Systems and methods for correcting sound loss through partially acoustically transparent materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12507009-B2
Application number	US-202318178319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2023
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

An audio-enhanced furniture system comprises: a furniture assembly having a partially acoustically transparent material, such as an upholstery fabric or a perforated, rigid structure that is perforated in order to be more acoustically transparent; and a speaker system positioned within the furniture assembly, the speaker system including a speaker covered by the partially acoustically transparent material. The speaker is configured to be tuned to compensate for sound being emitted from the speaker through the perforated partially acoustically transparent material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An audio-enhanced furniture system, comprising:
a speaker system comprising at least one speaker positionable within a furniture assembly including a structure having a material that is at least partially acoustically transparent and is perforated, nondrapable and rigid, the at least one speaker covered by the material, such that the at least one speaker is hidden from view, wherein the at least one speaker is configured to be tuned to compensate for sound being emitted from the at least one speaker through the material, the at least one speaker being tuned by selection from a plurality of tuning profiles corresponding to a material type of the material, a perforation amount of the material, and one or more thicknesses of the material.

2 . The audio-enhanced furniture system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material type comprises at least one of wood, veneer, plastic, polymer or metal.

3 . The audio-enhanced furniture system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the perforation amount corresponds to finely tuned perforations in a surface of the material.

4 . The audio-enhanced furniture system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the speaker system is tuned by boosting one or more select frequencies to compensate for attenuation of the one or more select frequencies as sound from the speaker system is emitted through the material.

5 . The audio-enhanced furniture system as recited in claim 1 , wherein perforations in the material are disposed in a vertical orientation.

6 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one speaker controller in communication with the at least one speaker, the at least one speaker controller configured to control tuning of the at least one speaker, wherein the at least one speaker controller is selectively controlled by at least one of a mobile device, a remote controller, or a console controller.

7 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein the furniture assembly comprises a table, coffee table, end table, side table, cupboard, door, credenza, console, sideboard, cabinet, bookcase, desk, bed frame, or combinations thereof.

8 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 5% to about 70% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is perforated.

9 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 10% to about 60% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is perforated.

10 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 50% to about 60% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is perforated.

11 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 10% to about 30% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is perforated.

12 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.25 millimeter to about 30 millimeters.

13 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.5 millimeter to about 20 millimeters.

14 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 1 millimeter to about 10 millimeters.

15 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters.

16 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of individual perforations in the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of a micromillimeter to about 10 millimeters.

17 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of individual perforations in the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.1 millimeter to about 10 millimeters.

18 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of individual perforations in the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.1 millimeter to about 5 millimeters.

19 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of individual perforations in the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.5 millimeter to about 1 millimeter.

20 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 5% to about 70% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is perforated and about 95% to about 30% of the portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is solid, unperforated material,
wherein a thickness of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.25 millimeter to about 30 millimeters, and wherein a diameter of individual perforations in the structure adjacent to the at least one speaker is in a range of a micromillimeter to about 10 millimeters.

21 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 5% to about 70% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker includes perforations,
wherein a thickness of the portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.25 millimeter to about 30 millimeters, and wherein a diameter of each of the perforations in the structure adjacent to the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.1 millimeter to about 10 millimeters.

22 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 30% to about 60% of a portion of the structure adjacent to the at least one speaker includes perforations,
wherein a thickness of the portion of the structure adjacent to the at least one speaker is in a range of about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters, and wherein a diameter of each of the perforations in the structure adjacent to the at least one speaker is in a range of about 0.25 millimeter to about 1 millimeter.

23 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 1 , wherein about 50% to about 60% of a portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker includes perforations,
wherein a thickness of the portion of the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of about 1 millimeter to about 2 millimeters, and wherein a diameter of each of the perforations in the structure adjacent the at least one speaker is in a range of a about 0.5 millimeter to about 1 millimeter.

24 . The audio-enhanced furniture system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one speaker is configured to be tuned to compensate for variations in sound resulting from one or more sounds being emitted from the at least one speaker through the material by an adjustment to an equalization of one or more target audio frequencies or frequency bands emitted by the at least one speaker.

25 . The audio-enhanced furniture system of claim 24 ,
wherein tuning of the at least one speaker comprises reconfiguring an audio system associated with the at least one speaker to adjust an actual volume of each of the one or more target audio frequencies or frequency bands by a magnitude corresponding to a calculated differential volume of each of the one or more target audio frequencies or frequency bands, wherein the calculated differential volume of each of the one or more targe

Assignees

• LoveSac Company

Inventors

• Nelson Shawn
• Underwood David
• Kuchler Brian
• Gibson Clint

Classifications

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · 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

• H04R1/025

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

• A47C7/72

  Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like · CPC title

• A47C7/727 Primary

  with speakers · CPC title