Portable electronic device with a speaker assembly

A portable electronic device with a speaker assembly, said portable electronic device comprising:

• a housing having an ear placement region forming an ear volume between the ear placement region and a user, the ear volume being external to the device and said housing configured to carry at least one of a receiver and a transmitter;
• a speaker;
• at least a first opening, said at least a first opening leading from the ear volume to a front side of said speaker;
• at least a first passage, said at least a first passage leading from a rear side of said speaker to a second air space;
• and
• at least a second passage, said at least a second passage having at least a second opening positioned within said ear placement region, said at least a second passage leading from said at least a second opening to a third air space substantially separate from the second air space, wherein said at least a second passage acoustically couples an external signal, output from the front side of said speaker, from the ear volume back into the third air space.

A portable electronic device, comprising:

• a housing having an ear placement region forming an ear volume between the ear placement region and a user, the ear volume being external to the device and said housing configured to carry at least one of a receiver and a transmitter;
• a speaker;
• at least a first opening positioned within the ear placement region of said housing, said at least a first opening leading to a front side of said speaker;
• at least a second opening positioned outside of said ear placement region, said at least a second opening leading to a rear side of said speaker;
• and
• at least a third opening positioned within said ear placement region, said at least a third opening coupling the ear volume to an air space substantially separate from the rear side of said speaker, wherein the third opening couples an external signal, output from the front side of said speaker, from the ear volume back into the air space.

A portable electronic device, comprising:

• a housing having an ear placement region forming an ear volume between the ear placement region and a user, the ear volume being external to the device and said housing having a first internal cavity and configured to carry at least one of a receiver and a transmitter;
• a speaker having a rear side acoustically coupled to the first internal cavity, said speaker carried by said housing;
• at least a first opening positioned within said ear placement region of said housing, said at least a first opening leading to a front side of said speaker;
• and
• at least a first passage, said at least a first passage having at least a second opening positioned within said ear placement region and at least a third opening positioned outside of said ear placement region, wherein said at least a second opening acoustically couples the ear volume to an air space substantially separate from the first internal cavity, and acoustically couples an external signal, output from the front side of the speaker, from the ear volume back into the air space substantially separate from the first internal cavity.

A portable radiotelephone, comprising:

• a housing, said housing configured to carry at least one of a receiver and a transmitter, said housing having an ear placement region on a front surface thereof, the ear placement region forming an ear volume, external to the radiotelephone, between the ear placement region and a user;
• a separator, said separator configured to separate said housing into at least a first internal cavity and a second internal cavity substantially separate from the first internal cavity;
• a speaker, said speaker disposed in said housing, said speaker having a rear side exposed to said first internal cavity;
• at least a first opening, said at least a first opening positioned within said ear placement region, said at least a first opening leading to a front side of said speaker;
• and
• at least a second opening, said at least a second opening positioned within said ear placement region, said at least a second opening leading to said second internal cavity, wherein said at least a second opening couples an external signal, output from the front side of said speaker, to the second internal cavity.