Portable speaker apparatus and method

{
  "publication_number": "US10397677B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Portable speaker apparatus and method",
  "abstract": "A speaker apparatus, method, and system with a user selectably expandable chamber is provided. The chamber in its expanded state enhances the speaker's acoustical properties using a relatively stiff back plate of the speaker apparatus. The chamber in its collapsed state provides a thin profile for increased portability or low profile mounted solutions. The speaker is compatible with current electronics and may magnetically attach to a target surface such as a surface of a handheld device. The target surface may effectively supplement the stiffness of the back plate.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A speaker apparatus comprising: a speaker assembly comprising speaker elements; and a frame, the frame including a back plate, the back plate having an exterior facing surface on one side and an interior facing surface on an opposite side, the exterior facing surface being configured to cooperate with and attach to a target planar surface, and the frame carrying the speaker assembly across a space from the interior facing surface of the back plate, the target planar surface being a surface of a cover to a hand held device; and the speaker assembly having a user selectable collapsed state and a user selectable expanded state, so that in the collapsed state the speaker assembly (i) minimizes an overall profile of the speaker apparatus and (ii) minimizes outward extension of the speaker elements relative to the back plate, and in the expanded state the speaker assembly has an acoustic cavity formed between the speaker elements and the back plate, the interior facing surface of the back plate serving as a relatively stiffer wall than other walls of the acoustic cavity, enabling sound waves to resonate in the acoustic cavity in a manner that improves quality of sound output, and the other walls of the acoustic cavity being formed of an elastomeric material.",
    "2. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exterior facing surface and the target planar surface are user-selectively coupled to each other.",
    "3. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hand-held device is a mobile phone.",
    "4. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover is a sleeve or jacket.",
    "5. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior facing surface of the back plate serves as the relatively stiff wall of the acoustic cavity.",
    "6. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has port holes enabling drawing an amount of air to create the acoustic cavity.",
    "7. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker elements include any combination of a power source, a paring mechanism, a transponder-repeater, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, and a sound driver.",
    "8. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly employs elastomeric material that forms walls of the acoustic cavity, and the acoustic cavity is user-selectably collapsible implementing the collapsed state of the speaker assembly, and the acoustic cavity is user-selectably expandable implementing the expanded state of the speaker assembly.",
    "9. The speaker apparatus of claim 1, wherein input signals are wirelessly communicated to and received by the speaker assembly.",
    "10. The speaker apparatus of claim 1 wherein the speaker assembly and frame have dimensions that enable the speaker apparatus to be hand held and portable.",
    "11. A method of producing sound through a portable speaker comprising: (A) providing a portable speaker formed of: a speaker assembly comprising speaker elements; and a frame, the frame including a back plate, the back plate having an exterior facing surface on one side and an interior surface on an opposite side, the exterior facing surface being configured to cooperate with and attach to a target planar surface, the target planar surface being a surface of a cover to a hand held device, and the frame carrying the speaker assembly across a space from the interior surface of the back plate; and the speaker assembly having a user selectable collapsed state and a user selectable expanded state, so that in the collapsed state the speaker assembly minimizes outward extension of the speaker elements relative to the back plate, and in the expanded state the speaker assembly has an acoustic cavity formed between the speaker elements and the back plate; and (B) configuring the interior surface of the back plate as a relatively stiffer wall than other walls of the acoustic cavity so that sound waves resonate in the acoustic cavity in a manner that improves quality of sound output, the configuring including employing an elastomeric material to form the other walls of the acoustic cavity.",
    "12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: configuring the exterior facing surface of the back plate to user-selectively cooperate with and attach to a target planar surface of a handheld device.",
    "13. The method of claim 12, wherein the handheld device is a mobile phone.",
    "14. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the speaker assembly with port holes for drawing air to create the acoustic cavity.",
    "15. The method of claim 11 further comprising wirelessly receiving input signals at the portable speaker.",
    "16. The speaker apparatus of claim 6, wherein a portion of the sound waves resonate in the acoustic cavity and exit the acoustic cavity through the port holes subsequently combining in phase with other portions of the resonated sound waves that exit the acoustic cavity through the speaker elements.",
    "17. The method of claim 14, wherein a portion of the sound waves is resonating in the acoustic cavity and exiting the acoustic cavity through the port holes subsequently combining in phase with other portions of the resonated sound waves that exit the acoustic cavity through the speaker elements."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The increased use of technology and portable computers has generated a corresponding increase in the need for portable audio technology. This ever-increasing need for portable audio technology requires corresponding audio devices which are compact, portable, and effective.\n\nA speaker, also known as an audio speaker or audio module, is a commonly used audio device. Speakers are used to convert electrical signals received from a sound generator or source (such as computers) into audible or audio signals. In this way, a speaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical signal input. Speakers include loudspeakers, computer speakers, and other types of speakers.\n\nCurrently, there is a need in the industry for audio modules or speakers that are portable, effective, and compatible with portable source devices such as smart phones, digital music players, and the like. The apparatus, systems, and methods described herein provide a solution to this need. The apparatus, systems, and methods described herein provide a user-selectably expandable chamber of an audio module or speaker that converts electronic signals to audible sound. More specifically, embodiments provide an acoustic chamber having one relatively stiff wall in combination with user-selectably expandable-collapsible elastomeric walls. The one relatively stiff chamber wall serves as an acoustic back plane among the other chamber walls. The chamber, when in an expanded state, enhances the audio module's or speaker's acoustical properties, yet also when in a collapsed state provides portability and a thin profile.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04R 1/025",
    "H04R 1/026",
    "H04R 1/2811",
    "H04R 1/2826",
    "H04R 2201/021",
    "H04R 2205/021",
    "H04R 2400/11",
    "H04R 2420/07",
    "H04R 2420/09",
    "H04R 2499/11",
    "H04R 3/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04R 1/02",
    "H04R 3/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Pow Audio Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Cameron V. Walter",
    "Glen V. Walter",
    "Gabor Paulke",
    "Michael Arthur Siegel",
    "Michael G. Zartarian"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-09-07",
  "publication_date": "2019-08-27",
  "grant_date": "2019-08-27",
  "priority_date": "2018-09-07",
  "application_number": "US-201816124524-A",
  "family_id": "65139233",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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