Audio settings based on environment

• US 9,419,575 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• 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
• Application Number:
  US14/681,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 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. An example embodiment may involve detecting, by at least one microphone, an audio signal. The example embodiment may also involve selecting a playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments based on the detected audio signal. The example embodiment may further involve identifying an audio setting corresponding to the selected playback device environment; and applying the audio setting when playing media content.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

at least one speaker that is contained within a housing of the playback device;

at least one microphone that is contained within the housing of the playback device;

a processor; and

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

emitting, via the at least one speaker, an audio signal;

detecting, via the at least one microphone, an audio signal that includes at least a portion of the emitted audio signal;

selecting a playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments based on the detected audio signal;

identifying an audio setting corresponding to the selected playback device environment; and

applying the audio setting when playing media content via the at least one speaker.

2. The playback device of claim 1,

wherein selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments comprises:

selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments further based on the emitted audio signal.

3. The playback device of claim 2, wherein selecting the playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments comprises:

comparing the detected audio signal and the emitted signal to determine a reflection characteristic; and

identifying the playback device environment based on at least the reflection characteristic.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting movement of the playback device; and

responsively, enabling the at least one microphone.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting movement of the playback device; and

wherein selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments comprises;

selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments in response to detecting the movement of the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprise an outdoor environment and an indoor environment.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the audio setting comprises an equalization preset.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprises an outdoor environment, and wherein an audio setting corresponding to the outdoor environment comprises an equalization preset that boosts bass frequencies.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprises an indoor environment, and wherein an audio setting corresponding to the indoor environment comprises an equalization preset that attenuates bass frequencies.

10. A method comprising:

emitting, via at least one speaker of a playback device an audio signal wherein the at least one speaker is contained within a housing of the playback device;

detecting, via at least one microphone of the playback device, an audio signal that includes at least a portion of the emitted audio signal, wherein the at least one microphone is contained within the housing of the playback device;

selecting by the playback device, a playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments based on the detected audio signal;

identifying by the playback device, an audio setting corresponding to the selected playback device environment; and

applying by the playback device, the audio setting when playing media content via at least one speaker, wherein the at least one speaker is contained within the housing of the playback device.

11. The method of claim 10,

wherein selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments comprises:

selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments further based on the emitted audio signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting the playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments comprises:

comparing the detected audio signal and the emitted signal to determine a reflection characteristic; and

identifying the playback device environment based on at least the reflection characteristic.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting, by the playback device, movement of the playback device; and

responsively, enabling the at least one microphone.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to detecting the audio signal, detecting, by the playback device, movement of the playback device;

wherein selecting by the playback device, the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments comprises;

selecting, by the playback device, the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments in response to detecting the movement of the playback device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to cause a playback device to perform functions comprising:

emitting, via at least one speaker that is contained within a housing of the playback device, an audio signal;

detecting, via at least one microphone that is contained within the housing of the playback device, an audio signal that includes at least a portion of the emitted audio signal;

selecting a playback device environment from among two or more playback device environments based on the detected audio signal;

identifying an audio setting corresponding to the selected playback device environment; and

applying the audio setting when playing media content via at least one speaker that is contained within the housing of the playback device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,

wherein selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments comprises:

selecting the playback device environment from among the two or more playback device environments further based on the emitted audio signal.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprise an outdoor environment and an indoor environment.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the audio setting comprises an equalization preset.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprises an outdoor environment, and wherein an audio setting corresponding to the outdoor environment comprises an equalization preset that boosts bass frequencies.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the two or more playback device environments comprises an indoor environment, and wherein an audio setting corresponding to the indoor environment comprises an equalization preset that attenuates bass frequencies.