Dual-purpose hardware aperture for portable electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face reliability issues due to multiple physical apertures, which act as points of failure, compromising their overall functionality and durability as they accommodate various hardware components.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual-purpose hardware aperture that allows both acoustic and non-acoustic components to share a single aperture, such as a microphone or speaker operating alongside an electrical connector, button, or card slot, reducing the number of apertures and enhancing device reliability by conserving space and minimizing mechanical and electrical failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical apertures are provided to accommodate various hardware components, then the device functionality is enhanced, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single aperture that serves multiple functions by accommodating different hardware components at different times. The aperture can be used for camera operations, speaker output, microphone input, and various input devices through a shared opening, eliminating the need for separate apertures for each component and thereby reducing points of failure while maintaining full functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical apertures are provided for different hardware components, then the device can support more components, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate apertures into a single shared aperture structure. By combining the openings for camera, speaker, microphone, and input devices into one common aperture, the physical structure is simplified while still supporting all necessary components through this unified opening, thereby reducing structural complexity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2E
AI summary
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system which supports a dual-purpose aperture (104) for an electronic device (102). This system includes a first component (106) configured to perform an acoustic function through the aperture and a second component (108) configured to perform a non-acoustic function through the aperture.