# US 12,120,476 B2 · Electronic device including audio output module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,476 B2 - Document ID: US12120476B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/841,438 - Filed: 2022-06-15 - Published: 2022-12-01 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-28 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Incheol Baek; Yonghwa Kim; Yongseung Yi; Jeonggyu Jo; Hoyeong Lim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120476B2 ## CPC - H04M 1/035: {Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities} - H04R 1/028: {associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles} - G06F 1/16: Constructional details or arrangements - H04M 1/026: {Details of the structure or mounting of specific components} - H04R 1/02: Casings; Cabinets {; Supports therefor;} Mountings therein (H04R1/28 takes precedence {; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075}) - H04R 1/2811: {for loudspeaker transducers} - H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 7/02: characterised by the construction - H04R 7/04: Plane diaphragms - H04R 7/12: Non-planar diaphragms or cones - H04R 9/02: Details - H04R 1/2834: {for loudspeaker transducers} - H04R 19/00: Electrostatic transducers - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Disclosed is an electronic device including a sound output module. The sound output module includes a sound output housing and a motor unit positioned in an inner space and communicating with an inner space of the speaker unit to generate a vibration force. The motor unit may include a motor body forming a volume space communicating with the inner space of the speaker unit and a vibration body positioned in the motor body to generate a vibration force. A communication hole may be formed in an outer wall of the motor body for the inner space of the speaker unit and the volume space to communicate with each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a sound processor configured to process a sound signal; a sound output module configured to output sound based on the processed sound signal and comprising: a sound output housing, and a speaker unit comprising a speaker positioned in the sound output housing and configured to generate sound, and a motor unit comprising: a motor configured to generate a vibration force, a motor body forming a volume space, and a vibration body positioned in the motor body and coupled to the motor, wherein the volume space communicates with an inner space of the speaker unit via a communication hole formed in an outer wall of the motor body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the speaker unit comprises: a speaker body connected to an inner surface of the sound output housing; and a diaphragm configured to vibrate by the vibration force of the motor unit and positioned in the speaker body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein an inner space of the speaker body is divided into a first space and a second space by the diaphragm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second space is configured to communicate with the volume space through the communication hole. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device comprise a sound output opening formed in an outer surface of the electronic device such that the sound output by the speaker unit is generated outside of the electronic device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein a sound output from one surface of the diaphragm propagate to the first space, and a sound output from the other surface of the diaphragm propagate to the second space, and wherein a phase of the sound output from the other surface of the diaphragm has a 180° phase difference from a phase of the sound output from the one surface of the diaphragm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first space and the second space are blocked from each other by the diaphragm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motor unit further comprises an elastic member comprising an elastic material positioned on both sides of the vibration body to transmit the vibration force of the vibration body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the elastic member is connected to an inner surface of the motor body to connect the vibration body and the motor body to each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein a vibration direction of the vibration body is perpendicular to a direction from the motor unit toward the speaker unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the sound output module further comprises a circuit board configured to receive an operation signal of the speaker unit, and wherein the circuit board is connected to the elastic member and configured to receive an operation signal of the motor unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the motor body comprises a vent hole formed through the outer surface, and wherein the circuit board is connected to the elastic member through the communication hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the speaker unit is connected to one wall of the sound output housing, and wherein the one wall of the sound output housing connected to the speaker unit extends toward the motor unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the motor unit is connected to the one wall of the sound output housing to which the speaker unit is connected. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the sound output housing is configured to radiate heat generated by the speaker unit through the one wall of the sound output housing to which the speaker unit and the motor unit are connected. ### Claim 16 A sound output module for an electronic device comprising: a sound output housing; a speaker unit comprising a speaker positioned in the sound output housing and configured to generate a sound; and a motor unit comprising a motor configured to communicate with an inner space of the speaker unit and configured to generate a vibration force, wherein the motor unit comprises a motor body forming a volume space in communication with the inner space of the speaker unit and a vibration body positioned in the motor body and configured to generate a vibration force, and wherein a communication hole is formed in an outer wall of the motor body for the inner space of the speaker unit and the volume space to communicate with each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sound output module of claim 16, wherein the speaker unit comprises: a speaker body connected to an inner surface of the sound output housing; and a diaphragm configured to vibrate by the vibration force of the motor unit and positioned in the speaker body, wherein an inner space of the speaker body is divided into a first space and a second space by the diaphragm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The sound output module of claim 17, wherein the second space is configured to communicate with the volume space through the communication hole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The sound output module of claim 16, wherein the motor unit further comprises an elastic member comprising an elastic material positioned on both sides of the vibration body and configured to transmit the vibration force of the vibration body, and wherein the motor unit is positioned above or below the speaker unit and the vibration body is configured to vibrate to both sides, based on a front view. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The sound output module of claim 16, wherein one wall of the sound output housing connected to the speaker unit extends towards the motor unit and the one wall of the sound output housing is connected to the motor unit.