JP7697385B2 - Wireless Speakers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wireless speaker.

In recent years, wireless speakers have come into practical use. A wireless speaker has a communication circuit for short-distance wireless communication with an external device (e.g., an electronic device), a speaker unit that emits sound, and a storage battery as a power source. This wireless speaker receives data from an external device through short-distance wireless communication and activates the speaker unit based on that data. This makes it possible to send sound data (audio data, music data, etc.) from an external device to the wireless speaker and to operate the wireless speaker (adjusting the volume, selecting playback data, etc.) without contact.

Conventionally, so-called wireless power supply has been proposed, which supplies power to a storage battery built into an electronic device in a non-contact manner (see Patent Document 1). In the wireless power supply described in Patent Document 1, electromagnetic waves (more specifically, a power signal) emitted from a power transmission antenna of a power transmission device are received by a power receiving antenna of the device to be charged. This power signal is then converted to DC power, and the converted DC power is supplied to the storage battery. The storage battery is charged by this DC power.

Patent No. 6725531

The above-mentioned electromagnetic wave type wireless power supply can be used to supply power to a storage battery built into a wireless speaker. The components of a wireless speaker, such as the speaker unit and communication circuit, contain materials that attenuate electromagnetic waves (specifically, metals, magnetic materials, etc.). Therefore, even if wireless power supply is used to simply supply power to the storage battery, there is a risk that power will not be supplied properly to the storage battery because the electromagnetic waves used for power supply will be attenuated (or blocked) by the components of the wireless speaker.

A wireless speaker for solving the above problem is a wireless speaker that receives data transmitted from an external device through short-range wireless communication and operates a speaker unit based on the data, and has a power storage unit as a power source for storing power, a power receiving unit that receives a power signal transmitted from a power transmitting device through electromagnetic wave wireless power supply, and a conversion unit that converts the power signal received by the power receiving unit into DC power and transmits it to the power storage unit, and a part of the outer surface of the power receiving unit forms a power receiving surface that receives the power signal, and no parts containing metal or magnetic material are located on the outer side of the wireless speaker than the power receiving surface in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface.

According to the above configuration, the electromagnetic waves (more specifically, the power signal) sent from the power transmission device can be incident on the power receiving surface of the power receiving unit of the wireless speaker without being blocked by the components of the wireless speaker (more specifically, the parts containing metal or magnetic material). This allows the power signal sent from the power transmission device to be received by the power receiving unit while suppressing unnecessary attenuation by the components of the wireless speaker. This makes it possible to wirelessly supply power to the power storage unit built into the wireless speaker with high efficiency.

In the wireless speaker, the components include a housing made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, the power receiving unit is provided in such a manner that the power receiving surface extends along the inner surface of the housing, and in the portion where the inner surface of the housing and the power receiving surface face each other, the components are not disposed between the inner surface and the power receiving surface.

According to the above configuration, electromagnetic waves (more specifically, power signals) can be incident on the power receiving surface of the power receiving unit from the outside of the housing made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves, in a manner that transmits only the housing among the components of the wireless speaker. This allows the power signal transmitted from the power transmitting device to be received by the power receiving unit while suppressing unnecessary attenuation.

In the wireless speaker, the speaker unit and the power receiving unit are arranged so that the sound wave emitting unit that radiates sound waves in the speaker unit and the power receiving surface face in opposite directions.

Wireless speakers are often placed so that the sound wave radiating portion of the speaker unit faces inward into the room, in other words, so that the sound wave radiating portion of the speaker unit faces away from the wall of the room. With the above configuration, when a wireless speaker is placed in this manner, a power signal can be efficiently transmitted from a power transmitting device installed in the space behind it or on the wall of the room to the power receiving portion of the wireless speaker over a short distance.

In the wireless speaker, the power receiving section has a ring shape that extends along the outer edge of the sound wave radiating section of the speaker unit that radiates sound waves, and the outer surface of the ring shape is the power receiving surface.

According to the above configuration, when a wireless speaker is placed with the sound wave radiating portion of the speaker unit facing away from the wall of a room, a power signal can be efficiently transmitted from a power transmitting device installed to the side of the wireless speaker (e.g., in the next room) to the power receiving portion of the wireless speaker. Moreover, a power signal can also be efficiently transmitted to the power receiving portion of the wireless speaker from a power transmitting device installed above the wireless speaker (e.g., on the ceiling or in the attic) or below (e.g., on the floor or under the floor). According to the above configuration, wireless power supply to the wireless speaker can be performed with a high degree of freedom in this way.

The wireless speaker further includes a data reception permission unit that permits the power receiving unit to receive the power signal on condition that the data is not being received.
According to the above configuration, when the speaker unit is not operating, it is possible to receive a power signal by the power receiving unit while suppressing adverse effects on the operation of the speaker unit.

The present invention makes it possible to supply power wirelessly to a wireless speaker with high efficiency.

1 is a perspective view of a wireless speaker according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a wireless speaker, a power transmitting device, and an external device. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a wireless speaker and its surroundings. 2 is a rear view of the wireless speaker as seen from the rear wall side of the housing. FIG. FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of a wireless speaker according to another embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the wireless speaker. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the wireless speaker. FIG.

An embodiment of a wireless speaker will be described below.
1, the wireless speaker 10 has a housing 11. The housing 11 constitutes the exterior of the wireless speaker 10. Inside the housing 11, various components that make up the wireless speaker 10 are housed.

<Housing 11>
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the housing 11 has a housing body 111 and a waterproof sheet 112. The housing body 111 is made of a hard synthetic resin material. The housing body 111 has a substantially rectangular box shape. A material that transmits electromagnetic waves is used as a material for forming the housing body 111. The waterproof sheet 112 is provided inside the housing body 111. The waterproof sheet 112 is formed in a sheet shape from a soft synthetic resin material. The waterproof sheet 112 has a substantially rectangular box shape. The waterproof sheet 112 extends along the inner surface of the housing body 111 in a manner to cover substantially the entire inner surface of the housing body 111. A material that transmits electromagnetic waves is used as a material for forming the waterproof sheet 112.

In the wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment, the components housed in the housing 11 are placed inside the waterproof sheet 112. As a result, the wireless speaker 10 has a structure in which the waterproof sheet 112 separates the inner surface of the housing body 111 from the components provided inside the housing 11. The waterproof sheet 112 functions to prevent water from entering the inside of the housing 11. The wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment is a waterproof speaker. This wireless speaker 10 can be used in environments where it may be exposed to water (such as outdoors or in a bathroom).

As shown in FIG. 3, the wireless speaker 10 has a speaker unit 12, a speaker driving unit 13, and a short-range wireless communication unit 14 as components for emitting sound.

<Speaker unit 12>
The speaker unit 12 is a device for converting an input signal into sound (air vibration). The speaker unit 12 has a voice coil, a magnet, a cone, a yoke, a frame member, etc., all of which are not shown. The voice coil is made of a metal material (copper-based material or aluminum-based material). The magnet is made of a magnetic material. The cone is made of a synthetic resin material. The yoke is made of a metal material (iron-based material). The frame member is formed of a metal material (iron-based material).

<Speaker driving unit 13>
The speaker driving unit 13 has an amplifier circuit that outputs an activation signal to the speaker unit 12. In this embodiment, the speaker unit 12 is activated by the activation signal output from the amplifier circuit. Note that the amplifier circuit (more specifically, the circuit board including the amplifier circuit) contains metals, such as a heat sink made of an aluminum-based material and a wiring pattern made of a copper-based material.

<Near field communication section 14>
The short-range wireless communication unit 14 is a wireless communication module that complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The short-range wireless communication unit 14 has a communication antenna and a communication circuit. The external device 20 also has a wireless communication module (hereinafter, short-range wireless communication unit 21) that complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The external device 20 may be an electronic device owned by a user (a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc.). In this embodiment, the wireless speaker 10 and the external device 20 are paired using the short-range wireless communication units 14 and 21, thereby enabling wireless communication between the wireless speaker 10 and the external device 20.

In this embodiment, data transmitted from the external device 20 is received by the short-range wireless communication unit 14, and data transmitted from the wireless speaker 10 is received by the short-range wireless communication unit 21, through short-range wireless communication. The data transmitted and received includes sound data (audio data, music data, etc.) related to the sound generated by the wireless speaker 10, and operation data related to the operation of the wireless speaker 10 (power operation, volume operation, selection of playback data, etc.). In the wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment, the speaker unit 12 is operated based on the data received by the short-range wireless communication unit 14. In this embodiment, it is possible to transmit sound data from the external device 20 to the wireless speaker 10 and to operate the wireless speaker 10 by the external device 20 in a non-contact manner through short-range wireless communication.

The wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment is charged by power transmitted from the power transmission device 30. The power transmission device 30 supplies power to the wireless speaker 10 by wireless power transmission using radio waves (microwaves in this embodiment). The specific configuration of the power transmission device 30 will be described in detail later.

The wireless speaker 10 includes a power receiving antenna 16, a conversion unit 17, a storage battery 18, and a control unit 19 as components for wireless power supply.
<Receiving antenna 16>
The power receiving antenna 16 constitutes a part that receives power transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 by radio wave wireless power supply. More specifically, the power receiving antenna 16 is used to receive a power signal transmitted from the power transmitting device 30. The power receiving antenna 16 is also used to transmit a beacon signal including location information to the power transmitting device 30.

<Conversion unit 17>
The conversion unit 17 constitutes a part that converts the power signal received by the power receiving antenna 16 into DC power. The conversion unit 17 has a rectifier circuit and a transformer circuit. In the wireless speaker 10 of the present embodiment, the DC power converted by the conversion unit 17 is supplied to the storage battery 18, thereby charging the storage battery 18.

<Storage battery 18>
The storage battery 18 is a secondary battery that stores power. The storage battery 18 is the power source for the wireless speaker 10.

<Control Unit 19>
The control unit 19 may be, for example, a microcontroller unit. The control unit 19 includes a processor and a storage unit. The storage unit includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 19 executes various controls related to the operation control of the wireless speaker 10. The control unit 19 controls the short-range wireless communication unit 14 to receive data from the external device 20. The control unit 19 controls the power receiving antenna 16 to receive the power signal and transmit a beacon signal to the power transmitting device 30. The control unit 19 executes operation control of the speaker unit 12 (specifically, the speaker driving unit 13).

<Data Reception Permission Unit 191>
The control unit 19 has, as one of its functional units, a data reception permission unit 191. The data reception permission unit 191 permits reception of a power signal by the power receiving antenna 16 on the condition that the data is not being received from the external device 20 through short-range wireless communication. In this embodiment, when the speaker unit 12 is not operating, the power receiving antenna 16 receives a power signal while suppressing adverse effects on the operation of the speaker unit 12.

<Power transmission device 30>
The power transmitting device 30 includes a power transmitting antenna 31 and a control unit 32 .
The power transmitting antenna 31 is used for various types of communication with the wireless speaker 10. The power transmitting antenna 31 is used to transmit a power signal to the wireless speaker 10 and to receive a beacon signal from the wireless speaker 10.

The control unit 32 may be, for example, a microcontroller unit. The control unit 32 includes a processor and a memory unit. The memory unit includes ROM and RAM. The control unit 32 executes various controls related to communication with the wireless speaker 10. The control unit 32 controls the power transmission antenna 31 to receive a beacon signal transmitted by the wireless speaker 10. The control unit 32 converts power supplied from a power supply device (not shown) into a power signal, and transmits this power signal using the power transmission antenna 31.

In this embodiment, power is supplied to the wireless speaker 10 through radio wave wireless power supply. Power supply to the wireless speaker 10 is performed as follows.
The wireless speaker 10 uses the power receiving antenna 16 to transmit a beacon signal to the power transmitting device 30 at a predetermined time interval. The power transmitting device 30 receives the beacon signal with the power transmitting antenna 31 and identifies the position of the wireless speaker 10 based on the beacon signal. The power transmitting device 30 then transmits a power signal from the power transmitting antenna 31 toward the identified position. The wireless speaker 10 receives the power signal with the power receiving antenna 16 and converts this power signal into DC power to supply it to the storage battery 18. The storage battery 18 is charged by this DC power.

The components of the wireless speaker 10 include materials (specifically, metal materials and magnetic materials) that attenuate electromagnetic waves (including power signals). If such components attenuate (or block) the power signal (electromagnetic waves) for wireless power supply, wireless power supply will not work properly. With this in mind, in this embodiment, the components of the wireless speaker 10 are positioned so that the power signal is not attenuated by the components of the wireless speaker 10 when the wireless speaker 10 receives the power signal.

<Layout of components>
The layout of the components of the wireless speaker 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

<Arrangement of power receiving antenna 16>
4 and 5, the power receiving antenna 16 has a rectangular plate shape. The power receiving antenna 16 is provided inside the housing 11 in a manner extending along the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. A part of the outer surface of the power receiving antenna 16, more specifically, one surface in the thickness direction (the right side in FIG. 4), constitutes a power receiving surface 161 that receives a power signal.

In this embodiment, the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 faces the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. No components of the wireless speaker 10 are disposed between the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 and the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, no parts of the components of the wireless speaker 10 that contain metal or magnetic material are disposed between the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 and the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11.

The housing 11 is made of a synthetic resin material that does not attenuate electromagnetic waves. Therefore, in this embodiment, it can be said that no parts of the components that contain metal or magnetic material are located on the outer side of the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 (right side in FIG. 4) of the wireless speaker 10 in a direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161 (left and right direction in FIG. 4).

The rear wall 11R of the housing 11 has four mounting recesses 113. The mounting recesses 113 are used to mount the wireless speaker 10. The four mounting recesses 113 are provided at positions outside the projection area (indicated by AR in Figs. 4 and 5) when the power receiving surface 161 is projected parallel to the rear wall 11R in the opposing direction of the power receiving antenna 16 and the rear wall 11R (left-right direction in Fig. 4), specifically at the four corners of the rear wall 11R. Therefore, in this embodiment, the mounting recesses 113 are not located in the projection area AR on the outer side of the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16.

<Arrangement of speaker unit 12>
The speaker unit 12 is provided closest to the front wall 11F (left side in FIG. 4 ) among the components provided in the housing 11. The speaker unit 12 is provided inside the housing 11 so that a sound wave radiating portion 121 that radiates sound waves in the speaker unit 12 faces the inner surface of the front wall 11F of the housing 11. In this embodiment, the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 faces the inner surface of the front wall 11F of the housing 11. In this embodiment, the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving antenna 16 are arranged so that the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 face in opposite directions.

<Layout of other components>
Of the components of the wireless speaker 10, components other than the housing 11, the power receiving antenna 16, and the speaker unit 12 are disposed between the power receiving antenna 16 and the speaker unit 12. Specifically, the speaker driving unit 13, the short-range wireless communication unit 14, the conversion unit 17, the storage battery 18, and the control unit 19 are provided in the space inside the housing 11 between the power receiving antenna 16 and the speaker unit 12.

<Effect>
Hereinafter, the operation of the wireless speaker 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 show an example of an arrangement of the wireless speaker 10 and the power transmitting device 30.

In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , wireless speaker 10 is provided in a bathroom 40 , while power transmitting device 30 is provided in a dressing room 41 adjacent to bathroom 40 .
The wireless speaker 10 is attached to a partition wall 43 that separates the bathroom 40 and the dressing room 41. The wireless speaker 10 is fixed to a surface 431 of the partition wall 43 facing the bathroom 40 by using a bracket 11B that is a separate member and a mounting recess 113 of the housing 11. This places the rear wall 11R of the housing 11 of the wireless speaker 10 opposite the partition wall 43. The power transmission device 30 is attached to a surface 432 of the partition wall 43 facing the dressing room 41. The power transmission device 30 is fixed to the partition wall 43 with the partition wall 43 sandwiched between the power transmission device 30 and the wireless speaker 10.

When wirelessly feeding power to the wireless speaker 10, a power signal is transmitted from the power transmission antenna 31 of the power transmission device 30 to the power receiving antenna 16 of the wireless speaker 10. As shown by arrow A in FIG. 4, this power signal passes through the partition wall 43 and the rear wall 11R of the housing 11 of the wireless speaker 10, and then reaches the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 of the wireless speaker 10.

In the wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment, only the housing 11 (more specifically, the rear wall 11R) of the components is disposed outside the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161. Therefore, in the portion of the wireless speaker 10 outside the power receiving surface 161, i.e., the portion through which the power signal passes, no parts of the components of the wireless speaker 10 that contain metal or magnetic material are disposed.

Therefore, the power signal (electromagnetic wave) transmitted from the power transmission device 30 passes through the partition wall 43, and then passes only through the housing 11 of the components of the wireless speaker 10, and is incident on the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 from outside the housing 11. Therefore, the power signal is incident on the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 without being blocked by the components of the wireless speaker 10 (more specifically, the parts containing metal or magnetic material).

Moreover, in the wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment, the mounting recess 113 is not disposed in the projection area AR on the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. As a result, the bracket 11B used to mount the wireless speaker 10 using the mounting recess 113 is also not disposed in the area AR. Therefore, the power signal is not blocked by the bracket 11B and is incident on the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16. The wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment is structured so that the power signal is not attenuated by the bracket 11B, even if the bracket 11B is made of a material that attenuates electromagnetic waves (such as a magnet or metal material).

According to the wireless speaker 10 of this embodiment, the power signal transmitted from the power transmission device 30 is received by the power receiving antenna 16 while suppressing unnecessary attenuation caused by the components of the wireless speaker 10 and the mounting bracket 11B.

<Action and effect>
The effects of the wireless speaker 10 of the present embodiment will be described below.
(1) In the wireless speaker 10, no components of the wireless speaker 10 that contain metal or magnetic material are disposed outside the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161. This allows the power receiving antenna 16 to receive the power signal transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 while suppressing unnecessary attenuation caused by the components of the wireless speaker 10. This allows wireless power supply to the wireless speaker 10 to be performed with high efficiency.

(2) The components of the wireless speaker 10 include a housing 11 made of a synthetic resin material that transmits electromagnetic waves. The power receiving antenna 16 is provided in such a manner that the power receiving surface 161 extends along the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. In the portion where the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11 and the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 face each other, no components of the wireless speaker 10 are disposed between the inner surface of the rear wall 11R and the power receiving surface 161. According to this embodiment, a power signal (electromagnetic wave) can be incident on the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 from the outside of the housing 11 in such a manner that only the housing 11 of the components of the wireless speaker 10 is transmitted. This allows the power receiving antenna 16 to receive the power signal transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 while suppressing unnecessary attenuation.

(3) The speaker unit 12 and the power receiving antenna 16 are positioned so that the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 face in opposite directions.

In the wireless speaker 10, when the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 is arranged to face the inside of the room, the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 is arranged to face the outside of the room (e.g., the wall behind). According to this embodiment, in this case, a power signal can be efficiently transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 provided behind (e.g., the space behind, the wall of the room, the next room) to the power receiving antenna 16 of the wireless speaker 10 at a short distance. In the example shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the wireless speaker 10 is provided in the bathroom 40, and the power transmitting device 30 is provided in the dressing room 41 next to the bathroom 40. In this example, a power signal can be efficiently transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 to the wireless speaker 10 at a short distance through the partition wall 43 that separates the bathroom 40 from the dressing room 41.

(4) The data reception permission unit 191 of the control unit 19 permits the reception of a power signal by the power receiving antenna 16 on the condition that the wireless speaker 10 is not receiving data from the external device 20 through short-range wireless communication. This allows the power receiving antenna 16 to receive a power signal and thus supply power to the storage battery 18 only when the speaker unit 12 is not operating, while minimizing adverse effects on the operation of the speaker unit 12.

<Example of change>
The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

As the power storage unit that stores power, a capacitor may be used instead of the storage battery 18 .
The data reception permission unit 191 may be omitted. Reception of data from the external device 20 via short-range wireless communication and reception of a power signal by the power receiving antenna 16 may be performed simultaneously.

- In the above embodiment, the short-range wireless communication standard that can be used is Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), etc.

The relative positions of the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving antenna 16 can be changed as desired, provided that no other components are placed between the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 and the inner surface of the housing 11 where they face each other.

An example of such a positional relationship will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Note that in Figures 6 to 8, components similar to those of the wireless speaker 10 of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 above are indicated with the same reference numerals (or corresponding reference numerals), and detailed description of these components will be omitted below.

6 and 7, the housing 11 has a peripheral wall 11S. The peripheral wall 11S is a generally rectangular tube that connects the front wall 11F and the rear wall 11R. The power receiving antenna 56 is plate-shaped and is provided inside the housing 11. The power receiving antenna 56 is ring-shaped and extends along the outer edge of the sound wave radiating section 121 of the speaker unit 12. More specifically, the power receiving antenna 56 is rectangular tube-shaped and extends along the inner surface of the peripheral wall 11S. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the rectangular tube-shaped power receiving antenna 56 is the power receiving surface 561. In the wireless speaker 50, the power receiving surface 561 faces the outside of the rectangular tube shape, that is, toward the outside of the wireless speaker 50. In the wireless speaker 50, the speaker driving unit 13 (Figure 6), short-range wireless communication unit 14, conversion unit 17, storage battery 18, and control unit 19 are arranged inside the rectangular cylindrical receiving antenna 56.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the wireless speaker 50 is placed with the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 facing away from the side wall of the bathroom 40.
As shown in FIG. 8, the power receiving antenna 56 has an upper portion 56A arranged so that the power receiving surface 561 faces upward, a side portion 56B arranged so that the power receiving surface 561 faces sideways, and a lower portion 56C (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) arranged so that the power receiving surface 561 faces downward.

Therefore, by placing the power transmission device 30 to the side of the wireless speaker 50, such as on the side wall of the bathroom 40 or in an adjacent room, the power signal can be efficiently transmitted from the power transmission device 30 to the side 56B of the power receiving antenna 56. Note that FIG. 8 shows the power transmission device 30 installed in the dressing room 41, which is the room next to the bathroom 40.

In addition, by placing the power transmission device 30 above the wireless speaker 50, such as on the ceiling or in the attic of the bathroom 40, the power signal can be efficiently transmitted from the power transmission device 30 to the upper part 56A of the power receiving antenna 56.

Furthermore, by placing the power transmission device 30 below the wireless speaker 50, such as on the floor or under the floor of the bathroom 40, a power signal can be efficiently transmitted from the power transmission device 30 to the lower portion 56C of the power receiving antenna 56.

In this way, the wireless speaker 50 can efficiently receive power signals from multiple directions. This allows wireless power supply to the wireless speaker 50 to be performed with a high degree of freedom.

Another example of the positional relationship will be described.
The speaker unit 12 and the power receiving antenna 16 may be arranged side by side in a direction along the inner surface of the front wall 11F of the housing 11. In this case, the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving antenna 16 may be arranged so that the sound wave radiating portion 121 of the speaker unit 12 and the power receiving surface 161 of the power receiving antenna 16 both face the inner surface of the front wall 11F of the housing 11.

- As long as the metal or magnetic part of the component is not located in the projection area AR outside the power receiving surface 161 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161, at least a part of the component may be located between the power receiving surface 161 and the inner surface of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11. With this configuration, the power signal transmitted from the power transmitting device 30 can be received by the power receiving antenna 16 while suppressing unnecessary attenuation caused by the components of the wireless speaker 10.

The power receiving antenna 16 may be fixed to the outer surface (or inner surface) of the wall of the housing 11 .
The housing 11 may have a structure in which a part of the housing 11 is made of a metal material or a magnetic material. In this case, the part of the housing 11 that includes the metal or magnetic material may be arranged not to be disposed in the projection area AR (see FIGS. 4 and 5) that is on the outer side of the power receiving surface 161 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161. Examples of the structure include a structure in which a part of the front wall 11F of the housing 11 is made of a metal mesh plate, and a structure in which a part of the rear wall 11R of the housing 11 is made of a magnetic material for fixing.

The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment can also be applied to a non-waterproof type wireless speaker that does not have the waterproof sheet 112.
The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment is not limited to those installed in homes (bathrooms, dressing rooms, living rooms), but can also be applied to wireless speakers installed in any location, such as commercial facilities or public facilities. The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment can be applied to not only fixed wireless speakers that are used while installed in a predetermined location, but also portable wireless speakers that can be carried around. When applied to a portable wireless speaker, wireless power supply to the wireless speaker can be performed in the location where the power transmitting device 30 is installed (for example, a home, a vehicle, a public facility, a commercial facility, etc.).

- A part (or the whole) of the components of the wireless speaker 10, 50 may be arranged outside the power receiving surface 161, 561 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161, 561. When arranging a component that contains metal or magnetic material, the component may be arranged so that only the part that does not contain metal or magnetic material is located outside the power receiving surface 161, 561 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161, 561. When arranging a component that does not contain metal or magnetic material, such as a component that is entirely made of a synthetic resin material that transmits electromagnetic waves, the component can be arranged as follows. That is, the component can be arranged so that the entire component is located outside the power receiving surface 161, 561 in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface 161, 561.

The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment can also be applied to a wireless speaker having components other than those described above (e.g., a microphone). In this case, it is also sufficient to ensure that the metal or magnetic parts of the wireless speaker components are not positioned outside the power receiving surface in the direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface.

- The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment can also be applied to wireless speakers with multiple speaker units, such as a stereo speaker with two speaker units.

The wireless speaker according to the above embodiment is not limited to a wireless speaker that receives power from a power transmission device through radio wave wireless power supply, but can also be applied to a wireless speaker that receives power from a power transmission device through electromagnetic induction wireless power supply. In this case, the wireless speaker is provided with a power receiving coil as a power receiving unit that receives a power signal sent from the power transmission device. The power transmission device is provided with a power transmission coil that transmits a power signal. In short, the wireless speaker according to the above embodiment is applicable to any wireless speaker that receives power from a power transmission device through electromagnetic wave wireless power supply that uses electromagnetic waves.

10, 50...wireless speaker 11...housing 111...housing body 112...waterproof sheet 113...mounting recess 11R...rear wall 11F...front wall 11S...periphery wall 11B...bracket 12...speaker unit 121...sound wave emitting section 13...speaker driving section 14...short-range wireless communication section 16, 56...power receiving antenna 161, 561...power receiving surface 17...conversion section 18...storage battery 19...control section 191...data reception permission section 20...external device 21...short-range wireless communication section 30...power transmitting device 31...power transmitting antenna 32...control section 40...bathroom 41...dressing room 43...partition wall 431, 432...surface 56A...upper section 56B...side section 56C...lower section

Claims (4)

A wireless speaker that receives data transmitted from an external device through short-range wireless communication and operates a speaker unit based on the data,
a power storage unit as a power source for storing power;
a power receiving unit that receives a power signal transmitted from a power transmitting device via electromagnetic wave wireless power supply;
a converter that converts the power signal received by the power receiving unit into DC power and transmits the DC power to the power storage unit,
a part of an outer surface of the power receiving unit constitutes a power receiving surface for receiving the power signal,
a component part constituting the wireless speaker that does not include a metal or a magnetic material is disposed on the outer side of the power receiving surface of the wireless speaker in a direction perpendicular to the power receiving surface,
The power receiving unit has a cylindrical shape, and an outer surface of the cylindrical power receiving unit serves as the power receiving surface and faces outward from the wireless speaker . The component includes a housing made of a material that transmits electromagnetic waves,
the power receiving unit is provided such that the power receiving surface extends along an inner surface of the housing,
The wireless speaker according to claim 1 , wherein in a portion where the inner surface of the housing and the power receiving surface face each other, the component is not disposed between the inner surface and the power receiving surface. The wireless speaker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the speaker unit and the power receiving unit are arranged so that the sound wave emitting unit that radiates sound waves in the speaker unit and the power receiving surface face in opposite directions. The wireless speaker according to claim 1 , further comprising a data reception permission unit that permits the power receiving unit to receive the power signal on condition that the data is not being received.

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