Loudspeaker cone with flexible circuit board

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a speaker assembly is provided that includes a magnetic assembly and a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a plurality of electronic devices directly thereon. The diaphragm generates an audio output and moves along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various aspects disclosed herein are generally directed to a flexible speaker cone including a flexible circuit board. These and other aspects will be discussed in greater detail herein. Background Art

[0002] The concept of combining lighting with speakers is often advantageous because speaker manufacturers can include both lighting and audio drivers as a single integrated unit. In addition, by combining lighting with speakers, speaker manufacturers can provide a controlled user experience. In some cases, this can be difficult to achieve and it can be very time-consuming for manufacturers to ensure that the uniformity between the lighting and the speaker's audio output falls within specific requirements. Summary of the invention

[0003] In at least one embodiment, a speaker assembly is provided that includes a magnetic assembly and a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a plurality of electronic devices directly thereon. The diaphragm generates an audio output and moves along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal.

[0004] In at least one embodiment, a speaker assembly is provided that includes a magnetic assembly and a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a plurality of lighting elements directly thereon to emit light therefrom. The diaphragm produces an audio output and moves along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal.

[0005] In at least one embodiment, a speaker assembly is provided that includes a magnetic assembly and a diaphragm. The diaphragm includes a flexible circuit board with a plurality of electronic devices positioned directly thereon. The diaphragm generates an audio output and moves along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure are particularly pointed out in the appended claims. However, other features of the various embodiments will become more apparent and will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 shows a speaker assembly according to one embodiment;

[0008] Figure 2 A diaphragm of a speaker assembly including a plurality of lighting elements is shown according to one embodiment;

[0009] Figure 3 A flexible circuit board of a speaker assembly according to one embodiment is shown;

[0010] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a flexible circuit board of a speaker assembly according to one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 5 A system incorporating a speaker assembly according to one embodiment is shown; and

[0012] Figure 6 Another system incorporating a speaker assembly according to one embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention that may be embodied in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; some features may be enlarged or minimized to show the details of a particular component. Therefore, the specific structural details and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt the present invention in various ways. It should be recognized that, unless otherwise stated, one or more of the drawings may include references to similar reference numerals, and these reference numerals may be similar to each other. Similarly, if reference numerals are introduced with one or more of the drawings, these reference numerals may not be referenced to other drawings in which they appear if their respective functions and / or structures have not changed.

[0014] Embodiments disclosed herein generally provide a speaker assembly that includes a flexible printed circuit board (PCB), etc. The PCB may include a plurality of lighting devices, such as but not limited to light emitting diodes (LEDs), which enable new user experiences. Such user experiences may include animations and other visual stimuli to be displayed. The flexible PCB may also include other components, such as a transceiver that supports near field communication (NFC), a battery (or power storage device), etc.

[0015] Figure 1 A speaker assembly 100 is shown according to one embodiment. The speaker assembly 100 includes a speaker 102 configured to produce an audio output signal into a listening environment and also display any number of lighting configurations (e.g., sequences) that illuminate in a synchronized or asynchronous manner relative to the audio output signal. The speaker assembly 102 includes a magnetic assembly 110, a center disk 112, and a diaphragm 114 and a speaker cover 116. The magnetic assembly 110 includes a first plate 120, a magnet 122, a second plate 124, and a voice coil 126. The voice coil 126 generally surrounds a center post 128. The center disk 112, the diaphragm 114, the first plate 120, the magnet 122, the second plate 124, the voice coil 126, and the center post 128 are radially centered along a first axis 130 extending through the speaker assembly 100. An air gap 132 is generally formed between the voice coil 126 and the magnet 122.

[0016] In general, the magnetic assembly 110 is typically configured to move vertically in two directions. For example, the magnetic assembly 110 (e.g., the voice coil 126) generates a magnetic field across the air gap 132 when energized (e.g., when the speaker assembly 100 receives an AC-based input signal) and interacts with the magnetic field generated by the first plate 120, the magnet 122, and the second plate 124. The center post 128 serves as a magnetic flux return path and receives the magnetic field from the first plate 120, the magnet 122, and the second plate 124. Therefore, the travel of the magnetic field within the magnetic assembly 110 causes the magnetic assembly 110 to move vertically in two directions (e.g., upward and downward) along the first axis 130. This movement also causes the diaphragm 114 to move vertically in two directions along the first axis 130. The center plate 112 includes a first end attached to the center post 128 and a second end attached to the outer edge 140 of the speaker assembly 100. The center plate 112 prevents the magnetic assembly 110 from rocking or tilting (ie, tilting) about the first axis 130 .

[0017] The diaphragm 114 may include a plurality of lighting elements 150 disposed thereon and illuminating thereon. In one example, the lighting elements 150 are generally configured to illuminate when the speaker 102 is transmitting an audio signal. In this regard, the lighting elements 150 may emit light sequentially or non-sequentially. Furthermore, the lighting elements 150 may illuminate in a synchronized manner or in an asynchronous manner relative to the audio transmitted by the speaker 102. However, it should be appreciated that the lighting elements 150 may also illuminate when the speaker assembly 100 is not playing audio. Although Figure 1 A plurality of lighting elements 150 are shown distributed in strips circumferentially and linearly across the diaphragm 114, but it should be appreciated that the lighting elements 150 may be oriented or arranged in any manner on the diaphragm 114. It should also be appreciated that the lighting elements 150 may be arranged in any pattern, logo, or text arrangement as desired.

[0018] In one example, the plurality of lighting elements 150 may be light emitting diodes (LEDs). The diaphragm 114 may be formed of a flexible printed circuit board (PCB). In this case, the plurality of lighting elements 150 may be located on the PCB. In one example, one or more controllers (not shown) may be located outside the speaker 102 to transmit control signals to the plurality of lighting elements 150, thereby controlling the lighting elements 150 accordingly. The speaker 102 may include an electrical connector 155 for receiving a mating connector (not shown) to provide control signals from one or more controllers located away from the speaker 102 to the lighting elements 150.

[0019] It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, other electronic devices may be located on the diaphragm 114. For example, one or more controllers (not shown) may be located on the diaphragm 114 for driving the lighting element 150. The controller may include a current driver for driving the lighting element 150 to emit any one or more colors of light based on a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal regulated by the current driver to the lighting element 150. Additional electronic devices may also be located on the diaphragm 114, such as a battery (or power storage device, etc.) and / or a transceiver for implementing two-way wireless communication to and from the speaker 102. The transceiver may implement wireless communication via near field communication (NFC) or other suitable communication means.

[0020] The flexible circuit board of the diaphragm 114 surrounds the speaker cover 116. The speaker 102 includes a surround 152 formed on the outside. The speaker 102 also includes a baffle 154 located on its outer surface for receiving the surround 152. The baffle 154 is also radially centered along the first axis 130 and receives the first side of the surround 152. The second side of the surround 152 is directly attached (or integrated) with the diaphragm 114. Generally, the surround 152 can be attached to the baffle 154. The surround 152 can be at least partially arc-shaped so that when the surround 152 is attached to the baffle 154, the diaphragm 114 can move in two directions (upward and downward) along the first axis 130. The surround 152 can be formed of a flexible material, such as, for example, rubber, foam, silicone, or the like. It is generally envisioned that the surround 152 can include at least a portion of the flexible circuit board formed therein. In this case, the surround 152 may also include a plurality of lighting elements 150 and / or other electronic devices located thereon.

[0021] Generally speaking, a given PCB is flexible and forms the diaphragm 114, so such a flexible PCB is generally capable of causing the diaphragm 114 to move (or vibrate) to produce audio waves heard by the user. Similarly, the flexible PCB is configured to receive and hold a plurality of lighting elements 150, so that the lighting elements 150 emit one or more colors of light while the diaphragm 114 produces audio output. The plurality of lighting elements 150 can be configured to generate one or more lighting colors that are consistent with a sequence or pattern that is synchronized or asynchronous with the audio transmitted from the speaker 102.

[0022] Figure 2 FIG. 1 shows a diaphragm 114 of a speaker assembly 100 including a plurality of lighting elements 150 according to one embodiment. Figure 1 Similar to the above, a plurality of lighting elements 150 are arranged linearly and in rows on the entire diaphragm 114. Figure 1As described above, the diaphragm 114 is generally formed of a flexible PCB, and may further include a plurality of connection lines 200, which are located on a side of the flexible PCB opposite to a side on which the lighting elements 150 are received. In one example, the electrical connector 155 receives the plurality of connection lines 200 to electrically connect the plurality of lighting elements 150 to one or more controllers (not shown) that control the lighting schemes of the plurality of lighting elements 150.

[0023] Figure 3 A flexible circuit board 300 is shown forming the diaphragm 114 of the speaker assembly 100 according to one embodiment. The flexible circuit board 300 includes one or more electrical traces 302, electronic devices 304, and any number of conductive pads 306, electronic vias 310, and ground planes (or ground layers) 312 located within the board 300. The electronic devices 304 may include various lighting elements 150 and controllers 308, among others. As described above, the flexible circuit board 300 may be sufficiently flexible (or compressible) to function as a speaker diaphragm so that the diaphragm 114 vibrates above the first axis 130 (or travels in an up-and-down direction). The conductive pads 306 may receive various lighting elements 150 and controllers 308. The electrical traces 302 may electrically couple the lighting elements 150 to the controller 308. Similarly, the electrical traces 302 may send / receive signals to / from devices external to the flexible circuit board 300 via the connection lines 200. It should be appreciated that the flexible circuit board 300 may include any number of conductive layers 309, vias 310, ground planes 312, etc. The flexible circuit board 300 may include any number of layers, wherein the vias 310 may electrically connect multiple layers to each other. Similarly, the ground plane 312 may be used to provide grounding for the electrical traces 302, the electronic device 304, the controller 308, the conductive layers 309, the vias 310, etc.

[0024] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a diaphragm 114 of a speaker assembly 100 according to one embodiment is shown. As shown, a plurality of electronic devices 304 (e.g., lighting element 150 and / or controller 308) are typically located on a flexible circuit board 300. The flexible circuit board 300 may also include a conductive pad 306 and various layers (e.g., conductive layer, vias 310, ground layer 312). An encapsulant 320 may be located above the electronic devices 304 (e.g., lighting element 150, controller 308, etc.) and the various layers of the flexible circuit board 300 to protect the diaphragm 114 from environmental conditions. The encapsulant 320 may include a paint, a silicone coating, or other suitable coating.

[0025] Figure 5A system 400 incorporating a speaker assembly 100 is shown according to one embodiment. The system 400 includes a vehicle audio control system 402, a plurality of electronic devices 404, and a speaker assembly 100 as described above. The vehicle audio control system 402 includes at least one audio and lighting controller 410 (hereinafter referred to as "audio and lighting controller 410"), which is programmed to generate an audio input signal for playback by the speaker assembly 100. Similarly, the audio and lighting controller 410 may also transmit a lighting control signal indicating a lighting sequence (including lighting color) and / or pattern. In one example, the plurality of electronic devices 404 include any number of controllers, control devices, and lighting drivers to drive the plurality of lighting elements 150. The controllers and / or control devices of the plurality of electronic devices 404 may be various control electronic devices associated with a local interconnect network (LIN) data communication, a controller area network (CAN) data communication, an automotive audio bus communication (A2B), or other suitable components capable of data transmission. In addition, the controller or control device may receive data indicating a command or other data of a lighting-related nature from the audio and lighting controller 410. For example, the plurality of electronic devices 404 may also receive data corresponding to the lighting intensity of the lighting elements 150 and / or data corresponding to the particular music, tempo, and / or genre of music being played by the audio and lighting controller 410 .

[0026] It should be appreciated that the audio and lighting controller 410 can transmit audio input signals and lighting input signals to the respective controllers of the plurality of electronic devices 404 via a data communication bus, such as a digital audio bus (e.g., A2B, LIN, or CAN, etc.). In turn, the controllers of the plurality of electronic devices 404 can process the digital data and provide signals indicating the lighting input signals to the lighting driver. The lighting driver can transmit PWM signals or other signals indicating the desired lighting scheme (or sequence) to the lighting elements 150 of the speaker assembly 100. Similarly, the controllers of the plurality of electronic devices 404 can process the digital data and provide signals indicating the audio input signals to the speaker assembly 100 for audio playback. In this regard, it should be appreciated that the system 400 provides for the plurality of electronic devices 404 to be remote from the speaker assembly 100 (i.e., the plurality of electronic devices are not positioned on the flexible circuit board 300).

[0027] Figure 6 1 shows a system 500 incorporating a speaker assembly 100 according to one embodiment. The system 500 also includes a vehicle audio control system 402, a plurality of electronic devices 404, and a speaker assembly 100, and is used in conjunction with the above Figure 5 However, the system 500 incorporates one or more of the controller, control device, and lighting driver of the plurality of electronic devices 404 directly onto the flexible board of the diaphragm 114 .

[0028] It should be appreciated that the controller as disclosed herein may include various microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variations thereof) and software that cooperate with each other to perform the operations disclosed herein. In addition, such controllers as disclosed utilize one or more microprocessors to execute computer programs embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media that are programmed to perform any number of functions as disclosed. In addition, the controller as provided herein includes a housing and various numbers of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices (e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) positioned within the housing. The disclosed one or more controllers also include hardware-based inputs and outputs, which are used to receive data from and transmit data to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein, respectively.

[0029] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. In fact, the wording used in the specification is for description rather than limitation, and it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of various exemplified embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A speaker assembly, comprising: Magnetic assembly, and The diaphragm includes a plurality of electronic devices directly thereon for The magnetic assembly generates an audio output and moves along a first axis in response to being excited by an input signal. 2 . The speaker assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a flexible circuit board to directly receive the plurality of electronic devices.

3. The speaker assembly of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electronic devices comprises a plurality of lighting elements configured to project light from the diaphragm.

4. The speaker assembly of claim 3, wherein the diaphragm includes a coating located above the plurality of lighting elements to seal the plurality of lighting elements.

5. The speaker assembly of claim 3, wherein the diaphragm includes at least one electrical trace on the flexible circuit board to enable electrical communication with the plurality of lighting elements.

6. The speaker assembly of claim 3, wherein the plurality of electronic devices further comprises a plurality of drivers for providing control signals to the plurality of lighting elements to control the plurality of lighting elements to emit a plurality of colors of light therefrom.

7. The speaker assembly of claim 3, wherein the flexible circuit board and the plurality of lighting elements are radially centered about the first axis.

8. The speaker assembly of claim 7, wherein the first axis extends through the magnetic assembly, the diaphragm, and the center of the speaker cover.

9. The speaker assembly of claim 8, wherein the flexible circuit board surrounds the speaker cover.

10. A speaker assembly, comprising: Magnetic assembly; as well as A diaphragm includes a plurality of lighting elements located directly thereon to emit light therefrom, the diaphragm producing an audio output and moving along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal.

11. The speaker assembly of claim 10, wherein the diaphragm includes a flexible circuit board to directly receive the plurality of lighting elements to project light from the diaphragm.

12. The speaker assembly of claim 11, wherein the diaphragm includes a coating over the plurality of lighting elements to seal the plurality of lighting elements.

13. The speaker assembly of claim 11, wherein the diaphragm includes at least one electrical trace on the flexible circuit board to enable electrical communication with the plurality of lighting elements.

14. The speaker assembly according to claim 11, wherein the diaphragm further comprises a plurality of drivers located on the flexible circuit board for providing control signals to the plurality of lighting elements so as to control the plurality of lighting elements to emit light of a plurality of colors.

15. The speaker assembly of claim 11, wherein the flexible circuit board and the plurality of lighting elements are radially centered about the first axis.

16. The speaker assembly of claim 15, wherein the first axis extends through the magnetic assembly, the diaphragm and the center of the speaker cover.

17. The speaker assembly of claim 16, wherein the flexible circuit board surrounds the speaker cover.

18. A speaker assembly, comprising: Magnetic assembly; as well as A diaphragm includes a flexible circuit board on which a plurality of electronic devices are directly positioned to generate an audio output and move along a first axis in response to the magnetic assembly being excited by an input signal.

19. The speaker assembly of claim 18, wherein the plurality of electronic devices comprises a plurality of lighting elements configured to project light from the diaphragm.

20. The speaker assembly of claim 19, wherein the diaphragm includes a coating over the plurality of lighting elements to seal the plurality of lighting elements.

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