Entry guard subsystem for microphones in mobile computing devices

Abstract

A mobile computing device comprising: a housing having a front face, an opposite back face, and a plurality of sidewalls connecting the front face and the back face; a microphone supported within the housing; and an acoustic channel extending between the microphone and an exterior of the housing, the acoustic channel defined by: (i) a microphone port through one of the plurality of sidewalls; (ii) a membrane assembly secured to a first housing interior surface surrounding the microphone port; and (iii) an isolation plate secured to a second housing interior surface surrounding at least a portion of the first housing interior surface, the isolation plate having a passage opening therethrough and configured to engage with the membrane assembly.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Mobile computing devices can be used in various environments, including those containing environmental factors such as moisture and dust. These environmental factors entering the housing of a mobile computing device can damage it; therefore, entry protection features can be incorporated. Entry protection features may include a sealed housing to prevent the ingress of dust, moisture, etc. However, some components of a mobile computing device (such as a microphone) may require exposure of the device's interior to the external environment. Features such as membranes can allow this exposure while maintaining a degree of entry protection; however, these features are easily damaged during device assembly, which can degrade microphone performance and / or entry protection capabilities. Attached Figure Description

[0002] In the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals are used to indicate the same or functionally similar features in all independent figures. These drawings, together with the following detailed description, form part of the specification and are used to further illustrate embodiments including the concepts of the claimed invention and to explain the various principles and advantages of these embodiments.

[0003] Figure 1 This is a view of the mobile computing device from the front.

[0004] Figure 2 This is a view of the mobile computing device from the rear.

[0005] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of a mobile computing device.

[0006] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of a mobile computing device.

[0007] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 The plane F5 in the middle is intercepted Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of a mobile computing device.

[0008] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A partial exploded view of the mobile computing device in the image.

[0009] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view of another example of a mobile computing device.

[0010] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 A flowchart of the assembly method for a mobile computing device.

[0011] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features in the figures are shown simplified and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some features in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other features to aid in understanding the embodiments of the present invention.

[0012] In the accompanying drawings, components of the apparatus and methods are appropriately indicated by conventional symbols, and only specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of the invention are shown so as not to affect the disclosure of the invention by details that would be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The examples disclosed herein relate to a mobile computing device comprising: a housing having a front, an opposite back, and a plurality of sidewalls connecting the front and back; a microphone supported inside the housing; and a sound channel extending between the microphone and the outside of the housing, the sound channel being defined by: (i) a microphone opening passing through one of the plurality of sidewalls; (ii) a diaphragm assembly fixed to a first housing inner surface surrounding the microphone opening; and (iii) a partition plate fixed to a second housing inner surface surrounding at least a portion of the first housing inner surface, the partition plate having a channel opening passing through it and configured to engage with the diaphragm assembly.

[0014] Other examples disclosed herein relate to a microphone assembly for a mobile computing device, the microphone assembly comprising: a microphone supported inside a housing of the mobile computing device; a diaphragm assembly fixed to a first inner surface of the housing surrounding a microphone opening of the housing of the mobile computing device; and a partition fixed to a second inner surface of the housing surrounding at least a portion of the first inner surface of the housing, the partition having a channel opening therethrough and configured to engage with the diaphragm assembly.

[0015] Figure 1 A mobile computing device 100, such as a smartphone or other mobile computer, is shown. The mobile computing device 100 includes a housing 104 that supports various other components of the mobile computing device. The housing 104 includes a front surface, which in this example is defined by a bezel 112 and a display 116 supported by the housing 104. The housing 104 also includes a plurality of sidewalls 120. Figure 1 Two sidewalls, 120-1 and 120-2, can be seen in the image. In this example, sidewall 120-2 can also be referred to as the bottom wall.

[0016] The mobile computing device 100, supported within housing 104, includes at least one microphone. Although a single microphone is discussed below for illustrative purposes, the mobile computing device 100 may include multiple such microphones. The microphone itself is disposed within housing 104, but operation of the microphone involves exposing it to pressure variations in the external environment of the mobile computing device 100. For this purpose, housing 104 includes a microphone opening 124 defined in one of a plurality of sidewalls 120. In the illustrated example, the microphone opening 124 is defined through the bottom wall 120-2 of housing 104.

[0017] Because the microphone port 124 passes through the housing 104, the mobile computing device 100 also includes an entry protection element (discussed in detail later) to allow the microphone to function properly while reducing or preventing environmental contaminants (such as dust and water) from entering the housing 104. As will be seen from the following discussion, the entry protection element is structurally designed to reduce or eliminate deformation or other damage that would otherwise occur during the assembly of the mobile computing device 100, which would otherwise degrade the entry protection performance and / or the acoustic performance of the microphone.

[0018] Figure 2 A rear view of the mobile computing device 100 is shown, in which the rear side 200, opposite to the front side defined by the bezel 112 and the display 116, is visible. A microphone port 124 located on the bottom wall 120-2 and a... Figure 1 The sidewall 120-1 shown is opposite to another sidewall 120-3. As shown, the multiple sidewalls 120 connect the back 200 and the front of the mobile computing device 100 to form an enclosed space within the housing 104.

[0019] Figure 3 An exploded view of a mobile computing device 100 in, for example, a partially assembled state is shown. Specifically, the lower assembly 300 shown includes the lower portion of a housing defining a plurality of sidewalls 120 and a microphone port 124, and houses various other internal components of the mobile computing device 100. Furthermore, a support member 304 shown carries certain electrical components of the mobile computing device 100, including a microphone 308. In this example, the support member 304 is a printed circuit board (PCB). In other examples, the microphone 308 may be mounted on an auxiliary support member independent of the PCB and connected to the PCB via a flexible cable or other suitable connector. The auxiliary support member may include internal housing components, a secondary PCB, etc.

[0020] The support 304 also carries a microphone cover 312, which substantially surrounds the microphone 308 located on the support 304 and defines a portion of an audio channel extending from the microphone 308 through the microphone port 124 to the outside of the mobile computing device 100. In this example, the audio channel is generally cylindrical and has a central axis (also referred to as a longitudinal axis) 316. Figure 3 As shown, the central axis is approximately parallel to the front of the mobile computing device 100 defined by the bezel 112 and the display 116. The support member 304 is also approximately parallel to the front of the mobile computing device 100, and thus parallel to the central axis 316.

[0021] The assembly of the mobile computing device 100 includes the following steps: placing the microphone cover 312 onto the microphone 308 (e.g., fixing the microphone cover 312 to the support member 304 with adhesive), and then inserting the support member 304 into the lower assembly 300, which may include a frame or the like located within the lower housing portion for mounting the support member 304. After inserting the support member 304, the upper assembly 320, including the bezel 112 and the display 116, can be placed onto the lower assembly 300 and secured to the lower assembly 300 using fasteners (e.g., screws), engaging features on the housing 104, etc.

[0022] like Figure 3 As shown, the direction in which the support 304 is inserted into the lower assembly 300, and the direction in which the upper assembly 320 is placed on the lower assembly 300 (indicated by dashed arrows), are both perpendicular to the central axis 316 of the sound channel. The result is as follows (see reference below). Figure 4 As the support 304 and / or microphone cover 312 exert shear forces on certain entry protection elements, these shear forces may cause deformation and / or displacement of these entry protection elements relative to the housing 104 during the assembly of the mobile computing device 100.

[0023] refer to Figure 4 The diagram shows a portion of the support 304, as well as a simplified cross-sectional view of the microphone 308 and microphone cover 312. Figure 4 As shown, the microphone cover 312 may include a resilient seal 400 extending outward (i.e., toward the exterior of the mobile computing device 100) to contact the diaphragm assembly 404. When the support 304 and the microphone cover 312 are mounted in the lower assembly 300 along direction 408, the seal 400 applies a shear force to the diaphragm assembly 404. The diaphragm assembly 404 (see detailed description below) includes a membrane that traverses the sound channel extending between the microphone 308 and the exterior of the mobile computing device 100 via the microphone port 124. The membrane reduces or prevents contaminants such as dust or water from entering the housing 104, but is flexible enough to allow sound to be transmitted along the sound channel.

[0024] The aforementioned shear forces can cause deformation and / or displacement of the membrane assembly (e.g., membrane wrinkling or warping), which can lead to obstruction of the sound channel and / or reduced access protection performance of the membrane assembly 404. Obstruction or deformation of the sound channel can also affect the acoustic performance of the microphone 308. For example, a warped membrane can alter the shape of the sound channel and / or create gaps within it, causing sound leakage. This can also adversely affect the consistency of acoustic performance between different mobile computing devices, as the degree and performance of the membranes in each device may be inconsistent. Such deformation can be difficult to adjust due to the inherent variability of deformation or other defects caused by the aforementioned shear forces in the membrane. Therefore, the mobile computing device 100 includes additional structural features to isolate the membrane assembly 404 from such shear forces. Figure 4 For the purpose of illustration, these structural features have been omitted, and they will be discussed in detail below.

[0025] refer to Figure 5 Along Figure 1 The aforementioned structural features are shown in a partial cross-sectional view of the mobile computing device 100 taken from plane “F5”. When the mobile computing device 100 is assembled, a sound channel with a central axis 316 is formed by a set of interacting elements extending from the microphone 308 to the outer end of the microphone port 124. Specifically, starting from the microphone 308, the first portion of the sound channel is defined by a microphone cover 312, which includes an inner cavity 500 accommodating the microphone 308. The inner cavity 500 extends from the microphone 308 to the outlet of the microphone cover 312, as previously referenced. Figure 4 The sealing part 400 surrounds the outlet.

[0026] The sealing portion 400 of the microphone cover 312 is configured to engage with an isolation plate 504 disposed between the microphone cover 312 and the diaphragm assembly 404. The isolation plate 504 includes a channel opening extending therethrough, defining a portion of the sound channel. The isolation plate 504 is fixed to the inner surface of the housing 104, not the diaphragm assembly 404. That is, the isolation plate 504 is not necessarily fixed to the diaphragm assembly 404, although the isolation plate 504 does contact the diaphragm assembly 404. Therefore, the isolation plate 504 is larger than the diaphragm assembly 404, so that the isolation plate 504 contacts the portion of the housing 104 surrounding the diaphragm assembly 404. The isolation plate 504 also has sufficient rigidity to isolate the diaphragm assembly 404 from the shear force applied to the sealing portion 404 during the installation of the support 304.

[0027] The aforementioned rigidity of the separator 504 is provided by the material (or a combination of materials) used to manufacture the separator 504 and / or the geometry of the separator 504. In the illustrated example, the thickness of the separator 504 (measured along a direction parallel to the central axis 316) is greater than the thickness of the membrane assembly 404. The separator 504 can be manufactured from rigid plastics, composite materials such as glass fiber and epoxy resin composites (e.g., FR4), metals, etc. The rigidity of the separator 504, and the fact that the separator 504 is mounted directly on the housing 104 rather than on the membrane assembly 404, enables the separator 504 to resist shear forces sufficiently to reduce or eliminate deformation / torsion or displacement of the membrane assembly 404 caused by such shear forces. That is, although the separator 504 is subjected to the aforementioned shear forces, the separator 504 will not warp under such shear forces, thereby preventing the shear forces from being transmitted to the membrane assembly 404. Furthermore, the separator 504 is mounted to the membrane assembly along a direction parallel to the central axis 316, thereby applying almost no shear force to the membrane assembly during installation.

[0028] The membrane assembly 404 itself includes a set of elements stacked together and joined by an adhesive or other suitable bonding agent. Specifically, the membrane assembly 404 includes an annular interface 508, made, for example, of closed-cell sound-absorbing foam, configured to engage with the outer side of the separator 504 (i.e., the side opposite to the side that engages with the seal 400). In this example, the interface 508 is not bonded to the separator 504, thereby allowing the membrane assembly to move relative to the separator 504 during assembly of the mobile computing device 100 and reducing the impact of manufacturing tolerance deviations of the separator 504 or the elements of the membrane assembly 404. In other examples, the interface 508 may be bonded to or otherwise fitted to the separator 504.

[0029] The diaphragm assembly 404 also includes an annular inner frame 512, an adhesive layer 516 securing the diaphragm assembly 404 to the housing 104, and a diaphragm 520 mounted between the inner frame 512 and the adhesive layer 516. While the interface 508, the inner frame 512, and the adhesive layer 516 are all annular with openings defining a portion of a sound channel passing through them, the diaphragm 520 bisects the sound channel, preventing or at least reducing contaminants such as water or dust from entering the housing 104 through the microphone port 124. The inner frame 512 can be secured to the interface 508 and the diaphragm 520 with a suitable adhesive (not shown).

[0030] Figure 6 An exploded view of the membrane assembly 404 and the separator 504, seen from the inside of the housing 104, is shown, omitting the support 304, microphone 308, and microphone cover 312. Figure 6As shown, the components of membrane assembly 404 (adhesive layer 516, membrane 520, inner frame 512, and interface element 508) (e.g., by a suitable adhesive, not shown) are assembled together and secured to the inner surface 600 of the first housing surrounding the microphone port 124. The inner surface 600 of the first housing may be defined in a recess in the wall 120-2.

[0031] After the membrane assembly 404 is installed, the separator 504 is fixed to the inner surface 604 of the second housing. The separator is fixed to the inner surface 604 of the second housing by an adhesive layer 608. As shown, the inner surface 604 of the second housing is defined in a central recess, the depth of which is greater than the depth of the main inner surface 612 of the wall 120-2, but less than the depth of the inner surface 600 of the first housing. The inner surface 604 of the second housing surrounds the inner surface 600 of the first housing.

[0032] Figure 7 Another embodiment is shown in which the surfaces of certain elements of the mobile computing device 100 are at a non-right angle relative to the plane defined by the front side of the mobile computing device 100 (e.g., display 116). Figure 4-6 As shown, the outer surface of the microphone cover 312 (i.e., the surface supporting the sealing portion 400), as well as the inner and outer surfaces of the isolation plate 504 and the diaphragm assembly 404, are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the support member 304 and the plane of the front of the mobile computing device 100. In some embodiments, the aforementioned surfaces may be tilted at an angle of approximately 85 to 90 degrees relative to the support member 304 and / or the display 116.

[0033] like Figure 7 As shown, in other examples, the aforementioned surface can be inclined at a non-right angle, such as angle 700, which in the illustrated example is approximately 40 degrees. More generally, angle 700 can be greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees. In some examples, angle 700 can be between approximately 20 degrees and approximately 80 degrees. During the sliding of the seal 400a along the partition 504a until the microphone cover 312a and the support 304 reach their installed positions, shear forces must be overcome. The inclined inner and / or outer surfaces of the microphone cover 312a (from which the seal 400a extends), the partition 504a, and the membrane assembly 404a facilitate the installation of the support 304 and the microphone cover 312a by reducing the shear forces to be overcome. Reducing these shear forces also reduces or prevents deformation of the microphone cover 312a during installation. Figure 7 As shown, the inner surface 600a of the first housing and the inner surface 604a of the second housing can also be inclined at an angle of 700.

[0034] In other instances, it can be seen from Figure 7In this embodiment, the separator 504a is removed, allowing the microphone cover 312a to directly engage with the membrane assembly 404a. Because the outer surface of the microphone cover 312a and the membrane assembly 404a are arranged at an angle, the aforementioned shear force can be reduced, sufficient to prevent deformation or displacement of the membrane assembly 404a without the separator 504a. However, using the separator 504a further reduces the deformation or displacement of the membrane assembly 404a.

[0035] Figure 8 It shows, for example, from Figure 3 The method 800 for assembling the mobile computing device 100 begins at the stage shown (i.e., the stage where the upper component 300 and the lower component 320 have been assembled). In block 805, the membrane assembly 404 is installed. For example, the elements of the membrane assembly 404 can be secured together, and the membrane assembly (specifically, the membrane 520 in this example) can be secured to the inner surface 600 of the first housing using an adhesive layer 516.

[0036] In block 810, the separator 504 is mounted above the membrane assembly 404 by securing it to the inner surface 604 of the second housing, for example, with adhesive 608. After the separator 504 is mounted, in block 815, the (pre-assembled) microphone 308, microphone cover 312, and support 304 are mounted into the mobile computing device 100, for example, by inserting the support 304 into the lower assembly 300. Finally, in block 820, the lower assembly 300 and the upper assembly 320 are assembled together.

[0037] Specific embodiments have been described in the foregoing specification. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and all such modifications are included within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0038] These benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may lead to or make any benefit, advantage, or solution occur or become more apparent should not be construed as key, essential, or fundamental features or elements of any or all claims. The invention is defined only by the appended claims (including any amendments made during the pending period of this application) and all equivalents of the granted claims.

[0039] Furthermore, in this application, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom are used only to distinguish one entity or action from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual such relationship or order between these entities or actions. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” “comprise,” “containing,” “comprising,” “containing,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, and therefore a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, contains, or contains a list of elements does not necessarily include only those elements, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to the process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, the element following “comprising…,” “having…,” “comprising…,” “containing…” does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes, has, contains, or contains that element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless expressly stated to the contrary. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the terms “approximately,” “substantially,” “about,” “around,” or any other expression are defined as close to, in one non-limiting embodiment, the above terms are defined as within 10%, in another embodiment, the above terms are defined as within 5%, in another embodiment, the above terms are defined as within 1%, and in yet another embodiment, the above terms are defined as within 0.5%. The term “connection” as used herein is defined as a link, but is not necessarily a direct link or a mechanical link. A device or structure “constructed” in a certain way is constructed at least in the manner described, but may also be constructed in ways not listed.

[0040] It should be understood that some embodiments may consist of one or more dedicated processors (or "processing devices") and unique stored program instructions (including software and firmware), such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors, and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which control the one or more processors to implement some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and / or devices described herein, together with some non-processor circuitry. Alternatively, some or all of the functions may be implemented by a state machine without stored program instructions, or in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), wherein each function or some combination of functions is implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of these two approaches may also be used.

[0041] Furthermore, one embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable code is stored for programming a computer (e.g., including a processor) to perform the methods described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, ROMs (read-only memories), PROMs (programmable read-only memories), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memories), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories), and flash memory. Moreover, it is conceivable that, although it may require considerable effort due to available time, current technology, and economic considerations, and that many alternative designs exist, such software instructions, programs, and integrated circuits can be readily created by those skilled in the art with minimal experimentation, guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein.

[0042] The abstract provided is intended to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the disclosed technology. It should be understood that the abstract should not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, as can be seen in the foregoing detailed description, various features have been combined in different embodiments to organize the disclosure. However, this method of disclosure does not imply that the claimed embodiments require more features than expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the subject matter of the invention does not encompass all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the appended claims are incorporated herein by reference, wherein each claim exists independently as a separate claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising: A housing having a front, an opposite back, and a plurality of sidewalls connecting the front and the back; A microphone, which is supported within the housing; and An audio channel extending between the microphone and the exterior of the housing, the audio channel being defined by: (i) A microphone port that passes through one of the plurality of sidewalls; (ii) A membrane assembly, the membrane assembly being fixed to the inner surface of a first housing surrounding the microphone opening; and (iii) A separator plate fixed to at least a portion of the inner surface of a second housing surrounding the inner surface of the first housing, the separator plate having a channel opening therethrough and configured to engage with the membrane assembly.

2. The mobile computing device according to claim 1, wherein, The mobile computing device further includes: A support member located within the housing; The microphone is mounted on the support member.

3. The mobile computing device according to claim 2, wherein, The support member is installed inside the housing and is parallel to the front side.

4. The mobile computing device according to claim 3, wherein, The sound channel has a central axis that is parallel to the front side.

5. The mobile computing device according to claim 4, wherein, The mobile computing device further includes: A microphone cover, which is fixed to the support and defines an inner cavity for receiving the microphone, is configured to engage with the partition so that the inner cavity communicates with the channel opening.

6. The mobile computing device according to claim 5, wherein, The support and the microphone cover are configured to be inserted into the housing in a direction perpendicular to the central axis.

7. The mobile computing device according to claim 1, wherein, The membrane assembly includes a membrane that bisects the sound channel to provide protection against environmental ingress.

8. The mobile computing device according to claim 7, wherein, The membrane assembly further includes: A ring-shaped internal frame; The membrane is supported on the inner frame.

9. The mobile computing device according to claim 8, wherein, The membrane assembly is fixed to the inner surface of the first housing.

10. The mobile computing device according to claim 7, wherein, The membrane assembly also includes an interface element configured to engage with the separator plate.

11. The mobile computing device according to claim 10, wherein, The interface component is made of sound-absorbing foam.

12. The mobile computing device according to claim 5, wherein, The microphone cover includes a resilient sealing portion located on the outer surface of the microphone cover, the resilient sealing portion being configured to engage with the isolation plate.

13. The mobile computing device according to claim 12, wherein, The outer surface forms a non-right angle with respect to the front surface.

14. The mobile computing device according to claim 13, wherein, The non-right angle is between 20 degrees and 80 degrees.

15. The mobile computing device according to claim 1, wherein, The isolation plate is made of at least one of composite materials, metals, or plastics.

16. The mobile computing device according to claim 1, wherein, One of the plurality of sidewalls includes a main inner surface; The inner surface of the first housing is recessed relative to the main inner surface.

17. The mobile computing device according to claim 16, wherein, The inner surface of the second housing is recessed relative to the main inner surface.

18. The mobile computing device according to claim 17, wherein, The depth of the recess on the inner surface of the second housing is less than the depth of the recess on the inner surface of the first housing.

19. A microphone assembly for a mobile computing device, the microphone assembly comprising: A microphone, which is supported within the device housing; A membrane assembly, the membrane assembly being fixed to the inner surface of a first housing surrounding the microphone port of the device housing; and A separator plate is fixed to at least a portion of the inner surface of a second housing surrounding the inner surface of the first housing, the separator plate having a channel opening therethrough and configured to engage with the membrane assembly.

20. The microphone assembly of claim 19, wherein, The microphone assembly also includes: A microphone cover, which is fixed to a support and defines an inner cavity for receiving the microphone, is configured to engage with the partition so that the inner cavity communicates with the channel opening.

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