Retractable speakers for portable computer

Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C381S087000, C381S083000, C381S309000, C381S386000, C381S395000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06243260

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to sound systems for portable computers, and in particular to speakers that extend from a portable computer housing for orientation toward the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to sound systems for portable computers (PCs). Basic PCs have traditionally not included sound systems of any kind, except for simple system and error message tones. Higher end portable's have either included sound systems as standard equipment, or have offered them as options to the basic system. With the increasing availability, lower cost, portable multimedia systems, the need for better sound in such systems has become increasingly important.
Speakers for a sound system can either be external or internal to a portable computer. The external systems are usually offered as add-ons to existing PCs that did not include an internal system from the factory. In some cases, internal retro-fit systems may be available for certain PCs. An external system will usually include a PCMCIA type sound driver card coupled to external speakers. A CD-ROM drive may also be added-on to complete the multi-media system. In a few instances, the CD-ROM drive includes the sound driver hardware, or a SCSI-type adapter card, which then connects to the external CD-ROM. It is possible to use a software driver in conjunction with a sound hardware card to create sounds using the basic internal speaker on a PC (the speaker primarily provided to output message or error tones). However, the quality of these sounds will usually be quite poor compared with the potential quality available using a pair of external speakers, or even a pair of internal speakers when provided as part of the original PC package. External speakers range in quality from poor to very high, depending on the manufacturer and cost.
In most cases, a computer user is interested in creating a reasonably good sound system for use with the computer, but depending on the type of usage, quality of sound output could be quite critical. A child playing games may need only minimal quality to enjoy the sound effects of a particular software application. However, a music composer running composition software may need the highest quality of sound output possible from a computer system. A physically challenged individual using a computer as a vocal substitute may require much higher quality of sound output. One of the key factors to sound output quality from external speakers is the ability of the computer user to direct the sound output by adjustment of the speakers' location, rotation or inclination. The user will usually locate and orient the speakers so as to direct the sound toward the user to gain maximum clarity and effect.
When a PC is provided with an internal sound system, it usually includes a pair of speakers located within the housing of the PC. Due to the space constraints within the PC, the level of quality of the speakers themselves is often limited by their size. In addition, the overall quality of the sound system using these speakers is affected by the location of the speakers within the housing. Initially, when internal sound systems were first introduced for portable computers, the speakers were located within the main housing, adjacent to the keyboard, and oriented so that the sound projected upwards from the surface of the PC. Since the user's ears are not normally located over the surface of the PC and oriented down towards the surface, much of the sound produced by these speakers is lost, thus reducing the quality of the sound output.
Currently, a number of other speaker locations have been provided by PC manufacturers, in addition to the original housing location and surface orientation. It is quite common now to have the speakers mounted in the display housing of the PC, towards the top edge and oriented outwards, so that the sound is projected toward the user. This location and orientation increases the likelihood of the sound reaching the ears of the user, thus increasing the quality of the sound output, but is still limited by the physical constraints of display orientation. In fact, many times a user might want someone else to hear the sound better, such as an audience, or to direct the sound toward the ceiling or some other structure to take better advantage of acoustic properties of the physical environment where the system is located. Depending on the type of display provided on the PC, i.e. liquid crystal display, plasma, field effect display and other types of displays, the orientation of the display housing of the PC can also have a huge effect on the quality of picture. Therefore, with the speakers located on the display housing, adjustment of the sound output is in direct competition with adjustment of the visual output, and the user must choose which output to optimize at the expense of the other. It also has become increasingly common to find the speakers located at the hinge region of the PC housing. Since the speakers are fixed in position, their orientation is limited to the orientation of the display.
It is also possible to create an improved sound system for a portable computer by including a pair of speakers in a docking station or port replicator type unit. These units allow the user to “plug in” the PC to the docking station to which a full size external display, keyboard, and pointing device can be connected. In addition, a CD-ROM drive, additional hard disk storage, floppy drives, or internal cards can sometimes be added to the docking station. Although larger and possibly better quality speakers can be included as part of the docking station, the overall sound system quality of the PC will not be enhanced because the docking station is seldom transported with the PC; its intended purpose is usually to create a more comfortable operator environment at a home or office and does not affect the PC when it is being transported somewhere else. Even though larger speakers are included in the docking station oriented toward the user, their rotation and inclination are not adjustable.
What is needed is a portable computer with a sound system that is adjustable by the user. What is also needed is a portable computer with a sound system including speakers which are positionally adjustable by the user. What is further needed is a portable computer with an adjustable sound system including speakers that are internal to the computer for ease of transport and use at remote locations. There is a further need for a sound system in a portable computer with enhanced sound.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Retractable speakers are provided in a portable computer in order to optimize sound output quality. The retractable speakers are substantially internal to the computer housing in the retracted position. They emerge from the housing to an extended position, and in one embodiment are rotatable to adjust the projected sound output of the speaker towards a user.
The retractable speakers are locatable on the top, side or front surfaces of a portable computer, as well as on any other housing coupled to a computer, such as a docking device. In one embodiment, a speaker rotates about a hinge relative to the surface of the housing until it is directed at the user. In another embodiment, a speaker emerges from the surface to a pre-determined position. Once in this extended position, the speaker rotates to direct the sound projection in an optimal manner. In still another embodiment, the speaker disengages from the computer housing for placement on a surface in a manner that optimally directs the sound output toward the user.
The present invention provides retractable speakers for use with a portable computer which are positionally adjustable by a user to provide optimized sound. In addition, the retractable speakers are substantially internal to the computer housing in the retracted position making the speakers easily transportable and usable in remote locations. Some embodiments of the invention utilize the volume of the housing from which they extend as

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