Abstract: An audio system includes a housing that defines an acoustic enclosure, an acoustic driver supported by the housing and arranged to radiate acoustic energy from a front surface of the housing, an acoustic exit located in a rear surface of the housing, opposite the front surface. The acoustic exit has a shape that facilitates a grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from a single human hand, such that at least one of the plurality of fingers and the thumb can be inserted into the exit while at least one of the plurality of fingers and the thumb of the same hand can rest on at one of the front surface or a top surface of the housing.

Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.

Abstract: A seat support mechanism that is adapted to constrain motion of a bottom of a seat relative to a floor as the seat bottom moves up and down relative to the floor, where the seat has a seat back, and where the seat is constructed and arranged to support an occupant thereof above the floor, wherein the seat bottom has a front edge, and wherein the seat bottom supports the occupant's thighs with the knees in front of the front edge of the seat bottom. The seat support mechanism is constructed and arranged such that as the seat bottom is moved up and down, the seat support mechanism causes the seat bottom to pivot about a virtual lateral horizontal pivot axis located farther from the front edge of the seat bottom than the occupant's knees. The seat support mechanism is further constructed and arranged such that the back of the seat remains at a relatively constant angle to the floor as the seat bottom moves up and down and pivots.

Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. The combined motion of the vehicle relative to the earth and the seat relative to the vehicle results in motion of the seat moving about a virtual pivot point. A user control is provided for adjustment of the location of the virtual pivot point.

Abstract: An audio system includes a housing that defines an acoustic enclosure, an acoustic driver supported by the housing and arranged to radiate acoustic energy from a front surface of the housing, an acoustic exit located in a rear surface of the housing, opposite the front surface. The acoustic exit has a shape that facilitates a grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from a single human hand, such that at least one of the plurality of fingers and the thumb can be inserted into the exit while at least one of the plurality of fingers and the thumb of the same hand can rest on at one of the front surface or a top surface of the housing.

Abstract: An audio system includes a housing and an acoustic opening that exits the housing, and has a configuration that facilitates the grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers from a single human hand. The acoustic opening is located adjacent an exterior surface of the housing such that the shape of the exit together with the exterior surface facilitates grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from the single human hand and the acoustic opening exits a back surface of the housing such that the plurality of fingers can be inserted into the exit while the thumb of the same hand can rest on at least one of the top surface and the front surface of the housing.

Abstract: A seat support mechanism that is adapted to constrain motion of a bottom of a seat relative to a floor as the seat bottom moves up and down relative to the floor, where the seat has a seat back, and where the seat is constructed and arranged to support an occupant thereof above the floor, wherein the seat bottom has a front edge, and wherein the seat bottom supports the occupant's thighs with the knees in front of the front edge of the seat bottom. The seat support mechanism is constructed and arranged such that as the seat bottom is moved up and down, the seat support mechanism causes the seat bottom to pivot about a virtual lateral horizontal pivot axis located farther from the front edge of the seat bottom than the occupant's knees. The seat support mechanism is further constructed and arranged such that the back of the seat remains at a relatively constant angle to the floor as the seat bottom moves up and down and pivots.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system for isolating a suspended platform from vibration input to the vibration isolation system base includes an exoskeleton which supports the suspended platform relative to the base. The exoskeleton includes first and second scissors mechanisms with main links of unequal length. The main links pass through a parallel condition as the suspended platform moves over its intended range of travel relative to the base. The vibration isolation system may include a rotary actuator and a drive mechanism separate from the exoskeleton for providing force output from the rotary actuator to the suspended platform. The rotary actuator may include inner and outer rotors which rotate relative to each other and may be free to rotate relative to the exoskeleton. The rotary actuator may be free to translate relative to the vibration isolation system base and the suspended platform.

Abstract: A table music system includes an enclosure having a top surface and a front surface free of manually mechanically actuable controls for controlling functions of the table music system. A radio receiver and powered speakers system are located within the enclosure. A display is located on the front surface of the enclosure for displaying at least time. An alarm in the enclosure is configured to be set by a user to produce an alarm signal at a user-selectable time. A touch-sensitive area on the enclosure allows the user to control a function of the take music system. A wireless remote control permits the user to control functions of the table music system.

Abstract: An audio system includes a housing and an acoustic opening that exits the housing, and has a configuration that facilitates the grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers from a single human hand. The acoustic opening is located adjacent an exterior surface of the housing such that the shape of the exit together with the exterior surface facilitates grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from the single human hand and the acoustic opening exits a back surface of the housing such that the plurality of fingers can be inserted into the exit while the thumb of the same hand can rest on at least one of the top surface and the front surface of the housing.

Abstract: An audio system includes a housing and an acoustic exit that exits the housing, and has a configuration that facilitates the grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers from a single human hand. The acoustic exit is located adjacent an exterior surface of the housing such that the shape of the exit together with the exterior surface facilitates grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from the single human hand and the acoustic exit exits a back surface of the housing such that the plurality of fingers can be inserted into the exit while the thumb of the same hand can rest on at least one of the top surface and the front surface of the housing.

Abstract: A seat system for a vehicle includes a seat having a seat bottom on which a person can sit. An intermediate support structure is secured to the seat and the vehicle which allows the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. An actuator can interact with the seat to cause the seat to rotate relative to the vehicle. One or more sensors can each measure an aspect of motion. A processor can (i) receive input from each of the one or more sensors, (ii) determine from this input a measure of rotation of the vehicle away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation, and (iii) utilize the input to determine a desired rotation of the seat. An angle that the seat has been rotated away from a nominal, level orientation is more than insubstantially larger than an angle that the vehicle has rotated away from a nominal, level horizontal orientation.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system for isolating a suspended platform from vibration input to the vibration isolation system base includes an exoskeleton which supports the suspended platform relative to the base. The exoskeleton includes first and second scissors mechanisms with main links of unequal length. The main links pass through a parallel condition as the suspended platform moves over its intended range of travel relative to the base. The vibration isolation system may include a rotary actuator and a drive mechanism separate from the exoskeleton for providing force output from the rotary actuator to the suspended platform. The rotary actuator may include inner and outer rotors which rotate relative to each other and may be free to rotate relative to the exoskeleton. The rotary actuator may be free to translate relative to the vibration isolation system base and the suspended platform.

Abstract: An active vibration isolation system for isolating a suspended platform from vibration input to the vibration isolation system base includes an exoskeleton, a rotary actuator, and a drive mechanism separate from the exoskeleton for providing force output from the rotary actuator to the suspended plant. The rotary actuator may include inner and outer rotors which rotate relative to each other. The rotary actuator may be free to translate relative to the vibration isolation system base and the suspended platform, and both the inner and outer rotors may be free to rotate relative to the exoskeleton.

Abstract: A ported electroacoustical device that uses the action of the port to provide cooling airflow across a heat producing device. The device includes a loudspeaker enclosure including a first acoustic port, an acoustic driver, mounted in the loudspeaker enclosure. The device also includes a heat producing device. The acoustic driver and the acoustic port are constructed and arranged to coact to provide a cooling, substantially unidirectional airflow across the heat producing device, thereby transferring heat from the heat producing device.

Abstract: A user interface for an audio/visual device takes measurements of a touch sensor that are indicative of the current position of a tip of a finger of a user against a touch-sensitive surface of the touch sensor on a recurring basis, maintains a predetermined quantity of those measurements in a storage accessible to a processing device implementing at least a portion of the user interface, and employs measurements taken of the touch sensor at a predetermined amount of time into the past in response to an indication of the user having exerted increased pressure against the touch-sensitive surface via the tip to determine the position of that tip at a time relatively shortly before the user began to exert the increase in pressure.

Abstract: A loudspeaker assembly, including an acoustic waveguide; an acoustic driver mounted in the waveguide so that a first surface radiates sound waves into the waveguide so that the sound waves are radiated from the waveguide; and an acoustic volume acoustically coupled to the acoustic waveguide for increasing the amplitude of the sound waves radiated from the acoustic waveguide.

Abstract: An audio system includes a housing and an acoustic exit that exits the housing, and has a configuration that facilitates the grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers from a single human hand. The acoustic exit is located adjacent an exterior surface of the housing such that the shape of the exit together with the exterior surface facilitates grasping of the housing with a plurality of fingers and the thumb from the single human hand and the acoustic exit exits a back surface of the housing such that the plurality of fingers can be inserted into the exit while the thumb of the same hand can rest on at least one of the top surface and the front surface of the housing.

Abstract: A table music system includes an enclosure having a top surface and a front surface free of manually mechanically actuable controls for controlling functions of the table music system. A radio receiver and powered speakers system are located within the enclosure. A display is located on the front surface of the enclosure for displaying at least time. An alarm in the enclosure is configured to be set by a user to produce an alarm signal at a user-selectable time. A touch-sensitive area on the enclosure allows the user to control a function of the take music system. A wireless remote control permits the user to control functions of the table music system.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing. A waveguide is located within the housing. The waveguide includes a first subsection that bends around a first axis and has a first cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A second subsection bends around a second axis that is non-parallel to the first axis and includes a second cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that is substantially different from unity. A third subsection acoustically couples the first subsection to the second subsection. The third subsection includes a third cross-sectional area with an aspect ratio that varies between the first aspect ratio and the second aspect ratio.