JP7442937B2 - portable speaker system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable speaker system.

Portable speaker systems that are connected to computers, networks, etc. and output received audio signals have been put into practical use. For example, the speaker system of Patent Document 1 discloses a bass reflex type cabinet that is small but provides good bass reproduction characteristics. Moreover, the sound system of Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which, when a smart speaker is connected to an in-vehicle device, the in-vehicle device causes the smart speaker to output a frequency band that is insufficient in the sound field environment inside the vehicle.

JP2008-28686A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-186764

Figure 1 shows the appearance of a conventional portable speaker system. FIG. 1(A) is a front view, and FIG. 1(B) is a side view. As shown in the figure, the portable speaker 10 has a generally cylindrical housing 20. Two speakers, namely a woofer Wf for bass reproduction and a tweeter Tw for treble reproduction, are attached to the top of the housing 20, and the side portion A grip portion 30 for carrying is attached to the device. The internal space of the housing 20 includes an amplifier for driving a speaker, a Bluetooth module (hereinafter referred to as a BT module) for receiving an externally reproduced audio signal, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) for processing the received audio signal, etc. It houses a circuit board carrying electronic circuits and a battery that supplies power to the electronic circuits.

When the portable speaker system 10 is used indoors or outdoors, if the housing 20 is too large, it will be inconvenient to carry. On the other hand, as the size of the housing 20 decreases, the volume of the internal space decreases and the bass reproduction ability decreases. When the portable speaker system 10 is used as an outdoor speaker, it is sufficient to output audio in a band of about 70 to 20 kHz.

When using the portable speaker system 10 in a car, the portable speaker system 10 may not function as a subwoofer because in the sound field environment inside the car, the low frequency range is easily affected by road noise, engine noise, etc. during driving. desired. In that case, the woofer Wf needs to output audio in a low frequency range of at least about 50 Hz. However, the volume of the internal space of the conventional housing 20 is insufficient to output audio of 50 Hz or higher. On the other hand, if the volume of the housing 20 is increased or the housing 20 is provided with a bass reflex structure, The large size makes it inconvenient to carry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves these conventional problems, and aims to provide a portable speaker system that is highly portable and suitable for outdoor and in-vehicle sound field environments.

A portable speaker system according to the present invention includes a housing in which a woofer and tweeter speakers are attached and an opening is formed at the bottom, and an electronic circuit housed in the housing for driving the woofer and tweeter. The bottom part of the housing can be connected to a lid part or a cradle, and the cradle is provided with a bass reflex structure, and when the cradle is connected to the bottom part of the housing, the internal space of the housing is connected to the cradle. Connected to the interior space.

In one embodiment, the lid includes a battery for powering the electronic circuit. In one embodiment, the woofer and tweeter are attached to an upper side of the housing. In one embodiment, when the lid is connected, the electronic circuit receives an externally reproduced audio signal via wireless communication, causes the received audio signal to be output as audio from the woofer and the tweeter, and When the cradle is connected, the electronic circuit inputs an audio signal through the audio supply terminal of the cradle, and causes the input audio signal to be output as audio from the woofer. In one embodiment, the cradle supplies an audio signal reproduced by an in-vehicle device from the audio supply terminal. In one embodiment, the cradle includes a power supply terminal that supplies power from a vehicle battery, and the electronic circuit is operable by the power supplied from the power supply terminal. In one embodiment, when the cradle is connected, the electronic circuit processes the audio signal so as to output a bass frequency below a certain frequency to an amplifier.

According to the present invention, by making it possible to connect the lid or the cradle to the bottom of the housing having the woofer and the tweeter, the overall size when the lid is connected is reduced to make it easier to carry, and on the other hand, the cradle By expanding the volume of the internal space of the housing when connected to the cradle and utilizing the bass reflex structure of the cradle, it is possible to increase the bass range reproduction ability.

The appearance of a conventional portable speaker is shown, with FIG. 1(A) being a front view and FIG. 1(B) being a side view. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a portable speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A shows a state in which a lid is attached to the bottom of the housing, and FIG. FIG. 2C shows a state in which the lid is removed, and FIG. 2C shows a state in which the housing is connected to the cradle. It is a figure showing a schematic section when a cradle is connected to a housing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical configuration when a portable speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a BT speaker. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical configuration when a portable speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention is used as a subwoofer in a car. 3 is a graph showing frequency characteristics of audio output by a portable speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The portable speaker system of the present invention can output audio with frequency characteristics suitable for the sound field environment outdoors or in a car, and has a structure that is easy to carry. In one aspect, when a portable speaker is used outdoors, the woofer and tweeter output sound in a full range from bass to treble, and when used in a car, the sound field environment of the in-vehicle device is insufficient. It functions as a woofer or subwoofer that emphasizes the low frequency range.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a portable speaker system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows the portable speaker system 100 when used outdoors, that is, when the lid is attached to the bottom of the housing. The portable speaker system 100 of this embodiment, like the portable speaker 10 of FIG. A grip part 112 is attached to the side of the housing 110 to facilitate carrying.

A generally cylindrical space S1 is formed inside the housing 110 (see FIG. 3), and a circuit board, etc. equipped with an electronic circuit electrically connected to the speaker is mounted at a predetermined position in the interior space S1. Ru. A circular opening 114 is formed at the bottom of the housing 110 to expose the internal space S1 (see FIG. 2(B)). Furthermore, the bottom of the housing is provided with metal connection terminals T1, T2, and T3 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) for making electrical connections with the circuit board, as will be described later. The connecting terminals may consist, for example, of male terminals or, conversely, of female terminals for receiving male terminals.

A disc-shaped lid 120 is removably attached to the bottom of the housing 110. The method of attaching the lid 120 is not particularly limited, but for example, the lid 120 may be processed into a shape that fits or engages with the shape of the bottom of the housing 110, or formed on the outer periphery of the bottom of the housing 110. The housing 110 may have a threaded portion formed thereon so as to be threaded thereon, or may be coupled to the bottom of the housing 110 using fastening parts such as screws or bolts.

A battery (for example, a secondary voltage battery such as a lithium ion battery) is housed inside the lid part 120, and when the lid part 120 is attached to the bottom of the housing 110, the lid part 120 closes the internal space S1 of the housing 110. , and further supplies power from the battery to the electronic circuitry within the housing 110 via the connection terminal.

FIG. 2(B) shows the portable speaker system 100 with the bottom cover 110 removed, and FIG. 2(C) shows the state when the portable speaker system 100 is used in a car, that is, when the housing is connected to the cradle. This shows the state in which the When using the portable speaker system 100 in a car, first, the lid 120 is removed from the bottom of the housing 110, as shown in FIG. 2(B). In order to avoid damage to the battery because the temperature inside the vehicle can become high, the battery in the lid part 120 is not used, but the battery on the vehicle side is used. When the lid 120 is removed, the internal space S1 of the housing 110 is exposed to the outside through the bottom opening 114.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(C), the bottom of the housing 110 is connected to the cradle 130. Cradle 130 supports the bottom of housing 110 so that housing 110 stands upright. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a cross section of the housing 110 when it is connected to the cradle 130. The cradle 130 includes an outer peripheral part 132 surrounding the recess 134 such that a circular recess 134 is formed in the center, and a main body part 136 connected to the outer peripheral part 132 and defining a cylindrical internal space S2. The recess 134 provides a space into which the bottom of the housing 110 is inserted, and a circular opening 134A for exposing the internal space S2 of the main body 136 is formed in the recess 134. When the bottom of the housing 110 is inserted into the recess 134, the bottom of the housing 110 is supported by the outer periphery 132 and the recess 134, and the internal space S1 of the housing 110 is connected to the opening 114 at the bottom of the housing 110 and the opening 134A of the recess 134. It is coupled to the internal space S2 of the main body portion 136 via. In this way, when the housing 110 is connected to the cradle 130, the internal space S1 of the housing 110 is expanded by the internal space S2 of the cradle 130, thereby increasing the speaker's ability to reproduce bass frequencies. For example, the volume of the internal space S1 is approximately 4L, the volume of the internal space S2 is approximately 3L, and by connecting the cradle 130, the volumes of both internal spaces are expanded to approximately 7L.

Furthermore, at least one bass reflex structure 140 is attached to the main body portion 136 . The bass reflex structure 140 is intended to enhance the bass range, and a member such as a duct, pipe, or tube having a certain opening width and a certain depth is attached to the main body part 136. The size of the bass reflex structure 140 is designed based on the total volume of the internal space S1 of the housing 110 and the volume of the internal space S2 of the cradle 130 and the required low frequency reproduction ability (for example, from 50 Hz). .

Additionally, cradle 130 is provided with an electrical interface for providing power from the vehicle's battery and audio signals reproduced by on-vehicle devices to electronic circuitry within housing 110 . In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a metal support member 150 having an L-shaped cross section and serving as a guide is attached to the inside of the outer peripheral portion 132. In this case, the peripheral edge 152 of the support member 150 is aligned with the opening 134A of the recess 134 and the opening 114 of the bottom of the housing 110, that is, the periphery 152 of the support member 150 is aligned with the opening 134A of the recess 134 and the opening 114 of the bottom of the housing 110, and thus prevents the coupling between the interior space S1 of the housing 110 and the interior space S2 of the cradle 130. The shape is such that it cannot be The peripheral portion 152 is connected to a power supply terminal VCC2 for supplying power from the vehicle's battery and an audio signal supply terminal AUD for supplying an audio signal to an on-vehicle device (see FIG. 5). For example, the power supply terminal VCC2 and the audio signal supply terminal AUD are housed in an opening formed in the peripheral portion 152.

When the bottom of the housing 110 is inserted into the recess 134, the connection terminals T2 and T3 (see FIG. 5) provided at the bottom of the housing 110 are connected to the power supply terminal VCC2 and the audio signal supply terminal AUD of the peripheral portion 152. be done. As a result, electric power and audio signals from the battery on the vehicle side are supplied to an electronic circuit mounted on a circuit board within the housing 110.

Next, the electrical configuration of the portable speaker system of this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 4 shows a configuration when the portable speaker system 100 is used outdoors as a BT speaker. Electronic circuits such as a BT module 200, a DSP 210, an amplifier 220, etc. are mounted on a circuit board within the housing 110. These electronic circuits are connected to the connection terminal T1 via a power line. When the lid 120 is attached to the bottom of the housing 110, the connection terminal T1 of the housing 110 is connected to the battery power supply terminal VCC1 of the lid 120. As a result, power from the battery is supplied to the BT module 200, DSP 210, and amplifier 220.

The BT module 210 is connected to a paired external electronic device, and the audio signal reproduced by the electronic device is wirelessly received by the BT module 210. BT module 210 provides the received audio signal to DSP 210. The DSP 210 has a function of adjusting or changing the frequency characteristics of the audio signal in order to obtain output audio suitable for the sound field environment. When receiving the audio signal from the BT module 200, the DSP 210 processes the audio signal so that the woofer Wf and tweeter Tw output audio in the full range from bass to treble in order to provide a sound field environment for outdoor use. do. The audio signal processed by the DSP 210 is amplified by the amplifier 220, and audio is output from the woofer Wf and the tweeter Tw.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration when the portable speaker system 100 is used as a subwoofer in a car. In this case, the lid 120 is removed and the housing 110 is connected to the cradle 130. The power supply terminal VCC2 of the cradle 130 is connected to the battery of the vehicle, and the audio signal supply terminal AUD is connected to the audio output terminal of the vehicle-mounted device HU. The power supply terminal VCC2 is connected to the connection terminal T2 of the housing 110, and the audio signal supply terminal AUD is connected to the connection terminal T3 of the housing 110. The connection terminal T2 is connected to the DSP 210 and the amplifier 220, and is not connected to the BT module 200. Therefore, the BT module 200 becomes inactive, and the DSP 210 and amplifier 220 operate.

The in-vehicle device HU is, for example, an electronic device having an audio function, a visual function, a navigation function, and the like. The inside of the car is equipped with genuine speakers for outputting the audio signals reproduced by the on-board device HU.The genuine speakers include, for example, mid-range speakers with excellent mid-range reproduction ability and high-frequency output ability. Contains tweeter. The cradle 130 is installed at a position suitable for reinforcing the low frequency range, which tends to be lacking in the sound field environment inside a car. For example, it can be installed at the location of the smart speaker 200 shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 of Patent Document 2.

The BT module 200 is inactive, and the audio signal reproduced by the in-vehicle device HU is input to the DPS 210 via the connection terminal T3. When the DPS 210 receives an audio signal from the connection terminal T3, the DPS 210 performs LPF processing on the audio signal, that is, cuts off the high frequency region and outputs the audio signal in the low frequency region below a certain frequency to the amplifier 220. As a result, the tweeter Tw is virtually inactive, and the woofer Wf outputs sound in a lower frequency range due to the expansion of the internal space volume and the action of the bass reflex structure.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the frequency characteristics of the audio output by the portable speaker system of this example. The volume of the internal space S1 of the housing 110 is 4L, and the volume of the internal space S2 of the cradle 130 is 3L.The solid line indicates the output when the BT speaker is used with the lid 120 attached, and the broken line indicates the output when the BT speaker is used with the cradle 130 connected. Shows the output when using a subwoofer. When the minimum reproducible sound pressure level is 68 dB, when using a BT speaker, it is possible to reproduce low frequencies from 62 Hz, whereas when using a cradle, the internal volume is expanded to 7L, and the bass reflex structure By using this, it is possible to reproduce low frequency frequencies of 42Hz and above, and it can function as a subwoofer.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when used outdoors as a BT speaker, it is possible to reproduce full-range sound in a conveniently portable size, and when used as a subwoofer in a car, it is possible to reproduce even lower frequencies. It becomes possible.

In the embodiments described above, the external shapes of the housing 110 and the cradle 130 are cylindrical, but these are merely examples, and other external shapes may be used. Further, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the battery was housed within the lid 120, but the battery may not necessarily be housed within the lid but may be housed within the housing. In this case, power supply from the battery may be stopped when the lid is removed, or power may continue to be supplied from the battery regardless of removal of the lid. In the latter case, the battery in the housing may be charged by the battery in the vehicle when the cradle is connected.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the BT module receives the reproduced signal from the outside, but the present invention is also applicable to a configuration in which the reproduced signal is received from the outside using a wireless communication method other than the BT module. be able to.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to specific embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention described in the claims. Changes are possible.

100: Portable speaker system 110: Housing 112: Grip section 120: Lid section 130: Cradle 132: Outer section 134: Recess section 134A: Opening 136: Main body section 140: Bass reflex structure 150: Support member 152: Peripheral section 200: BT module 210:DSP
220: Amplifier T1, T2, T3: Connection terminals VCC1, VCC2: Power supply terminals AUD: Audio signal supply terminals

Claims (7)

a housing to which a woofer and a tweeter speaker are attached, an opening is formed at the bottom, and further includes a first connection terminal for receiving an audio signal ;
an electronic circuit housed in the housing for driving the woofer and tweeter;
The electronic circuit includes a wireless communication unit that receives an externally reproduced audio signal by wireless communication, and selectively receives the audio signal received by the wireless communication unit or the audio signal received by the first connection terminal, a signal processing unit that processes the received audio signal;
The bottom of the housing is connectable to a lid or a cradle;
The cradle is provided with a bass reflex structure and further provided with an audio signal supply terminal, and when the cradle is connected to the bottom of the housing, the internal space of the housing is coupled to the internal space of the cradle , and the audio signal is supplied to the cradle. A portable speaker system , wherein a signal supply terminal is connected to the first connection terminal . The housing further includes a second connection terminal connected to the wireless communication section and the signal processing section, and a third connection terminal connected to the signal processing section,
The lid includes a battery and a first power supply terminal connected to the battery ,
The cradle further includes a second power supply terminal;
When the lid is connected, the first power supply terminal is connected to the second connection terminal, and when the cradle is connected, the second power supply terminal is connected to the third connection terminal. The portable speaker system of claim 1 , wherein the portable speaker system is connected to a portable speaker system. When the signal processing unit receives an audio signal from the first connection terminal via the audio signal supply terminal, the signal processing unit processes the audio signal so as to cut off a high frequency region and generate a low frequency region below a certain frequency. The portable speaker system according to claim 1. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit processes the audio signal so that the woofer and the tweeter output audio in a full range from a bass range to a treble range when receiving the audio signal from the wireless communication unit. type speaker system. 5. The portable speaker system according to claim 4, wherein the signal processing section includes an amplifier for amplifying an audio signal. 2. The portable speaker system according to claim 1 , wherein the woofer and the tweeter are attached to an upper side of the housing , and the cradle supports the bottom of the housing so that the housing stands upright . 3. The portable speaker system according to claim 2, wherein the second power supply terminal of the cradle is connected to a vehicle battery, and the audio signal supply terminal of the cradle is connected to an audio output terminal of a vehicle-mounted device.

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