Audio settings based on environment

• US 9,219,460 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bush, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNARDI, BRENDA C
• Application Number:
  US14/216,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may involve dynamically adjusting the equalization of a playback device based on the environment in which the playback device is operating. One embodiment may involve emitting a first audio signal from a playback device, detecting, by the playback device, a second audio signal, where at least a portion of the second audio signal is a reflection of the first audio signal, in response to the detecting, determining one or more reflection characteristics, where each of the one or more reflection characteristics are based on at least the second audio signal, adjusting an equalization setting of the playback device based on the one or more reflection characteristics, and causing an audio track to play according to the adjusted equalization setting.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

emitting, by a playback device, a first audio signal;

detecting, by the playback device, a second audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the second audio signal is a reflection of the first audio signal;

in response to the detecting, determining one or more reflection characteristics, wherein each of the one or more reflection characteristics are based on at least the second audio signal;

adjusting an equalization setting of the playback device based on the one or more reflection characteristics; and

causing an audio track to play according to the adjusted equalization setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback device comprises a microphone and a speaker, and wherein the microphone is physically coupled to the speaker.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal has a first waveform, wherein the second audio signal has a second waveform, and wherein detecting the second audio signal comprises:

determining, based on the first waveform and the second waveform, that the portion of the second audio signal is the reflection of the first audio signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the equalization setting of the playback device based on the one or more reflection characteristics comprises

disabling a speaker of the playback device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more reflection characteristics comprises an amount of time elapsed from emitting the first audio signal and detecting the second audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal is emitted at a first sound pressure level, wherein the second audio signal is detected at a second sound pressure level, and wherein at least one of the one or more reflection characteristics comprises a difference between the first sound pressure level and the second sound pressure level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting an equalization setting of the playback device based on the one or more reflection characteristics comprises:

selecting a particular equalization preset from a plurality of equalization presets based on at least one of the one or more reflection characteristics; and

adjusting the equalization setting of the playback device according to the selected particular equalization preset.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of equalization presets comprises a respective bass gain setting.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the one or more reflection characteristics comprises an amount of time elapsed since emitting the first audio signal until detecting the second audio signal, wherein each of the plurality of equalization presets is matched to a respective time range, and wherein selecting one from a plurality of equalization presets based on the at least one reflection characteristic comprises:

determining a particular time range that corresponds to the amount of time; and

selecting the equalization preset matched to the determined particular time range.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first audio signal is an impulse signal.

11. In a media playback system comprising a plurality of playback devices, wherein each playback device comprises a respective microphone and a respective speaker, a method comprising:

receiving an indication of a first audio signal;

detecting, by a microphone of the first playback device, a second audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the second audio signal is indicative of the first audio signal;

in response to the detecting, determining a first reflection characteristic based on the second audio signal;

adjusting an equalization setting of the first playback device based on at least the first reflection characteristic; and

sending to a second playback device an indication of the first reflection characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the equalization setting is further based on at least a second reflection characteristic, the method further comprising:

receiving, via a network interface of the playback device, an indication of the second reflection characteristic from the second playback device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the equalization setting is further based on at least a second reflection characteristic, the method further comprising:

detecting, via a microphone of the first playback device, a fourth audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the fourth audio signal is a reflection of a third audio signal emitted by the second playback device; and

determining the second reflection characteristic based on the fourth audio signal.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending an indication of the adjusted equalization setting to the second media playback device.

15. A playback device, comprising:

a speaker;

a microphone that is physically coupled to the speaker;

a processor;

a network interface;

a data storage; and

a program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor to;

emit a first audio signal from the speaker;

detect, via the microphone, a second audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the second audio signal is a reflection of the first audio signal;

in response to the detecting, determine a first reflection characteristic based on at least the second audio signal;

adjust an equalization setting of the playback device based on at least the first reflection characteristic; and

play, via the speaker, an audio track according to the equalization setting.

16. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the equalization setting is further based on at least a second reflection characteristic, and wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

receive, via the network interface, an indication of the second reflection characteristic from a second playback device.

17. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the equalization setting is further based on at least a second reflection characteristic, and wherein the program logic is further executable by the processor to:

detect, by the microphone, a fourth audio signal, wherein at least a portion of the fourth audio signal is indicative of a reflection of a third audio signal emitted by a second playback device; and

determine the second reflection characteristic based on the fourth audio signal.

18. The playback device of claim 15, wherein detecting the second audio signal comprises:

determining that the portion of the second audio signal is a reflection of the first audio signal.

19. The playback device of claim 15, wherein the first reflection characteristic comprises an amount of time elapsed from emitting the first audio signal to detecting the second audio signal.

20. The playback device of claim 15, wherein adjusting an equalization setting of the playback device based on at least the first reflection characteristic comprises:

selecting a particular equalization preset from a plurality of equalization presets based on the first reflection characteristic; and

adjusting the equalization setting of the playback device according to the selected particular equalization preset.