Playback Device Calibration

• US 20160070526A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,763 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: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes 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 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Examples described herein involve calibration of a microphone of a network device. An example network device identifies, within a database of microphone acoustic characteristics, an acoustic characteristic of the microphone which corresponds to a particular characteristic of the network device. The network device calibrates a playback device based on at least the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

identifying, within a database of microphone acoustic characteristics, an acoustic characteristic of a microphone on a network device, wherein the acoustic characteristic corresponds to a particular characteristic of the network device; and

calibrating a playback device based on at least the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the characteristic of the network device and a query for an acoustic characteristic that corresponds to the characteristic of the network device; and

receiving from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

identifying a particular model of the microphone that corresponds to the characteristic of the network device;

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the particular model of the microphone and a query for acoustic characteristics that correspond to that particular model; and

receiving, from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristics of the microphone.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein calibrating the playback device comprises:

determining an audio processing algorithm based on the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone; and

causing the playback device to apply the audio processing algorithm when playing media content.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving (i) first data indicating a first audio signal and (ii) second data indicating a second audio signal detected via the microphone of the network device while the first audio signal was played by the playback device, and

wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises;

determining the audio processing algorithm based further on the first audio signal and second audio signal.

7. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the audio processing algorithm comprises an inverse of the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone, and wherein causing the playback device to apply the audio processing algorithm when playing media content comprises:

modifying played media content by an inverse function of the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

8. A network device comprising:

a microphone;

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

identifying, within a database of microphone acoustic characteristics, an acoustic characteristic of a microphone on a network device, wherein the acoustic characteristic corresponds to a particular characteristic of the network device; and

calibrating a playback device based on at least the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the characteristic of the network device and a query for an acoustic characteristic that corresponds to the characteristic of the network device; and

receiving from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

identifying a particular model of the microphone that corresponds to the characteristic of the network device;

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the particular model of the microphone and a query for acoustic characteristics that correspond to that particular model; and

receiving, from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristics of the microphone.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein calibrating the playback device comprises:

determining an audio processing algorithm based on the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone; and

causing the playback device to apply the audio processing algorithm when playing media content.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving (i) first data indicating a first audio signal and (ii) second data indicating a second audio signal detected via the microphone while the first audio signal was played by the playback device, and

wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises;

determining the audio processing algorithm based further on the first audio signal and second audio signal.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the audio processing algorithm comprises an inverse of the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone, and wherein causing the playback device to apply the audio processing algorithm when playing media content comprises:

modifying played media content by an inverse function of the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

15. A playback device comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

identifying, within a database of microphone acoustic characteristics, an acoustic characteristic of a microphone on a playback device, wherein the acoustic characteristic corresponds to a particular characteristic of the playback device; and

calibrating the playback device based on at least the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

16. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the functions further comprise:

maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics.

17. The playback device of claim 15, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the characteristic of the playback device and a query for an acoustic characteristic that corresponds to the characteristic of the playback device; and

receiving from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristic of the microphone.

18. The playback device of claim 15, wherein identifying the acoustic characteristic of the microphone comprises:

identifying a particular model of the microphone that corresponds to the characteristic of the playback device;

transmitting, to a server maintaining the database of microphone acoustic characteristics, data indicating the particular model of the microphone and a query for acoustic characteristics that correspond to that particular model; and

receiving, from the server, data indicating the queried acoustic characteristics of the microphone.

19. The playback device of claim 15, wherein calibrating the playback device comprises:

determining an audio processing algorithm based on the identified acoustic characteristic of the microphone; and

applying the audio processing algorithm when playing media content.

20. The playback device of claim 19, wherein the functions further comprise:

playing a first audio signal;

receiving data indicating a second audio signal detected via the microphone of the network device while the first audio signal was played, and

wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises;

determining the audio processing algorithm based further on the first audio signal and second audio signal.