Lifetime of an audio playback device with changed signal processing settings

• US 10,356,540 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Little, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad K
• Application Number:
  US15/882,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00

Abstract

A first lifetime estimate is determined for a first acoustic component of a first audio playback device configured with first signal processing settings. A second audio playback device is configured with second signal processing settings. A second lifetime estimate is determined for a second acoustic component of the second audio playback device configured with the second signal processing settings, where the second lifetime estimate is determined based on first lifetime estimate and where the first acoustic component is substantially similar to the second acoustic component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first lifetime estimate for a first type of acoustic component included in a first set of playback devices that are each configured to play back audio content with first signal processing settings that govern a manner in which each of the first set of playback devices outputs audio,

wherein the first lifetime estimate is determined by mechanically stressing the first type of acoustic component of each of the first set of playback devices by operating each of the first set of playback devices at a predetermined volume;

after a second playback device having a given acoustic component of a second type has been configured to play back audio content with second signal processing settings that govern a manner in which the second playback device outputs audio, receiving one or more statistics associated with movement of the given acoustic component of the second type that occurred while the second playback device played back the audio content with the second signal processing settings;

determining a second lifetime estimate for the given acoustic component of the second type based on the one or more statistics associated with the movement of the given acoustic component of the second type and the first lifetime estimate;

determining that the second signal processing settings will increase a lifetime of the given acoustic component of the second type by determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate; and

based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate, sending the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first lifetime estimate is determined by operating the first set of audio playback devices at the predetermined volume until the first type of acoustic component fails.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more statistics comprise an indication of cyclic movement of the given acoustic component of the second type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first lifetime estimate for the first type of acoustic component included in the first set of playback devices configured with the first signal processing settings comprises receiving the first lifetime estimate from memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the given acoustic component of the second type is a transducer, and

wherein the one or more statistics associated with the movement of the given acoustic component of the second type comprise a displacement value of a diaphragm of the transducer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a usage of the third playback device; and

wherein sending the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate comprises;

based on both the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate and based on the usage of the third playback device, sending the second signal processing settings to the third playback device to cause the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings, thereby increasing a lifetime of the third playback device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the second lifetime estimate comprises adjusting the first lifetime estimate based on an indication of usage of the second audio playback device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more statistics associated with movement of the given acoustic component of the second type comprise average stress statistics related to movement of the given acoustic component.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second signal processing settings comprise one or more settings of:

(i) volume, (ii) loudness, (ii) bass, (iii) treble, or (iv) frequency equalization.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the given acoustic component of the second type is substantially similar to the first type of acoustic component.

9. A network device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the network device to;

receive a first lifetime estimate for a first type of acoustic component included in a first set of playback devices that are each configured to play back audio content with first signal processing settings that govern a manner in which each of the first set of playback devices outputs audio,

wherein the first lifetime estimate is determined by mechanically stressing the first type of acoustic component of each of the first set of playback devices by operating each of the first set of playback devices at a predetermined volume;

after a second playback device having a given acoustic component of a second type has been configured to play back audio content with second signal processing settings that govern a manner in which the second playback device outputs audio;

receive one or more statistics associated with movement of the given acoustic component of the second type that occurred while the second playback device played back the audio content with the second signal processing settings;

determine a second lifetime estimate for the given acoustic component of the second type based on the one or more statistics associated with the movement of the given acoustic component of the second type and the first lifetime estimate;

determine that the second signal processing settings will increase a lifetime of the given acoustic component of the second type by determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate; and

based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate, send the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the one or more statistics comprise an indication of cyclic movement of the given acoustic component of the second type.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein receiving the first lifetime estimate for the first type of acoustic component included in the first set of audio playback devices configured with the first signal processing settings comprises receiving the first lifetime estimate from memory.

12. The network device of claim 9,

wherein the given acoustic component of the second type is a transducer, and

wherein the one or more statistics associated with the movement of the given acoustic component comprise a displacement value of a diaphragm of the transducer.

13. The network device of claim 9, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprising instructions that are executable to cause the network device to:

determine a usage of the third playback device; and

wherein the instructions that are executable to cause the network device to send the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate further comprise instructions that are executable to cause the network device to;

based on both the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate and based on the usage of the third playback device, send the second signal processing settings to the third playback device to cause the third playback device to play back audio based on the second signal processing settings, thereby increasing a lifetime of the third playback device.

20. The network device of claim 9, wherein the first and second signal processing settings comprise one or more settings of:

(i) volume, (ii) loudness, (ii) bass, (iii) treble, or (iv) frequency equalization.

14. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing device to cause the computing device to:

receive a first lifetime estimate for a first type of acoustic component included in a first set of playback devices that are each configured to play back audio content with first signal processing settings that govern a manner in which each of the first set of playback devices outputs audio,

wherein the first lifetime estimate is determined by mechanically stressing the first type of acoustic component of each of the first set of playback devices by operating each of the first set of playback devices at a predetermined volume;

after a second playback device having a given acoustic component of a second type has been configured to play back audio content with second signal processing settings that govern a manner in which the second playback device outputs audio;

receive one or more statistics associated with movement of the given acoustic component of the second type that occurred while the second playback device played back the audio content with the second signal processing settings;

determine a second lifetime estimate for the given acoustic component of the second type based on the one or more statistics associated with the movement of the given acoustic component of the second type and the first lifetime estimate;

determine that the second signal processing settings will increase a lifetime of the given acoustic component of the second type by determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate; and

based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate, send the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the one or more statistics comprise an indication of cyclic movement of the given acoustic component of the second type.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the given acoustic component of the second type is a transducer, and

wherein the one or more statistics associated with movement of the given acoustic component comprise a displacement value of a diaphragm of the transducer.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable memory further comprises instructions that are executable to cause the computing device to:

determine a usage of the third playback device; and

wherein the instructions that are executable to cause the computing device to send the second signal processing settings to a third playback device to configure the third playback device to play back audio with the second signal processing settings based at least on the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate further comprise instructions that are executable to cause the computing device to;

based both the determining that the second lifetime estimate is greater than the first lifetime estimate and based on the usage of the third playback device, send the second signal processing settings to the third playback device to cause the third playback device to play back audio based on the second signal processing settings, thereby increasing a lifetime of the third playback device.