Concurrent multi-driver calibration

• US 10,674,293 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy, Ramos, Aurelio
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang V
• Application Number:
  US16/542,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20190373384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 291 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

Examples involve calibration of a playback device including multiple audio transducers. An example implementation involves forming a particular playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form two or more channels and receiving a command to initiate calibration of the particular playback configuration. The calibration includes emitting a calibration sound according to a sequence that involves the calibration sound cycling through frequencies of a calibration frequency range. Based on the command, the playback device emits the calibration sound contemporaneously via the two or more channels. Emission of the calibration sound by each channel is staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound. The playback device receives audio processing coefficients that are based on one or more recordings of the emitted calibration sound; and applies the audio processing coefficients when playing back the audio content as part of the particular playback configuration.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

multiple audio transducers;

one or more amplifiers configured to drive the multiple audio transducers;

one or more processors;

a housing carrying the multiple audio transducers, the one or more amplifiers, the one or more processors, and data storage having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

forming a particular playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form two or more channels, wherein each channel is formed by two or more audio transducers of the multiple audio transducers;

receiving a command to initiate calibration of the particular playback configuration, wherein the calibration comprises emitting a calibration sound according to a sequence, wherein the sequence comprises the calibration sound cycling through frequencies of a calibration frequency range;

based on the command, emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously via the two or more channels, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel is staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound;

receiving data indicating audio processing coefficients that are based on one or more recordings of the emitted calibration sound; and

applying the audio processing coefficients to audio content when playing back the audio content as part of the particular playback configuration.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback configuration is a surround sound playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a front channel, a left channel, and a right channel.

3. The first playback device of claim 2, wherein the first playback device is in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices that form respective surround channels, and wherein emitting the calibration sound comprises emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously with emission of the calibration sound by the one or more second playback devices, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel of the first playback device and emission of the calibration sound by each surround channel of the one or more second playback devices are staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the particular playback configuration is a stereo pair playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a left channel and a right channel.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the calibration sound is emitted for a duration of time that is proportional to a number of channels formed in the particular playback configuration.

6. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the calibration sound comprises (i) a first component that includes noise frequencies between a minimum of the 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.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the calibration sound comprises a baseline tone that covers frequencies of the calibration frequency range within a given duration, and wherein the functions further comprise:

selecting, as the calibration sound, a particular calibration sound that is substantially proportional in duration to a product of the given duration of the baseline tone and a number of channels formed in the particular playback configuration.

8. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein receiving a command to initiate calibration of the particular playback configuration comprises receiving the command from a controller device configured to control playback of audio content by the first playback device, and wherein receiving data indicating audio processing coefficients comprising receiving the data indicating the audio processing coefficients from the controller device.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a first playback device to perform functions comprising:

forming a particular playback configuration that configures multiple audio transducers to form two or more channels, wherein each channel is formed by two or more audio transducers of the multiple audio transducers, and wherein the first playback device comprises a housing carrying the multiple audio transducers and one or more amplifiers configured to drive the multiple audio transducers;

receiving a command to initiate calibration of the particular playback configuration, wherein the calibration comprises emitting a calibration sound according to a sequence, wherein the sequence comprises the calibration sound cycling through frequencies of a calibration frequency range;

based on the command, emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously via the two or more channels, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel is staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound;

receiving data indicating audio processing coefficients that are based on one or more recordings of the emitted calibration sound; and

applying the audio processing coefficients to audio content when playing back the audio content as part of the particular playback configuration.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the particular playback configuration is a surround sound playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a front channel, a left channel, and a right channel.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first playback device is in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices that form respective surround channels, and wherein emitting the calibration sound comprises emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously with emission of the calibration sound by the one or more second playback devices, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel of the first playback device and emission of the calibration sound by each surround channel of the one or more second playback devices are staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the particular playback configuration is a stereo pair playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a left channel and a right channel.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the calibration sound comprises (i) a first component that includes noise frequencies between a minimum of the 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.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the calibration sound comprises a baseline tone that covers frequencies of the calibration frequency range within a given duration, and wherein the functions further comprise:

selecting, as the calibration sound, a particular calibration sound that is substantially proportional in duration to a product of the given duration of the baseline tone and a number of channels formed in the particular playback configuration.

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

forming a particular playback configuration that configures multiple audio transducers to form two or more channels, wherein each channel is formed by two or more audio transducers of the multiple audio transducers, and wherein the first playback device comprises a housing carrying the multiple audio transducers and one or more amplifiers configured to drive the multiple audio transducers;

receiving a command to initiate calibration of the particular playback configuration, wherein the calibration comprises emitting a calibration sound according to a sequence, wherein the sequence comprises the calibration sound cycling through frequencies of a calibration frequency range;

based on the command, emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously via the two or more channels, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel is staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound;

receiving data indicating audio processing coefficients that are based on one or more recordings of the emitted calibration sound; and

applying the audio processing coefficients to audio content when playing back the audio content as part of the particular playback configuration.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular playback configuration is a surround sound playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a front channel, a left channel, and a right channel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first playback device is in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices that form respective surround channels, and wherein emitting the calibration sound comprises emitting the calibration sound contemporaneously with emission of the calibration sound by the one or more second playback devices, wherein emission of the calibration sound by each channel of the first playback device and emission of the calibration sound by each surround channel of the one or more second playback devices are staggered such that each emitted calibration sound is delayed relative to a preceding emitted calibration sound.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular playback configuration is a stereo pair playback configuration that configures the multiple audio transducers to form a left channel and a right channel.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the calibration sound comprises (i) a first component that includes noise frequencies between a minimum of the 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.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the calibration sound comprises a baseline tone that covers frequencies of the calibration frequency range within a given duration, and wherein the method further comprises:

selecting, as the calibration sound, a particular calibration sound that is substantially proportional in duration to a product of the given duration of the baseline tone and a number of channels formed in the particular playback configuration.