Aggregation of devices based on acoustic monitoring

• US 10,684,817 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EVA Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: Yu, Gaylord, Stupp, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US15/790,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 968 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/02 Speed or phase control by the received code signals, the signals containing no special synchronisation information H04L7/0075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver

Abstract

An audio/video (A/V) hub that aggregates electronic devices is described. In particular, the A/V hub may measure sound, corresponding to audio content, output by electronic devices (such as electronic devices that include speakers). Then, the A/V hub may aggregate the electronic devices into two or more subsets based on the measured sound. Moreover, the A/V hub may determine, for the subsets, playback timing information, which may specify playback times when the electronic devices in a given subset are to playback the audio content. Next, the A/V hub may transmit, to the electronic devices, one or more frames that include the audio content and playback timing information, where the playback times of the electronic devices in at least the given subset have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices in the given subset is coordinated.

Claims

1. A coordination device, comprising:

one or more acoustic transducers configured to measure sound in an environment;

one or more nodes configured to communicatively couple to one or more antennas;

an interface circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more nodes, wherein the coordination device is configured to;

measure the sound using the one or more acoustic transducers associated with electronic devices, wherein the sound corresponds to audio content;

automatically and dynamically aggregate electronic devices into two or more subsets based on the measured sound, wherein the aggregation is based at least in part on sound intensity and acoustic delay, so that proximate speakers are aggregated together;

determine playback timing information for the subsets, wherein the playback timing information specifies playback times when the electronic devices in a given subset are to playback the audio content, and wherein the playback timing information in the given subset is based at least in part on transmit times at the electronic devices and based on clocks in the electronic devices included in frames and receive times at the coordination device and based on a clock in the coordination device of the frames that are communicated between the electronic devices in the given subset and the coordination device; and

transmit, to the one or more nodes, one or more additional frames that include the audio content and playback timing information for the electronic devices, wherein the playback times of the electronic devices in at least the given subset have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices in the given subset is coordinated.

2. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the different subsets are located in different rooms.

3. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the subsets playback different audio content than a remainder of the subsets.

4. The coordination device of claim 3, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is further based on the different audio content.

5. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on an acoustic delay of the measured sound.

6. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the coordination device is further configured to calculate an estimated location of a listener or another electronic device associated with the listener relative to the electronic devices;

and

wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on the estimated location of the listener.

7. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on a desired acoustic characteristic in the environment.

8. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the coordination device is further configured to modify the measured sound based on an acoustic transfer function of the environment in at least a band of frequencies.

9. The coordination device of claim 1, wherein the coordination device is further configured to determine playback volumes for the subsets that are used when the subsets playback the audio content;

and

wherein the one or more additional frames further include information that specifies the playback volumes.

10. The coordination device of claim 9, wherein a playback volume for at least one of the subsets is different than the playback volumes of a remainder of the subsets.

11. The coordination device of claim 9, wherein the playback volumes reduce acoustic cross-talk among the two or more subsets.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use with a coordination device, the computer-readable storage medium storing a program module that, when executed by the coordination device, causes the coordination device to aggregate electronic devices by carrying out one or more operations that comprise:

measuring, using one or more acoustic transducers, sound in an environment associated with the electronic devices, wherein the sound corresponds to audio content;

automatically and dynamically aggregating the electronic devices into two or more subsets based on the measured sound, wherein the aggregation is based at least in part on sound intensity and acoustic delay, so that proximate speakers are aggregated together;

determining playback timing information for the subsets, wherein the playback timing information specifies playback times when the electronic devices in a given subset are to playback the audio content, and wherein the playback timing information in the given subset is based at least in part on transmit times at the electronic devices and based on clocks in the electronic devices included in frames and receive times at the coordination device and based on a clock in the coordination device of the frames that are communicated between the electronic devices in the given subset and the coordination device; and

transmitting, to one or more nodes in the coordination device that are communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, one or more additional frames that include the audio content and playback timing information for the electronic devices, wherein the playback times of the electronic devices in at least the given subset have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices in the given subset is coordinated.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein at least one of the subsets playback different audio content than a remainder of the subsets.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is further based on the different audio content.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on an acoustic delay of the measured sound.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more operations comprise calculating an estimated location of a listener or another electronic device associated with the listener relative to the electronic devices;

and

wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on the estimated location of the listener.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the aggregation of the electronic devices into the two or more subsets is based on a desired acoustic characteristic in the environment.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more operations comprise modifying the measured sound based on an acoustic transfer function of the environment in at least a band of frequencies.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more operations comprise determining playback volumes for the subsets that are used when the subsets playback the audio content;

and

wherein the one or more additional frames further include information that specifies the playback volumes.

20. A method for aggregating electronic devices, wherein the method comprises:

by a coordination device;

measuring, using one or more acoustic transducers, sound in an environment associated with the electronic devices, wherein the sound corresponds to audio content;

automatically and dynamically aggregating the electronic devices into two or more subsets based on the measured sound, wherein the aggregation is based at least in part on sound intensity and acoustic delay, so that proximate speakers are aggregated together;

determining playback timing information for the subsets, wherein the playback timing information specifies playback times when the electronic devices in a given subset are to playback the audio content, and wherein the playback timing information in the given subset is based at least in part on transmit times at the electronic devices and based on clocks in the electronic devices included in frames and receive times at the coordination device and based on a clock in the coordination device of the frames that are communicated between the electronic devices in the given subset and the coordination device; and

transmitting, to one or more nodes in the coordination device that are communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, one or more additional frames that include the audio content and playback timing information for the electronic devices, wherein the playback times of the electronic devices in at least the given subset have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices in the given subset is coordinated.