# US 9,438,990 B2 · Electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,990 B2 - Document ID: US9438990B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/404,584 - Filed: 2013-05-24 - Published: 2015-04-30 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-29 - Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation - Applicants: Kyocera Corporation - Inventors: Tomoaki Miyano; Tomohiro Inagaki; Shun Kazama; Akio Kihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438990B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/46: Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope (throat mountings H04R1/14) - B06B 1/0603: {using a piezoelectric bender, e.g. bimorph} - B06B 1/0611: {in a pile} - B06B 3/00: Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency - G10K 9/122: using piezoelectric driving means {(G10K9/121 takes precedence)} - H04M 1/0245: {using open/close detection} - H04M 1/03: Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets - H04M 1/6008: {in the transmitter circuit} - H04M 19/047: {Vibrating means for incoming calls} - H04R 7/045: {using the distributed mode principle, i.e. whereby the acoustic radiation is emanated from uniformly distributed free bending wave vibration induced in a stiff panel and not from pistonic motion} - H04M 1/0214: {Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235)} - H04R 3/02: for preventing acoustic reaction {, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453)} - H04R 17/00: Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers (piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners {H10N30/00}) - H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's - H04R 2499/15: Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops - 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) - B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R) - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract Provided is an electronic device that generates, by vibrating a vibration body, vibration sound by the vibration. The electronic device executes a side tone function by using sound collected by a microphone 7 during the vibration of the vibration body. When an open/close detector 100 detects a closed state, the electronic device also stops the side tone, improving usability of the electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: a pair of housings configured to be in an opened state and a closed state; an open/close detector configured to detect the opened/closed state of the pair of housings; a vibration body disposed in one of the pair of housings and having a piezoelectric element and a panel; and a microphone disposed on another one of the pair of housings, wherein the vibration body is vibrated in the opened state, generating vibration sound that conducts through a portion of a user's body by the vibration, wherein a side tone is executed during the vibration body being vibrated by using sound collected by the microphone, wherein when the open/close detector detects the closed state, the side tone is stopped or interrupted, wherein the piezoelectric element is attached to the panel, and the panel is joined via a first joining member to one of the pair of housings, wherein one side of the first joining member is in contact with the one of the pair of housings and another side of the first joining member is in contact with the panel, wherein the first joining member is disposed on a periphery of the panel, and wherein the piezoelectric element is disposed inwardly from the first joining member in a planar view of the panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the side tone is stopped or interrupted when the open/close detector detects the closed state for a first time during the vibration body being vibrated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, further executes a voice communication, wherein the side tone is executed while voice communication is in progress. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein voice communication is ended when the open/close detector has detected the closed state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the voice communication is ended when the open/close detector detects the closed state predetermined times or more. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the side tone is stopped by closing a sound path used for the side tone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vibration body may be pressed with pressure ranging from 3N to 10N. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, when the sound collected by the microphone has loudness that is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the side tone is executed based on the sound collected by the microphone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the microphone is arranged such that the microphone has directivity directed toward a direction of a face of the vibration body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is disposed on one end side of the one of the pair of housings in one direction thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the panel has a rectangular shape in a planar view, a length of each of the two opposing sides of the rectangular shape being greater than or equal to a length from an antitragus to an inferior crus of antihelix. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the panel has other two opposing sides, a length of each of the other two opposing sides being greater than or equal to a length from a tragus to an antihelix. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is fixed such that the piezoelectric element is joined to the one of the pair of housings by a second joining member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the second joining member comprises an adhesive agent that is not thermosetting. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the second joining member comprises a double-sided adhesive tape. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the panel is fixed to the one of the pair of housings by a joining member. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the joining member comprises an adhesive agent that is not thermosetting. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the joining member comprises a double-sided adhesive tape. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the panel forms a part or an entirety of any of a display, an input unit, and a cover of the display. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic device of claim 19, wherein a portion of the panel where the piezoelectric element is fixed is located outside of a portion of the panel that overlaps with the display in a planar view. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the display is fixed to the panel from an inside of the one of the pair of housings. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the vibration body is configured to generate air conduction sound. ### Claim 23 An electronic device comprising: a pair of housings configured to be in an opened state and a closed state; an open/close detector configured to detect the opened/closed state of the pair of housings; a vibration body disposed in one of the pair of housings; and a microphone disposed on another one of the pair of housings, wherein the vibration body is vibrated in the opened state, executing a speaker function of generating vibration sound that conducts through a portion of a user's body by the vibration, wherein a side tone function is executed during the execution of the speaker function by using sound collected by the microphone, wherein when the open/close detector detects the closed state, the side tone function is stopped or interrupted, wherein the vibration body includes: a piezoelectric element; and a panel configured to support the piezoelectric element, wherein the panel is held by the one of the pair of housings, and wherein the panel is bent by the piezoelectric element such that an area of the panel above the piezoelectric element protrudes higher than other areas of the panel.