Speaker assemblies for passive generation of vibrations and related headphone devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9860629-B2
Application number	US-201514982786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Speaker assemblies for a headphone device may include an audio speaker configured to produce audible sound in response to receiving an audio signal at the audio speaker. A tactile bass vibrator distinct from the audio speaker may be operatively connected to the audio speaker. The tactile bass vibrator may be configured to produce tactile vibrations in response to receiving the audio signal at the tactile bass vibrator. A current divider may be operatively connected to the audio speaker and the tactile bass vibrator, the current divider providing greater electrical resistance to flow of current to the audio speaker than to flow of current to the tactile bass vibrator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headphone device, comprising:
a headband sized and shaped to rest on a user's head; and
an ear cup at each of two ends of the headband, the ear cups being located proximate a user's ears when the user wears the headband, each ear cup supporting a speaker assembly within an internal cavity defined by a housing of each ear cup, each speaker assembly comprising:
an audio speaker configured to produce audible sound in response to receiving an audio signal at the audio speaker;
a tactile bass vibrator distinct from the audio speaker, the tactile bass vibrator being configured to produce tactile vibrations in response to receiving the audio signal at the tactile bass vibrator, the tactile bass vibrator being operatively connected to the audio speaker; and
a current divider operatively connected to the audio speaker and the tactile bass vibrator, the current divider permanently providing greater electrical resistance to flow of current to the audio speaker than to flow of current to the tactile bass vibrator;

wherein each speaker assembly dedicated amplifier to power the tactile bass vibrator.

2. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the current divider comprises a resistor in an electrical flow path directly connected to the audio speaker.

3. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein a resistance of the current divider in an electrical flow path directly connected to the audio speaker is about 120Ω or greater.

4. The headphone device of claim 3 , wherein the resistance of the current divider in the electrical flow path directly connected to the audio speaker is about 240Ω or greater.

5. The headphone device of claim 1 , further comprising a switch in an electrical flow path directly connected to the tactile bass vibrator.

6. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein a resonant frequency of the tactile bass vibrator is between about 40 Hz and about 60 Hz.

7. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the housing of each ear cup comprises a headband attachment structure defined by the housing, wherein a pivoting portion of the headband attachment structure intersects with a geometrical central axis of the housing.

8. A headphone device, comprising:
a headband sized and shaped to rest on a user's head; and
an ear cup attached to the headband at each of two ends of the headband utilizing a headband attachment structure of the ear cup, the ear cups being located proximate a user's ears when the user wears the headband, each ear cup supporting a speaker assembly within an internal cavity defined by a housing of each ear cup, each speaker assembly comprising:
an audio speaker configured to produce audible sound in response to receiving an audio signal at the audio speaker; and
a tactile bass vibrator distinct from the audio speaker, the tactile bass vibrator comprising a vibration member configured to produce tactile vibrations in response to receiving the audio signal at the tactile bass vibrator, the tactile bass vibrator being operatively connected to the audio speaker;
wherein a circumference of the vibration member of the tactile bass vibrator intersects with a circumference of the headband attachment structure of the ear cup, the headband attachment structure extending into a cutaway void defined by the vibration member;

wherein each speaker assembly lacks a dedicated amplifier to power the tactile bass vibrator.

9. The headphone device of claim 8 , wherein the cutaway void defined by the vibration member renders a periphery of the vibration member as viewed in a direction parallel to a direction of vibrational movement of the vibration member noncircular.

10. The headphone device of claim 8 , further comprising a current divider operatively connected to the audio speaker and the tactile bass vibrator, the current divider permanently providing greater electrical resistance to flow of current to the audio speaker than to flow of current to the tactile bass vibrator.

11. The headphone device of claim 8 , further comprising a switch in an electrical flow path directly connected to the tactile bass vibrator.

12. The headphone device of claim 8 , wherein a resonant frequency of the vibration member of the tactile bass vibrator is between about 40 Hz and about 60 Hz.

13. The headphone device of claim 8 , wherein a pivoting portion of the headband attachment structure intersects with a geometrical central axis of the housing.

14. A method of forming a speaker assembly for a headphone device, comprising:
configuring an audio speaker to produce audible sound in response to receiving an audio signal at the audio speaker;
operatively connecting a tactile bass vibrator distinct from the audio speaker to the audio speaker, the tactile bass vibrator being configured to produce tactile vibrations in response to receiving the audio signal at the tactile bass vibrator; and
operatively connecting a current divider to the audio speaker and the tactile bass vibrator, the current divider permanently providing greater electrical resistance to flow of current to the audio speaker than to flow of current to the tactile bass vibrator; and
refraining from operatively connecting a dedicated amplifier to the speaker assembly to power the tactile bass vibrator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein operatively connecting the current divider to the audio speaker and the tactile bass vibrator comprises positioning a resistor in an electrical flow path directly connected to the audio speaker.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising positioning a switch in an electrical flow path directly connected to the tactile bass vibrator.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising positioning each of the audio speaker, the tactile bass vibrator, and the current divider within an internal cavity defined by a housing, wherein the housing comprises a headband attachment structure defined by the housing, wherein a pivoting portion of the headband attachment structure intersects with a geometrical central axis of the housing.

Assignees

• Skullcandy Inc

Inventors

• Timothy John
• Noertker Sam

Classifications

• H04R2400/03

  Transducers capable of generating both sound as well as tactile vibration, e.g. as used in cellular phones · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/1066 Primary

  Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/10 Primary

  Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)} · CPC title

• H04R2205/022

  Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure · CPC title