# US 10,767,927 B2 · Systems for increased drying of speaker and sensor components that are exposed to moisture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,927 B2 - Document ID: US10767927B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/252,152 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2020-03-12 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-07 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Brian A. Argyres; Matthew A. Donarski; Eric N. Nyland; Tyler B. Cater; Oliver Leonhardt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767927B2 ## CPC - F26B 3/283: {in combination with convection} - G01L 19/0654: {against moisture or humidity} - F26B 3/28: by radiation, e.g. from the sun - F26B 5/02: by using ultrasonic vibrations {(using sonic energy generated by pulse jet combustion F26B23/026)} - F26B 9/003: {Small self-contained devices, e.g. portable} - G01L 19/0046: {using isolation membranes (G01L13/026 and G01L19/0645 take precedence)} - H04M 1/0202: {Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03)} - H04R 3/007: {Protection circuits for transducers} - H04R 9/025: {Magnetic circuit} - H04R 9/06: Loudspeakers - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - G01L 9/0041: {Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms} - H04M 1/03: Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets - H04R 1/023: {Screens for loudspeakers} - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract This application relates to a portable electronic device including a processor and an operational component assembly, the operational component assembly including a frame. The frame carries a sensor that is coupled to the frame, where the sensor is capable of (i) receiving an environmental stimulus, and (ii) subsequently, generating an environmental parameter based on the environmental stimulus. The operational components further include a speaker that includes a magnetic driver that is capable of generating a magnetic field in response to receiving the instructions, and a diaphragm that is capable of actuating in response to the magnetic field being generated by the magnetic driver. An opening is disposed at an external surface of the frame such that when an amount of moisture is present within the volume, the magnetic driver receives the instructions from the processor to generate a magnetic field that actuates the diaphragm so as to expel the moisture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable electronic device, comprising: a housing having walls that define a cavity, wherein the housing is capable of carrying operational components within the cavity that include: a processor capable of providing instructions; and a moisture removal system in communication with the processor, the moisture removal system including: a sensor capable of (i) detecting an amount of moisture within the cavity, and (ii) generating a moisture parameter based on the detected amount of moisture, a magnetic coil element capable of generating a magnetic field in response to receiving the instructions from the processor, a diaphragm that is capable of actuating in response to the magnetic field being generated by the magnetic coil element, and an opening disposed at an external surface of the housing, wherein the opening defines a passage such that when moisture is present within the cavity, the magnetic coil element receives the instructions from the processor to generate the magnetic field that causes the diaphragm to actuate so as to remove at least some of the moisture within the cavity via the passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generated by the magnetic coil element is based on the detected amount of moisture. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: an environmental sensor capable of generating an environmental parameter, wherein an accuracy of the environmental parameter is affected by the amount of moisture within the cavity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a barometric pressure sensor, an altimeter or a strain gage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm is a semi-rigid membrane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: an acoustic mesh barrier that separates the diaphragm from the magnetic coil element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the opening is aligned with the diaphragm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm includes an air—permeable membrane that is capable of preventing the moisture from reaching the magnetic coil element. ### Claim 9 A sensor assembly comprising: a frame coupled to a housing of a portable electronic device, the housing having an external opening at an external surface, the external opening in communication with an internal opening at an internal surface by way of a through-hole, the internal surface defining, at least in part, an internal cavity, the frame includes walls (i) that define a sensor cavity separate from the internal cavity, and (ii) that carry a moisture impermeable membrane between the sensor cavity and the internal cavity; and a sensor module within the sensor cavity capable of (i) detecting an amount of moisture in contact with the moisture impermeable membrane, the amount of moisture corresponding to an amount of moisture within the internal volume, and (ii) generating an environmental parameter based on the detected amount of moisture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sensor assembly of claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device includes: a processor in communication with the sensor module that (i) receives the environmental parameter and (ii) generates an instruction in accordance therewith, and a moisture expelling element in communication with the processor that uses the instruction from the processor to expel moisture from the internal cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the moisture expelling element is a hydrophobic layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The sensor assembly of claim 9, wherein the sensor module is a barometric pressure sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The sensor assembly of claim 9, further comprising: a mesh lining that covers the external opening. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the moisture is expelled from the internal cavity by way of the through-hole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein the moisture expelling element is a speaker assembly having a transducer element driven by a magnetic coil, the transducer element providing an inaudible acoustic energy capable of causing at least some of the amount of moisture into the through-hole at the internal opening and out of the through-hole at the external opening. ### Claim 16 A portable electronic device, comprising: a housing having walls that define a cavity, wherein an external surface of at least one of the walls includes an opening that extends into the cavity, and the walls are capable of carrying operational components within the cavity that include: a processor capable of providing instructions, a sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the sensor is capable of (i) determining moisture within the cavity, and (ii) providing a corresponding detection signal to the processor, and a speaker assembly in communication with the processor, the speaker assembly including a magnetic coil capable of generating a variable magnetic field in response to receiving the instructions from the processor that are based on the corresponding detection signal, wherein the variable magnetic field removes at least some of the moisture within the cavity by way of the opening. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The portable electronic device of claim 16, further comprising: a speaker diaphragm coupled to the magnetic coil, wherein the speaker diaphragm separates the cavity into first and second cavities. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The portable electronic device of claim 17, further comprising: an acoustic mesh barrier that prevents metallic particles within the first cavity from reaching the second cavity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the magnetic coil generates an amount of heat that is sufficient to evaporate the moisture within the cavity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The portable electronic device of claim 16, further comprising: a mesh lining that covers the opening.