Patents by Inventor Frédéric Heckmann

Frédéric Heckmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11942088
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker device having a rounded enclosure. The rounded enclosure includes two housing elements that are coupled to each other and have a substantially continuous transition. The rounded enclosure has a circular cross section defined by a first radius. A first housing element includes and extends past the circular cross section, and a second housing element has a second maximum radius that is smaller than the first radius. A speaker unit and a circuit board are arranged within the rounded enclosure. The circuit board is electrically coupled to the speaker unit. At least a portion of the first housing element includes perforations configured to enable transmission of sound generated by the speaker unit out of the speaker device. The second housing element has a power connector that is electrically coupled to the circuit board and is configured to receive power from an external power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Yau-Shing Lee, Robert Rose, Jun Hou, Patanjali Sastry Peri, Phanindraja Ancha
  • Patent number: 11812583
    Abstract: This document describes a passive thermal-control system that is integrated into a mesh network device. The passive thermal-control system, which may include a heat sink and multiple heat spreaders, is such that heat originating with integrated circuit devices of the mesh network device and a speaker module of the mesh network device may be transferred to other components of the mesh network device, such as a housing component of the mesh network device. The heat may then be dissipated to an external environment to maintain a desired thermal profile of the mesh network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Ihab A. Ali
  • Publication number: 20230319979
    Abstract: This document describes an access point device and associated systems and methods. The techniques and systems include an access point device that includes a housing with an antenna carrier, a circuit board assembly, a heat sink, and a heat shield positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The antenna carrier supports multiple antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The heat sink is positioned between the antenna carrier and the circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly is positioned between the heat shield and the heat sink, and the heat shield is positioned between the circuit board assembly and the bottom housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Yau-Shing Lee, Rolando Willcox Esparza, George Liu, Wing Tung Wong, Frédéric Heckmann, Vivian W. Tang
  • Patent number: 11744007
    Abstract: This document describes an access point device and associated systems and methods. The techniques and systems include an access point device that includes a housing with an antenna carrier, a circuit board assembly, a heat sink, and a heat shield positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The antenna carrier supports multiple antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The heat sink is positioned between the antenna carrier and the circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly is positioned between the heat shield and the heat sink, and the heat shield is positioned between the circuit board assembly and the bottom housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Yau-Shing Lee, Rolando Willcox Esparza, George Liu, Wing Tung Wong, Frédéric Heckmann, Vivian W. Tang
  • Publication number: 20230239604
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable a range extender device. The techniques and systems include a user device that includes a housing with an audio sensor, a heat sink assembly, a circuit board assembly, and a speaker assembly positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally-cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and one or more antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The circuit board assembly is positioned within the housing and proximate to the heat sink assembly, and the speaker assembly is positioned within the housing and connected to the circuit board assembly. Also, a light ring assembly is connected to a bottom exterior surface of the bottom housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Vivian W. Tang, Li Ya Wang, Yu-Ming Chen, Mihika Hemmady, DuanYing Lin, Yau-Shing Lee, Frédéric Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20230139054
    Abstract: This document describes a thermal-control system that may be integrated into a mesh network device and associated mesh network devices. The thermal-control system, which may include a heat sink, multiple heat spreaders, and a heat shield, is such that heat originating from IC devices populating a printed circuit board of the mesh network device may be transferred to a housing component of the mesh network device for external dissipation to maintain a desired thermal profile of the mesh network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Ihab A. Ali, Frédéric Heckmann
  • Patent number: 11627396
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable a range extender device. The techniques and systems include a user device that includes a housing with an audio sensor, a heat sink assembly, a circuit board assembly, and a speaker assembly positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally-cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and one or more antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The circuit board assembly is positioned within the housing and proximate to the heat sink assembly, and the speaker assembly is positioned within the housing and connected to the circuit board assembly. Also, a light ring assembly is connected to a bottom exterior surface of the bottom housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Vivian W. Tang, Li Ya Wang, Yu-Ming Chen, Mihika Hemmady, DuanYing Lin, Yau-Shing Lee, Frédéric Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20220404864
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Publication number: 20220400576
    Abstract: This document describes a thermal-control system that is integrated into a media-streaming device. The thermal-control system includes a combination of heat spreaders and materials with high thermal-conductivity. The thermal-control system may spread, transfer, and dissipate energy from a thermal-loading condition effectuated upon the media-streaming device to concurrently maintain temperatures of multiple thermal zones on or within the media-streaming device at or below multiple respective prescribed temperature thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Ihab A. Ali
  • Patent number: 11513565
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker assembly in which a speaker is mounted in an enclosure structure. The enclosure structure exposes a speaker opening of the speaker and provides a sealed enclosure for a rear portion of the speaker, and further includes an electrically conductive portion. One or more electronic components are coupled to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure (which is grounded in some implementations). The electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is configured to provide electromagnetic shielding for the electronic components and forms part of the sealed enclosure of the speaker. In some implementations, the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure structure is thermally coupled to the electronic components and acts as a heat sink that is configured to absorb heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the generated heat away from the electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoping Qin, Christen Cameron Bilger, Frederic Heckmann, Frances Kwee, Justin Leong, James Castro
  • Patent number: 11457545
    Abstract: This document describes a thermal-control system that is integrated into a media-streaming device. The thermal-control system includes a combination of heat spreaders and materials with high thermal-conductivity. The thermal-control system may spread, transfer, and dissipate energy from a thermal-loading condition effectuated upon the media-streaming device to concurrently maintain temperatures of multiple thermal zones on or within the media-streaming device at or below multiple respective prescribed temperature thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Ihab A. Ali
  • Publication number: 20220232305
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable a range extender device. The techniques and systems include a user device that includes a housing with an audio sensor, a heat sink assembly, a circuit board assembly, and a speaker assembly positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally-cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and one or more antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The circuit board assembly is positioned within the housing and proximate to the heat sink assembly, and the speaker assembly is positioned within the housing and connected to the circuit board assembly. Also, a light ring assembly is connected to a bottom exterior surface of the bottom housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Vivian W. Tang, Li Ya Wang, Yu-Ming Chen, Mihika Hemmady, DuanYing Lin, Yau-Shing Lee, Frédéric Heckmann
  • Patent number: 11363359
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable a range extender device. The techniques and systems include a user device that includes a housing with an audio sensor, a heat sink assembly, a circuit board assembly, and a speaker assembly positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally-cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and one or more antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The circuit board assembly is positioned within the housing and proximate to the heat sink assembly, and the speaker assembly is positioned within the housing and connected to the circuit board assembly. Also, a light ring assembly is connected to a bottom exterior surface of the bottom housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Vivian W. Tang, Li Ya Wang, Yu-Ming Chen, Mihika Hemmady, DuanYing Lin, Yau-Shing Lee, Frédéric Heckmann
  • Publication number: 20220109222
    Abstract: This document describes a passive thermal-control system that is integrated into a mesh network device. The passive thermal-control system, which may include a heat sink and multiple heat spreaders, is such that heat originating with integrated circuit devices of the mesh network device and a speaker module of the mesh network device may be transferred to other components of the mesh network device, such as a housing component of the mesh network device. The heat may then be dissipated to an external environment to maintain a desired thermal profile of the mesh network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Ihab A. Ali
  • Publication number: 20220104386
    Abstract: This document describes a thermal-control system that is integrated into a media-streaming device. The thermal-control system includes a combination of heat spreaders and materials with high thermal-conductivity. The thermal-control system may spread, transfer, and dissipate energy from a thermal-loading condition effectuated upon the media-streaming device to concurrently maintain temperatures of multiple thermal zones on or within the media-streaming device at or below multiple respective prescribed temperature thresholds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Ihab A. Ali
  • Publication number: 20220061128
    Abstract: This document describes an access point device and associated systems and methods. The techniques and systems include an access point device that includes a housing with an antenna carrier, a circuit board assembly, a heat sink, and a heat shield positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The antenna carrier supports multiple antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The heat sink is positioned between the antenna carrier and the circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly is positioned between the heat shield and the heat sink, and the heat shield is positioned between the circuit board assembly and the bottom housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Yau-Shing Lee, Rolando Willcox Esparza, George Liu, Wing Tung Wong, Frédéric Heckmann, Vivian W. Tang
  • Patent number: 11202341
    Abstract: This document describes an access point device and associated systems and methods. The techniques and systems include an access point device that includes a housing with an antenna carrier, a circuit board assembly, a heat sink, and a heat shield positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The antenna carrier supports multiple antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The heat sink is positioned between the antenna carrier and the circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly is positioned between the heat shield and the heat sink, and the heat shield is positioned between the circuit board assembly and the bottom housing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Yau-Shing Lee, Rolando Willcox Esparza, George Liu, Wing Tung Wong, Frédéric Heckmann, Vivian W. Tang
  • Publication number: 20210233531
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker device having a rounded enclosure. The rounded enclosure includes two housing elements that are coupled to each other and have a substantially continuous transition. The rounded enclosure has a circular cross section defined by a first radius. A first housing element includes and extends past the circular cross section, and a second housing element has a second maximum radius that is smaller than the first radius. A speaker unit and a circuit board are arranged within the rounded enclosure. The circuit board is electrically coupled to the speaker unit. At least a portion of the first housing element includes perforations configured to enable transmission of sound generated by the speaker unit out of the speaker device. The second housing element has a power connector that is electrically coupled to the circuit board and is configured to receive power from an external power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Yau-Shing Lee, Robert Rose, Jun Hou, Patanjali Sastry Peri, Phanindraja Ancha
  • Patent number: 11011168
    Abstract: This application is directed to a speaker device having a rounded enclosure. The rounded enclosure includes two housing elements that are coupled to each other and have a substantially continuous transition. The rounded enclosure has a circular cross section defined by a first radius. A first housing element includes and extends past the circular cross section, and a second housing element has a second maximum radius that is smaller than the first radius. A speaker unit and a circuit board are arranged within the rounded enclosure. The circuit board is electrically coupled to the speaker unit. At least a portion of the first housing element includes perforations configured to enable transmission of sound generated by the speaker unit out of the speaker device. The second housing element has a power connector that is electrically coupled to the circuit board and is configured to receive power from an external power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Frédéric Heckmann, Yau-Shing Lee, Robert Rose, Jun Hou, Patanjali Peri, Phanindraja Ancha
  • Publication number: 20210099779
    Abstract: This document describes techniques and systems that enable a range extender device. The techniques and systems include a user device that includes a housing with an audio sensor, a heat sink assembly, a circuit board assembly, and a speaker assembly positioned within the housing. The housing includes a top housing member connected to a bottom housing member. The top housing member includes a concave-down top-end portion connected to a generally-cylindrical vertical wall via rounded corners. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and one or more antennas positioned proximate to an inner surface of the vertical wall. The circuit board assembly is positioned within the housing and proximate to the heat sink assembly, and the speaker assembly is positioned within the housing and connected to the circuit board assembly. Also, a light ring assembly is connected to a bottom exterior surface of the bottom housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Google LLC
    Inventors: Vivian W. Tang, Li Ya Wang, Yu-Ming Chen, Mihika Hemmady, DuanYing Lin, Yau-Shing Lee, Frédéric Heckmann