Playback device calibration user interfaces

• US 10,284,983 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilberding, Dayn, Sheen, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Regina N
• Application Number:
  US15/588,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

Examples described herein involve providing playback device calibration user interfaces to guide a calibration process for one or more playback devices in a playback environment. In one example, a network device receives audio samples continuously from a microphone of the network device for a predetermined duration of time, wherein the predetermined duration of time comprises a plurality of periodic time increments. At each time increment within the predetermined duration of time, the network device dynamically updating on a graphical display of the network device, (i) a representation of a frequency response based on audio samples that have been received between a beginning of the predetermined duration of time and the respective time increment, and (ii) a representation of the respective time increment relative to the predetermined duration of time.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving audio samples continuously from a microphone for a predetermined duration of time, wherein the predetermined duration of time comprises a plurality of periodic time increments; and

at each time increment within the predetermined duration of time, dynamically updating on a graphical display, (i) a representation of a frequency response based on audio samples that have been received between a beginning of the predetermined duration of time and the respective time increment, and (ii) a representation of the respective time increment relative to the predetermined duration of time.

2. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the representation of the frequency response comprises a representation of the frequency response along a concentric frequency axis.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the representation of the respective time increment comprises a representation of the respective time increment along an axis of the representation of the frequency response.

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

prior to receiving the audio samples, receiving an input to initiate audio calibration of a playback device; and

sending to the playback device, a message to cause the playback device to play a calibration tone, wherein the received audio samples comprise audio corresponding to the calibration tone played by the playback device.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the functions further comprise:

after the predetermined duration of time, sending to the playback device, a message to terminate playback of the calibration tone.

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

after the predetermined duration of time, displaying on the graphical display, a graphical representation indicating than an audio signal processing algorithm is being determined; and

after determining the audio signal processing algorithm, displaying on the graphical display, a representation of the frequency response based on (i) audio samples received during the predetermined duration of time and (ii) the determined audio signal processing algorithm.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the representation of the respective time increment relative to the predetermined duration of time comprises at least one of:

(i) a representation of a time remaining in the predetermined duration of time or (ii) a representation of an elapsed-time in the predetermined duration of time.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving audio samples continuously from the microphone for the predetermined duration of time comprises repeatedly receiving sets of audio samples representing respective portions of audio recorded over the predetermined duration of time.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the periodic time increments comprise one second periodic time increments.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the periodic time increments comprise half second periodic time increments.

11. A network device comprising:

a microphone;

a graphical display;

one or more processors; and

non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the network device to perform functions comprising;

receiving audio samples continuously from the microphone for a predetermined duration of time, wherein the predetermined duration of time comprises a plurality of periodic time increments; and

at each time increment within the predetermined duration of time, dynamically updating on the graphical display, (i) a representation of a frequency response based on audio samples that have been received between a beginning of the predetermined duration of time and the respective time increment, and (ii) a representation of the respective time increment relative to the predetermined duration of time.

12. The network device of claim 11, wherein the representation of the frequency response comprises a representation of the frequency response along a concentric frequency axis.

13. The network device of claim 11, wherein the representation of the respective time increment comprises a representation of the respective time increment along an axis of the representation of the frequency response.

14. The network device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving the audio samples, receiving an input to initiate audio calibration of a playback device; and

sending to the playback device, a message to cause the playback device to play a calibration tone, wherein the received audio samples comprise audio corresponding to the calibration tone played by the playback device.

15. The network device of claim 11, wherein the functions further comprise:

after the predetermined duration of time, displaying on the graphical display, a graphical representation indicating than an audio signal processing algorithm is being determined; and

after determining the audio signal processing algorithm, displaying on the graphical display, a representation of the frequency response based on (i) audio samples received during the predetermined duration of time and (ii) the determined audio signal processing algorithm.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network device, audio samples continuously from a microphone of the network device for a predetermined duration of time, wherein the predetermined duration of time comprises a plurality of periodic time increments; and

at each time increment within the predetermined duration of time, dynamically updating on a graphical display of the network device, (i) a representation of a frequency response based on audio samples that have been received between a beginning of the predetermined duration of time and the respective time increment, and (ii) a representation of the respective time increment relative to the predetermined duration of time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the representation of the frequency response comprises a representation of the frequency response along a concentric frequency axis.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the representation of the respective time increment comprises a representation of the respective time increment along an axis of the representation of the frequency response.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to receiving the audio samples, receiving on the network device, an input to initiate audio calibration of a playback device; and

sending by the network device to the playback device, a message to cause the playback device to play a calibration tone, wherein the received audio samples comprise audio corresponding to the calibration tone played by the playback device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

after the predetermined duration of time, displaying on the graphical display, a graphical representation indicating than an audio signal processing algorithm is being determined; and

after determining the audio signal processing algorithm, displaying on the graphical display, a representation of the frequency response based on (i) audio samples received during the predetermined duration of time and (ii) the determined audio signal processing algorithm.