Spherical object that can reproduce sounds

Abstract

A spherical object capable of reproducing sounds, consisting of: a spherical body part 11; a loudspeaker part 13, provided on the spherical body part 11; a memory module 12 for storing data from a large number of initial audio signals; and a control unit 14, which is separately wired or wirelessly connected to the loudspeaker unit 13 and the memory unit 12 and is configured to read the data of one of the first audio signals in the memory unit 12 and to instruct the loudspeaker unit 13 to output the read data in a form perceptible to the human ear.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to audio devices and, more particularly, to a spherical object capable of reproducing sounds. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Conventional speaker systems typically have the shape of a rectangular cuboid or column, are relatively large, and are difficult to transport. Furthermore, the operation of a conventional speaker system generally relies on physical buttons or a complicated control panel, and therefore can be difficult for users unfamiliar with the device. Furthermore, a conventional speaker system rarely has voice control or a smart connection function and therefore lacks the convenience of voice command operation. Therefore, conventional speaker systems need to be improved. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a spherical object capable of reproducing sounds, or more specifically, a spherical object capable of reproducing music, tones, or sound effects, which has a relatively small physical volume, is comfortable and portable, and can be used in various situations.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a spherical object capable of reproducing sound, the spherical object comprising: a spherical body part; a speaker part disposed on the spherical body part; a storage part that stores the data of a plurality of first audio signals; and a control part that is wired or wirelessly connected separately to the speaker part and the storage part and is configured to read the data of any one of the first audio signals in the storage part and to instruct the speaker part to output the read data in a form perceivable by human hearing.

[0005] In one embodiment, the spherical object further comprises a wireless connection part provided on the spherical body part and electrically connected to the control part. The wireless connection part is configured to receive external data from an external device, and the external data includes a first command or a second audio signal. The control part performs a play, stop, or switch operation, or the acoustic volume control, on the first audio signals or the second audio signal according to the first received command. Thus, the spherical object of the present invention can wirelessly connect to the external device, allowing a user to operate the spherical object intuitively and conveniently via the external device.

[0006] In one embodiment, the first audio signals are music, sound effects, or voices, and the second audio signal is music, a sound effect, or a voice.

[0007] In one embodiment, the spherical object further comprises a voice control part provided on the spherical body part and electrically connected to the control part. The voice control part is configured to receive an external sound and transmit the external sound to the control part, so that the control part can receive a second command by analyzing the external sound and perform an operation according to the second command. Thus, the provision of the voice control part enables the spherical object to execute a user's voice commands, that is, to have a voice control function. This not only improves usability but also reduces the dependence on physical buttons, thus making the spherical object intelligent.

[0008] In one embodiment, the second command is a command for a play, stop or switch operation or the acoustic volume control on the first audio signals or on the second audio signals.

[0009] In one embodiment, the speaker part is a loudspeaker.

[0010] In one embodiment, the control part is a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a computing device, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, or a graphics processing unit (GPU).

[0011] In one embodiment, the storage portion comprises a database, and the database is a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a database server and is configured to store the data of the first audio signals.

[0012] In one embodiment, the spherical body part has a spherical inner shell, a spherical outer shell, and an intermediate layer. The spherical inner shell is provided within the spherical outer shell, and the intermediate layer is located between the spherical inner shell and the spherical outer shell.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the spherical outer shell is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the spherical inner shell, forming a gap between the spherical inner shell and the spherical outer shell. The intermediate layer is a liquid that fills the gap. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a system block diagram related to Fig. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] With reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. Figure 3 discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a spherical object 10 capable of reproducing sounds. The spherical object 10 essentially comprises a spherical body portion 11, a memory portion 12, at least one speaker portion 13, a control portion 14, a wireless connection portion 15, and a voice control portion 16.

[0016] The spherical body part 11 includes a spherical inner shell 111, a spherical outer shell 112, and an intermediate layer 113. The spherical outer shell 112 is made of transparent plastic and transmits light. The spherical inner shell 111 is provided within the spherical outer shell 112, and the inner diameter of the spherical outer shell 112 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the spherical inner shell 111, so that a space is formed between the spherical inner shell 111 and the spherical outer shell 112. The intermediate layer 113 is located between the spherical inner shell 111 and the spherical outer shell 112. More specifically, the intermediate layer 113 is a liquid and fills the space, so that the outer surface of the spherical inner shell 111 is not in direct contact with the inner wall of the spherical outer shell 112.The fluid is a liquid such as water or oil. Furthermore, the spherical inner housing 111 can be driven by a drive element 19 to rotate relative to the spherical outer housing 112. The drive element 19 includes a motor and a physical power transmission assembly (not shown), and the power output end of the physical power transmission assembly is connected to the spherical inner housing 111 to provide the force required to rotate the spherical inner housing 111 and to control the rotational speed of the spherical inner housing 111.

[0017] The outer surface of the spherical inner casing 111 is provided with a graphic design of an astronomical object (e.g., Earth, Mars, or Saturn), a moving object (e.g., a basketball or a soccer ball), or the appearance of another spherical object, such as Earth's tectonic plates, oceans, and clouds. The graphic design can be created by painting or on an electronic paper display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED), or an internal projection display.

[0018] The spherical body part 11 is the location where the other components can be mounted. For example, the spherical body part 11 can be mounted with one or all of the storage parts 12; more specifically, the spherical inner casing 111 can be mounted with the speaker part 13, the control part 14, the wireless connection part 15, and the voice control part 16 inside. It should be understood that some or all of the storage parts 12, the speaker part 13, the control part 14, the wireless connection part 15, and the voice control part 16 can also be mounted outside the spherical body part 11 at suitable positions. The spherical body part 11 is a spherical object whose diameter ranges from 10 cm to 20 cm, so that the spherical object 10 has a relatively small physical volume and provides convenience, portability, and suitability for use in various situations.

[0019] The storage section 12 includes a database. The database is a hard disk, an SSD, or a database server and is configured to store the data of a plurality of first audio signals as binary data. The first audio signals are music, sound effects, voices, or other types of audio signals.

[0020] The speaker part 13 is a loudspeaker and is provided on the spherical body part 11 in a suitable manner. For example, the speaker is mounted such that the sound-generating parts of the speaker, i.e., the voice coil, the diaphragm, and other sound-generating units, are installed inside the spherical inner casing 111, while the other parts of the speaker, i.e., the frame, the end terminal, and the housing of the speaker, are attached to the outer surface of the spherical inner casing 111 to form sound propagation holes or openings designed to optimize sound propagation. In other possible embodiments, the number of at least one speaker parts 13 may be several, and in this case, the plurality of speaker parts 13 are distributed around the spherical body part 11 and are spaced apart from each other to emit sound in different directions.When arranged correctly, the multiple speaker sections can radiate 13 sound in 360 degrees.

[0021] The control part 14 is a microprocessor, a CPU, a computing device, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a GPU, another similar device with computing functions, or a combination of the above. The control part 14 is connected to the speaker part 13, and the speaker part 13 can be separately connected to the storage part 12, either wired or wirelessly, and is configured to read the data of any of the first audio signals in the storage part 12 and instruct the speaker part 13 to output the read data in a form perceivable by the human ear.

[0022] The wireless connection part 15 is electrically connected to the control part 14 and can wirelessly receive external data from an external device 20 (e.g., via Bluetooth). The external data includes a first command or a second audio signal. The control part 14 receives the first command and performs a play, stop, or toggle operation, or the acoustic volume control, on the first audio signals or the second audio signal, respectively. The external device 20 is a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, or a laptop computer, so that a user can issue the first command by running a mobile phone application program (commonly known as an app) or related software. The second audio signal is music, a sound effect, a voice, or other types of audio signals and is different from the first audio signals preset in the storage part 12.For example, a user may transmit the second audio signal directly to the speaker part 13 of the spherical object 10 from a mobile phone, that is, without storing the second audio signal in the storage part 12 so that the speaker part 13 can reproduce the second audio signal, or the second audio signal may be stored in the storage part 12 to be read and reproduced.

[0023] The voice control part 16 is a microphone, is electrically connected to the control part 14, and is configured to receive an external sound and transmit the external sound to the control part 14. The control part 14 analyzes the external sound to obtain a second command. The second command is a command for a play, stop, or switching operation, or for acoustic volume control, on the first audio signals or the second audio signal, and the control part 14 executes the operation corresponding to the second command. The external sound is a voice command issued by a user.The voice control part 16 can alternatively be a built-in device or a program built into the external device 20. The device or program is equally capable of receiving and processing a user's external sound to generate a command and transmitting the command to the control part 14 so that the control part 14 can perform the corresponding operation. Thus, the provision of the voice control part 16 enables the spherical object 10 to receive and execute a user's voice commands, i.e., to have a voice control function. This increases ease of use, reduces dependence on physical buttons, and thereby makes the spherical object 10 intelligent.

[0024] The spherical object 10 further includes a power supply part 17 and a frame 18. The power supply part 17 has a battery, is provided in the spherical inner casing 111, and is electrically separately connected to the power part 19, the storage part 12, the speaker part 13, the control part 14, the wireless connection part 15, and the voice control part 16 to supply each of the above-mentioned components with power for operation. The power supply part 17 may further include a solar module, and part or all of the spherical inner casing 111 may have a translucent design to allow the solar module to absorb external light and convert the absorbed light into electrical energy.In other possible embodiments, the power supply part 17 can be connected to an external power source via a charging cable or a power cable in order to be charged and powered via a cable, or the power supply part 17 can be charged or powered via a conventional wireless charging technology.

[0025] The frame 18 consists of a plurality of rods 181 and a base 182 and is used to support the spherical body portion 11. In other possible embodiments, a supporting object of a different configuration (e.g., a display platform) may be used.

[0026] It should be noted that the above possible embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. All equivalent structural changes based on the contents of this specification and the accompanying drawings are within the scope of the invention.

[0027] In summary, a spherical object capable of reproducing sound is disclosed. The spherical object includes: a spherical body portion 11; a speaker portion 13 provided on the spherical body portion 11; a storage portion 12 that stores the data of a plurality of first audio signals; and a control portion 14 that is separately wired or wirelessly connected to the speaker portion 13 and the storage portion 12 and configured to read the data of any one of the first audio signals in the storage portion 12 and instruct the speaker portion 13 to output the read data in a form perceivable by human hearing. The spherical object can reproduce music, sound, or sound effects; has a relatively small physical volume; is convenient and portable; and can be used in various situations.

Claims

[1] A spherical object capable of reproducing sounds, consisting of: a spherical body part 11; a speaker part 13 provided on the spherical body part 11; a storage part 12 for storing data of a plurality of first audio signals; and a control part 14 which is separately connected to the speaker part 13 and the storage part 12 by wiring or wirelessly and is configured to read the data of one of the first audio signals in the storage part 12 and to instruct the speaker part 13 to output the read data in a form perceivable by the human sense of hearing. [2] The spherical object capable of reproducing sound according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless connection part 15, wherein the wireless connection part 15 is provided on the spherical body part 11, is electrically connected to the control part 14, and is configured to receive external data from an external device, the external data includes a first command or a second audio signal, and the control part 14 performs a playback, stop, or switching operation or the acoustic volume control on the first audio signals or the second audio signal according to the received first command. [3] The spherical object capable of reproducing sounds according to claim 2, wherein each of the first audio signals is music, a sound effect, or a voice, and the second audio signal is music, a sound effect, or a voice. [4] The spherical object capable of reproducing sound as claimed in claim 2 or 3, further comprising a voice control part 16, wherein the voice control part 16 is provided on the spherical body part 11, is electrically connected to the control part 14, and is configured to receive an external sound and transmit the external sound to the control part 14, so that the control part 14 analyzes the external sound to thereby obtain a second command, and the control part 14 performs an operation corresponding to the second command. [5] The spherical object capable of reproducing sounds according to claim 4, wherein the second command is a command for performing a playback, stop, or switching operation or acoustic volume control on the first audio signals or the second audio signal. [6] The spherical object capable of reproducing sound according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the speaker part 13 is a speaker. [7] The spherical object capable of reproducing sound according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the control part 14 is a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a computing device, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor or a graphics processing unit (GPU). [8] The spherical object capable of reproducing sound according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the storage part 12 has a database, and the database is a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD) or a database server and is configured to store the data of the first audio signals. [9] The spherical object capable of reproducing sounds according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the spherical body part 11 comprises a spherical inner casing 111, a spherical outer casing 112 and an intermediate layer 113, the spherical inner casing 111 is located in the spherical outer casing 112 and the intermediate layer 113 is located between the spherical inner casing 111 and the spherical outer casing 112. [10] The spherical object capable of reproducing sounds according to claim 9, wherein the spherical outer shell 112 has an inner diameter slightly larger than an outer diameter of the spherical inner shell 111, so that a gap is formed between the spherical inner shell 111 and the spherical outer shell 112, the intermediate layer 113 being a liquid that fills the gap.

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