Actuators are mechanical components that convert energy into motion. Their use is not new, but is becoming increasingly important in consumer electronics to tackle the challenge of reducing device size and delivering enhanced experiences that extend acoustic perception. With the increasing use of OLED displays in smartphones and tablets, the technology is now becoming particularly interesting for sound performance improvements. Due to their multi-layered structure, LCD displays – the technology mainly used until now in smartphones - were not suitable for the use of transducers that work through the screen, or leverage the display's membrane to enable the concept of "Singing Displays".
Sound Solutions Austria developed what the company promotes as the world's first “Singing Display” loudspeaker, an innovative sound component that is able to generate stereo sound, based on actuator technology and now commercially available. With "Singing Display" solutions, actuators are attached directly to the back of the tablet or smartphone screen and stimulate/excite it mechanically. This movement generates sound waves according to the "bending waves" principle, which are perceived as sound.
Compared to dynamic speakers, the advantage of this technology is in the significantly reduced volume/space that is needed, which is essential for smartphones and tablets becoming thinner and thinner. In addition, no holes/openings for sound outlet are required in the housing, which means that new designs using full display solutions and benefiting from complete watertightness can be implemented/realized.
Other actuator components for sound generation have already been developed in recent years, and some are used in various commercially available mobile phones from different providers. However, in all these devices until now, the components could only be used for low volume reproduction during communications, when the smartphone was placed close to the ear. The acoustic applications are also limited to mono audio.
The new actuator component now available from Sound Solutions International (SSI), is able to provide full, hands-free, high-quality sound reproduction through the display. Which means it can replace the top speaker used for communication and at the same time enable stereo sound reproduction. Another major benefit lies in the fact that each stereo audio component has an extremely small footprint (13.6x13.6mm). In addition, the innovative solution can also enable haptic feedback as an additional feature for free - this allows OEMs to save costs by also eliminating the need for an additional haptic engine and save even more space.
"With the world's first actuator loudspeaker, we have once again demonstrated our many years of expertise in micro-acoustic solutions in Vienna," explains Mario Spiegl, Managing Director of Sound Solutions Austria GmbH. "The particularly compact design and the stereo sound feature enables smartphone and tablet manufacturers to create volume-saving device designs with improved sound quality."
As a former Philips loudspeaker factory, Sound Solutions Austria GmbH in Vienna can look back on over 90 years of experience and tradition as a development and manufacturing center for innovative acoustic solutions. From 2006 the company traded under the name NXP and was also owned subsequently by Knowles. During this time it was the world market leader for micro-speakers for cell phones and was able to place numerous innovations in the market. These included the world's first rectangular loudspeaker, silicone-based membrane material and integrated acoustic solutions that are used in almost every commercially available smartphone today.
Since 2016, the company has been operating under the name Sound Solutions Austria GmbH as the global competence center for mobile acoustic solutions for Sound Solutions International (SSI) based in China. During this period, the number of employees in Vienna increased from 58 to 77s, and more specialists are currently being sought.
www.sound-solutions-austria.com
www.sound-solutions.com
