Calibration Error Conditions

• US 20160014537A1
• Filed: 07/28/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lehnert, Hilmar, Sheen, Timothy, Wilberding, Dayn
• Granted Patent: US 9,538,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• 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: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Examples described herein involve identifying one or more error conditions during calibration of one or more playback devices in a playback environment. A microphone of a network device may detect and sample an audio signal while the one or more playback devices in the playback environment plays a calibration tone. A processor of the network device may then receive, from the microphone, a stream of audio data. The audio data may include an audio signal component and a background noise component. As a subset of the audio data is received, the processor may identify based on at least the subset of audio data, the one or more error conditions. The processor may then cause a graphical display to display a graphical representation associated with the identified error condition.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a microphone, a stream of audio data that includes (i) an audio signal component and (ii) a background noise component;

as a subset of the stream is received, identifying, based on at least the subset of the stream, an error condition; and

displaying, on a graphical display, a graphical representation that indicates the identified error condition.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

identifying the error condition from among a plurality of pre-determined error conditions.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying error condition comprises:

determining that a variation in a sound pressure level of the audio signal component is less a minimum threshold; and

based on determining that the variation in the level of the audio signal component is less than the minimum threshold, identifying the error condition as a movement of the computing device that is less than a threshold speed.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a variation in a sound pressure level of the audio signal component exceeds a maximum threshold; and

based on determining that the variation in the level of the audio signal component exceeds the maximum threshold, identifying the error condition as a movement of the computing device that exceeds a threshold speed.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a sound pressure level of the audio signal component has gradually decreased below a minimum threshold; and

based on determining that the sound pressure level of the audio signal has gradually decreased below the minimum threshold, identifying the error condition as having exceeded a threshold movement distance.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a sound pressure level of the audio signal component has substantially decreased below a minimum threshold; and

based on determining that the sound pressure level of the audio signal component has substantially decreased below the minimum threshold, identifying the error condition as an improperly orientated computing device.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a sound pressure level of the background noise component exceeds a maximum threshold level; and

based determining that the sound pressure level of the background noise component exceeds the maximum threshold level, identifying the error condition as having background noise that exceeds a threshold level for calibration.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a ratio between the audio signal component and the background noise component is below a minimum threshold; and

based determining that the ratio between the audio signal component and the background noise component is below the minimum threshold, identifying the error condition as having a high background noise to audio signal ratio.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that the audio signal component is substantially different from a reference audio signal; and

based on determining that the audio signal component is substantially different from the reference audio signal, identifying the error condition as an obstructed microphone.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to the microphone receiving the stream of audio data, sending to at least one playback device, an instruction that causes the at least one playback device to play a calibration tone, wherein the audio signal component corresponds to the calibration tone; and

responsive to identifying the error condition, sending to the at least one playback device, an instruction that causes the at least one playback device to stop playing the calibration tone.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving from a motion sensor, a stream of motion data, and wherein identifying the error condition further comprises, as a subset of the motion data is received by the computing device, identifying the error condition further based on at least the subset of motion data.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a microphone of a network device, a stream of audio data that includes (i) an audio signal component and (ii) a background noise component;

as a subset of the stream is received, identifying, by the network device based on at least the subset of audio data, an error condition; and

displaying, on a graphical display of the network device, a graphical representation that indicates the identified error condition.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining, by the network device, that a variation in a sound pressure level of the audio signal component is less a minimum threshold; and

based on determining that the variation in the sound pressure level of the audio signal component is less than the minimum threshold, identifying, by the network device, the error condition as a movement of the computing device that is less than a threshold speed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining, by the network device, that a variation in a sound pressure level of the audio signal component exceeds a maximum threshold; and

based on determining that the variation in the level of the audio signal component exceeds the maximum threshold, identifying, by the network device, the error condition as a movement of the computing device that exceeds a threshold speed.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining, by the network device, that a sound pressure level of the audio signal component has gradually decreased below a minimum threshold; and

based on determining that the sound pressure level of the audio signal has gradually decreased below the minimum threshold, identifying, by the network device, the error condition as having exceeded a threshold movement distance.

16. A network device comprising:

a microphone configured for receiving audio data that includes (i) an audio signal component and (ii) a background noise component;

a processor configured for, as a subset of the audio data is received, identifying an error condition based on at least the subset of audio data; and

a graphical display configured for displaying a graphical representation associated with the identified error condition.

17. The network device of claim 16, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a sound pressure level of the background noise component represented in the subset of audio data exceeds a maximum threshold level; and

based determining that the sound pressure level of the background noise component exceeds the maximum threshold level, identifying the error condition as having background noise that exceeds a threshold level for calibration.

18. The network device of claim 16, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that a ratio between the audio signal component and the background noise component is below a minimum threshold; and

based determining that the ratio between the audio signal component and the background noise component is below the minimum threshold, identifying the error condition as having a high background noise to audio signal ratio.

19. The network device of claim 16, wherein identifying the error condition comprises:

determining that the audio signal component is substantially different from a reference audio signal; and

based on determining that the audio signal component is substantially different from the reference audio signal, identifying the error condition as an obstructed microphone.

20. The network device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured for:

prior to the microphone receiving the stream of audio data, sending to at least one playback device, an instruction that causes the at least one playback device to play a calibration tone, wherein the audio signal component corresponds to the calibration tone; and

responsive to identifying the error condition, sending to the at least one playback device, an instruction that causes the at least one playback device to stop playing the calibration tone.