# US 10,771,873 B2 · Audio device with charging contacts on printed circuit board > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,873 B2 - Document ID: US10771873B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/448,606 - Filed: 2019-06-21 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-07 - Assignees: Bose Corporation - Applicants: Bose Corporation - Inventors: Jason R. Pupecki; David Kaphammer; Colin Taylor Mosgrove - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771873B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/025: {Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture} - H05K 1/141: {One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters (H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence)} - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - H02J 7/731: {specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence)} - H04R 1/342: {for microphones} - H04R 1/345: {for loudspeakers} - H04R 31/006: {Interconnection of transducer parts (of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003)} - H05K 1/144: {Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards} - H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits - H05K 3/366: {substantially perpendicularly to each other (H05K3/361 takes precedence)} - H05K 7/1427: {Housings} - H02J 2207/30: Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer - H04R 1/2834: {for loudspeaker transducers} - H04R 2201/029: Manufacturing aspects of enclosures transducers - H04R 2420/09: Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones - H05K 2201/042: Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other - H05K 2201/10037: Printed or non-printed battery - H05K 2201/10053: Switch - H05K 2201/10083: Electromechanical or electro-acoustic component, e.g. microphone - H05K 2201/10189: Non-printed connector - H05K 2201/10318: Surface mounted metallic pins - 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) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An audio device with charging contacts on a printed circuit board (PCB) is described herein. In some implementations, the charging contacts are on a surface of the PCB that is a bottom external surface of the audio device, thereby eliminating the need for a custom connector block. Thus, cost and height savings can be realized. In some implementations, the charging contacts are designed to enable 360 degree docking ability with a charging dock. This can be achieved using one or more ring-shaped charging contacts that make physical contact with spring-loaded pins on the charging dock in any relative axial alignment. In some implementations, the audio device includes a mating feature configured to mate with a mating feature of the charging dock to help ensure a proper charging connection is made and to help physically center the audio device relative to the charging dock. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audio device comprising: a housing; one or more loudspeakers within the housing; one or more batteries within the housing; battery charging circuitry within the housing and electrically coupled to the one or more batteries; and a printed circuit board (PCB) at least partially within the housing, the PCB including charging contacts on a surface of the PCB, the charging contacts electrically coupled to the battery charging circuitry, wherein the charging contacts and at least a portion of the surface of the PCB form an outer surface of the audio device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the audio device is a bottom surface of the audio device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the charging contacts include: a first charging contact; a second charging contact around the first charging contact; and a third charging contact around the second charging contact. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The audio device of claim 3, wherein the second and third charging contacts are ring-shaped. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The audio device of claim 3, wherein the first, second, and third charging contacts are configured to electrically couple to bus power, ground return, and configuration channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the charging contacts are configured to be in electrical connection with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C (USB-C) connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the charging contacts include gold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The audio device of claim 7, wherein the charging contacts are hard gold plated with a gold thickness of 0.5 to 1.5 micrometers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the surface of the PCB is substantially flat. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, further comprising a gasket between the PCB and the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the surface of the PCB that forms an outer surface of the audio device is painted. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the audio device is configured to rest on a charging dock, the charging dock including three electrical pin connections configured to make physical contact with the charging contacts when the audio device is rested on the charging dock. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The audio device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a concave portion originating at a bottommost surface of the housing and terminating at an opening, the opening exposing the at least a portion of the surface of the PCB and the charging contacts. ### Claim 14 An audio device comprising: a housing; one or more loudspeakers within the housing; one or more batteries within the housing and electrically coupled to the one or more loudspeakers; battery charging circuitry within the housing and electrically coupled to the one or more batteries; and a printed circuit board (PCB) at least partially within the housing, the PCB including charging contacts on a surface of the PCB, the charging contacts electrically coupled to the battery charging circuitry, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the PCB in combination with the charging contacts form a bottom-facing, outer surface of the audio device, and wherein at least one of the charging contacts is elliptical. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The audio device of claim 14, wherein the at least one of the charging contacts is circular. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The audio device of claim 14, wherein the charging contacts include a first distinct charging contact, a second distinct charging contact inside of the first distinct charging contact, and a third distinct charging contact inside of the second distinct charging contact. ### Claim 17 A system comprising: an audio device including a housing, one or more loudspeakers within the housing, one or more batteries within the housing, battery charging circuitry within the housing and electrically coupled to the one or more batteries, and a printed circuit board (PCB) at least partially within the housing, the PCB including charging contacts on a surface of the PCB, the charging contacts electrically coupled to the battery charging circuitry; and a charging dock including electrical connectors configured to make physical contact with the charging contacts of the audio device in any relative radial orientation about an axis when the audio device is engaged with the charging dock. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The audio system of claim 17, wherein the electrical connectors of the charging dock are spring-loaded pins. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The audio system of claim 17, wherein the axis is the main axis of the housing of the audio device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The audio system of claim 17, wherein the charging dock includes a switching circuit configured to sense the configuration channel of a received Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C (USB-C) connector in either orientation, and route the sensed configuration channel of the USB-C connector to at least one of the electrical connectors of the charging dock.