PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10462544-B2
Application Number: US-201816053628-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Hydrophobic-coated transducer port with reduced occlusion impact

Abstract:
A portable communication device includes a transducer enclosed in an enclosure. An opening allows flow of air between the transducer enclosed in the enclosure and a surrounding environment. The enclosure protects the transducer from misreading due to occlusion of environmental aggressors on the transducer. The enclosure is configured to repel the environmental aggressors away from a surface of the transducer and to keep a portion of the opening unclogged to maintain an air flow to the transducer.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A transducer port device, the device comprising:
 a transducer enclosed in an enclosure; and 
 an opening configured to allow flow of air between the transducer enclosed in the enclosure and a surrounding environment, 
 wherein: 
 the enclosure includes a coated layer formed on at least some internal surfaces of the enclosure, and 
 the coated layer formed on the at least some internal surfaces of the enclosure has a gradient in repellent properties to keep a portion of the opening unclogged to maintain an air flow to the transducer. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises at least one of a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic layer that protects the transducer from misreading due to occlusion of environmental aggressors on the transducer. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a miniature transducer including a miniature sensor, microphone or speaker, wherein the miniature sensor comprises a microphone or a miniature environmental sensor configured to sense a gas, a particulate matter or an environmental property including a pressure, a temperature or a humidity. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the environmental aggressors include at least one of water, oil or dust, and wherein the water includes fresh and salt water and the oil includes body oil or sunscreen. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least some surfaces of the enclosure in a close vicinity of the transducer include at least one of a hydrophobic or a superhydrophobic layer. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , further comprising an air permeable membrane formed on an active surface of the transducer or at a distance from the surface of the transducer. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6 , wherein at least one surface of the enclosure forming a wall of the opening includes no superhydrophobic layer or includes a hydrophilic layer. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the hydrophobic or the superhydrophobic layer is applied to at least one of the air permeable membrane that is coated on the active surface of the transducer or at the distance from the surface of the transducer. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 , further comprising channels configured to transfer water from an area around the air permeable membrane to one or more drying ports due to capillary action of water within the channels, and wherein the channels are coated with a hydrophilic layer. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the hydrophobic or the superhydrophobic layer is applied to entire exposed surfaces of the enclosure. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein a location of the opening on the enclosure is configured to be away from a direct view of the transducer in the enclosure. 
     
     
       12. A device comprising:
 an enclosure including an opening; and 
 a transducer enclosed in the enclosure, 
 wherein: 
 the opening is configured to permit an air flow between the transducer enclosed in the enclosure and a surrounding environment, 
 a location of the opening and dimensions of the enclosure are configured to maintain at least a portion of the opening away from a direct view of the transducer and a path for the air flow to the transducer unclogged in presence of environmental aggressors, and 
 the enclosure includes at least one of a coated layer of hydrophobic or a superhydrophobic material on at least some surfaces of the enclosure. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the hydrophobic or the superhydrophobic material is formed on at least some surfaces of the enclosure in a close vicinity of the transducer. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the enclosure includes at least one bare surface without the superhydrophobic material or including a hydrophilic layer, and wherein the bare surface comprises a wall of the opening. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 12 , further comprising an air permeable membrane formed on at least one of an active surface of the transducer or at a distance from the active surface of the transducer. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 15 , further comprising channels configured to transfer water from an area around the air permeable membrane to one or more drying ports due to capillary action of water within the channels, and wherein the channels are coated with a hydrophilic layer. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one of the hydrophobic or the superhydrophobic material is applied over the air permeable membrane. 
     
     
       18. A system comprising:
 a communication device; and 
 a miniature transducer integrated with the communication device, 
 wherein: 
 the miniature transducer is being enclosed in an enclosure including an opening that is away from a direct view of the transducer, and 
 at least some surfaces of the enclosure are coated with at least one of a hydrophobic or a superhydrophobic layer to protect the miniature transducer from misreading due to occlusion of environmental aggressors on the miniature transducer. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the miniature transducer comprises a miniature transducer including a miniature environmental sensor, a microphone or a miniature speaker, and wherein the miniature environmental sensor is configured to sense a gas, a particulate matter or an environmental property including a pressure, a temperature or a humidity. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the at least some surfaces of the enclosure comprise surfaces in a close vicinity of the miniature transducer, and wherein at least one surface of the enclosure forming a wall of the opening includes no superhydrophobic layer or includes a hydrophilic layer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/547,054 filed Aug. 17, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present description relates generally to transducers, and more particularly, to a hydrophobic-coated transducer port with reduced occlusion impact. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable communication devices (e.g., smart phones and smart watches) are becoming increasingly waterproof by implementing electronic components inside sealed enclosures. However, certain components such as environmental (e.g., pressure, temperature and humidity) sensors, gas sensors, particulate matter (PM) sensors, speakers and microphones rely on physical interaction with the external environment for proper functionality. The physical interaction can be through a small opening provided on the enclosure. Exposure to the environmental aggressors such as fresh and salt water, skin oil, dust, sunscreens can cause a variety of system integration problems. 
     Port occlusion by water or debris is among the most severe problems, which can result in degradation in user experience, poor device reliability and/or device misreading. As an example, the accuracy of pressure sensors can be greatly reduced when residual water occludes the sensor surface, resulting in misreading to detect external pressure changes. As the water evaporates (which can take hours), false pressure-change signals can be detected. For example, when pressure is sensed for measuring height to count the number of stairs climbed by a user, the false pressure-change signals can indicate false or missed flight of stairs, which degrades the user experience. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purposes of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port for a wet transducer, in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port for a dry transducer, in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port for a dry transducer, in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port for a dry transducer, in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a superhydrophobic coated surface. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a superhydrophobic coated surface. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of providing of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port, in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless communication device, within which one or more miniature gas sensors of the subject technology can be integrated. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the subject technology may be practiced. The appended drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, the subject technology is not limited to the specific details set forth herein and may be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In some instances, structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology. 
     In one or more aspects, the subject technology is directed to a hydrophobic-coated (e.g., superhydrophobic-coated) transducer port that reduces occlusion impacts of environmental aggressors on functionalities of the transducer and the electronic device hosting the transducer. Exposing transducers to the environment while protecting them from occlusion misreading by environmental aggressors is a continuous challenge relevant to the integration of many environmental (e.g., pressure, temperature and humidity) sensors, gas sensors, particulate matter (PM) sensors, and potentially speakers and microphones in waterproofing systems. The subject technology enables addressing these challenges by achieving waterproofing and clogging prevention of electronic devices that require exposure to the environment. The disclosed solution can be applied to integrate electronic devices and components that operate based on being exposed to the environment such as pressure sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, gas sensors, particulate matter (PM) sensors, speakers and microphones in portable devices (e.g., potable communication devices such as smart phones and smart watches). 
     The subject technology can mitigate device degradation and misreading caused by port occlusion in contact with environmental aggressors such as fresh and salt water, skin oil, dust, sunscreens, and other environmental aggressors. The subject solution combines the application of hydrophobic-coatings with designs of port geometry to prevent water wetting and clogging and to facilitate rapid and complete clearing when wetting or clogging occurs. In some implementations, a superhydrophobic-coating can be used to achieve better results. The properties of the superhydrophobic-coatings are discussed in more below with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The subject technology can be utilized for integrating a variety of transducers that require exposure to the environment, such as pressure sensors, temperature and/or humidity sensors, gas sensors, particulate matter (PM) sensors, speakers and microphones into systems, such as smart phones and smart watches with improved waterproofing to achieve an enhanced user experience. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port  10  for a wet transducer  14 , in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. The transducer port  10  includes an enclosure  12  enclosing the wet transducer  14  (hereinafter “transducer  14 ”). The transducer  14  may be integrated with a host device such as a portable electronic device (e.g., a portable communication device such as a smart phone or a smart watch). In some implementations, the transducer  14  may be a miniature transducer, for example, a miniature microphone, a miniature speaker or a miniature sensor. The host device provides bias supply and signals (e.g., in case of a speaker) and process signals generated by the transducer  14  (e.g., in case of a microphone or a sensor). The miniature sensor may, for instance, be a miniature environmental sensor that can sense a gas or an environmental property such as pressure temperature or humidity. The transducer  14  is also referred to as a wet transducer because it is a waterproof transducer, which is made waterproof, for example, by applying a waterproofing coating (e.g., a waterproofing gel) on an active surface of the transducer. 
     In some implementations, the disclosed enclosures (e.g., enclosure  12 ) can be made of a ceramic, a metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, titanium or other suitable metals, alloys or compounds. The enclosure  12  may include a hydrophobic or a superhydrophobic (also referred to as “ultrahydrophobic”) layer  16 , which is formed (e.g., coated) on all surfaces of the cavity  15  of the enclosure  12  except for the sidewall  18 , and an opening (also referred to as “vent”)  17 . The hydrophobic or superhydrophobic layer  16  (hereinafter “hydrophobic layer  16 ”) can also be formed over the transducer  14  which is located at an offset from the opening  17 . In some implementations, the hydrophobic layer  16  is not formed over the transducer  14 . In one or more implementations, the transducer  14  can be inherently hydrophobic. Pre-treatment (e.g., removal of dirt, duct, oil and other particle) of the surfaces of the transducer port  10  before coating the hydrophobic layer  16  can be adopted to improve waterproofing and/or coating adhesion. 
     The transducer port  10  can keep environmental aggressors including water, oil and other environmental aggressors away from the surface (e.g., the active surface) of the transducer  14  by a gradient in the repellent properties of the hydrophobic layer  16  that is preferentially applied near the transducer  14 . The hydrophobic layer  16  can be air permeable such that the air flow  13  can reach the transducer  14 . Examples of the material for the hydrophobic layer  16  include silica nanoparticles and powdered oxides of rare earth metals that can be applied using, for example, with the known sol-gel technique. The sidewall  18  of the opening  17  is not covered with hydrophobic coating. In some implementations, a hydrophilic layer can be formed on the sidewall  18  of the opening  17 . Commonly, the environmental aggressors include water or oil, and more frequently water. Thus, in the rest of the disclosure, water is used as an example of the environmental aggressors, for simplicity, but it is not intended to limit the applicability of the subject disclosure to water as the sole aggressor. When water (e.g., from immersion) enters through the opening  17 , the hydrophobic layer  16  repels water droplets from surfaces near the transducer  14 . These droplets finally accumulate into a drop  19  that can, for example, be attracted to the sidewall  18 . 
     The geometry of the transducer port  10 , including a width L 1  of the opening  17 , a height H of the sidewall  18  and a length L 2  of the top side of the enclosure  12  can be optimized to achieve a desired repellent property for the transducer port  10 . In some implementations, each of the width L 1 , the height H and the length L 2  can be within a range of about tens of microns to few hundred microns. For example, the optimized width L 1  is larger than a diameter of a typical drop (e.g.,  19 ) to allow the air flow  13  into the enclosure and to the transducer  14  be maintained to prevent errors (e.g., misreading) by the transducer  14  (e.g., a gas sensor). In some implementations, the height H may be larger than a minimum liquid film thickness. The water drop  19  can be formed when the droplets are moved toward the sidewall  18  and accumulated. The water drop  19  can be evaporated or pushed out of the enclosure through the opening (vent)  17  by movements of the device (e.g., the smart phone or the smart watch) hosting the transducer  14 . The geometry of the transducer port  10  may be deviate from the example shown in  FIG. 1 , for instance, the corners of the enclosure may be curved or the opening  17  may have extended out short walls not shown for simplicity. 
     An interesting feature of the transducer port  10  of the subject technology is that it protects the structural integrity of the hydrophobic layer  16 , which is typically highly sensitive to mechanical touches or abrasion, by applying the hydrophobic layer  16  to the inner surfaces of the enclosure  12  to prevent abrasion, thus extending the lifetime of the coating. The transducer port  10  reduces accumulation of debris (e.g., oil such as body oil and sunscreen, dust, bacteria, and the like) near the transducer  14  by adopting the self-cleaning property of the hydrophobic layer  16 . When small amount of water is present in the cavity  15 , repulsion of water washes away the accumulated oil and dust, effectively cleaning the surface of the transducer  14  and the enclosure  12  of the transducer port  10 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port  20  for a dry transducer  24 , in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. The hydrophobic-coated transducer port  20  (hereinafter “transducer port  20 ”) is similar to the transducer port  10  of  FIG. 1 , except that the transducer  24  is a dry transducer (e.g., with no waterproofing coating) and is protected via an additional air permeable membrane  23  (hereinafter “membrane  23 ”). The membrane  23  can be a waterproofing membrane, which enables the use of the dry transducer  24  and allows signal (e.g., sound waves, in the case of a microphone or a speaker) transduction and air and/or gas diffusion (e.g., in the case of an environmental sensor), while preventing direct contact between the transducer  24  and the environmental aggressor (e.g., water). The hydrophobic layer  16  is optionally used over the membrane  23  and covers the internal sides of the cavity  15  except the sidewall  18 , which can be coated with a hydrophilic layer. In some implementations, the membrane  23  can be inherently hydrophobic. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port  30  for a dry transducer  34 , in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. The transducer port  30  includes an enclosure  32  including the dry transducer  34  (hereinafter “transducer  34 ”), a membrane  33 , and a hydrophobic or superhydrophobic layer  36  (hereinafter “hydrophobic layer  36 ”). In some implementations, the enclosure  32  is open from one side (e.g., the side facing the transducer  34 ) that forms the opening  37 . The membrane  33  is a waterproof air permeable membrane and can be provided at a distance (e.g., within a range of about zero to a few millimeters) from the transducer  34 . The membrane  33  enables the use of the dry transducer  34  and allows signal (e.g., sound waves, in the case of a microphone or a speaker) transduction and air and/or gas diffusion (e.g., in the case of an environmental sensor), while preventing direct contact between the transducer  34  and the environmental aggressor (e.g., water). 
     The hydrophobic layer  36  is formed (e.g., coated) over internal surfaces of the cavity  35 , optionally including the top surface (not facing the transducer  34 ) of the membrane  33 , except for the sidewall  38 . In some implementations, the top surface of the membrane  23  can be inherently hydrophobic. Pre-treatment (e.g., removal of dirt, duct, oil and other particle) of the surfaces of the transducer port  30  before coating the hydrophobic layer  36  can be adopted to improve waterproofing and/or coating adhesion. In some implementations, the sidewall  38  can be coated with a hydrophilic layer where the water drop  39  can be attracted to. The opening  37  is sufficiently wide such that the water drop  39  cannot block a flow of air  31  through the membrane  33  into the transducer  34 . The water drop  39  may be removed by movements of the device hosting the transducer port  30  or through evaporation. The water drop  39  may be formed by accumulation of small amount of water present in the cavity  35 . The repulsion of the water drop  39  by the hydrophobic layer  36  can wash away the accumulated oil and dust, effectively cleaning the surface of the transducer  34  and the enclosure  32  of the transducer port  30 . 
     In one or more implementations, one or more capillary channels (e.g.,  33 - a  and  33 - b ) and can be added to transducer port  30 , which can transfer water by capillary action, for example, from areas around the membrane  33  to one or more drying ports (or vents, e.g.,  37 - a  and  37 - b ). From the drying ports, the water can be evaporated to help with pulling further water to the drying ports. In some implementations, internal walls of the channels can be coated with hydrophilic material to facilitate capillary movement. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port  40  for a dry transducer  44 , in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. The hydrophobic (or superhydrophobic)-coated transducer port  40  (hereinafter “transducer port  40 ”) includes an enclosure  42 , a membrane  43 , and a dry transducer  44  (hereinafter “transducer  44 ”). The enclosure  42  is open from one side facing the membrane  43 . A hydrophobic or superhydrophobic layer  46  (hereinafter “hydrophobic layer  46 ”) is formed non-preferentially over the entire surface of the transducer port  40  and optionally over the membrane  43 . In some implementations, the membrane  43  can be inherently hydrophobic. Pre-treatment (e.g., removal of dirt, duct, oil and other particle) of the surfaces of the transducer port  40  before coating the hydrophobic layer  46  can be adopted to improve waterproofing and/or coating adhesion. The membrane  43  is an air permeable waterproof membrane and is provided over the transducer  44 . Small water (or oil) droplets  48  may enter the cavity  45  and accumulate to form a water (or oil) drop  49 , which can be removed by motion of the host device and unclog the transducer port  40 , as depicted by the arrow  47 . The repulsion of the droplets  48  and the drop  49  by the hydrophobic layer  46  can wash away the accumulated oil and dust, effectively cleaning the surface of the membrane  43  and the enclosure  4  of the transducer port  40 . In some implementations, the capillary channels (e.g., e.g.,  33 - a  and  33 - b ) of  FIG. 3  can be similarly added to the transducer port  40 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a superhydrophobic coated surface  52 . By definition a superhydrophobic layer has a contact angle (e.g., α) with water (e.g., water drop  55 ) that is larger than 150 degrees. Superhydrophobic coatings can be applied to a variety of different surfaces such as metals (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, etc.) ceramics (e.g., concrete), wood, clothing fabrics and other surfaces. Compared with regular hydrophobic coatings, which rely on non-polar surfaces to repel water, superhydrophobic coatings have important characteristics such as low surface energy and surface micro-roughness. The superhydrophobic materials such as silica nanoparticles and powdered oxides of rare earth metals can have a superhydrophobicity property that is higher than most water repellent materials. Most superhydrophobic materials also have an oleophobic property that enables them to repel oils as well. The superhydrophobic layers typically have a self-cleaning property that prevents the accumulation of dust, human oil, bacteria on the layers. On surfaces coated with a superhydrophobic layer, small amount of water can wash away surface contaminants, effectively cleaning the surfaces. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a superhydrophobic-coated surface  62 . The superhydrophobic coated surface  62  includes a surface micro-roughness depicted by microstructures  64 . The surface roughness ensures that air pockets are formed between the surface of a water droplet  65  and the coated surface  62 . As seen from  FIG. 6 , the dimensions of the patterned microstructures  64  are substantially smaller than water droplet  65 . It is to be noted that  FIG. 6  is not drawn to scale, as the patterned microstructures  64  are on the order of tens to hundreds of microns, while the water droplet  65  could be on the order of millimeters or larger. Because of the microstructures  64 , the superhydrophobic layers are structurally susceptible to wear and tear, as mechanical contact can damage the surface micro-roughness, causing the surface to at least partially lose its superhydrophobicity. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram illustrating a method  700  of providing of a hydrophobic-coated transducer port (e.g.,  30  of  FIG. 1 ), in accordance with one or more aspects of the subject technology. The method  700  starts with providing a transducer (e.g.,  14  of  FIG. 1 ) enclosed in an enclosure (e.g.,  12  of  FIG. 1 ) ( 710 ). An opening (e.g.,  17  of  FIG. 1 ) is provided that allows flow of air between the transducer enclosed in the enclosure and a surrounding environment ( 720 ). The enclosure is configured to protect the transducer from misreading due to occlusion of environmental aggressors (e.g.,  19  of  FIG. 1 ) on the transducer ( 730 ). The enclosure is configured to repel the environmental aggressors away from a surface of the transducer and to keep a portion of the port unclogged to maintain an air flow (e.g.,  13  of  FIG. 1 ) to the transducer ( 740 ). 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless communication device, in which one or more miniature pressure sensors, humidity sensors, gas sensors or particulate matter (PM) of the subject technology can be implemented. The wireless communication device  800  may comprise a radio-frequency (RF) antenna  810 , a receiver  820 , a transmitter  830 , a baseband processing module  840 , a memory  850 , a processor  860 , a local oscillator generator (LOGEN)  870  and one or more transducers  880 . In various embodiments of the subject technology, one or more of the blocks represented in  FIG. 8  may be integrated on one or more semiconductor substrates. For example, the blocks  820 - 870  may be realized in a single chip or a single system on a chip, or may be realized in a multi-chip chipset. 
     The receiver  820  may comprise suitable logic circuitry and/or code that may be operable to receive and process signals from the RF antenna  810 . The receiver  820  may, for example, be operable to amplify and/or down-convert received wireless signals. In various embodiments of the subject technology, the receiver  820  may be operable to cancel noise in received signals and may be linear over a wide range of frequencies. In this manner, the receiver  820  may be suitable for receiving signals in accordance with a variety of wireless standards, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and various cellular standards. In various embodiments of the subject technology, the receiver  820  may not require any SAW filters and few or no off-chip discrete components such as large capacitors and inductors. 
     The transmitter  830  may comprise suitable logic circuitry and/or code that may be operable to process and transmit signals from the RF antenna  810 . The transmitter  830  may, for example, be operable to up-convert baseband signals to RF signals and amplify RF signals. In various embodiments of the subject technology, the transmitter  830  may be operable to up-convert and amplify baseband signals processed in accordance with a variety of wireless standards. Examples of such standards may include Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and various cellular standards. In various embodiments of the subject technology, the transmitter  830  may be operable to provide signals for further amplification by one or more power amplifiers. 
     The duplexer  812  may provide isolation in the transmit band to avoid saturation of the receiver  820  or damaging parts of the receiver  820 , and to relax one or more design requirements of the receiver  820 . Furthermore, the duplexer  812  may attenuate the noise in the receive band. The duplexer may be operable in multiple frequency bands of various wireless standards. 
     The baseband processing module  840  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to perform processing of baseband signals. The baseband processing module  840  may, for example, analyze received signals and generate control and/or feedback signals for configuring various components of the wireless communication device  800 , such as the receiver  820 . The baseband processing module  840  may be operable to encode, decode, transcode, modulate, demodulate, encrypt, decrypt, scramble, descramble, and/or otherwise process data in accordance with one or more wireless standards. 
     The processor  860  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable processing data and/or controlling operations of the wireless communication device  800 . In this regard, the processor  860  may be enabled to provide control signals to various other portions of the wireless communication device  800 . The processor  860  may also control transfers of data between various portions of the wireless communication device  800 . Additionally, the processor  860  may enable implementation of an operating system or otherwise execute code to manage operations of the wireless communication device  800 . 
     The memory  850  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable storage of various types of information such as received data, generated data, code, and/or configuration information. The memory  850  may comprise, for example, RAM, ROM, flash, and/or magnetic storage. In various embodiment of the subject technology, information stored in the memory  850  may be utilized for configuring the receiver  820  and/or the baseband processing module  840 . 
     The local oscillator generator (LOGEN)  870  may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code that may be operable to generate one or more oscillating signals of one or more frequencies. The LOGEN  870  may be operable to generate digital and/or analog signals. In this manner, the LOGEN  870  may be operable to generate one or more clock signals and/or sinusoidal signals. Characteristics of the oscillating signals such as the frequency and duty cycle may be determined based on one or more control signals from, for example, the processor  860  and/or the baseband processing module  840 . 
     In operation, the processor  860  may configure the various components of the wireless communication device  800  based on a wireless standard according to which it is desired to receive signals. Wireless signals may be received via the RF antenna  810  and amplified and down-converted by the receiver  820 . The baseband processing module  840  may perform noise estimation and/or noise cancellation, decoding, and/or demodulation of the baseband signals. In this manner, information in the received signal may be recovered and utilized appropriately. For example, the information may be audio and/or video to be presented to a user of the wireless communication device, data to be stored to the memory  850 , and/or information affecting and/or enabling operation of the wireless communication device  800 . The baseband processing module  840  may modulate, encode, and perform other processing on audio, video, and/or control signals to be transmitted by the transmitter  830  in accordance with various wireless standards. 
     The one or more transducers  880  may include a speaker, a microphone or a miniature environmental sensor of the subject technology used in a transducer port as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4  and described above. The transcoder port of the subject technology can be readily integrated into the communication device  800 , in particular when the communication device  800  is a smart mobile phone or a smart watch. 
     The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure. 
     The predicate words “configured to”, “operable to”, and “programmed to” do not imply any particular tangible or intangible modification of a subject, but, rather, are intended to be used interchangeably. For example, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or a component may also mean the processor being programmed to monitor and control the operation or the processor being operable to monitor and control the operation. Likewise, a processor configured to execute code can be construed as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code. 
     A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa. 
     The word “example” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. 
     All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.” Furthermore, to the extent that the term “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180802
Publication Date: 20191029
Grant Date: 20191029
Priority Date: 20170817
Inventors: YAN, MIAOLEI
MACNEIL, DAVID
BROWN, MICHAEL K.
YEH, RICHARD
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/086", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/11", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/11", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2499/11", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/02", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/025", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/023", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/023", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/086", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 65360926