Microsoft’s digital voice assistant Cortana failed to make space between the likes of Google, Apple and Amazon smart assistants. But Microsoft is still ambitious regarding the program and aims to bring it in our daily lives with a smart portable speaker that the company has patented. The patent is titled
“High Efficiency Speaker With Multi Magnet Structure”.
It was filed back in May 2018 and was published by USPTO on 26th of November 2019.
The speaker contains a cylindrical design, like many of the other smart speakers that are present in the market. In the patent, Microsoft envisions a high efficiency portable smart speaker with better battery life and sound quality. Microsoft tried to focus Enterprise with it’s Digital Assistant Cortana first but after seeing massive success of Amazon Echo and Google Smart Speakers it seems like the company shifted it’s target to households and average consumers.
The patent states about the technology that is being incorporated in the speaker,
“In traditional large speakers, flexible, corrugated support called a spider is used to suspend the voice coil in place within a basket housing. In a different variant, the spider can attach to the membrane (e.g., diaphragm) on one side and a basket or magnet on the other side, providing stabilization for the membrane throughout its corresponding range of motion”.
The herein disclosed technology provides an increase in speaker efficiency that may permit mini speakers to be driven with smaller amplifiers without a trade-off in volume or sound quality. This increased efficiency may translate to better sound and/or decreased power consumption as compared to similar-sized speakers that include larger amplifiers and/or speakers that do not utilize a spider to stabilize the membrane, Microsoft explained further.
The Microsoft Smart Speaker will come with Cortana Integration, it also plans to use Cortana in its office lineup like Surface Earbuds. The software is not very well received among the users, so the company has made some major changes to mold it towards what the consumer really needs to make the smart speaker a success. Google and Amazon are already doing well in the smart speakers segment, making a place between them will be a challenge for Microsoft.
