Touch-Sensitive Speaker Housing With Concealed Sensor and Sound Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with voice-activated capabilities face challenges in providing reliable user interfaces with compact form factors and low costs, especially in environments without display screens, requiring multiple interface options for effective audible and visual feedback.
Innovation Solution
A compact voice-activated electronic device with touch-sensitive housing and integrated microphones, speakers, and visual indicators like LEDs, allowing for hands-free and eyes-free operation, and network connectivity to control smart home and media devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a compact form factor is used for the voice-activated device, then the device size and cost are reduced, but the reliability and performance of multiple user interface options deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple user interface components (microphone array, speaker system, LED indicators, and touch-sensitive housing) into a single integrated device. The touch-sensitive housing serves both as the device enclosure and as a tactile interface, eliminating the need for separate buttons or controls. This merging allows the device to maintain compact dimensions while providing reliable multiple interface options for user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection for internal components, acts as a touch-sensitive input interface, and houses the acoustic components. The LED indicators are integrated into the housing, allowing visual feedback without requiring separate display elements. This multi-functionality enables reliable user interaction through multiple modalities within a compact form factor.
2Reliability
If multiple user interface options are provided, then user interaction reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the touch-sensitive housing with the device enclosure, eliminating the need for separate button assemblies or control panels. The LED indicators are embedded within the housing structure rather than requiring separate mounting. This integration reduces the number of discrete components and simplifies assembly while maintaining multiple interface options for reliable user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves as both a structural enclosure and an active user interface component through its touch-sensitive properties. The same housing that protects internal components also provides tactile feedback and input capabilities. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by eliminating dedicated interface components while maintaining reliable user interaction through voice, touch, and visual feedback.
3Ease of manufacture
If a compact form factor is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the quality of audible feedback from the speaker system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker system is designed to project sound in multiple dimensions rather than relying on a single large speaker. The device uses directional sound projection and acoustic waveguides to distribute audio feedback throughout the compact enclosure, maintaining sound quality despite reduced speaker size. This dimensional approach to sound distribution allows compact manufacturing while preserving audible feedback quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The acoustic components are integrated directly into the housing structure, with speaker grilles and acoustic ports formed as part of the housing itself rather than requiring separate assemblies. This integration reduces manufacturing steps and costs while allowing optimized acoustic pathways within the compact form factor, maintaining sound quality without increasing complexity.
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
Enables reliable voice-activated control of smart home and media devices through audible and visual feedback, supporting seamless interaction in various environments without requiring a display screen.
Implementation Method 1
Each sensor electrode is configured to provide an electrical signal that varies in response to a touch event occurring to a corresponding area of the exterior surface of the housing
Implementation Method 2
visual indicators, such as one or more full-color LEDs that are used to indicate the status of voice processing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A compact electronic device has a touch sensor and/or a microphone that are concealed within a housing at least partially wrapped by an acoustically porous cover. In some implementations, the touch sensor includes a sensing portion and a contact portion extending from the sensing portion. While the sensing portion is placed in proximity to an interior surface of the housing to detect a touch on the housing, the contact portion is bent to electrically couple the sensing portion to a circuit board via two distinct electrical paths. In some implementations, an exterior surface of the housing includes a sealing area surrounding an aperture on the housing, and the acoustically porous cover is affixed to the sealing area via an adhesive. The adhesive covers the sealing area and permeates a thickness of the acoustically porous cover, thereby enabling formation of a controlled sound path to access the microphone via the aperture.