Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to electronic devices including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based speakers or micro-speakers. While Apple notes that this could apply to a wide range of devices, the patent figures are limited to an iPad and iPods.  

In Apple's patent background they note that as devices are implemented in ever smaller form factors, and as user demand for high quality audio increases, it can be challenging to provide speakers that generate high quality sound, particularly in compact devices such as portable electronic devices.

Cylindrical MEMS Structure for Audio Components

Apple's patent application notes that portable electronic devices such as a mobile phone (iPhone), smart watches (Apple Watch), tablet computers (iPad), laptop computers (MacBooks), other wearable devices, headphones, AirPods, and the like often include a speaker for generating sound.

In accordance with various aspects of the subject disclosure, a speaker is provided that includes a cylindrical corrugated MEMS structure. The speaker, which is referred to herein variously as a MEMS speaker or a micro-speaker, may be implemented with corrugations in a cylindrical MEMS structure having an open cylindrical core. The open cylindrical core can be fluidly coupled to and/or can form part or all of a front volume of the MEMS speaker.

In one or more implementations, the speaker can include multiple cylindrical corrugated MEMS structures, such as an array of cylindrical corrugated MEMS structures. One or more cylindrical corrugated MEMS structures can be mounted between a front volume and a back volume of the speaker.

The cylindrical MEMS structure may be deformed, by an applied voltage, to bend at locations between top and bottom fixed edges that are sealingly fixed to top and bottom substrates to generate sound while preventing leakage of air around the top and bottom fixed edges.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates a perspective view of an iPad having a MEMS speaker; FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an example electronic device having a MEMS speaker;  FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an example MEMS speaker having cylindrical corrugated MEMS structure; FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a portion of an example MEMS speaker having an example cylindrical corrugated MEMS structure.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 above illustrates a cross-sectional side view of AirPods having a MEMS speaker;  FIG. 13 illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for operating a MEMS speaker having a cylindrical corrugated MEMS structure.

To review the full details of this invention, check out patent application 20240121559.