Hybrid test tone for space-averaged room audio calibration using a moving microphone

• US 10,045,138 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang
• Application Number:
  US15/673,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/16 Automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/22 for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only circuit for combining transducers having different responses H04R3/00; for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

An example implementation may involve a network device detecting within a playback environment, via a microphone, an audio signal over a duration of time. After the duration of time, the implementation further involves the network device determining a frequency response of the playback environment based on the detected audio signal and a test tone. The test tone includes (i) a first component that includes noise at frequencies between a minimum of a calibration frequency range and a first threshold frequency, and (ii) a second component that sweeps through frequencies between a second threshold frequency and a maximum of the calibration frequency range.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a network device of a system to perform operations, wherein the system comprises at least one playback device configured to output a test tone via one or more speakers, and wherein the operations comprise

receiving, via a network interface of the network device, an instruction to detect the test tone;

while one or more speakers of the at least one playback device output the test tone over a duration of time, detecting within a playback environment, via a microphone of the network device, an audio signal that comprises one or reflections of the test tone, wherein the test tone comprises (i) a first component that includes noise at frequencies between a minimum of a calibration frequency range and a first threshold frequency, and (ii) a second component that sweeps through frequencies between a second threshold frequency and a maximum of the calibration frequency range; and

after the duration of time elapses, determining, by the network device, a frequency response of the playback environment based on differences between the detected audio signal and the test tone.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second threshold frequency is a lower frequency than the first threshold frequency such that the first component and the second component overlap in a transition frequency range that includes frequencies between the second threshold frequency and the first threshold frequency.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first component and the second component are combined into the test tone by applying a crossover filter function that combines (i) a portion of the noise in the first component that includes frequencies below the first threshold frequency and (ii) a portion of the swept frequencies of the second component that includes frequencies above the second threshold frequency.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second component is a swept sine that descends in frequency from the maximum of the calibration frequency range to the second threshold frequency.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first threshold frequency is the same as the second threshold frequency.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating an offset curve based on the determined frequency response of the playback environment.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, to a playback device in the playback environment, the generated offset curve.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting input data indicating a selection of a selectable control that, when selected, initiates calibration of at least one playback device in the playback environment; and

upon detecting the input data indicating the selection of the selectable control, sending to the at least one playback device via a network interface, a command to instruct the at least one playback device to output the test tone.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal, transmitting, to the at least one playback device in the playback environment, data indicating the test tone.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data indicating the test tone further indicates a period at which the at least one playback device is to output the test tone.

11. A network device of a system comprising at least one playback device configured to output a test tone via one or more speakers, wherein the network device comprises:

a microphone;

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the network device to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the network interface, an instruction to detect the test tone;

while one or more speakers of the at least one playback device output the test tone over a duration of time, detecting within a playback environment, via a microphone, an audio signal that comprises one or reflections of the test tone, wherein the test tone comprises (i) a first component that includes noise at frequencies between a minimum of a calibration frequency range and a first threshold frequency, and (ii) a second component that sweeps through frequencies between a second threshold frequency and a maximum of the calibration frequency range; and

after the duration of time elapses, determining a frequency response of the playback environment based on differences between the detected audio signal and the test tone.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the second threshold frequency is a lower frequency than the first threshold frequency such that the first component and the second component overlap in a transition frequency range that includes frequencies between the second threshold frequency and the first threshold frequency.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the first threshold frequency is the same as the second threshold frequency.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein the first component and the second component are combined into the test tone by applying a crossover filter function that combines (i) a portion of the noise in the first component that includes frequencies below the first threshold frequency and (ii) a portion of the swept frequencies of the second component that includes frequencies above the second threshold frequency.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the second component is a swept sine that descends in frequency from the maximum of the calibration frequency range to the second threshold frequency.

20. The network device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting input data indicating a selection of a selectable control that, when selected, initiates calibration of at least one playback device in the playback environment; and

upon detecting the input data indicating the selection of the selectable control, sending to the at least one playback device via a network interface, a command to instruct the at least one playback device to output the test tone.

16. A method to be performed by a network device of a system comprising at least one playback device configured to output a test tone via one or more speakers, the method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface of the network device, an instruction to detect the test tone;

while one or more speakers of the at least one playback device output the test tone over a duration of time, detecting, via a microphone of the network device within a playback environment, an audio signal that comprises one or reflections of the test tone, wherein the test tone comprises (i) a first component that includes noise at frequencies between a minimum of a calibration frequency range and a first threshold frequency, and (ii) a second component that sweeps through frequencies between a second threshold frequency and a maximum of the calibration frequency range; and

after the duration of time elapses, determining, by the network device, a frequency response of the playback environment based on differences between the detected audio signal and the test tone.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting by the network device, input data indicating a selection of a selectable control that, when selected, initiates calibration of at least one playback device in the playback environment; and

upon detecting the input data indicating the selection of the selectable control, sending by the network device to the at least one playback device via a network interface, a command to instruct the at least one playback device to output the test tone.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to detecting the audio signal, transmitting, by the network device to at least one playback device in the playback environment, data indicating the test tone.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

generating, by the network device, an offset curve based on the determined frequency response of the playback environment.