Patent Publication Number: US-2021195304-A1

Title: Display mount interfaces

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Entertainment systems may include a display system and an audio system. The components of the entertainment system may be electronic devices capable of processing visual or auditory signals to produce images and/or sounds for a user of the entertainment system. Entertainment systems may include a plurality of components to generate the experience desired by the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting an example speaker support apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram depicting an example audio system. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram depicting an example display system. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an example display system with an example audio system attached. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the bottom corner of an example display system with an example audio system attached. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of components of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of the example display system with example internal structure shown. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded view of an example audio system including an example speaker support apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description and figures, some example implementations of speaker support apparatus, audio systems, and/or display systems are described. 
     In examples described herein, an “audio device” may be a device to generate sound waves. Examples audio devices may include any speaker (e.g., loudspeaker), such as an electroacoustic transducer. Example transducers may include a woofer, a subwoofer, a mid-range driver, a tweeter, and the like. An audio system includes the transducer and support structure to sustain the transducer in a desired direction. A speaker audio system may come in any number of standalone form factors and cabinet designs, such as soundbars, floor-standing loudspeakers, or bass cabinets. A speaker audio system may also be integrated into other systems, such as laptops, televisions, computer monitors, automobiles, etc. 
     In examples described herein, a “display device” may be a device to present content visually. Example displays may include a screen such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel, a micro light emitting diode (PLED), or other display technology. In some examples, a display device may also include circuitry to operate the screen, such as a monitor scaler. A display device may present (e.g., displays) an image on a panel using color to determine a color to display for every pixel on the panel. The source image data may include color data according to a color space such as red, green, and blue (RGB) channel data. Source image data may also be associated with source audio date corresponding to sound to be made relative the presentation of the image data. Support structures, such as a wall-mount, stand, or legs, may be coupled to the display device to form a display system. 
     A user may desire for a display system and audio system to appear integrated when the systems includes individual devices. For example, a user may attach an audio system to a display system such that if the display system is rotated, the audio system rotates as well. Some audio systems utilize separate attachments to connect to a wall mount system that couples the display to a wall. This generally entails connecting a support structure to the wall mount interface located on the back of the display. 
     Various examples described below relate to a speaker support apparatus that is directly coupleable to a bezel edge of a display device rather than the back of the display device. By locating the display mount interface for the speaker on the bezel edge, a user may have quicker access to removal of the stand when the display system switches between wall-mounted mode and table-top mode, for example. The display device of the display system may be built to support attachment of the display mount interface and a speaker (e.g., may include an internal support structure capable of supporting external attachments and loads of the attachments). 
     An example entertainment system consistent with the following descriptions may include aspects of various audio and/or display systems, such as an entertainment system with a display system including a screen and bezel, an audio system including a speaker, and a speaker support apparatus to support the speaker at a location with respect to the screen. For example, the speaker support apparatus may be a unibody bracket or a plurality of parts that couple to the bottom of the display system at the bezel edge to form a shelf on which the speaker may be supported, such as directly supporting the speaker housing to be as close to the bezel edge as possible. In some examples shown herein, two speaker support apparatus may be used to support each end of a speaker directly from the display system via the bezel. In this manner, the speaker support apparatus may locate the speaker and compliment the display system such that a viewer of the display system may perceive the audio system to be a part of the display system or otherwise have the appearance of a single entertainment device, for example. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram depicting an example speaker support apparatus  100 . The example speaker support apparatus  100  generally includes a display mount interface  102 , a beam  104 , and a shelf  106 . The components of the speaker support apparatus  100  may be made of metal, plastic, or some other blend of materials capable of supporting a physical object, such as an audio device. The speaker support apparatus  100  may be separate from (and mountable to) a display device and is not encompassed within the housing of a display device or otherwise integrated in the display device. Indeed, the speaker support apparatus  100  may be said to be an add-on accessory to customize the entertainment experience of a display device to include an audio system that extends from the display bezel edge via the speaker support apparatus  100 , for example. 
     The display mount interface  102  is a physical structure defining a detent to couple the speaker support apparatus to a bezel edge of a display device. For example, the display mount interface  102  may be a beam or plate that is capable of being connected to a display device, such as a flat plate with threaded through-holes useable with screws. As used herein, a detent is any surface or structural contour that creates an area mateable with a counterpart surface. An example detent may be a recess, a protrusion, a tab, a hole, a texture, a pattern, or the like. The display mount interface  102  may include a plurality of detents, such as a plurality of screw holes or fastening protrusions that complement an interface on the bezel edge of the display device. The detent may allow the display mount interface  102  to be attached substantially flush with respect to the bezel edge of the display device and, therefore allow for the speaker support apparatus  100  to substantially flush with the display device (e.g., substantially flush with respect to the bezel edge of the display device). The display mount interface  102  may include an alignment feature corresponding to a feature on the display bezel edge to coordinate orientation of the speaker support apparatus to the display device. The alignment feature may be the same as the detent of the display mount interface  102  used to couple to the display device or may be an additional detent. As discussed further herein, a support beam, such as beam  404 , may extend from the display mount interface  102 , which may allow for further extension of a shelf, such as shelf  106 , to support an object from the display mount interface  102 . 
     The shelf  106  is a physical structure defining a platform or housing on which an item may rest or be secured. For example, a shelf  106  may be a cantilever support extending substantially perpendicular from the speaker support structure. In another example, the shelf  106  may be a ledge that is supported by additional beams to support a desired weight limit. The shelf  106  is coupled to the display mount interface  102  by the beam  104 . Weight placed on the shelf  106  may be transferred to the display mount interface  102  (and, therefore, to the display device that the display mount interface  102  is connected to) via the beam  104 . For example, the shelf  106  may support the weight of a speaker via the beam and physical connection at the display mount interface  102  to the display. The shelf  106  may include a detent complementary to the shape of the supported object to assist the object to align and/or secure the object to the shelf  106 . For example, the shelf  106  may include a protrusion complementary to a recess of the surface of a speaker to center the speaker on the shelf  106 . 
     The beam  104  is a physical structure extending a length between the display mount interface  102  and the shelf  106 . For example, the beam  104  may be a length equal to or greater than the height of a speaker that is to rest on the shelf  104 . The beam may be non-parallel with respect to the display mount interface (e.g., parallel with respect to a bezel edge of the display to which the display mount interface may be mounted). For example, the beam  104  may be substantially perpendicular to the display mount interface  102  and substantially perpendicular to the shelf  106 . In another example, the beam  104  may be oblique with respect to the extension of the shelf  106  from the beam and/or oblique with respect to the display mount interface  102  (e.g., may extend at an oblique angle with respect to the bezel edge of a display). 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram depicting an example audio system  210 . The example audio system  210  generally includes a display mount interface  202 , a beam  204 , a speaker mount interface  208 , and a speaker  212 . The display mount interface  202  and the beam  204  may be the same as the display mount interface  102  and the beam  104  of the speaker support apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1 , and, for brevity, their descriptions are not repeated in their entirety. 
     The speaker  212  is mounted to the beam  204  via the speaker mount interface  208 . The speaker mount interface  208  is a physical structure defining a detent to couple a speaker to the speaker support apparatus. For example, the speaker mount interface  208  may be a beam or plate that is capable of being connected to by mount interface on a speaker, such as a flat plate with threaded through-holes useable with screws. The speaker  212  may be separate and individual component with respect to the speaker support apparatus  200 . The speaker  212  may be integrated into an audio or other electronic device where the audio or electronic device is capable of being supported by the beam  204  (or the shelf  106  of  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram depicting an example display system  320 . The display system  320  generally includes a screen  322 , a bezel  324 , and a speaker  312 . The speaker support system  301  may include a plurality of speaker support apparatus (e.g.,  300  and  330 ). Referring to  FIG. 3 , the speaker support system  301  includes a plurality of display mount interfaces (e.g.,  302  and  332 ), a plurality of beams (e.g.,  304  and  334 ), and a plurality of shelves (e.g.,  306  and  336 ). The plurality of display mount interfaces, the plurality of beams, and the plurality of shelves of  FIG. 3  may include the display mount interface  102 , the beam  104 , and the shelf  106  of  FIG. 1 , and, for brevity, their descriptions are not repeated in their entirety. 
     The screen  322  may be a display panel having circuitry capable of producing light and color in an arraignment of pixels. The bezel  324  is coupled to the edge of the screen. For example, the bezel  432  may include a plastic housing that covers the periphery of the display panel. As used herein, a bezel is an outside frame around a perimeter of the screen (e.g., such as an outside frame around a computer monitor). The bezel may include the front face section of the frame or housing around the screen and the side edge substantially perpendicular to the front face area of the frame. As used herein, the bezel does not include the back side of the frame around the display or any other portion of the backside of the display system. 
     The bezel  324  has an edge, such as the front face or the side face. The bezel edge is facing external from the display. For example, the bezel edge may be at the bottom of the display and may be facing downwards when the display is upright for viewing. 
     The housing or frame of the bezel may include a support mount interface. The support mount interface is a physical structure defining a detent to couple the speaker support apparatus to a bezel edge of a display. For example, the support mount interface may be a set of screw holes that align with or are complementary to screw holes of the display mount interface  302 , such that a fastener may couple the display mount interface  302  of the speaker support apparatus to the support mount interface of the display system at the screw holes. The support mount interface may include a support structure internal to the display housing that extends support to display mount interface when the display mount interface is coupled to the support mount interface. 
     The display mount interface and the support mount interface may be complementary physical structures where the support mount interface is the part of the interface located on the display system and the display mount interface is the part of the interface located on the speaker support apparatus. For example, the display mount interface  302  may lay flush with or be complementary to the support mount interface of the display system. In this manner, the display mount interface may directly couple to the bottom bezel edge of the display. In other examples, the display mount interface may indirectly couple to the display via the bezel. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the speaker support system includes a left and right display mount interface, a left and right beam, and a left and right shelf. In this manner, the example display system of  320  of  FIG. 3  may include a plurality of speaker support systems to sustain the audio system  310  via the display. In other examples, the audio system  310  may be sustained by a single speaker support system. 
     The left display mount interface  302  couples to an edge of the bezel  324  on a first portion of a display device and the right display mount interface  332  couples to an edge of the bezel  324  on a second portion of the display device. The left display mount interface  302  may include a structure parallel to and fastenable to the bezel edge such that the display mount interface  302  is supported by the display device via the bezel edge. The right display mount interface  332  may include a similar structure to fasten to the second portion of the display device. In some examples, the display mount interface directly couples to the bottom bezel edge of the display device using a physical coupling, such as a fastener, or through another type of connection, such as interlocking tabs or magnets. The left display mount interface  302  and the right display mount interface  332  may include a face complementary to a shape of the bezel edge, such as a shape that is complementary to the shape of the bottom of the display device. For example, the display mount interface  302  may include an upper face plate to mount flush with the display bezel edge at the bottom of the screen  322 . 
     The speaker support system may include a display mount interface, an upper frame parallel to the bezel  324 , a lower frame parallel to the upper frame, a support beam coupling the upper frame and the lower frame, and a shelf coupled to the support beam. The upper frame, lower frame, support beam, and shelf may be made of metal, plastic, or other sturdy material or combination of materials, and may be formed of a unibody piece. The support beam may be perpendicular to the upper frame or oblique with the respect to the upper frame. The shelf may be perpendicular to the support beam or may be oblique with respect to the support beam. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the left shelf  306  is coupled to the left display mount interface  302  via the left beam  304  and the right shelf  336  is coupled to the right display mount interface  332  via the right beam  334 . The speaker  312  is coupleable to the left shelf  306  and the right shelf  336 . For example, the speaker  312  may include a bottom surface to which the left shelf  306  and the right shelf  336  are coupleable, such as by resting one of each end of the speaker on a respective shelf  306  and  336 . In some examples, the speaker  312  is fastened to each of the shelves  306  and  336 . The speaker  312  may include a face forming a left indent and a right indent, where the left indent is complementary to a shape of the left shelf  306  and the right indent complementary to a shape of the right shelf  336  to assist alignment of the speaker  312  on the shelves. The shelves  306  and  336  may be level with each other in some examples, and, in other examples, the shelves  306  and  336  may be planarly offset. For example, the left shelf  306  extends from the left beam  304  at about a same plane as the right shelf  336  extends from the right beam  334 . In some examples, the left shelf  306  and the right shelf  336  are coupled together with a plate to form a support structure across the width between the left and right speaker support apparatus. In some examples, the plate (to which the left shelf  306  and the right shelf  336  are coupled) is integrated in the speaker  412 . In other examples, the plate may be separate from the speaker  412  and serve as a full-length support that is at least the same length as the speaker  412  to allow the speaker  412  to be in a rest state between the left and right speaker support apparatus. 
     The left beam  304  and the right beam  334  may include a front surface that is located flush with the front face of the display (e.g., the front face of the bezel  324  around the screen  322 ). In other examples, the left beam  304  and the right beam  334  may be offset from the front face of the display to give the appearance that the audio system and the display system are separate. The left beam  304  and the right beam  334  may be nonparallel with respect to the bottom bezel edge of the display. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an example display system  420  with an example audio system  410  attached. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the display system  420  may include an audio system  410  attached by speaker support apparatus  400 . The speaker  412  of the audio system  410  may be in contact with the bezel  424  surrounding the screen  422  of the display system  420 . The speaker support apparatus  400  may be a coupling point between the speaker  412  and the bezel  424 , such that the audio system  410  couples to the display  420 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the speaker support apparatus  400  may be said to extend the footprint of the display to form a space for the speaker  412  under the display and provide a supportive structure to which the speaker  412  may attach and be supported at the bezel  424  (e.g., fastened to the supportive internal structure of the display that is covered by the bezel). 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the bottom corner of an example display system  420  with an example audio system  410  attached. The speaker  412  is supported by the shelf  406 . The shelf  406  may be part of or include a speaker mount interface to which the speaker  412  may be fastened, such as by including holes (e.g., screw holes  470  and  472  as shown in  FIG. 6 ). In the example of  FIG. 5 , the speaker  412  is secured to the shelf  406  via fasteners  452  and  454  and the speaker support apparatus  400  is secured to the bezel  424  via fasteners  456  and  458 . In the example of  FIG. 5 , the speaker  412  is not directly fastened to the bezel  424 , and, instead, the speaker  412  is directly fastened to the shelf  406   
     The display mount interface  402  may include a surface substantially parallel to the shelf  406 . In the example of  FIG. 5 , the display mount interface  402  includes an upper frame  442  aligned flush with the bezel  424 , through which fasteners  456  and  458  extend into the receiving screw holes (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) of the support mount interface (e.g.,  448  shown in  FIG. 6 ) of the bezel  424 . The beam  404  of  FIG. 5  is coupled to the display mount interface  402  at an oblique angle with respect to the bezel edge  424  of the display device (e.g., and an oblique angle with respect to the display mount interface  402  and the upper frame  442 ).  FIG. 5  includes a lower frame  444  which may be aligned parallel with the shelf  406 . The shelf  406  may extend from the lower frame  444  and/or the beam  404  towards the space where the speaker  412  is to reside. The display mount interface  402  includes an alignment feature  440  corresponding to a feature  450  on the display bezel edge. 
     The speaker support apparatus  400  includes an inner beam  404  and an outer beam  446 . The inner beam  404  of  FIG. 5  is oblique (e.g., not orthogonal) with respect to the shelf  406  and the display mount interface  402 . The inner beam  404  of  FIG. 5  is smaller than the width the speaker  412  and may be substantially the same size or smaller than the width of the bezel  424 . The width of the shelf  406  may be wider than the width of the beam  404  and thinner than the width of the plate  466 . The outer beam  446  may be substantially perpendicular to the display mount interface  402 . The outer beam  446  and/or the inner beam  404  may couple the upper frame  442  and the lower frame  444 , and, in this manner, couple the shelf  406  to the display mount interface  402 . 
     The speaker support apparatus  400  of  FIG. 5  includes a plate  466  extending from the beam  404 . The plate  466  may be substantially the same size as (or otherwise complementary to) a side of the speaker  412  and may align substantially flush with the side of the speaker  412 . In some examples, the plate  466  may include an aperture to fasten the speaker  412  to the speaker support apparatus  400 . Further description of an example speaker mount interface on a plate extending from a speaker support apparatus is discussed further with respect to  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 6  is an exploded view of components of FIG,  5 . The bottom face  460  of the speaker  412  includes an indent  462  corresponding to the shape of the shelf  406  (e.g., corresponding to a detent of the shelf  406 ). Indeed, the shelf  406  may include a cantilever with a contour forming a detent to couple to the speaker at the indented interface  462  of the bottom plate  460 . The ident  462  of the bottom face  460  may align the speaker centered or otherwise properly oriented on the shelf  406 . In this manner, the left shelf and the right shelf may be smaller than the width of the speaker  412 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In other examples, the size of the shelf may be a different relative size, such as larger than the width of the speaker  412 . 
     The width of the speaker  412  and the width of the display system  420  may be different size, such as shown in examples of  FIGS. 4-6 . The shelf  406 , the beam  404 , and the beam  446  may have different widths. For example, the width of the beam  446  may be substantially equal to the width of the display, the width of the beam  404  may be substantially equal to the width of the speaker, and the width of the shelf  406  may be less than the width of the speaker and larger than the width of the display. The width of the display mount interface  402  may be substantially equal to the width of the bezel  424  and the support mount interface  448 . 
     Screw holes  470 ,  472 ,  474 , and  476  in the shelf  406  and the surface  460  may align, through which fasteners  452  and  454  may secure the speaker  412  to the shelf  406 . For example, the face  460  of the speaker may couple to the left shelf  406  and the right shelf via fasteners (e.g.,  452  and  454 ) that fit into a channel formed by aligning screw holes of the speaker  412  and the screw holes of the left and right shelves. The speaker  412  may be fastened to the shelf  406  such that the oblique face  464  of the speaker  412  aligns substantially flush with the nonparallel beam  404  and nonparallel plate  466 . 
     Screw holes  480 ,  482 ,  484 , and  486  in the display mount interface  402  and the support mount interface  448  may align, through which fasteners  456  and  458  may secure the speaker support apparatus  400  to the display system  420  via the bezel  424 . 
       FIG. 7  is a front view of the example display system  420  with example internal structure shown. The speaker  412  of the audio system  410  is coupled to the speaker support apparatus  400  via an interface including a combination of the shelf  406  of the speaker support apparatus  400 , a fastener  454 , and the plate  460  of the speaker  412 , In other examples, the speaker  412  may directly fasten to the beam  404 , such as by using fasteners, rather than fasten to the shelf  406  (e.g., using fastener  454 ). The speaker  412  may align on the shelf  406  such that the speaker  412  lies flush with the beam  404 , which may be nonparallel with respect to the shelf  406  and/or the display mount interface  402 . 
     The cross section of the display as shown in  FIG. 7  includes a bezel edge layer  426  and an internal support structure layer  428 . The bezel  424  may cover the internal support structure layer  428  and part of the display panel  422 . The display mount interface  402  of the speaker support apparatus  400  may include an internal support structure. 
     The display mount interface  402  of the speaker support apparatus  400  is abutted against the support mount interface  448  of the display system  420  and oriented into a proper location using the alignment feature  440  of the display mount interface  402  with the alignment feature  450  of the display system  420 . 
     The fasteners  456  and  458  secure the display mount interface  402  to the support mount interface  448  via the bezel edge layer  426  and the internal support structure layer  428 . Thus, the supportive internal structure of the display system  420  may be accessed using the interface to the speaker support apparatus  400  and, in turn, the speaker support apparatus  400  may be used to support a speaker  412 . In this manner, the speaker  412  may be mounted to the display system  420  via the bezel  424  of the display system  420  using the speaker support apparatus  400 . 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of an example audio system  810  including an example speaker support apparatus  800 , The speaker support apparatus  800  includes a speaker mount interface  808 . The speaker mount interface  808  is located on a plate  866  that extends from the beam  804  and generally including screw holes and fasteners (e.g., screw holes  838 ,  868 , and  878  on the side  864  of the speaker housing, screw holes  888 ,  890 , and  892  through the plate  866 , and fasteners  894 ,  896 , and  898 ). The speaker mount interface  808  allows the plate  866  (and/or the beam from which the plate extends) to directly fasten to the housing of the speaker  412 . The plate  866  is orientated and shaped to complement the side  864  of the housing of the speaker  812  to which the plate  866  is to directly fasten. 
     The speaker support apparatus  800  generally includes an upper frame  842 , a lower frame  844 , side beam  846 , side beam  804 , a plate  866 , and a shelf  816 . The frames, beams, plate, and shelf may be separable components or may be manufactured as a unibody piece of supportive material. The upper frame  842  includes an alignment feature  840  and apertures  884  and  886  as part of a display mount interface  802  to assist coupling of the speaker support apparatus  800  to a display device. In some examples, the shelf  816  may extend past the plate  866  to provide a support for the bottom face of the speaker  812 . As shown and discussed herein, there are many potential arrangements of the display mount interfaces and speaker mount interfaces to allow an audio system to be coupled to a display system via the display&#39;s bezel using a speaker support apparatus. Any such arrangements may be used individually or in combination to secure the speaker to the display via the display bezel using the speaker support apparatus. 
     All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all the elements of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or elements are mutually exclusive. 
     The terms “include,” “have,” and variations thereof, as used herein, mean the same as the term “comprise” or appropriate variation thereof. Furthermore, the term “based on,” as used herein, means “based at least in part on.” Thus, a feature described as based on some stimulus may be based only on the stimulus or a combination of stimuli including the stimulus. The article “a” as used herein does not limit the element to a single element and may represent multiples of that element. Furthermore, use of the words “first,” “second,” or related terms in the claims are not used to limit the claim elements to an order or location, but are merely used to distinguish separate claim elements. 
     The present description has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing examples. It is understood that other forms, details, and examples may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.