Patents by Inventor Timothy Whitwell

Timothy Whitwell 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: 11218808
    Abstract: Audio device and method for designing and making a diaphragm, the audio device comprising a diaphragm having a curved profile adapted for radiation of audio signals from a plurality of bending modes and a piston mode, one or more of the plurality of bending modes having coincident nodal line locations, the diaphragm having a frontal side and a rear side, and a transducer coupled to the rear side of the diaphragm, the transducer adapted for driving the diaphragm for radiation of audio signals having reduced audio distortion, wherein the plurality of bending modes each have minima locations throughout the diaphragm, and wherein the transducer is mounted on one of the minima locations of the plurality of bending modes and one or more impedance components are mounted on at least one of the remaining minima locations to inertially balance the diaphragm based on a pre-determined relative mean modal velocity limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Tectonic Fludio Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Mettler, Timothy Whitwell
  • Publication number: 20210377665
    Abstract: Audio device and method for designing and making a diaphragm, the audio device comprising a diaphragm having a curved profile adapted for radiation of audio signals from a plurality of bending modes and a piston mode, one or more of the plurality of bending modes having coincident nodal line locations, the diaphragm having a frontal side and a rear side, and a transducer coupled to the rear side of the diaphragm, the transducer adapted for driving the diaphragm for radiation of audio signals having reduced audio distortion, wherein the plurality of bending modes each have minima locations throughout the diaphragm, and wherein the transducer is mounted on one of the minima locations of the plurality of bending modes and one or more impedance components are mounted on at least one of the remaining minima locations to inertially balance the diaphragm based on a pre-determined relative mean modal velocity limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: TECTONIC AUDIO LABS, INC.
    Inventors: RYAN METTLER, Timothy Whitwell
  • Patent number: 9998835
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for components configured for audio playback. According to certain aspects, a transducer includes dual voice coils disposed in a magnet section, whereby the magnet section generates an electromagnetic field that causes the dual voice coils to actuate in response to an applied audio signal. The transducer further includes a diaphragm coupled to the dual voice coils that actuates according to the dual voice coils and produces audio output. In some implementations, the transducer may be disposed within a cutout area of an electronic device, whereby the transducer is secured to the electronic device via a roll-surround suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Daley, Timothy Whitwell
  • Publication number: 20170311085
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for components configured for audio playback. According to certain aspects, a transducer includes dual voice coils disposed in a magnet section, whereby the magnet section generates an electromagnetic field that causes the dual voice coils to actuate in response to an applied audio signal. The transducer further includes a diaphragm coupled to the dual voice coils that actuates according to the dual voice coils and produces audio output. In some implementations, the transducer may be disposed within a cutout area of an electronic device, whereby the transducer is secured to the electronic device via a roll-surround suspension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Michael J. Daley, Timothy Whitwell
  • Patent number: 9736592
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for components configured for audio playback. According to certain aspects, a transducer includes dual voice coils disposed in a magnet section, whereby the magnet section generates an electromagnetic field that causes the dual voice coils to actuate in response to an applied audio signal. The transducer further includes a diaphragm coupled to the dual voice coils that actuates according to the dual voice coils and produces audio output. In some implementations, the transducer may be disposed within a cutout area of an electronic device, whereby the transducer is secured to the electronic device via a roll-surround suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Daley, Timothy Whitwell
  • Publication number: 20160277842
    Abstract: Embodiments are provided for components configured for audio playback. According to certain aspects, a transducer includes dual voice coils disposed in a magnet section, whereby the magnet section generates an electromagnetic field that causes the dual voice coils to actuate in response to an applied audio signal. The transducer further includes a diaphragm coupled to the dual voice coils that actuates according to the dual voice coils and produces audio output. In some implementations, the transducer may be disposed within a cutout area of an electronic device, whereby the transducer is secured to the electronic device via a roll-surround suspension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Daley, Timothy Whitwell
  • Publication number: 20070206822
    Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising a bending wave panel-form acoustic radiator having a first portion and at least one further portion a transducer for exciting bending waves in the radiator, the transducer being coupled to the further portion of the radiator to cause the radiator to radiate an acoustic output, and means confining low frequency radiation to the further portion of the radiator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2005
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Inventors: Timothy Whitwell, Nicholas Hill, Geoffrey Arthur Boyd
  • Publication number: 20070025574
    Abstract: Audio apparatus (30) comprising a piezoelectric transducer (44) and coupling means (54) for coupling the transducer to a user's pinna (32) whereby the transducer excites vibration in the pinna (32) to cause it to transmit an acoustic signal from the transducer (44) to a user's inner ear, characterised in that the transducer is embedded in a casing (42) of relatively soft material and the casing (42) is mounted to a housing (34) of relatively hard material such that a cavity (48) is defined between the casing (42) and housing (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2004
    Publication date: February 1, 2007
    Inventors: Henry Azima, Nicholas Hill, Robin Cross, Timothy Whitwell, Johan Van Der Linde
  • Publication number: 20020039427
    Abstract: Audio apparatus (50) comprising a transducer and a coupler for coupling the transducer to a user's pinna. The coupler may be in the form of a hook (56), and leads (58) connect the audio apparatus (50) to a remote sound source. The transducer (52) is mounted to a lower straight end of the hook (56). An upper curved end of the hook (56) hooks over the junction between the user's ear and head so that the transducer (52) touches a lower rear face of the pinna adjacent the concha. The transducer excites vibration in the pinna whereby an acoustic signal from the transducer is transmitted to the user's inner ear by radiation of pressure waves and/or by conduction of vibrational energy through the outer and middle ear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Inventors: Timothy Whitwell, Malcolm John Hawksford, Robin Christopher Cross