Audio processing algorithms

• US 10,599,386 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siegel, David
• Application Number:
  US15/955,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• 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 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: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Examples described herein involve determining an audio processing algorithm for a playback device to apply when playing audio content in a playback zone. Determining the audio processing algorithm may involve causing the playback device to play a first audio signal in the playback zone, receiving data indicating a second audio signal detected by a microphone of the playback device. Based on the second audio signal and a characteristic of the playback device, an audio processing algorithm may be determined. The audio processing algorithm may be calculated, or identified in a database based on an acoustic characteristic of the playback zone. The acoustic characteristic of the playback zone may be determined based on the second audio signal and the characteristic of the playback device. The audio processing algorithm may then be applied by the playback device.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a network interface;

an audio stage comprising an amplifier;

one or more processors;

a housing, the housing carrying at least the network interface, the audio stage, the one or more processors, and data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

determining that a first type of calibration is unavailable, the first type of calibration configured to offset acoustic characteristics of a particular zone in which the playback device is located;

based on determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable, calibrating the playback device with a second type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration comprises;

determining that the playback device is in a particular type of zone;

querying, via the network interface, a database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for a particular pre-determined calibration of the second type, the particular pre-determined calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a model zone that simulates the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone is based on additional zones corresponding to the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone includes one or more known materials having a given reflectivity characteristic, and wherein the database is hosted by one or more servers remote from the playback device;

applying the particular pre-determined calibration to the audio stage of the playback device; and

playing back audio content via the calibrated audio stage and one or more speakers.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

after calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration, receiving an instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration;

based on the instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration, calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration comprises;

outputting calibration audio via the audio stage and the one or more speakers while a microphone device records the calibration audio output;

receiving, via the network interface from the microphone device, a particular calibration of the first type, the particular calibration of the first type based on the recorded calibration audio output such that the particular calibration of the first type offsets acoustic characteristics of the particular zone in which the playback device is located when applied to the audio stage of the playback device; and

applying the particular calibration of the first type to the audio stage of the playback device in place of the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the model zone has known dimensions, and wherein the particular pre-determined calibration offsets acoustic characteristics of the model zone having known dimensions and including the one or more known materials having the given reflectivity characteristic.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable comprises determining that one or more state variables maintained in the data storage indicate that the playback device is uncalibrated.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises accessing, from the data storage, a model of the playback device, wherein playback devices of that model are configured to be positioned in the particular type of zone;

and wherein querying the database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type comprises querying the database using the model of the playback device to retrieve the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises receiving, via the network interface from a control device, data representing the particular type of zone, wherein the data is based on user input at the control device indicating the particular type of zone.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type is based on audio processing algorithms determined from multiple calibrations of the first type performed in the model zone.

21. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional zones are located in respective households remote from a household that includes the particular zone in which the playback device is located.

8. A method to be performed by a playback device, the method comprising:

determining that a first type of calibration is unavailable, the first type of calibration configured to offset acoustic characteristics of a particular zone in which the playback device is located;

based on determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable, calibrating the playback device with a second type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration comprises;

determining that the playback device is in a particular type of zone;

querying, via a network interface, a database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for a particular pre-determined calibration of the second type, the particular pre-determined calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a model zone that simulates the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone is based on additional zones corresponding to the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone includes one or more known materials having a given reflectivity characteristic, and wherein the database is hosted by one or more servers remote from the playback device;

applying the particular pre-determined calibration to an audio stage of the playback device; and

playing back audio content via the calibrated audio stage and one or more speakers.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration, receiving an instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration;

based on the instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration, calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration comprises;

outputting calibration audio via the audio stage and the one or more speakers while a microphone device records the calibration audio output;

receiving, via the network interface from the microphone device, a particular calibration of the first type, the particular calibration of the first type based on the recorded calibration audio output such that the particular calibration of the first type offsets acoustic characteristics of the particular zone in which the playback device is located when applied to the audio stage of the playback device; and

applying the particular calibration of the first type to the audio stage of the playback device in place of the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the model zone has known dimensions, and wherein the particular pre-determined calibration offsets acoustic characteristics of the model zone having known dimensions and including the one or more known materials having the given reflectivity characteristic.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable comprises determining that one or more state variables maintained in a data storage of the playback device indicate that the playback device is uncalibrated.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises accessing, from a data storage of the playback device, a model of the playback device, wherein playback devices of that model are configured to be positioned in the particular type of zone;

and wherein querying the database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type comprises querying the database using the model of the playback device to retrieve the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises receiving, via the network interface from a control device, data representing the particular type of zone, wherein the data is based on user input at the control device indicating the particular type of zone.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type is based on audio processing algorithms determined from multiple calibrations of the first type performed in the model zone.

22. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more additional zones are located in respective households remote from a household that includes the particular zone in which the playback device is located.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor of a playback device to cause the playback device to perform a method comprising:

determining that a first type of calibration is unavailable, the first type of calibration configured to offset acoustic characteristics of a particular zone in which the playback device is located;

based on determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable, calibrating the playback device with a second type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration comprises;

determining that the playback device is in a particular type of zone;

querying, via a network interface, a database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for a particular pre-determined calibration of the second type, the particular pre-determined calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a model zone that simulates the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone is based on additional zones corresponding to the particular type of zone, wherein the model zone includes one or more known materials having a given reflectivity characteristic, and wherein the database is hosted by one or more servers remote from the playback device;

applying the particular pre-determined calibration to an audio stage of the playback device; and

playing back audio content via the calibrated audio stage and one or more speakers.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the method further comprising:

after calibrating the playback device with the second type of calibration, receiving an instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration;

based on the instruction to calibrate the playback device with the first type of calibration, calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration, wherein calibrating the playback device with the first type of calibration comprises;

outputting calibration audio via the audio stage and the one or more speakers while a microphone device records the calibration audio output;

receiving, via the network interface from the microphone device, a particular calibration of the first type, the particular calibration of the first type based on the recorded calibration audio output such that the particular calibration of the first type offsets acoustic characteristics of the particular zone in which the playback device is located when applied to the audio stage of the playback device; and

applying the particular calibration of the first type to the audio stage of the playback device in place of the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the model zone has known dimensions, and wherein the particular pre-determined calibration offsets acoustic characteristics of the model zone having known dimensions and including the one or more known materials having the given reflectivity characteristic.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the first type of calibration is unavailable comprises determining that one or more state variables maintained in a data storage of the playback device indicate that the playback device is uncalibrated.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises accessing, from a data storage of the playback device, a model of the playback device, wherein playback devices of that model are configured to be positioned in the particular type of zone;

and wherein querying the database of pre-determined calibrations of the second type for the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type comprises querying the database using the model of the playback device to retrieve the particular pre-determined calibration of the second type.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the playback device is in the particular type of zone comprises receiving, via the network interface from a control device, data representing the particular type of zone, wherein the data is based on user input at the control device indicating the particular type of zone.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more additional zones are located in respective households remote from a household that includes the particular zone in which the playback device is located.