Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8126187?dq=7,194,691
Timestamp: 2017-11-23 14:39:33
Document Index: 212308940

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 04102444', 'Application No. 05108733', 'Application No. 05108733', 'Application No. 04102444', 'Application No. 04102444', 'Application No. 2004100452310']

Patent US8126187 - Vehicle audio system including door-mounted components - Google Patents
An audio system includes mounting one or more speakers on the surface between an exterior side panel and an interior side panel of a door on a vehicle. The one or more speakers may face substantially along an axis in the longitudinal direction of the door. When the door is open, a cover may be controlled...http://www.google.com/patents/US8126187?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8126187 - Vehicle audio system including door-mounted components
Publication number US8126187 B2
Application number US 11/927,433
Also published as DE602008005923D1, EP2212158A1, EP2212158B1, US20090110210, WO2009058441A1
Publication number 11927433, 927433, US 8126187 B2, US 8126187B2, US-B2-8126187, US8126187 B2, US8126187B2
Inventors Christopher Ludwig, Hal P. Greenberger, Timothy Holl
Patent Citations (56), Non-Patent Citations (16), Referenced by (1), Classifications (17), Legal Events (2)
US 8126187 B2
The disclosure relates generally to an audio system for a vehicle and, more particularly, to door-mounted components of an audio system.
Multipurpose vehicles such as sport-utility vehicles and minivans have become increasingly popular, and their users have come to expect more functionality from these versatile means of transportation. Accordingly, the demand for a more functional audio system has increased as well. For example, it is often desirable for a multipurpose vehicle to provide sound (e.g., music) outside the vehicle for events such as tailgating, picnicking, or other similar gatherings.
Described herein is an audio system for a vehicle that includes one or more speakers mounted in the surface between an exterior side panel and an interior side panel of a door on the vehicle.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of the exterior of a vehicle from a three-quarter perspective.
FIG. 1 is an exterior view of a vehicle 100. In one example, vehicle 100 may be a minivan. The vehicle has at least one door, such as doors 102 a and 102 b (not visible), which are shown here in a closed position. In this example, the doors open by sliding the door toward the rear of the vehicle. It should be understood that while sliding doors are shown in this example, any manner of door may be used in their place. For example, pocket doors, outwardly swinging doors, vertically raised doors, and the like may also be used.
In this example doors 102 a and 102 b are shown in an open position. Door 102 a includes an exterior side panel 204 a and an interior side panel 206 a. Both interior side panel 206 a and exterior side panel 204 a are exposed to space outside the vehicle. The side panels 204 a and 206 a are joined by a surface to form a rear-facing section of the door 102 a.
Mounted on the surface between exterior side panel 204 a and interior side panel 206 a are a number of speakers 208 a and 210 a. Although FIG. 2 shows eight speakers mounted on both doors 102 a and 102 b, the number and type of speakers may vary. In this example, each speaker includes a sound-projecting element such as a cone or a diaphragm 502 (FIG. 5). Sound emanates primarily from the sound-projecting elements. As shown, the speakers are mounted to let the sound-projecting elements face substantially along an axis in the longitudinal direction of the door. In this example, the longitudinal direction is from the front-to-back of the vehicle.
As stated previously, the speakers 208 a and 210 a may play sound originating from a secondary audio source. The secondary audio source may be located either inside or outside of the vehicle, and may be connected to the vehicle's audio system in a number of ways. In one example, an input jack is positioned on the vehicle in a location that a user may access while outside the vehicle, such as an input jack 212. As shown in FIG. 2, exterior input jack 212 can be mounted between exterior side panel 204 a and internal side panel 206 a in a position similar to the speakers 208 a and 210 a. The input jack 212 does not need to be positioned on the door, and can be located anywhere on the vehicle that is accessible to a user outside the vehicle. In another example, a secondary audio source may connect to the audio system wirelessly using a number of different protocols, such as Bluetooth® protocol. Additionally, the audio source could be connected to the system through the use of component cables, electrical wires, ethernet cables, WiFi, infrared signals, or any other connection method.
The cover may be controlled by control mechanism 310. Although shown external to the vehicle 100, the control mechanism 310 may be located inside the vehicle. The control mechanism be set to control operation of the cover according to the occurrence of a predetermined condition. For instance, the control mechanism might be configured to move the cover 312 a away from opening 308 a such that at least part of the opening is exposed to the interior of the vehicle in response to the door moving into the closed position. The control mechanism might work in conjunction with a contact sensor (such sensors are common on the interiors of many vehicle doors to indicate whether the door is “ajar”) in order to sense whether a predetermined condition has been met (e.g., the door being in the closed position). Upon occurrence of the predetermined condition, the control mechanism could send electronic instructions to a motor that controls the movement of the cover. The control mechanism might also automatically move the cover into position using a spring assembly, lever, and/or some other electrical and/or mechanical mechanism.
With the door 102 a in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, cover 312 a exposes at least part of opening 308 a to the interior of the vehicle. With the opening exposed, sound is allowed to pass from the interior of the door 102 a through the opening 308 a and into the interior of the vehicle 100. In one example, audio source 314 may control speaker 316 a as well as standard interior speakers 320 a-d. In this way, when the door 102 a is in the closed position and audio information is passed to both the door speakers and interior speakers, the sound entering the interior of the vehicle through opening 308 a may augment the sound being projected from interior speakers 320 a-d. Typically, low-frequency sound, e.g., bass, will be the sound so passed from the speaker 316 a through opening 308 a, and into the vehicle. This may enhance the bass of interior speakers 320 a-d.
In another example, the door opening 308 a could be a port having an acoustic mass, where the acoustic mass is related to the cross-sectional area of the port and the length of the port. The port might be designed to resonate with the compliance of the door volume and to thus produce an acoustic filter.
In this embodiment, however, there is no interior weather seal on the door frame, and its absence results in a gap between the door and the door frame. Accordingly, when the door is closed, sound may enter the interior of the vehicle 400 through the gap 408 a between the door and the door frame. The gap results from the lack of a seal between interior side panel 406 a and the door frame. In this manner, sound produced by speaker 416 a may enter the interior of the vehicle and augment the sound being produced by the vehicle's standard interior speakers 420 a-d.
As stated above, the gap 408 a may result from an absence of a seal along the door frame. Weather seals 422 a are located along the exterior of the door 402 a between speaker 416 a and an area external to the vehicle. By failing to position a weather seal along the door frame, a passageway (e.g., gap 408 a) between the interior cabin of the vehicle and the surface 418 a can be created. The lack of a seal along the door frame thus allows sound from speaker 416 a (especially low-frequency sound) to enter the interior of the vehicle. In order to preserve the weatherproof nature of door 402 a, the seal 422 a disposed along exterior side panel 404 a may be bolstered or fortified to compensate for the lack of a seal along interior side panel 406 a. The seal may be comprised of an elastomer, or any other weatherproof material.
FIG. 5 shows a section through a speaker 500 and some of its various parts. Although speaker 500 represents one possible type of speaker that could be used in the audio system described previously, other types of speakers may also be used. When a current is passed through a coil of wire 504, referred to as a voice coil, it generates a magnetic field. The resulting field interacts with the field of the magnet 506, which causes the voice coil to move along an axis parallel to the axis of symmetry of the speaker. A transducer element has a moving surface for projecting sound, such as sound-projecting element 502 (commonly called “a cone” or “a diaphragm”). The sound-projecting element has two sides and, as it moves forward, the pressure in front of the sound-projecting element increases while the pressure behind the sound-projecting element decreases. When the sound-projecting element moves back, the opposite occurs. Thus, the sound pressure radiated by the front side and the rear side of the sound-projecting element has reversed polarity; that is they are 180 degrees out of phase across frequency.
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U.S. Classification 381/389, 381/87, 381/302, 381/86
International Classification H04R1/02, H04R5/02, H04B1/00
Cooperative Classification H04R2201/403, H04R5/02, H04R2499/13, H04R1/2819, B60R2011/0021, B60R11/0217, H04R2420/07
European Classification H04R1/28N5L, H04R5/02, B60R11/02D
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LUDWIG, CHRISTOPHER;GREENBERGER, HAL;HOLL, TIMOTHY;REEL/FRAME:020477/0716;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080128 TO 20080205
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LUDWIG, CHRISTOPHER;GREENBERGER, HAL;HOLL, TIMOTHY;SIGNING DATES FROM 20080128 TO 20080205;REEL/FRAME:020477/0716