Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab

Ericsson Gmbh

Sony Corporation

Sony Mobile Communications Ab

Ericcson Inc.

Matthew Justin Murray

William Chris Eaton

Michael D Townsend

Gregory S Patterson

Scott Ladell Vance

Trampas B Stern

Ronald J Johnsen

Chris Eaton

Christian L Lindqvist

Kirsten Finley

Michael O Wayland

A printed circuit board for a wireless communications device includes an acoustic path, and acoustically couples microphone circuitry mounted to a surface of the printed circuit board to an exterior of the wireless communications device. A portion of the acoustic path is integrally formed with the printed circuit board and extends generally parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board. One end of the acoustic path is disposed proximate the microphone circuitry and an opposing end opens to receive acoustic sound from the exterior of the wireless communications device. Audible sound propagates through the acoustic path to the microphone circuitry.

Acoustic path for a wireless communications device

A mobile device includes a vibrator, an accelerometer that senses a parameter of rotation, and a processor. The vibrator includes a drive motor and a drive circuit. The accelerometer senses a speed of rotation of the vibrator. The processor analyzes the sensed speed of rotation and generates a drive voltage that is received by the drive circuit to adjust the drive motor to produce a pre-determined, desired rotational speed. In another embodiment, the accelerometer senses an amplitude of a vibration produced by the vibrator. The processor analyzes the sensed amplitude of a vibration and generates a drive voltage that is received by the drive circuit to adjust the drive motor to produce a pre-determined, desired vibration amplitude. The processor may also compare the sensed parameter with a pre-determined desired parameter of rotation and generate a signal responsive to a result of the comparison and based on stored vibrator calibration curves.

Use of an accelerometer to control vibrator performance

A mobile terminal includes a portable terminal housing and a speaker housing positioned in the portable terminal housing. The speaker housing includes a first micro-speaker having a first frequency response and a second micro-speaker having a second frequency response and positioned proximate the first micro-speaker. The terminal housing further includes a first passageway extending from a front face of the first micro-speaker to a first opening in the terminal housing, and a second passageway extending from a back face of the second micro-speaker to a second opening in the terminal housing displaced from the first opening. A grommet adjacent the speaker housing acoustically separates at least a portion of the first passageway from the second passageway. The first passageway may be completely acoustically separated from the second passageway by the grommet and/or a gasket and/or a foam structure. The grommet may define a first outlet extending from a front face of the first micro-speaker to a first location on an external surface of the grommet and a second outlet extending from a back face of the second micro-speaker to a second location on the external surface of the grommet that is displaced from the first location, so that the grommet may acoustically separate the second outlet from the first outlet, although complete acoustic isolation may not be possible.

Dual-diaphragm speaker assemblies with acoustic passageways and mobile terminals including the same

A hand-held accessory for a camera-equipped device comprises a short-range transceiver to transmit signals to and receive signals from the camera-equipped device. A controller and a display are operatively connected to the short-range transceiver. The controller generates control signals responsive to user input, and conveys the control signals to the short-range transceiver for transmission to the camera-equipped device. The control signals control the camera functionality on the camera-equipped device. Images captured by the camera-equipped device may be displayed on the accessory display.

Remote control accessory for a camera-equipped wireless communications device

A transducer assembly includes a transducer and a coupler with rheological material. A loudspeaker further includes an acoustic radiator. The coupler is mounted to the transducer and is operatively connected to the acoustic radiator. The transducer excites bending waves in the acoustic radiator to produce an acoustic output. By control of the rheological material, which may include mageto-rheological liquid or electro-rheological liquid, the transducer in various embodiments may selectively be substantially rigidly or substantially flexibly coupled to the acoustic radiator. If flexibly coupled the force experienced by the transducer when the host device is dropped, jarred, or pressured may be reduced from that experienced with a rigid connection. The acoustic radiator may be, for example, a display such as an LCD or a window mounted over a display. A mobile terminal may include such a loudspeaker in accordance with one embodiment.

Transducer assembly and loudspeaker including rheological material

A wireless communications device can include a power amplifier that is configured to transmit information to a wireless communications network during a first time interval and configured to avoid transmitting information during a second time interval. A circuit substrate is coupled to the power amplifier and a power source is configured to provide power to the power amplifier. First and second conductor are coupled to the power amplifier and to the power source, and have respective overlapping and non-overlapping portions on the circuit substrate.

Wireless communications devices including circuit substrates with partially overlapping conductors thereon coupling power to/from power amplifier systems

A tactile generator comprises an eccentric mass that imparts a vibration as it rotates about a rotational axis. The mass is radially movable with respect to the rotational axis such that the distance between the mass and the axis is variable. Varying the distance of the mass from the axis varies the amount of vibration generated when the mass is rotated. The amount of vibration may be controlled responsive to a detected level of ambient noise.

Variable-eccentricity tactile generator

Flexible supports for enhancing hands-free operation of telecommunications devices such as radiotelephones are provided. An elongate member containing Theological material is flexible in the absence of an electromagnetic energy field and becomes rigid in the presence of an electromagnetic energy field. When electrical current flow is induced through one or more internal electrical conductors, the Theological material viscosity increases from that of a fluid to that of a solid. Accordingly, in the absence of electrical current flow, the elongate member can be positioned to any of a plurality of positions. When electrical current flow is present, the elongate member becomes rigid and, thus, resistive to movement.

Electronic device support containing rheological material with controllable viscosity

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling a performance characteristic of an electronic device. In one form, the electronic device includes a frame, a first subassembly on the frame and including a component encoded with a measured value of a first performance characteristic of the first subassembly, a download circuit on the frame to download the measured value from the encoded component, and an electronic circuit on the frame to a) receive a signal from the download circuit representative of the measured value and b) control a second performance characteristic of the electronic device as a function of the signal. In one form, the method includes the steps of measuring a value of a first performance characteristic of a first subassembly of an electronic device, encoding a component with the value, assembling the first subassembly to the electronic device, downloading the value from the component, and controlling a second performance characteristic of the electronic device as a function of the downloaded value.

Method and apparatus for controlling a performance characteristic of an electronic device

A portable communication device includes a rotating member and a latching mechanism which employs a magnet means and a quantity of magneto-rheological fluid (&ldquo;MR&rdquo; fluid) or electro-rheological (&ldquo;ER&rdquo;) fluid therein to latch the rotatable member against the primary body of the portable communication device when a magnetic or electric field is positioned proximate to the MR or ER fluid. The rotating member can be a low-profile flip and/or antenna. The magnet means can be an electromagnetic field or at least one translatable permanent magnet. Additionally, a portable communication device with a translating antenna and an antenna receptacle and elbow also includes a quantity of magneto-rheological fluid therein. The device can also include an externally accessible latch release which controls the application of the magnetic field to the MR fluid (or electric filed to the ER fluid). Associated latching mechanisms employ rheological fluid and a magnetic or electric field source.

Latching mechanisms for rotatable and/or translatable members on portable communication devices

An accessory unit for operation of a cellular telephone, including a casing, a microphone mounted to the casing, a first sound emitting element mounted to the casing for providing an audible alert signal, and a second sound emitting element mounted to the casing for providing voice communication. A vibrating element is mounted to the casing for providing a mechanical alert signal, and a connector port is connectable to the telephone for communicating received sound to the telephone and receiving voice communication from the telephone. The connector port also receives actuating signals for both the first sound emitting element and the vibrating element from the telephone. A gasket is between the microphone and both the second sound emitting element and the vibrating element, and selectively has a first stiffness when the second sound emitting element is providing voice communications, and a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness when the vibrating element is providing a mechanical alert signal. The gasket is a rheological material, which may be an electro-rheological material or a magneto-rheological material, and an actuator controls the stiffness of the gasket. The unit connector port is also adapted to receive power from a connected cellular telephone.

Accessory allowing hands-free operation of a cellular telephone

A buzzer assembly for a personal communications device changes geometry in order to emit sounds at a variety of frequencies at an approximately constant volume, such as for playing melodic alerts. The buzzer assembly incorporates a buzzer and gasket to create an air chamber with an associated acoustic impedance. A translational actuator moves a portion of either the buzzer or gasket, depending on the particular embodiment, to change the air volume and thus the associated acoustic impedance. By changing the acoustic impedance, the resonant frequency of the buzzer assembly is changed. When the buzzer is then operated at or near resonant frequency corresponding to the then-current acoustic impedance, the sound generated by the buzzer assembly is louder. By changing the resonant frequency of the buzzer assembly in this manner to correspond to the frequency of the tone to be generated, the sound volume generated by the buzzer assembly can be made approximately constant across a broader frequency range than is possible with conventional buzzer designs, such as 3 kHz or larger.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Matthew Justin Murray