Smart speaker with multifunctional faceplate and display
OwnerJames Thomas O'Keeffeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment a sound generating system comprises: a housing; a speaker located at least partially inside the housing; and an interactive faceplate subassembly comprising: a front surface, wherein a portion of the front surface contains a first plurality of openings forming a speaker grille; a display operable to display through a first portion of the front surface; the display disposed behind the front surface of the interactive faceplate subassembly and coupled to a second surface having a second plurality of openings, and wherein at least one of the openings in the second plurality of openings aligns with one or more of the openings in the first plurality of openings, thereby promoting improved sound transmission from the speaker.
Claims19
A sound generating system comprising:
- a housing;
- a speaker located at least partially inside the housing;
- and
- an interactive faceplate subassembly comprising:
- a front surface, wherein a portion of the front surface contains a first plurality of openings forming a speaker grille;
- a display operable to display through a first portion of the front surface;
- the display disposed behind the front surface of the interactive faceplate subassembly when viewed in a direction from the front surface to the speaker, and wherein the display is coupled to a second surface having a second plurality of openings, and
- wherein at least one of the openings in the second plurality of openings aligns with one or more of the openings in the first plurality of openings promoting sound transmission from the speaker to a local environment outside the sound generating system,
- wherein the second plurality of openings encompass the display.
A sound generating system comprising:
- a housing;
- a speaker located at least partially inside the housing, the speaker comprising a speaker cone;
- a faceplate covering at least a portion of the speaker, the faceplate comprising:
- a front surface, wherein a first portion of the front surface contains a first plurality of openings forming a speaker grille;
- and a display disposed behind the faceplate when viewed in a direction from the front surface to the speaker,
- wherein the display is disposed on a circuit board,
- wherein the circuit board comprises a second plurality of openings, and wherein at least one of the openings in the second plurality of openings aligns with one or more of the openings in the first plurality of openings, thereby providing sound transmission from the speaker to a local environment outside the housing,
- wherein the second plurality of openings encompass the display.
A method of integrating an interactive speaker grille into a sound generating system comprising:
- providing a speaker;
- providing a faceplate, operable to cover at least some of the speaker, wherein the faceplate includes a front surface;
- providing a speaker grille portion of the faceplate having a first plurality of openings;
- providing a circuit board, comprising a second plurality of openings and a display;
- positioning the circuit board behind the front surface of the faceplate when viewed in a direction from the front surface to the speaker, such that at least one of the openings in the second plurality of openings aligns with one or more of the openings in the first plurality of openings, thereby promoting sound transmission from the speaker to a local environment outside the sound generating system wherein the second plurality of openings encompass the display;
- and
- such that the display functions to transmit light through the front surface of the faceplate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.