Shaping sound responsive to speaker orientation

• US 9,042,556 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kallai, Christopher, Ericson, Michael Darrell Andrew, Lang, Jonathan P., Wisneski, Craig, Reilly, Jonathon, Daly, Seamus, Mansfield, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOONEY, JAMES K
• Application Number:
  US13/186,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20130022221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 381/11
• US Class Current: 381/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/162 Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0834 based on external parameters, e.g. subscriber speed or location
• 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 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques for shaping sound based on a speaker orientation are disclosed. In an embodiment, an audio data stream is obtained by a zone player having one or more speaker drivers, an orientation of the zone player is determined, and sound is reproduced by the zone player based on the orientation. The sound may be further shaped based on other states of the zone player in addition to orientation. The overall sound may be shaped from one zone player or from a collection of zone players.

Claims

1. A method for shaping sound, the method comprising:

receiving an audio data stream by a playback device;

determining an orientation and a configuration state of the playback device;

shaping sound output from a speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a first set of one or more channels or (b) a first range of frequencies based on a first orientation and the configuration state; and

shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a second set of one or more channels or (b) a second range of frequencies based on a second orientation and the configuration state,

wherein the configuration state comprises any of;

not paired, not grouped, not consolidated, a pairing between the playback device and an additional playback device, a grouping of the playback device with an additional playback device, and a consolidation of the playback device with an additional playback device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound for the at least one of (a) first set of one or more channels or (b) first range of frequencies of the audio data stream and a stereophonic sound for the at least one of (a) second set of one or more channels or (b) second range of frequencies of the audio data stream, which is different than the first range of frequencies, using one or more speaker transducers based on the first orientation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first range of frequencies is below a threshold frequency and the second range of frequencies is above the threshold frequency.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound using a tweeter regardless of the first and second orientations.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

routing a first set of frequencies in the audio data stream to at least one of a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation; and

routing a second set of frequencies in the audio data stream to the at least one of the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation, wherein the first set of frequencies is different than the second set of frequencies.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a stereophonic sound using a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation and the audio data stream; and

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound using the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation and the audio data stream.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering orientation sensor data provided by an orientation sensor to reduce vibration effects, the orientation sensor data used to determine the orientation of the playback device and to provide equalization settings for the playback device based on the orientation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing an offset introduced by vibration and playback device non-linearity before determining the orientation of the playback device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the playback device comprises receiving an indication of the orientation of the playback device from a controller.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the indication of the orientation of the playback device from the controller comprises receiving the indication of the orientation of the playback device from the controller over a local area network (LAN).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the configuration state of the playback device comprises receiving an indication of the configuration state of the playback device from a controller.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the indication of the configuration state of the playback device from the controller comprises receiving the indication of the configuration state of the playback device from the controller over a local area network (LAN).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration state further comprises one of a left channel designation or a right channel designation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pairing between the playback device and the additional playback device comprises a stereo pairing between the playback device and the additional playback device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more channels consists of one channel.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more channels consists of one channel.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of the first set of channels or the first range of frequencies based on the first orientation and the configuration state comprises shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce the first range of frequencies based on the first orientation and the configuration state.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of the second set of channels or the second range of frequencies based on the second orientation and the configuration state comprises shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce the second range of frequencies based on the second orientation and the configuration state.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of an orientation or a configuration state of another playback device, wherein shaping the sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) the first set of channels or (b) the first range of frequencies based on the first orientation and the configuration state comprises shaping the sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) the first set of channels or (b) the first range of frequencies based on the first orientation, the configuration state, and the at least one of the orientation or the configuration state of another playback device.

20. A tangible computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a method for shaping sound, the method comprising:

receiving an audio data stream by a playback device;

determining an orientation and a configuration state of the playback device;

shaping sound output from a speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a first set of one or more channels or (b) a first range of frequencies based on a first orientation and the configuration state; and

shaping sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a second set of one or more channels or (b) a second range of frequencies based on a second orientation and the configuration state,

wherein the configuration state comprises any of;

not paired, not grouped, not consolidated, a pairing between the playback device and an additional playback device, a grouping of the playback device with an additional playback device, and a consolidation of the playback device with an additional playback device.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound for the at least one of (a) first set of one or more channels or (b) first range of frequencies of the audio data stream and a stereophonic sound for the at least one of (a) second set of one or more channels or (b) second range of frequencies of the audio data stream, which is different than the first range of frequencies, using one or more speaker transducers based on the first orientation.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first range of frequencies is below a threshold frequency and the second range of frequencies is above the threshold frequency.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound using a tweeter regardless of the first and second orientations.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

routing a first set of frequencies in the audio data stream to at least one of a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation; and

routing a second set of frequencies in the audio data stream to the at least one of the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation, wherein the first set of frequencies is different than the second set of frequencies.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising:

configuring the playback device to reproduce a stereophonic sound using a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation and the audio data stream; and

configuring the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound using the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation and the audio data stream.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises filtering orientation sensor data provided by an orientation sensor to reduce vibration effects, the orientation sensor data used to determine the orientation of the playback device and to provide equalization settings for the playback device based on the orientation.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises removing an offset introduced by vibration and playback device non-linearity before determining the orientation of the playback device.

28. A playback device configured to receive an audio data stream and output the audio data stream, the playback device comprising:

a speaker transducer to provide audio output, the speaker transducer facing a particular direction with respect to the playback device, wherein the speaker transducer is to receive and output the audio data stream; and

a processor configured to;

determine an orientation of the playback device, and a configuration state of the playback device;

shape sound output from a speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a first set of one or more channels or (b) a first range of frequencies based on a first orientation and the configuration state; and

shape sound output from the speaker transducer of the playback device using the audio data stream to reproduce at least one of (a) a second set of one or more channels or (b) a second range of frequencies based on a second orientation and the configuration state,

wherein the configuration state comprises any of;

not paired, not grouped, not consolidated, a pairing between the playback device and an additional playback device, a grouping of the playback device with an additional playback device, and a consolidation of the playback device with an additional playback device.

29. The playback device of claim 28, wherein the processor is to provide the orientation to configure the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound for the at least one of (a) first set of one or more channels and or (b) first range of frequencies of the audio data stream and a stereophonic sound for the at least one of (a) second set of one or more channels or (b) second range of frequencies of the audio data stream, which is different than the first range of frequencies, using one or more speaker transducers based on the first orientation.

30. The playback device of claim 29, wherein the first range of frequencies is below a threshold frequency and the second range of frequencies is above the threshold frequency.

31. The playback device of claim 28, wherein the processor is to provide the orientation to configure the playback device to reproduce a monaural sound using a tweeter regardless of the first and second orientations.

32. The playback device of claim 28, wherein the playback device is to:

route a first set of frequencies in the audio data stream to at least one of a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation; and

route a second set of frequencies in the audio data stream to the at least one of the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation, wherein the first set of frequencies is different than the second set of frequencies.

33. The playback device of claim 28, wherein the playback device is configured to:

reproduce a stereophonic sound using a plurality of speaker transducers based on the first orientation and the audio data stream; and

reproduce a monaural sound using the plurality of speaker transducers based on the second orientation and the audio data stream.

34. The playback device of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to filter orientation sensor data provided by an orientation sensor to reduce vibration effects, the orientation sensor data used to determine the orientation of the playback device and to provide equalization settings for the playback device based on the orientation.

35. The playback of claim 28, wherein the processor is configured to remove an offset introduced by vibration and playback device non-linearity before determining the orientation of the playback device.