example, the speakers may be operated acoustically and mechanically in phase, and electrically out of phase, to mitigates interference with a display of the electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a first speaker having a first magnet and a first voice coil, mounted adjacent to at least one data line for a display of the electronic device, and configured to output audio in a first direction; and a second speaker having a second magnet and a second voice coil, configured to output audio in the first direction and mounted, laterally offset from the first speaker in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, adjacent to the at least one data line for the display, wherein the first magnet has a first polar orientation that is substantially opposite to a second polar orientation of the second magnet.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising the at least one data line.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising processing circuitry configured to operate the first speaker and the second speaker to output the same audio content.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to operate the first speaker and the second speaker to output the same audio content in acoustic phase.

5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to operate the first speaker and the second speaker in mechanical phase to output the same audio content.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to operate the first speaker and the second speaker electrically out of phase to output the same audio content.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to operate the first speaker and the second speaker electrically out of phase to output the same audio content by providing a first current through the first voice coil in a first direction, and by providing a second current through the second voice coil in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first voice coil comprises a plurality of windings, wound in a first winding direction, and wherein the second voice coil comprises a second plurality of windings, wound in the first direction.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first voice coil comprises a plurality of windings, wound in a first winding direction, and wherein the second voice coil comprises a second plurality of windings, wound in a second winding direction substantially opposite to the first winding direction.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first speaker comprises a first diaphragm coupled to the first voice coil and separated from the display by an air gap, the second speaker comprises a second diaphragm separate from the first diaphragm, the second diaphragm coupled to the second voice coil and separated from the display by an air gap, and wherein the first polar orientation and the second polar orientation are both parallel to the first direction.

11 . A method, comprising:
operating a first speaker that is oriented in a first direction and mounted adjacent to at least one data line for a display of the electronic device; and operating a second speaker, oriented in the first direction and mounted adjacent to the at least one data line for the display and laterally offset from the first speaker in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, acoustically and mechanically in phase with the first speaker, and electrically out of phase with the first speaker.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first speaker comprises a first magnet oriented in a first polar orientation, and wherein the second speaker comprises a second magnet oriented in second polar orientation substantially opposite to the first polar orientation.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein operating the second speaker electrically and mechanically in phase with the first speaker, and electrically out of phase with the first speaker comprises passing a first current through a first voice coil of the first speaker in a first current direction, and passing a second current through a second voice coil of the second speaker in a second current direction.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising, while operating the first speaker and the second speaker, operating a display comprising at least one data line that passes by the first speaker and the second speaker, wherein operating the second speaker electrically out of phase with the first speaker mitigates an electromagnetic interference, by the first speaker and the second speaker, with the display.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein operating the first speaker and the second speaker comprises operating the first speaker and the second speaker to output a first channel of a stereo output while a device comprising the first speaker and the second speaker is in a first orientation.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
modifying, responsive to a change in an orientation of the device from the first orientation to a second orientation, the operating of the first speaker to output a portion of a second channel of the stereo output.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising, responsive to the change in orientation:
modifying an other portion of the second channel of the stereo output to generate a mono output; and operating the first speaker and the second speaker to output the mono output.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the portion of the second channel comprises a first frequency band of the second channel, and wherein the other portion of the second channel comprises a second frequency band of the second channel, wherein the second frequency band comprises one or more frequencies predetermined to affect a display of a device comprising the first speaker and the second speaker.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising identifying the other portion of the stereo output based on audio content in the stereo output.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
projecting, by the first speaker that is oriented in the first direction, sound corresponding to audio content primarily in the first direction; and projecting, by the second speaker that is oriented in the first direction, additional sound corresponding to the audio content primarily in the first direction.

21 . An electronic device, comprising:
a display comprising a plurality of data lines; a first speaker disposed adjacent to the plurality of data lines; a second speaker disposed adjacent to the plurality of data lines and laterally offset from the first speaker; and processing circuitry configured to operate the second speaker electrically and mechanically in phase with the first speaker, and electrically out of phase with the first speaker.

22 . The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the first speaker and the second speaker are oriented, respectfully, in a first direction and a second direction parallel to the first direction, wherein the first speaker comprises a first magnet having a first polar orientation, and wherein the second speaker comprises a second polar orientation antiparallel to the first polar orientation.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kudekar Aneesh R
• Chen Chang-Jiang
• Esmaeili Rad Mohammad Reza
• Nevill Stuart M
• Jeong Youchul
• Kim Yanghee

Classifications

• H04R9/025

  Magnetic circuit · CPC title

• H04R9/06 Primary

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

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

• H04R2499/15

  Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops · CPC title

• H04R2400/11

  Aspects regarding the frame of loudspeaker transducers · CPC title