Enhancing audio at a network-accessible computing platform

• US 9,191,742 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rawles, LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Worley, William Spencer III
• Primary Examiner(s): Sniezek, Andrew L
• Application Number:
  US13/753,228
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0316 by changing the amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/001 Digital control of analog signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/005 of digital or coded signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 9/025 frequency-dependent volume compression or expansion, e.g. multiple-band systems H03G9/10, H03G9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• 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: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing audio at a network-accessible computing platform and then providing the enhanced audio to a client device. By enhancing the audio remotely at the computing platform rather than locally at the client device, the client device need not include the infrastructure (e.g., hardware and software) required to perform these audio enhancements. Therefore, the client device may be manufactured at a lesser expense as compared to devices that perform the enhancements themselves. Instead, the client devices described herein simply receive the pre-enhanced audio and directly output this audio.

Claims

1. One or more computing devices comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving, from a client device and over a network, a request to stream audio to the client device;

identifying a characteristic of a speaker of the client device, the characteristic of the speaker of the client device comprising a make, model, or manufacturer associated with the speaker of the client device;

obtaining the audio requested by the client device;

modifying the audio based at least in part on the characteristic of the speaker of the client device; and

streaming, over the network, the modified audio to the client device.

2. One or more computing devices as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the audio requested by the client device comprises obtaining the audio from an audio service that is independent of the one or more computing devices.

3. One or more computing devices as recited in claim 1, wherein modifying the audio comprises adjusting at least one of an amplitude of a frequency of the audio, an amplitude of the audio, the equalization of the audio, or adjusting a dynamic range of the audio.

4. A system that is remotely located from a client device, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

identifying a characteristic of a speaker of the client device;

modifying audio requested by the client device based at least in part on the characteristic of the speaker; and

streaming, over a network from the system to the client device, the modified audio.

5. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein identifying the characteristic of the speaker of the client device comprises identifying a make, model, manufacturer, or frequency response associated with the speaker of the client device.

6. A system as recited in claim 4, wherein modifying the audio comprises modifying an amplitude of a frequency of the audio, performing equalization to the audio, or modifying a dynamic range of the audio based at least in part on the characteristic of the speaker of the client device.

7. A system as recited in claim 4, the acts further comprising obtaining, over a network, the audio from an audio service at least partly prior to the modifying the audio.

8. A system as recited in claim 4, the acts further comprising:

identifying a class of audio requested by the client device;

and wherein the modifying is also based at least in part on the class of audio requested by the client device.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the class of audio comprises one of music, non-music, or an audio book.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the modifying comprises selecting an equalization for the audio based at least in part on the class of audio.

11. A system as recited in claim 4, the acts further comprising:

receiving, over the network, an audio signal generated by a microphone of the client device, the audio signal including at least a portion of the modified audio as output by a speaker of the client device;

again modifying the audio based at least in part on the audio signal; and

streaming an additional portion of the audio to the client device, as again modified.

12. A method comprising:

at a remote computing resource comprising one or more computing devices configured with executable instructions, wherein the remote computing resource is remotely located from a client device;

receiving an indication that the client device has requested audio for output on a speaker of the client device;

obtaining the audio based at least in part on the receiving of the indication;

modifying the audio based at least in part on an attribute of the speaker of the client device; and

streaming, over a network, the modified audio to the client device for output on the speaker of the client device.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein modifying the audio comprises raising or lowering respective amplitudes of one or more frequency bands of the audio.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein modifying the audio comprises modifying a ratio between the largest amplitude and the smallest amplitude of the audio.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the receiving of the indication further comprises receiving an identifier associated with the client device, and further comprising identifying the attribute of the speaker of the client device based at least in part on the identifier associated with the client device.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a class of the audio that the client device has requested;

and wherein the modifying is also based at least in part on the class of the audio.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the class of audio comprises one of music, non-music, or an audio book.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the modifying comprises selecting an equalization for the audio based at least in part on the class of audio.

19. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the audio from an independent audio service prior to the modifying of the audio.

20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the audio from an account of a user associated with the client device.