Systems and methods of distributing audio to one or more playback devices

• US 10,592,200 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Ted, Kadri, Romi
• Primary Examiner(s): Islam, Mohammad K
• Application Number:
  US16/416,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 455 306, 386357, 381 23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• 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: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 7/002 in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G7/007, H03G7/001, H03G7/008, H03G7/02, H03G7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/025 frequency-dependent volume compression or expansion, e.g. multiple-band systems H03G9/10, H03G9/18 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 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 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

Abstract

An example method includes receiving data indicating a configuration of one or more playback devices. The one or more playback devices may include one or more transducers. The method further includes, based on the received data, associating each of one or more audio streams respectively with at least one transducer of the one or more transducers. The method further includes generating the one or more audio streams and sending at least one of the generated one or more audio streams to each of the one or more playback devices. An example non-transitory computer readable medium and an example computing device related to the example method are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A media playback system comprising a first playback device and a second playback device,

the first playback device configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via an input interface of the first playback device, audio content for playback by the second playback device;

generating, via a processor of the first playback device, one or more first audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content;

generating, via the processor of the first playback device, one or more second audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content; and

transmitting, via a network interface of the input interface, the generated one or more first audio streams to the second playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises one or more transducers;

the second playback device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a network interface of the second playback device, the generated one or more first audio streams;

processing, via a processor of the second playback device, the received one or more first audio streams, wherein processing the received one or more first audio streams comprises converting the received one or more first audio streams to one or more first analog audio signals; and

while the one or more transducers of the first playback device are inactive, outputting, via one or more transducers of the second playback device, the one or more first analog audio signals.

2. The media playback system of claim 1, further comprising a third playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to perform operations further comprising:

generating, via the processor of the first playback device, one or more second audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content; and

transmitting, via the network interface of the input interface, the generated one or more second audio streams to the third playback device;

the third playback device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via a network interface of the third playback device, the generated one or more second audio streams;

processing, via a processor of the third playback device, the received one or more second audio streams, wherein processing the received one or more second audio streams comprises converting the received one or more second audio streams to one or more second analog audio signals; and

outputting, via one or more transducers of the second playback device, the one or more second analog audio signals in synchrony with the one or more first analog audio signals.

3. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating respective audio streams for a first transducer and a second transducer of the first playback device, wherein the first transducer and second transducer of the first playback device are different types of transducers;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating respective audio streams for a first transducer and a second transducer of the second playback device, wherein the first transducer and second transducer of the second playback device are different types of transducers.

4. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating a particular first audio stream for a full-range transducer of the first playback device;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating a particular second audio stream for a subwoofer of the second playback device.

5. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating a particular first audio stream representing a first audio channel of the received audio content;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating a particular second audio stream representing a second audio channel of the received audio content.

6. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the one or more first audio processing algorithms comprise a first calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the first playback device and wherein the one or more second audio processing algorithms comprise a second calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the second playback device;

wherein the second playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the first calibration algorithm to the received audio content; and

wherein the third playback device applying the one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the second calibration algorithm to the received audio content.

7. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the second playback device processing the received one or more first audio streams comprises applying, to the received one or more first audio streams, a first calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the first playback device;

and

wherein the third playback device processing the received one or more second audio streams comprises applying, to the received one or more second audio streams, a second calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the second playback device.

8. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the one or more first audio processing algorithms comprise a first equalization filter that applies frequency-dependent amplification and wherein the one or more second audio processing algorithms comprise a second equalization filter that applies frequency-dependent amplification;

wherein the first playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the first equalization filter to the received audio content; and

wherein the first playback device applying the one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the second equalization filter to the received audio content.

9. The media playback system of claim 2,

wherein the second playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying a first delay algorithm that introduces a first phase delay to the received audio content;

and

wherein the third playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying a second delay algorithm that introduces a second phase delay to the received audio content, wherein the second phase delay is different from the first phase delay.

10. The media playback system of claim 2, wherein receiving, via the input interface of the first playback device, the audio content for playback comprises one of:

(a) receiving, via one or more line-in interfaces of the input interface, respective channels of audio content or (b) receiving, via the network interface of the input interface, a data stream representing the audio content.

11. A method to be performed by a media playback system comprising a first playback device and a second playback device, the method comprising:

the first playback device receiving, via an input interface of the first playback device, audio content for playback by the second playback device;

the first playback device generating, via a processor of the first playback device, one or more first audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content;

the first playback device generating, via the processor of the first playback device, one or more second audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content;

the first playback device transmitting, via a network interface of the input interface, the generated one or more first audio streams to the second playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises one or more transducers;

the second playback device receiving, via a network interface of the second playback device, the generated one or more first audio streams;

the second playback device processing, via a processor of the second playback device, the received one or more first audio streams, wherein processing the received one or more first audio streams comprises converting the received one or more first audio streams to one or more first analog audio signals; and

while the one or more transducers of the first playback device are inactive, the second playback device outputting, via one or more transducers of the second playback device, the one or more first analog audio signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the media playback system further comprises a third playback device, and wherein the method further comprises:

the first playback device generating, via the processor of the first playback device, one or more second audio streams from the received audio content by applying one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content; and

transmitting, via the network interface of the input interface, the generated one or more second audio streams to the third playback device;

the third playback device receiving, via a network interface of the third playback device, the generated one or more second audio streams;

the third playback device processing, via a processor of the third playback device, the received one or more second audio streams, wherein processing the received one or more second audio streams comprises converting the received one or more second audio streams to one or more second analog audio signals; and

the third playback device outputting, via one or more transducers of the second playback device, the one or more second analog audio signals in synchrony with the one or more first analog audio signals.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating respective audio streams for a first transducer and a second transducer of the first playback device, wherein the first transducer and second transducer of the first playback device are different types of transducers;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating respective audio streams for a first transducer and a second transducer of the second playback device, wherein the first transducer and second transducer of the second playback device are different types of transducers.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating a particular first audio stream for a full-range transducer of the first playback device;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating a particular second audio stream for a subwoofer of the second playback device.

15. The method of claim 12,

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more first audio streams comprises generating a particular first audio stream representing a first audio channel of the received audio content;

and

wherein the first playback device generating the one or more second audio streams comprises generating a particular second audio stream representing a second audio channel of the received audio content.

16. The method of claim 12,

wherein the one or more first audio processing algorithms comprise a first calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the first playback device and wherein the one or more second audio processing algorithms comprise a second calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the second playback device;

wherein the second playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the first calibration algorithm to the received audio content; and

wherein the third playback device applying the one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the second calibration algorithm to the received audio content.

17. The method of claim 12,

wherein the second playback device processing the received one or more first audio streams comprises applying, to the received one or more first audio streams, a first calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the first playback device;

and

wherein the third playback device processing the received one or more second audio streams comprises applying, to the received one or more second audio streams, a second calibration algorithm that offsets environmental effects corresponding to a physical location of the second playback device.

18. The method of claim 12,

wherein the one or more first audio processing algorithms comprise a first equalization filter that applies frequency-dependent amplification and wherein the one or more second audio processing algorithms comprise a second equalization filter that applies frequency-dependent amplification;

wherein the first playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the first equalization filter to the received audio content; and

wherein the first playback device applying the one or more second audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying the second equalization filter to the received audio content.

19. The method of claim 12,

wherein the second playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying a first delay algorithm that introduces a first phase delay to the received audio content;

and

wherein the third playback device applying the one or more first audio processing algorithms to the received audio content comprises applying a second delay algorithm that introduces a second phase delay to the received audio content, wherein the second phase delay is different from the first phase delay.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving, via the input interface of the first playback device, the audio content for playback comprises one of:

(a) receiving, via one or more line-in interfaces of the input interface, respective channels of audio content or (b) receiving, via the network interface of the input interface, a data stream representing the audio content.