Patents by Inventor Ming-Daw Chen

Ming-Daw Chen 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: 8831253
    Abstract: An electroacoustic apparatus with an optical energy conversion function is provided. The electroacoustic apparatus includes an optical energy converter for converting optical energy into electrical power. The electroacoustic apparatus further includes a signal generator and a flat speaker. The signal generator receives a signal from a sound source and generates a sound signal according to the received signal. The signal generator sends the sound signal to the flat speaker, and the flat speaker makes a sound according to the sound signal. Aforementioned operations are all performed by using the electrical power generated by the optical energy converter or a power stored therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Yi-Jen Chan, Kun-Chia Wu, Winny Wang
  • Patent number: 8625824
    Abstract: A flat speaker unit is provided herein. The flat speaker unit includes a first porous electrode, a second porous electrode, and a vibrating membrane with an electret layer disposed there between. In one embodiment, a plurality of supporting members may be configured between the vibrating membrane and the first porous electrode, or between the vibrating membrane and the second porous electrode. In one embodiment, a flat speaker device is provided with at least two flat speaker unit stacked together. By electrically connecting two ends of a signal source respectively to the first and second porous electrodes, or, in another embodiment, electrically connecting one end of the signal source to both of the first and second porous electrodes and connecting another end of the signal source to the vibrating membrane, a sound with low THD is generated accordingly from the flat speaker unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuan-Wei Chen, Ming-Daw Chen, Chang-Ho Liou, Kuo-Hua Tseng
  • Patent number: 8594349
    Abstract: A speaker structure includes a membrane, an electrode which has a plurality of holes, a frame holding member and at least one set of supporting members. The frame holding member forms an exterior shape of the speaker structure and holds the membrane and the electrode at two opposite sides. Each of the set of the supporting members has a geometric structure and is placed in a space opposite to a soniferous hole region between the electrode and the membrane, so as to prevent the membrane and the electrode from contacting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ming-Daw Chen, Chang-Ho Liou, Kuo-Hua Tseng, Kuan-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 8588438
    Abstract: A driving interface device adaptive to a flat speaker is introduced herein. The driving interface device is coupled with an external sound source for receiving sound signals, and boosts voltage levels of the sound signals to drive the thin flat speaker without using an external power source. In one embodiment, an impedance component is provided in the driving interface device for coupling to the external sound source, so as to drive the flat speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuo-Hua Tseng, Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Kuan-Wei Chen, Che-Yuan Sun
  • Patent number: 8503702
    Abstract: An electret diaphragm and a speaker using the same are provided. The electret diaphragm includes an electret layer, a bonding layer adhered to a surface of the electret layer, and an aluminum (Al) electrode layer adhered on the bonding layer. The electret layer at least includes ethylene group polymer. A material of the bonding layer is ethylene-ethyl-acrylate (EEA) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute, National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Che-I Kao, Chih-Kung Lee, Wen-Ching Ko, Chang-Ho Liou, Ing-Yih Leu, Ming-Daw Chen, Yi-Jen Chan, Chien-Kai Tseng
  • Patent number: 8447053
    Abstract: A flat speaker apparatus including a driving circuit module, a flat speaker and a thermally conductive connector, and with a heat dissipating structure is introduced. The flat speaker includes a porous electrode and a vibrating film. The porous electrode causes the vibrating film to vibrate according to an audio signal output from the driving circuit module for generating sound. The thermally conductive connector connects the driving circuit module and the flat speaker to conduct heat from the driving module to the flat speaker for dissipation. A method for heat dissipation of the flat speaker is also introduced herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuo-Hua Tseng, Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Kuan-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 8391520
    Abstract: A reliable flat speaker unit and a speaker device with the same are provided herein. A conductive electrode of a vibrating membrane of the speaker unit is disposed on both utmost sides of the speaker unit to isolate the speaker unit from environmental moisture, which can significantly improve the reliance of the speaker device. A barrier layer can optionally be disposed on the external side of the conductive electrode to further isolating the speaker unit from moisture, which can improve the reliance and the lifetime of the speaker device. In an embodiment, at least a getter is disposed inside the flat speaker unit to absorb moisture therein. The speaker unit at least includes a electret vibrating membrane with a conductive electrode, a plurality of supporting members, and a electrode structure with a plurality of holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Patent number: 8385586
    Abstract: A flat loudspeaker structure is provided. A conductive electrode of a vibrating membrane of a flat speaker unit is disposed on both utmost sides of the flat speaker unit, so as to improve reliability of the flat speaker unit. The utmost conductive electrodes of the flat speaker unit are further grounded to achieve the EMI preventing function and/or thereby prevent a user from a risk of contacting high voltages. The flat speaker unit at least includes a pair of vibrating membranes each having the conductive electrode, a plurality of supporting members, a perforated electrode structure with a plurality of holes, and an insulator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Kuo-Hua Tseng
  • Publication number: 20120321108
    Abstract: An electrode connection structure of a speaker unit is provided. The speaker unit includes at least one electrode layer, which is made of a conductive material, or made of a non-conductive material with a conductive layer formed on a surface thereof. The electrode connection structure includes a conductive electrode and an adhesive material. The conductive electrode is used for providing power supply signals for the speaker unit to generate sounds. The adhesive material adheres the conductive electrode in parallel with a surface of the electrode layer. The adhesive material has adhesive characteristics, so as to electrically connect the conductive electrode and the electrode layer, in which the adhesive material is adhered to a side of the surface of the electrode layer closely adjacent to the conductive electrode with a certain area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Yu-Min Lin, Chang-Ho Liou, Yu-Wei Huang, Ming-Daw Chen, Rong-Shen Lee
  • Patent number: 8322018
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to a method and a device of manufacturing a speaker. First, a roll element is fabricated by a roll-based manufacturing process and by using a material feeder, and the roll element is cut into many sheet elements by using a cutter. An inserting device is used to insert the sheet elements into a temporary storage device, and an extracting device is used to extract the sheet elements from the temporary storage device and place the sheet elements on another roll element fabricated by another roll-based manufacturing process and by using another material feeder. The sheet elements and the other roll element are combined. The roll elements and sheet elements may be vibrating membranes and porous electrodes of a flat speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Wei-Chung Lee, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Publication number: 20120272517
    Abstract: The disclosure is related to a method and a device of manufacturing a speaker. First, a roll element is fabricated by a roll-based manufacturing process and by using a material feeder, and the roll element is cut into many sheet elements by using a cutter. An inserting device is used to insert the sheet elements into a temporary storage device, and an extracting device is used to extract the sheet elements from the temporary storage device and place the sheet elements on another roll element fabricated by another roll-based manufacturing process and by using another material feeder. The sheet elements and the other roll element are combined. The roll elements and sheet elements may be vibrating membranes and porous electrodes of a flat speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Wei-Chung Lee, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Patent number: 8300859
    Abstract: A speaker device including a transparent speaker and a light source module is provided. The transparent speaker is thin, soft, and has a low driving voltage. Light is emitted from a front side of the speaker panel, and transmitted in the same direction as the sound. Thus, the light is emitted along with the sound. The speaker device can be used as an indoor wall-painting or as a large advertisement poster for more visual effects to the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Wei-Kuo Han, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Patent number: 8280081
    Abstract: An electrode connection structure of a speaker unit is provided. The speaker unit includes at least one electrode layer, which is made of a conductive material, or made of a non-conductive material with a conductive layer formed on a surface thereof. The electrode connection structure includes a conductive electrode and an adhesive material. The conductive electrode is used for providing power supply signals for the speaker unit to generate sounds. The adhesive material adheres the conductive electrode in parallel with a surface of the electrode layer. The adhesive material has adhesive characteristics, so as to electrically connect the conductive electrode and the electrode layer, in which the adhesive material is adhered to a side of the surface of the electrode layer closely adjacent to the conductive electrode with a certain area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yu-Min Lin, Chang-Ho Liou, Yu-Wei Huang, Ming-Daw Chen, Rong-Shen Lee
  • Patent number: 8243966
    Abstract: An assembly structure of flat speaker including at least two speaker units and one connecting structure is provided. Each speaker unit includes a first electrode, a vibrating film, and a second electrode. The connecting structure includes two conductive layers, and a first insulating layer. A first conductive layer is connected the first electrode through a contact area, and each has a first length and a third length parallel to the contact area. A second conductive layer is connected the second electrode through a contact area, and each has a second length and a fourth, a fifth length parallel to the contact area. The third length is less than or equal to a sum of the first lengths of the speaker units. A sum of the third, the fourth, and the fifth length is less than or equal to a sum of the first and second lengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yu-Min Lin, Chang-Ho Liou, Yu-Wei Huang, Ming-Daw Chen, Rong-Shen Lee
  • Patent number: 8196282
    Abstract: A method of making a speaker may be performed partially or completely in a roll-based processing. The method includes: providing an electrode; providing a membrane, which is treated to form an electret membrane by performing a ferroelectric process with a controlled external condition including at least one of humidity and temperature conditions; forming a conductive layer on the membrane; forming first supporting members on one of the electrode and the membrane; providing a substrate; forming second supporting members on one of the substrate and the membrane; and combining the electrode, the membrane, and the substrate to provide a first chamber and a second chamber, and the first supporting members are disposed between the electrode and the membrane in the first chamber and the second supporting members are disposed between the substrate and the membrane in the second chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ming-Daw Chen, Chang-Ho Liou
  • Publication number: 20120106761
    Abstract: A driving interface device adaptive to a flat speaker is introduced herein. The driving interface device is coupled with an external sound source for receiving sound signals, and boosts voltage levels of the sound signals to drive the thin flat speaker without using an external power source. In one embodiment, an impedance component is provided in the driving interface device for coupling to the external sound source, so as to drive the flat speaker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Kuo-Hua Tseng, Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Kuan-Wei Chen, Che-Yuan Sun
  • Patent number: 8155356
    Abstract: A structure of an electrostatic speaker and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. In the electrostatic speaker, an electrode and a vibrating film are disposed closely, and electrostatic force of the vibrating film may make the vibrating film contacting with the electrode such that the speaker would fail to generate the sound. Thus, the invention provides a spacer structure and a manufacturing method thereof. Various patterning or height changes and other designed are performed to place the spacer between the electrode and the vibrating film, so as to prevent the electrode from contacting with the vibrating film. The disposition of the spacer is expected to enhance frequency response or sound volume of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Patent number: 8138034
    Abstract: A flexible electret transducer assembly including an electrical backplate and a membrane made of an electret material is disclosed. A plurality of spacers is formed on a surface of the electrical backplate in a longitudinal or latitudinal direction, and the spacers are used for supporting a vibrating room of the membrane. A working area of the membrane is formed between adjacent spacers, and in each of the working area, the space between the electrical backplate and the membrane is smaller than that in a conventional electrostatic speaker. The spacers between the electrical backplate and the membrane are mass produced through a stamping process. Thereby, an accurate space between the electrical backplate and the membrane can be maintained and accordingly the audio quality can be improved. In addition, a speaker including the flexible electret transducer assembly and a method for fabricating the flexible electret transducer assembly are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Wei-Kuo Han, Ming-Daw Chen
  • Patent number: 8139794
    Abstract: A speaker device may include a substrate, a membrane above the substrate, and an electrode above the membrane, a plurality of first supporting members, and a plurality of second supporting members. The second chamber is enclosed between the membrane and the substrate, and the first chamber is enclosed between the electrode and the membrane. The first supporting members are provided in the first chamber space and may space the membrane apart from the electrode. The second supporting members are provided in the second chamber space and may space the membrane apart from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Ming-Daw Chen, Chang-Ho Liou
  • Publication number: 20120051564
    Abstract: A reliable flat speaker structure and a manufacturing method thereof are introduced herein. The flat speaker structure includes a first and a second vapor-resistant structure and a flat speaker unit structure. The first and second vapor-resistant structures are respectively disposed on an outer side of the flat speaker structure or an outer side of the vibrating membrane, by which the vapor in the environment is prevented from entering the inner space of the flat speaker structure. The flat speaker unit structure at least includes a first porous electrode, an electret layer with a metal film, and a second porous electrode. Signal sources in an AC form may be applied to the first and second porous electrodes and/or the metal film of the electret layer and respective sounds are generated from the flat speaker structure by attractive or repulsive forces between the porous electrodes and the electret layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chang-Ho Liou, Ming-Daw Chen, Kuo-Hua Tseng, Kuan-Wei Chen, Che-Yuan Sun