Speaker Waveguide Layout Beneath a Display for Stable Sound Projection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with integrated speakers face challenges in maintaining sound quality and stability when designed with a small footprint, as the speaker can be obscured by display screens, and the vertical orientation increases the risk of falling due to a higher center of mass.
Innovation Solution
A display assistant device is designed with a speaker mounted in a waveguide structure beneath a display screen, and the device includes a cover structure with a tilted bottom surface to reflect sound waves and guide them through a space to exit from a rear speaker grill, maintaining stability with a low center of mass through mechanical features that protect the screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the speaker is placed beneath the display screen to achieve a small footprint, then the device occupies less space, but the speaker becomes obscured and sound quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent directs sound waves in three-dimensional space by routing them along the sides and back of the device rather than projecting forward. Multiple speaker grills are positioned on different surfaces (front, sides, back) to distribute sound output spatially, allowing the speaker to remain beneath the display while maintaining audio quality through alternative acoustic pathways.
2Area of stationary object
If the device is designed with a vertical orientation to save space, then the footprint is reduced, but the center of mass rises and stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the speaker assembly at the bottom of the device, below the display screen, to create a low center of mass that counteracts the top-heavy effect of the vertical orientation. This weight distribution strategy provides a stabilizing counterbalance that prevents the device from toppling forward despite its tall, narrow profile.
3Device complexity
If the speaker is obscured by the display screen, then the device maintains a compact design, but sound projection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sound output function across multiple speaker grills positioned on different surfaces of the device (front, sides, and back). This segmentation allows sound to be projected in multiple directions simultaneously, compensating for the obscured front-facing speaker and ensuring effective sound delivery despite the compact vertical design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a low-cost, mechanically robust, and voice-activated user interface with visual display capabilities, ensuring effective sound projection and device stability despite a small footprint and vertical orientation.
Implementation Method 1
The cover structure has a tilted bottom surface configured to be suspended above the waveguide structure and to be separated by a first space. Sound waves projected from an upper portion of the speaker are reflected by the tilted bottom surface and are guided through the first space to exit the device from a speaker grill portion located on a rear side of the exterior housing.
Data Source
AI summary
In a display assistant device, a speaker is mounted in a waveguide structure which is at least partially disposed beneath a display screen. The waveguide structure is mounted in an exterior housing which includes speaker grills distributed on a plurality of surfaces of the exterior housing, permitting sound waves from the speaker to be projected outside the exterior housing. A cover structure is disposed on top of the waveguide structure to conceal the waveguide structure and speaker within the exterior housing. The cover structure has a tilted bottom surface configured to be suspended above the waveguide structure and to be separated by a first space. Sound waves projected from an upper portion of the speaker are reflected by the tilted bottom surface and are guided through the first space to exit the device from a speaker grill portion located on a rear side of the exterior housing.