Balanced offset force cancellation using bass and full range transducers

Abstract

The invention relates to balance offset force cancellation using bass and full range transducers. A transducer assembly includes a laterally offset arrangement of transducers of different sizes including at least a first transducer having a vibrating membrane of a first size arranged in a first direction and a pair of transducers each having a vibrating membrane of a second size arranged in a second direction, the pair of transducers is coupled to the first transducer so as to output sound when driven by a respective audio signal, and wherein the force generated by the first transducer is cancelled by the sum of the forces generated by the pair of transducers when the transducer is driven by the audio signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to an offset transducer configuration for force cancellation and, more particularly, to a transducer configuration for force cancellation having multiple offset transducers of different sizes. Other aspects are also described and claimed. Background Art

[0002] Electronic devices sometimes include a pair of loudspeakers to generate sound from an electrical audio signal. Typically, the pair of loudspeakers are fixedly mounted in a common housing and can be acoustically and mechanically in phase. For example, the loudspeakers can be acoustically in phase, because they generate sound from the same audio signal, and mechanically in phase, because the same audio signal drives the loudspeakers' respective diaphragms simultaneously in the same direction. However, the forces generated by the loudspeakers can induce vibrations and hum in various components of the electronic device. This, in turn, can lead to a poor user experience when playing music and other sound recordings. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to an offset force cancellation system that uses multiple transducers of different sizes and arranged in different directions to cancel force, and the multiple transducers do not produce a net torque. Advantageously, the assembly can include a large bass driver and one or more smaller transducers. If arranged on the left and right sides of the product, the one or more smaller transducers can be repurposed as full-range transducers to provide mono or stereo content. In some aspects, force cancellation at higher frequencies will be reduced, but this can be mitigated by decoupling the smaller transducers. When the dome diaphragms are accelerated in the same direction / phase to generate the desired force, this configuration can also be used to provide a low-cost haptic experience for touchpads or similar components. The proposed method has potential application in portable electronic devices and other devices, especially where the z-height of the speaker is constrained and stacking force cancellation is not possible. In addition, when the transducer diaphragms are accelerated in the same direction / phase to generate the desired force, the configuration disclosed herein can also be used to provide a low-cost haptic experience for touchpads or similar device components.

[0004] More specifically, one aspect relates to a transducer assembly comprising a laterally offset arrangement of transducers of different sizes, the transducers comprising at least a first transducer having a diaphragm of a first size arranged along a first direction, and a pair of transducers each having a diaphragm of a second size arranged along a second direction, so as to output sound when driven by a corresponding audio signal, and wherein when the transducers are driven by the audio signal, the force generated by the first transducer is canceled by the sum of the forces generated by the pair of transducers. The first transducer may include a bass driver, and the pair of transducers may include a first full-range driver and a second full-range driver. In some aspects, the first and second full-range drivers are driven by a first and second audio signal, and the bass driver is driven by the sum of the first and second audio signals passed through a low-pass filter. The first transducer includes a first bass driver, and the pair of transducers includes a second bass driver and a full-range driver. In some aspects, the first audio signal is passed through a low pass filter to drive the first bass driver and the second bass driver, and the full-range driver is driven by the second audio signal. In some aspects, the first transducer comprises a mono subwoofer, and the pair of transducers comprises a full-range left driver and a full-range right driver. In other aspects, the force generated by the first transducer is in the first direction, and the force generated by the pair of transducers is in the second direction, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction. In further aspects, the pair of transducers are arranged symmetrically around the first transducer. In other aspects, the diaphragm of the first size comprises a larger surface area than the diaphragm of the second size. In further aspects, the sum of the surface areas of the diaphragms of the second size is equal to the surface area of ​​the diaphragms of the first size. In other aspects, the different sized transducers are also capable of operating to produce tactile output. In some aspects, a housing and an actuatable member coupled to the housing are also provided, the different sized transducers being positioned within the housing, the actuatable member being operable to be actuated by the tactile output.

[0005] In other aspects, an electronic device includes a housing enclosing a transducer assembly, the transducer assembly including a first transducer having a diaphragm of a first size facing a first direction and generating a first force in the first direction when driven by an audio signal; a second transducer laterally offset from the first transducer and having a diaphragm of a second size facing a second direction, the second transducer generating a second force in the second direction when driven by the audio signal; and a third transducer laterally offset from the first and second transducers and having a diaphragm facing the second direction to generate a third force when driven by the audio signal, wherein the sum of the first and second forces is equal to the first force, resulting in overall force cancellation. In some aspects, the first transducer comprises a bass driver, and at least one of the second or third transducers comprises a full-range driver. In other aspects, the second transducer and the third transducer both include full-range drivers driven by a first audio signal and a second audio signal, respectively, and the bass driver is driven by the sum of the first audio signal and the second audio signal passed through a low-pass filter. In some aspects, the first transducer includes a first bass driver, the second transducer includes a second bass driver, and the third transducer includes a full-range driver. In a further aspect, the first audio signal passes through a low-pass filter to drive the first bass driver and the second bass driver, and the full-range driver is driven by the second audio signal. In some aspects, the diaphragm of the third transducer has the same surface area as the diaphragm of the second size. In other aspects, the diaphragm of the third transducer includes a third size that is different from the first size and the second size. In a further aspect, the device includes a touch pad coupled to the housing, the touch pad operable to be actuated by the transducer assembly.

[0006] The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present disclosure. It is contemplated that the present disclosure includes all systems and methods that can be implemented by all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above and disclosed in the detailed description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with this patent application. Such combinations have specific advantages not specifically recited in the above summary. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] In the figures of the accompanying drawings, various aspects are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements. It should be noted that reference to "one" or "an" aspect in this disclosure is not necessarily the same aspect and means at least one.

[0008] Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of one aspect of a transducer assembly is illustrated.

[0009] Figure 2 A cross-sectional side view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 3 A top plan view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 4 A top plan view of another aspect of the transducer assembly is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating some of the constituent components of one aspect of an electronic device in which one or more aspects may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] In this section, we will explain several preferred aspects of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever the shapes, relative positions, and other aspects of the components described are not clearly defined, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the components shown, which are shown for illustrative purposes only. In addition, although many details are set forth, it should be understood that some aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and technologies are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description.

[0014] The terms used herein are only for describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Spatial relative terms such as "under ... ", "below ... ", "bottom", "above ... ", "top" etc. can be used in this article for the convenience of description to describe the relationship between an element or feature and another element or feature, as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations during the use or operation of the device except for the orientation shown in the drawings. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, the element described as "below" or "below" other elements or features will be oriented to be "above" other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary term "below ... " can cover both orientations of above ... and below .... The device can be oriented in other ways (for example, rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly.

[0015] As used herein, unless the context indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0016] As used herein, the terms "or" and "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Thus, "A, B, or C" or "A, B, and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C." An exception to this definition occurs only when a combination of elements, functions, steps, or actions are inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0017] Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of one aspect of a transducer assembly is illustrated. The transducer assembly 100 can be, for example, an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal into an auditory (or tactile) output that can be output from a device in which the transducer assembly 100 is integrated. For example, the transducer assembly 100 can be a component of a microspeaker, such as an electric loudspeaker present in a smartphone, laptop, notebook, tablet computer, portable timer, or another electronic device. In other aspects, the transducer assembly 100 can convert sound into an electrical audio signal and can be referred to as a microphone. The transducer assembly 100 can be enclosed within a housing or casing of a device in which the transducer assembly is integrated, or enclosed within a module integrated into a housing or casing of the device. In some aspects, the transducer assembly 100 can be viewed as a relatively small (e.g., having a thickness of approximately 4 mm or less) microspeaker, microtransducer, or microactuator module.

[0018] The transducer assembly 100 can include a frame, housing, or enclosure 102, which can be a relatively rigid structure that supports and / or encloses some or all of the components of the transducer assembly 100. In some aspects, the enclosure 102 can support or enclose or otherwise couple to only the transducer components (e.g., a transducer module) or can enclose all device components (e.g., a computer, portable device, or other electronic device housing). In some cases, the enclosure 102 can include a first portion, a first wall, or a top wall 102A, and a second portion, a second wall, or a bottom wall 102B. In some aspects, these portions or walls 102A-102B can form a cavity or interior chamber for holding the transducer components. In some aspects, these portions or walls 102A-102B can be considered fixed structures that can be snap-fitted, welded, adhered, or attached together using some other mechanism or process along their interfacing surfaces to form the enclosure 102.

[0019] The transducer assembly 100 may also include transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C coupled to the housing 102. In some aspects, the transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C may be any type of electroacoustic transducer capable of converting electrical audio signals into sound or converting sound into electrical audio signals. Typically, the transducers 104A-104C may be speakers or microspeakers, for example, miniaturized versions of loudspeakers that use moving coil motors to drive sound output. Thus, in some aspects, the transducers 104A-104C may be referred to herein as microspeakers. In other aspects, where the transducers 104A-104C convert sound into electrical audio signals, these transducers may further be referred to herein as microphones. In this regard, the transducers 104A-104C may each include a magnet assembly having magnets 108A, 108B, and 108C mounted to yokes 110A, 110B, and 110C, respectively. The yokes 110A, 110B, 110C can surround a respective one of the magnets 108A, 108B, 108C so that they together form a magnetic gap. A vibrating surface or diaphragm 112A, 112B, 112B, having a voice coil 114A, 114B, 114C attached thereto, respectively, is suspended above the magnet assembly so that the voice coil 114A, 114B, 114C is positioned within the magnetic gap. Typically, the diaphragms 112A, 112B, 112C can include a compliant or flexible surround around the perimeter that is attached to support members 118A, 118B, 118C, respectively, which are connected to the housing 102. In this regard, the diaphragms 112A, 112B, 112C and the voice coils 114A, 114B, 114C can be movably suspended above the magnet assembly. Applying an electric current (or signal) through the voice coils 114A, 114B, 114C generates a magnetic field that causes the voice coils 114A, 114B, 114C to react to the magnetic field of the magnets 108A, 108B, 108C. This, in turn, moves the voice coils 114A, 114B, 114C along the axis of vibration, which in turn causes the diaphragms 112A, 112B, 112C to vibrate and output sound. In some aspects, the transducers 104A-104C may have a shared back volume chamber (e.g., a single acoustic volume or chamber coupled to the back side of the diaphragms 112A, 112B, 112C). In other aspects, each of the transducers 104A-104C may have a separate back volume chamber that is not shared by the other transducers 104A-104C.

[0020] However, as mentioned above, the vibration of the diaphragm 112A, 112B, 112C (and other transducer components) may unintentionally transfer force to the system, thereby causing undesirable system effects (e.g., hum) and / or mechanical failures from the vibration that affect the user experience. In order to offset or otherwise reduce these forces being transferred to the system, the transducers 104A, 104B, 104C may have a lateral offset arrangement and have different sizes. The offset arrangement and size selection function is to offset some of these forces while also reducing any undesirable torque moments caused by the offset arrangement, which may cause significant force at higher frequencies. Representatively, the transducers 104A, 104B, 104C may be arranged so that they are laterally offset along the x-axis and face different directions along the z-axis, as shown. For example, the transducer 104A is aligned with the axis 116A, the transducer 104B is aligned with the axis 116B, and the transducer 104C is aligned with the axis 116C. Axis 116A, 116B, 116C may be parallel to the z-axis and laterally offset relative to the x-axis. Transducer 104A is further arranged so that the top side of vibrating membrane 112A faces a first direction (e.g., a vertical downward direction along the z-axis) and vibrates or otherwise moves in a direction parallel to axis 116A. For example, the top side of vibrating membrane 112A of transducer 104A may be a sound output side or surface that outputs sound to a user when vibrating membrane 112A vibrates along axis 116A. On the other hand, transducers 104B and 104C are arranged so that the top sides (e.g., sound output sides) of vibrating membranes 112B and 112C face a second direction (e.g., a vertical upward direction along the z-axis) and vibrate or otherwise move in a direction parallel to axes 116B, 116C. In other words, the diaphragm 112A of transducer 104A can be driven in a direction opposite to the diaphragms 112B, 112C of transducers 104B, 104C (as illustrated by the arrows). In this regard, when transducer 104A is driven by an acoustic or audio signal to output sound, transducer 104A generates a force F1 in a first direction Z1. Additionally, when transducers 104B and 104C are driven by an acoustic or audio signal, each transducer 104B, 104C generates a force F2 in a second direction Z2. Thus, this mechanically out-of-phase arrangement of transducers 104A, 104B, 104C can offset or reduce undesirable forces that could otherwise be output to the system through transducer vibrations. It can be further appreciated that due to the lateral offset arrangement of transducers 104A-104C, the assembly has a minimum z-height and is therefore a particularly useful solution for devices or housings that desire or must otherwise maintain a low or minimum z-height.

[0021] Furthermore, to further improve force cancellation and prevent undesirable torque moments, one or more of transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C can be sized differently. Representatively, in some aspects, transducer 104A can have a first size, and transducers 104B and 104C can have different sizes than transducer 104A. For example, transducer 104A can be considered a large transducer with a correspondingly large force output F1. Transducers 104B and 104C can be smaller transducers, each having a smaller force output F2 that, when combined, equals the force output F1 of transducer 104A. In this regard, when the transducers are driven by an audio signal, the force F1 generated by transducer 104A is canceled by the sum of the forces F2 generated by transducers 104B and 104C. Additionally, due to the balanced or symmetrical arrangement of the larger transducer 104A between the smaller transducers 104B, 104C, the system also does not produce a net torque that could otherwise undesirably affect forces at higher frequencies.

[0022] Representatively, in some aspects, transducer size may refer to the surface area of ​​diaphragms 112A-112C of transducers 104A-104C, respectively. For example, transducer 104A may have a diaphragm 112A having a surface area that is larger than the surface areas of diaphragms 112B and 112C of transducers 104B and 104C, respectively, and thus transducer 104A may be considered a large transducer. In other words, the surface areas of diaphragms 112B and 112C may be smaller than the surface area of ​​diaphragm 112A, and thus transducers 104B and 104C may be considered small transducers. In some aspects, the surface area of ​​diaphragm 112B and the surface area of ​​diaphragm 112C may be the same or different. However, the sum of the surface areas of diaphragms 112B and 112C may be considered equal to the total surface area of ​​diaphragm 112A, such that they are considered balanced or matched. In other aspects, transducer size may refer to the mass of transducers 104A-104C. For example, the mass of transducer 104A can be greater than the mass of transducers 104B, 104C. In some aspects, the mass of transducer 104B and the mass of transducer 104C can be the same or different. However, the sum of the masses of transducers 104B, 104C can be considered equal to the mass of transducer 104A, such that they are considered balanced or matched. In this regard, the force F2 caused by the upward vibration of the two smaller transducers 104B, 104C will be balanced by the force F1 caused by the downward vibration of the larger transducer 104A. In this regard, the collective force F2 in the Z1 direction is equal to the force F1 in the Z2 direction and provides force cancellation, while the symmetrical offset arrangement balances the torque in the upper / lower segments and the left / right segments, thereby generating no net torque.

[0023] Additionally, in some aspects, transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C may be selected to produce different acoustic outputs when driven by an audio signal. Typically, larger transducer 104A may be driven by an acoustic or audio signal to produce a low-frequency output in the Z1 direction, while one or both of the smaller transducers 104B and 104C produce different frequency outputs in the Z2 direction. For example, transducer 104A may be a bass driver or subwoofer that produces low frequencies (e.g., 20 Hz-500 Hz). Transducer 104B may also be a bass driver or subwoofer. On the other hand, transducer 204C may be a full-range driver that produces as much of the audible frequency range as possible (e.g., above 100 Hz). In this regard, the mass / acceleration and resulting forces on the two smaller transducers moving upward will be balanced by the larger transducer vibrating downward. In other aspects, transducer 104A may be a bass driver or subwoofer, and both transducers 104B and 104C may be full-range drivers. Alternatively, the arrangement of transducers 104A-104C may include an arrangement of at least one tweeter (e.g., 2000 Hz-20,000 Hz frequency range) and at least one subwoofer, or an arrangement of at least one tweeter and at least one full-range driver also operating as a tweeter. For example, because force cancellation is less important at higher frequencies, one of the smaller transducers 104B or 104C may operate as a full-range driver as well as a tweeter, the other smaller transducer 104B, 104C may operate as a woofer driver, and the center transducer 104A may operate as a woofer driver. In a further aspect, the two smaller transducers 104B, 104C may be left and right full-range drivers, and the larger center transducer 104A may be a mono subwoofer to achieve both force cancellation and stereo output. It is further contemplated that in some aspects, the spacing of the transducers 104A-104C may be optimized to achieve the desired stereo and / or mono output.

[0024] Now refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 Illustrated Figure 1 The transducer assembly is configured to also generate a tactile output for actuating a device component. Representatively, the transducer assembly 200 is similar to the reference Figure 1 The transducer assembly 100 described is substantially the same and includes the same components as that transducer assembly. Figure 1 Repeated parts are marked in the drawings but are not referred to again. Figure 2104A, 104B, 104C. For example, the device component 202 may be a touch screen coupled to the outer surface of the housing wall 102A. In this regard, the device component 202 may be a component configured to be manipulated by a user. For example, in some aspects, the device component 202 may be a touch screen coupled to the outer surface of the wall 102A and operable to detect the movement and / or position of a user's finger in order to control a device within which the transducer assembly 200 is implemented. The device component 202 may be positioned above the transducers 104A, 104B, 104C. For example, the device component 202 may be aligned with the axis 116A so that it is directly above the larger transducer 104A. Transducer 104A, alone or in combination with transducers 104B and 104C, can be driven to produce a tactile output that actuates device component 202 (e.g., vibrates it). Representatively, one or more of transducers 104A-104C can be a woofer that can be used to produce a tactile output and excite device component 202. For example, by assigning appropriate phases to transducers 104A-104C (e.g., the transducers are mechanically driven in phase), tactile output and force cancellation can be achieved simultaneously. In this regard, transducer assembly 200 can have force cancellation properties as previously discussed while also producing a tactile output to the user by, for example, actuating a touchpad or other device component 202 coupled to the housing. In addition, in some aspects, housing wall 102A can further include openings 204B and 204C aligned with transducers 104B and 104C, and housing wall 102B can include opening 204A aligned with transducer 104A. For example, openings 204B and 204C may be positioned above diaphragms 112B and 112C of transducers 104B and 104C, respectively, and opening 204A may be positioned above diaphragm 112A of transducer 104A, as shown. In this regard, transducers 104B and 104C may function as full-range left and right transducers that output sound through openings 204A and 204B, respectively, and the central large transducer 104A may be a left-plus-right mono bass transducer that outputs sound through opening 204C.

[0025] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Schematic top plan views of representative signal paths for driving transducer assemblies 300 and 400 are illustrated. Typically, transducer assembly 300 is substantially the same as, and includes the same components as, transducer assemblies 100 and / or 200 described with reference to the previous figures. Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 Duplicate components in will no longer be referenced Figure 3 However, regarding Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 The previous discussion should be understood to apply to Figure 3 From this view, the acoustic or audio signals used to drive transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C can be more clearly understood. Representatively, Figure 3 312. The offset arrangement of transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C, as previously discussed, is illustrated, with sound being output toward a listener as illustrated by arrow 312. As can be further understood from the + / - symbols, transducer 104A is mechanically moved into the page, while transducers 104B, 104C are mechanically moved out of the page. For example, transducer 104A can be a large transducer that faces a different direction (e.g., Z1 direction) than the direction (e.g., Z2 direction) of the smaller transducers 104B, 104C, as previously discussed. From this view, it can also be seen that transducer 104A has a larger surface area than transducers 104B, 104C. From this view, it can be further seen that the first or right audio signal 302 drives the smaller right transducer 104B, and the second or left audio signal 304 drives the smaller left transducer 104C. The smaller right and left transducers 104B, 104C can be, for example, full-range drivers. To drive the large middle transducer 104A, the first audio signal 302 and the second audio signal 304 may be summed and passed through a low pass filter 308 at operation 306 to produce a drive audio signal 310 that drives the middle transducer 104A in the low frequency range. In this regard, the large middle transducer 104A may be a bass driver.

[0026] Figure 4 Another representative signal path arrangement for driving a transducer assembly 400 is illustrated. The transducer assembly 400 is substantially the same as, and includes the same components as, the transducer assemblies 100, 200, and / or 300 described with reference to the previous figures. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and / or Figure 3 Duplicate components in will no longer be referenced Figure 4 However, regarding Figure 1-Figure 3 The previous discussion should be understood to apply to Figure 4 From this view, another acoustic or audio signal path for driving transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C can be more clearly understood. Representatively, Figure 4The offset arrangement of transducers 104A, 104B, and 104C, as previously discussed, is illustrated, with sound being output toward a listener as illustrated by arrow 414. As can be further seen from this diagram, another arrangement of transducers 404A, 404B, 404C, similar to transducers 104A, 104B, 104C, can be arranged along opposite sides of housing 102 as shown to produce higher quality sound output. As can be further seen from this diagram, a first or left audio signal 404 drives the smaller left transducer 104C. A second or right audio signal 402 passes through a low-pass filter 408 to produce a signal 410 that drives the smaller right transducer 104B and a signal 412 that drives the larger center transducer 104A. In this configuration, the large transducer 104A and the smaller transducer 104B can be bass drivers operable to output low frequencies, while the smaller right transducer 104C can be a full-range driver. In this configuration, all transducers 104A-104C output low frequencies for force cancellation, but only one of the transducers 104C also generates high frequencies to avoid any interference associated with multiple high-frequency sources. Additionally, with appropriate phase shifting, all transducers 104A-104C can be driven at full range, and beamforming is achieved at higher frequencies, rather than using only a single small speaker for high frequencies.

[0027] Now refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating some of the components of one aspect of an electronic device in which one or more aspects may be implemented is provided. Device 500 may be any of several different types of consumer electronic devices. For example, device 500 may be any device equipped with a transducer, such as a cellular phone, a smartphone, a media player, a tablet-type portable computer, a controller, or any other device that may benefit from sound output and / or tactile output.

[0028] In this regard, the electronic device 500 includes a processor 512 that interacts with camera circuitry 506, motion sensor 504, storage 508, memory 514, display 522, and user input interface 524. The main processor 512 may also interact with communication circuitry 502, main power supply 510, motion sensor 504, speaker 518, and microphone 520. The various components of the electronic device 500 may be digitally interconnected and used or managed by a software stack executed by the processor 512. Many of the components shown or described herein may be implemented as one or more dedicated hardware units and / or programmed processors (software executed by a processor, such as the processor 512).

[0029] The processor 512 controls the overall operation of the device 500 by executing some or all of the operations of one or more application programs or operating system programs implemented on the device 500, by executing instructions (software code and data) that may be found in the storage device 508. The processor 512 may, for example, drive the display 522 and receive user input through the user input interface 524 (which may be, for example, a touchpad operating as a single touch-sensitive display panel). In addition, the processor 512 may send audio signals to the speaker 518 and / or the motion sensor 504 to facilitate the operation of the speaker 518 and / or the actuator 504.

[0030] Storage 508 provides relatively large amounts of "persistent" data storage using non-volatile solid-state memory (e.g., flash memory storage) and / or dynamic non-volatile storage devices (e.g., rotating disk drives). Storage 508 may include both local storage space and storage space on remote servers. Storage 508 may store data as well as software components that control and manage the various functions of device 500 at a higher level.

[0031] In addition to storage 508, there may also be memory 514, also referred to as main memory or program memory, which provides relatively fast access to stored code and data being executed by processor 512. Memory 514 may include solid-state random access memory (RAM), such as static RAM or dynamic RAM. There may be one or more processors, such as processor 512, that run or execute various software programs, modules, or instruction sets (e.g., applications) that, while permanently stored in storage 508, have been transferred to memory 514 for execution to perform the various functions described above.

[0032] Device 500 may include communication circuitry 502. Communication circuitry 502 may include components for wired or wireless communication, such as two-way conversations and data transmission. For example, communication circuitry 502 may include RF communication circuitry coupled to an antenna, enabling a user of device 500 to place or receive calls over a wireless communication network. RF communication circuitry may include an RF transceiver and a cellular baseband processor to enable calls over a cellular network. For example, communication circuitry 502 may include Wi-Fi communication circuitry, enabling a user of device 500 to place or initiate calls using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection to transmit data over a wireless local area network.

[0033] Device 500 may include microphone 520. Microphone 520 may be an acoustic-electrical transducer or sensor that converts sound in the air into an electrical signal. Microphone circuitry may be electrically connected to processor 512 and power supply 510 to facilitate microphone operation (eg, tilting).

[0034] Device 500 may include a motion sensor 504, also known as an inertial sensor, that can be used to detect movement of device 500. Motion sensor 504 may include a position, orientation, or motion (POM) sensor, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a light sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an acoustic sensor, a sound wave or sonar sensor, a radar sensor, an image sensor, a video sensor, a global positioning (GPS) detector, an RF or acoustic Doppler detector, a compass, a magnetometer, or other similar sensor. For example, motion sensor 504 may be a light sensor that detects movement or the absence of movement of device 500 by detecting ambient light intensity or sudden changes in ambient light intensity. Motion sensor 504 generates a signal based on at least one of the position, orientation, and movement of device 500. The signal may include characteristics of the motion, such as acceleration, velocity, direction, change in direction, duration, amplitude, frequency, or any other characteristic of motion. Processor 512 receives the sensor signal and controls one or more operations of device 500 based in part on the sensor signal.

[0035] Device 500 also includes camera circuitry 506 that implements the digital camera functionality of device 500. One or more solid-state image sensors are built into device 500, and each solid-state image sensor may be located at the focal plane of an optical system including a corresponding lens. An optical image of the scene within the camera's field of view is formed on the image sensor, and the sensor responds by capturing the scene as a digital image or picture composed of pixels, which may then be stored in storage device 508. Camera circuitry 506 may also be used to capture video images of the scene. Device 500 also includes a main power supply 510, such as an internal battery, as the primary power source.

[0036] Although certain aspects have been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that such aspects are merely illustrative of the broad disclosure and not limiting, and that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific structures and arrangements shown and described, as various other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, although an offset arrangement of three transducers is described and illustrated herein, it is contemplated that fewer or more than three transducers may be used. For example, an arrangement of four offset transducers is contemplated. These four transducers may be arranged side by side, or in some aspects, may be arranged in a circle or diagonally offset from one another. The four or more offset transducers may also be of different sizes and arranged to vibrate in different directions to achieve force cancellation and no net torque, as previously discussed. Additionally, in some aspects, one or more of these transducers may be decoupled or soft-mounted to the housing to further help reduce forces on the system by isolating or otherwise preventing the forces generated by the transducer vibrations from being transmitted to the housing. Therefore, the description is to be considered illustrative and not limiting. Furthermore, to assist the Patent Office and any reader of any patent that issues upon this application in interpreting the appended claims, Applicants wish to point out that they do not intend any appended claim or claim element to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the phrase "means for" or "step for" is expressly used in a particular claim.

Claims

1. A transducer assembly, comprising: A laterally offset arrangement of transducers of different sizes, the transducers of different sizes comprising at least a first transducer having a diaphragm of a first size arranged along a first direction, and a pair of transducers each having a diaphragm of a second size arranged along a second direction so as to output sound when driven by corresponding audio signals, and wherein when the transducers are driven by the audio signal, the force generated by the first transducer is offset by the sum of the forces generated by the pair of transducers.

2. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the first transducer comprises a bass driver and the pair of transducers comprises a first full-range driver and a second full-range driver.

3. The transducer assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first full-range driver and the second full-range driver are driven by a first audio signal and a second audio signal, and the bass driver is driven by a sum of the first audio signal and the second audio signal passed through a low-pass filter.

4. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the first transducer comprises a first bass driver and the pair of transducers comprises a second bass driver and a full-range driver.

5. The transducer assembly of claim 4, wherein a first audio signal is passed through a low pass filter to drive the first and second bass drivers, and the full range driver is driven by a second audio signal.

6. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the first transducer comprises a monaural subwoofer and the pair of transducers comprises a full-range left driver and a full-range right driver.

7. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the force generated by the first transducer is in the first direction, and the force generated by the pair of transducers is in the second direction, and the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

8. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the pair of transducers are symmetrically arranged around the first transducer.

9. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the diaphragm of the first size comprises a larger surface area than the diaphragm of the second size.

10. The transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the sum of the surface areas of the diaphragms in the second dimension is equal to the surface area of ​​the diaphragms in the first dimension.

11. The transducer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the different sized transducers are further operable to produce tactile output.

12. The transducer assembly of claim 11, further comprising a housing and an actuatable member coupled to the housing, the differently sized transducers being positioned within the housing, the actuatable member being operable to be actuated by the tactile output.

13. An electronic device, comprising: A housing enclosing a transducer assembly, wherein the transducer assembly comprises: a first transducer having a diaphragm of a first size facing in a first direction and generating a first force in the first direction when driven by an audio signal; a second transducer laterally offset from the first transducer and having a diaphragm of a second size facing in a second direction, the second transducer generating a second force in the second direction when driven by an audio signal; and a third transducer laterally offset from the first and second transducers and having a diaphragm facing the second direction to generate a third force when driven by an audio signal, and wherein the sum of the first and second forces is equal to the first force, resulting in overall force cancellation.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first transducer comprises a bass driver and at least one of the second transducer or the third transducer comprises a full-range driver.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the second transducer and the third transducer both comprise full-range drivers driven by a first audio signal and a second audio signal, respectively, and the bass driver is driven by a sum of the first audio signal and the second audio signal passed through a low-pass filter.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first transducer comprises a first bass driver, the second transducer comprises a second bass driver, and the third transducer comprises a full-range driver. 17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a first audio signal passes through a low pass filter to drive the first bass driver and the second bass driver, and the full range driver is driven by a second audio signal. 18 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the diaphragm of the third transducer has the same surface area as the diaphragm of the second size.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm of the third transducer comprises a third dimension different from the first dimension and the second dimension.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising a trackpad coupled to the housing, the trackpad operable to be actuated by the transducer assembly.

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