Abstract:
A wireless speaker stand for a tablet computer is presented. The speaker stand comprises a wireless audio speaker within a base. A channel within the base has a channel floor, a channel front wall, and a channel rear wall. One or more spring-mounted bumpers retractably protrude into the channel. A mobile electronic device may be inserted into the channel. The spring-mounted bumper exerts variable force upon the mobile device as it enters the channel, securing the mobile electronic device within in the channel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates to the field of wireless speaker stands. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to a wireless speaker stand having spring-mounted bumpers providing resistive force on a tablet computer in the speaker stand. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A disclosed embodiment of a wireless speaker stand includes a base having a channel within the base to hold a wireless mobile electronic device. One or more spring-mounted bumpers are partially recessed inside the speaker base and partially protrude into the channel. When the mobile device is inserted into the channel, a back side of the mobile device rests on a back wall of the channel. The bumpers provide a pushing force against a front side of the mobile device to steady the device and keep it upright in the stand. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wireless speaker stand. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the wireless speaker stand coupled with a mobile electronic device. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the wireless speaker stand. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a speaker stand bumper assembly. 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of electronic components within the wireless speaker stand. 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart demonstrating a method for using a wireless speaker stand. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a wireless speaker stand  100  having a base  101 . The wireless speaker stand  100  is able to support a mobile device (not shown) and play back audio from the device via a wireless audio signal transmitted by the device. A slot or channel  110  intersects base  101  and is suitably sized to receive the mobile device. In the preferred embodiment, the base  101  has a rounded shape with an open center, as is shown more clearly in  FIG. 3 . The channel  110  passes from one end of the base  101 , through this open center, and through the other end of the base  101 . The channel  110  has a channel floor  120 , a channel front wall  112 , and a channel back wall  114 . A support member  130  provides an additional surface on which the mobile device may rest when inserted into the stand  100 . In the preferred embodiment, the base rests on a horizontal surface. In this position, the channel back wall  114  does not rise completely vertically, but slants toward the rear  116  of the base  101 . In one embodiment, the channel back wall  114  is angled approximately 30 degrees from vertical. With a sloped embodiment, the slope can range from 10 to 45 degrees, but ideally the slope is between 20 and 40 degrees from vertical. The support member  130  preferably continues a similar slant, thereby allowed a back side of a mobile device to rest both against the channel back wall  114  and the support member  130  while resting in a slanted position on the channel floor  120 . In another embodiment, the support member  130  has a slant that is slightly less (4-10 degrees) away from vertical than the channel back wall  114  and is design to be flexible enough as to conform to the slope of the channel back wall  114  when a mobile device is inserted into the channel  110 . 
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows wireless speaker stand  100  being used as a stand for an electronic mobile device  220 . Device  220  may be an electronic device such as a tablet computer, gaming device, e-reader, smartphone, GPS device, or other mobile device having a visual display and sound output. In a preferred embodiment, device  220  has wireless communication capability to wirelessly send audio signals to speaker stand  100 . Stand  100  may then play back the audio with internal speakers (not shown) found within the speaker stand  100 . 
         [0011]    The stand  100  is constructed to support devices of different thicknesses. Channel  110  within base  101  has a channel front wall  112 , and channel rear wall  114 . A retractably protruding bumper  210  is partially retracted into base  101  and partially protrudes into channel  110  through a cutout in channel front wall  112 . Bumper  210  has a recessed end  215 , and an abutting end  212  that abuts a bottom end  228  of mobile device  220  when mobile device  220  is inserted into the channel  110 . Abutting end  212  may have a rounded or arcuate shape. Bumper  210  is preferably constructed from a material that will not scratch a screen of device  220 . For example, bumper  210  could be made of a rubberized polymer material. A fixed contact surface  230  is provided inside the base  101 . A spring  235  compressed between contact surface  230  and the bumper  210  provides an outward force to cause bumper  210  to retractably protrude into the channel  110 . While the spring  235  shown in  FIG. 2  is a coil spring, other known types of devices that provide a resistance to a compression force could be used in place of the coil spring  235 . 
         [0012]    When a user inserts mobile device  220  into channel  110 , the bottom end  228  of the device first engages the rounded top of the abutting end  212  of the bumper  210 . The arcuate contour of abutting end  212  allows the end  228  to slide smoothly down toward the channel floor  120 . As the bottom end  228  descends toward channel floor  120 , end  228  displaces bumper  210  and causes the bumper  210  to retract into the base  101 . It is not necessary that the mobile device  220  be inserted into the channel  110  at an angle parallel to the channel back wall  114 . Because of the rounded (or angled) shape of the abutting end  212  of the bumper  210 , the mobile device  220  can be entirely vertical when inserted into the channel  110  and still cause the bumper  210  to retract. Spring  235  resists the retraction and provides a stabilizing outward force on bumper  210 . When bottom end  228  reaches channel floor  120 , the bumper  210  urges the mobile device  220  against channel rear wall  114  and support member  130 , which provide a resting surface for the back side  222  of device  220 . 
         [0013]    In addition, the force of the bumper  210  against the mobile device  220  helps to hold the mobile device  220  in place within the channel  110 . As explained above, it is possible to implement the bumper  210  with a rubberized polymer material. A similar material could be located on the channel back wall  114  or the support member  130 . In this configuration, the force of the spring  230  urges the rubberized bumper  210  against the mobile device  220 , which in turn is pressed against the rubberized material on the back wall  114  or the support member  130 . This helps to prevent the mobile device  220  from sliding out of position within the channel  110  if the device  220  or speaker stand  110  receives an accidental bump. While these rubberized elements may be made out of a variety of known compositions, it is preferred that the coefficient of friction of these elements be larger than the coefficient of friction of the material forming the walls of the channel  110 . 
         [0014]    If the support member  130  has a slightly lesser slope away from vertical than the channel rear wall  114 , the force of the bumper  210  against the mobile device will be sufficient to flex the support member  130  and conform the slope of the support member  130  to the slope of the channel rear wall  114 , causing the two elements  114 ,  130  to extend approximately along a single plane as shown in  FIG. 2 . When the rubberized material is placed on this support member  130 , this flex will help hold the rubberized material against the rear of the mobile device, thereby increasing the friction holding the device in place within the channel  110 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of an embodiment of the wireless speaker stand  100 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the channel  110  may be divided into two channel portions  310  and  311 , which are separated by an opening  350  in base  101 . Because the base  101  is generally circular in shape, this configuration creates a generally donut-like or annular shape to the base. Bumpers  315  and  316  protrude into channel portions  310  and  311  respectively. Bumpers  315 ,  316  have abutting ends  320 ,  321  and recessed ends  340 ,  341 . In a preferred embodiment, the ends  320 ,  321  may each be formed with two adjacent and connected rounded (or arcuate) bumps (or contours). Fixed contact surfaces  330  and  331  within base  101  provide surfaces against which springs  335  and  336  are compressed. Springs  335  and  336  may each comprise a pair of springs aligned with the connected arcuate contours of abutting ends  320 ,  321 . Bumper  316  is shown extended outward into channel  311 . Bumper  315  is shown as recessed into base  101 , displaced by an urging force  360  exerted against the abutting end  320 . Force  360  causes bumper  315  to be retracted into base  110 , while springs  335  resist the retraction. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , device  220  need not be inserted in a perfectly straight manner, because bumpers  315 ,  316  move and adjust independently. Although bumpers  315 ,  316  are depicted in  FIG. 3  as having two connected arcuate contours, they could be shaped in a number of different ways. For example, each bumper could have more or fewer contours, and the contours could be sloped instead of arcuate. One advantage of sloped or arcuate front faces on the bumper is that a downward force by the bottom edge of a mobile device against this sloped or arcuate front is translated by that face into an inward force against the resisting spring, thereby causing retraction of the bumper by a simple downward motion of the mobile device. In this disclosure, a rounded, arcuate front of the bumper as shown in the Figures is considered to be a particular form of a sloped bumper face. 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the bumper assembly used in the tablet speaker stand. As shown in  FIG. 4 , bumper  315  has a recessed end  340  and an abutting end  320 . Abutting end  320  may be formed with two adjacent and connected arcuate contours. Contact surface  330  is located within the base  101  of the tablet speaker stand  100 . A pair of springs  335  is situated between contact surface  330  and the bumper  315 . Preferably, springs  335  are aligned with the contours of abutting end  320 . Bumper  315  protrudes into channel  110  through a cutout  445  in channel front wall  112 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of components within the wireless speaker base  500 . The components include wireless communication circuitry  510  for receiving wireless audio signals from a mobile device. The wireless communication  510  could use one of a number of different wireless communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared, or other wireless protocols for receiving wireless audio signals. A controller or CPU  520  receives the wireless audio signals and performs functions such as converting digital signals to analog signals. The audio signals are then put through an amplifier  530 , and sound is projected out of the speaker component  540 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 6  shows a method of inserting a device into a wireless speaker stand. In step  610 , a bottom end  228  of a mobile device  220  is aligned with a top of a channel  110  within the base  101  of the wireless speaker stand  100 . In step  620 , the bottom end  228  engages the face of a spring-loaded bumper  210 . In step  630 , a force is exerted on the mobile device  220  to cause the bottom end  228  to move toward channel floor  120 . This force against the face of the bumper  210  causes the bumper  210  to be slidably displaced into a recessed position within base  101  (step  640 ). As this occurs, inward movement of the bumper  210  causes a spring  235  to resist the displacement of the bumper  210  (step  650 ). In step  660 , the bottom end of the mobile device abuts the channel floor  120 . In this position, the spring-loaded bumper  210  urges the back face  222  of the mobile device  220  against the channel back wall  114  and the support member  130 . This force helps hold the mobile device  220  in place within the channel  110 . In step  670 , the wireless speaker  100  receives an audio signal at base  101  from mobile device  220 , and at step  680 , the audio signal is translated into audio sound within speakers of base  101  and played back as audio. 
         [0019]    The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the above description. Numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art. For example, the speaker stand could have more or fewer than two bumpers, and the bumpers could have a variety of alternate shapes. Since such modifications are possible, the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described. Rather, the present invention should be limited only by the following claims.