Determining direction of networked microphone device relative to audio playback device

• US 9,693,164 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Kadri, Romi, Wilberding, Dayn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US15/229,855
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58
• 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: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/20 Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic H04R2203/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• 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 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• 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: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

Example techniques involve determining a direction of an NMD. An example implementation includes causing two audio drivers to output audio content, where the audio drivers are positioned at a known distance apart in a given azimuthal plane and recording the audio content output by the two audio drivers. The implementation also includes causing a processing device to identify a direction of the NMD relative to a center point of the two audio drivers in the given azimuthal plane. Identifying the direction of the NMD may involve determining a range of possible azimuthal angles between the NMD and the center point, the range of possible angles dependent upon the known distance between the two audio drivers and a phase offset between the two audio drivers indicated by the recorded audio content output. The implementation further includes causing a playback device to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a processing device, data representing a recorded audio content that was recorded by a networked microphone device (NMD) upon output of the audio content via a first audio driver and a second audio driver of one or more playback devices, wherein the first audio driver and the second audio driver are positioned at a known distance apart in a given azimuthal plane;

identifying, within an impulse response of the recorded audio content corresponding to a particular point-in-time, (i) a first reference point corresponding to a particular frequency of the audio content played by the first audio driver at the particular point-in-time and (ii) a second reference point corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the second audio driver at the particular point-in-time;

identifying a direction of the NMD relative to a center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane, wherein identifying the direction of the NMD comprises determining a phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver and determining a range of possible azimuthal angles between the NMD and the center point, the range of possible angles dependent upon (i) the known distance between the first audio driver and the second audio driver and (ii) the determined phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver; and

causing the one or more playback devices to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first reference point comprises identifying, as the first reference point, a first peak value in the impulse response, and wherein identifying the second reference point comprises identifying, as the second reference point, a second peak value in the impulse response, and wherein determining the phase offset comprises determining a time difference between the first reference point and the second reference point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the recorded audio content comprises first audio content played via the first audio driver and second audio content played via the second audio driver, the second audio content different from the first audio content, and wherein identifying the first peak value and the second peak value in the impulse response comprises:

duplicating the recorded audio content to form a first recording and a second recording;

filtering, from the first recording, a magnitude component of an impulse response of the second audio content;

filtering, from the second recording, a magnitude component of an impulse response of the first audio content;

identifying the first peak value in an impulse response of the filtered first recording, the first peak value corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the first audio driver at the particular point-in-time; and

identifying the second peak value in an impulse response of the filtered second recording, the second peak value corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the second audio driver at the particular point-in-time.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the time difference between first reference point and the second reference point comprises subtracting a phase coordinate of the first peak value from a phase coordinate of the second peak value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver is outside of a calibration range, wherein a minimum of the calibration range is zero seconds and a maximum of the calibration range is equivalent to the known distance divided by the speed of sound; and

responsively, sending an error message indicating that the NMD is improperly positioned for calibration of the one or more playback devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane comprises:

determining a distance between the NMD and a known position relative to the first audio driver and the second audio driver; and

determining that the determined distance between the NMD and the known position relative to the first audio driver and the second audio driver indicates that the NMD is closer to one of the first audio driver and the second audio driver.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises the NMD, and wherein the method further comprises recording the audio content upon output of the audio content via the first audio driver and the second audio driver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more servers that are coupled to at least one of one or more playback devices via one or more networks comprise the processing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more playback devices to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane comprises sending an indication of the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the one or more playback devices to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane comprises causing the first audio driver and the second audio driver to form one or more sound axes oriented in the identified direction.

11. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a networked microphone device (NMD) to perform a method comprising:

causing, via a network interface, a first audio driver and a second audio driver of one or more playback devices to output audio content, wherein the first audio driver and the second audio driver are positioned at a known distance apart in a given azimuthal plane;

recording, via a microphone, the audio content output by the first audio driver and the second audio driver;

causing a processing device to identify a direction of the NMD relative to a center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane, wherein identifying the direction of the NMD comprises determining a range of possible azimuthal angles between the NMD and the center point, the range of possible angles dependent upon (i) the known distance between the first audio driver and the second audio driver and (ii) a phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver indicated by the recorded audio content output by the first audio driver and the second audio driver; and

causing the one or more playback devices to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the NMD comprises the processing device, and wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, within an impulse response of the recorded audio content corresponding to a particular point-in-time, (i) a first reference point corresponding to a particular frequency of the audio content played by the first audio driver at the particular point-in-time and (ii) a second reference point corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the second audio driver at the particular point-in-time; and

determining the phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver, wherein determining the phase offset comprises determining a time difference between the first reference point and the second reference point.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein identifying the first reference point comprises identifying, as the first reference point, a first peak value in the impulse response, and wherein identifying the second reference point comprises identifying, as the second reference point, a second peak value in the impulse response.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the recorded audio content comprises first audio content played via the first audio driver and second audio content played via the second audio driver, the second audio content different from the first audio content, and wherein identifying the first peak value and the second peak value in the impulse response comprises:

duplicating the recorded audio content to form a first recording and a second recording;

filtering, from the first recording, a magnitude component of an impulse response of the second audio content;

filtering, from the second recording, a magnitude component of an impulse response of the first audio content;

identifying the first peak value in an impulse response of the filtered first recording, the first peak value corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the first audio driver at the particular point-in-time; and

identifying the second peak value in an impulse response of the filtered second recording, the second peak value corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the second audio driver at the particular point-in-time.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining the time difference between the first reference point and the second reference point comprises subtracting a phase coordinate of the first peak value from a phase coordinate of the second peak value.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

determining that the phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver is outside of a calibration range, wherein a minimum of the calibration range is zero seconds and a maximum of the calibration range is equivalent to the known distance divided by the speed of sound; and

responsively, sending an error message indicating that the NMD is improperly positioned for calibration of the one or more playback devices.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein identifying the direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane comprises:

determining a distance between the NMD and a known position relative to the first audio driver and the second audio driver; and

determining that the determined distance between the NMD and the known position relative to the first audio driver and the second audio driver indicates that the NMD is closer to one of the first audio driver and the second audio driver.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting a trigger condition that initiates calibration of the one or more playback devices, wherein calibration of the one or more playback devices comprises causing the first audio driver and the second audio driver to output the audio content.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, via one or more sensors, movement of the NMD; and

responsively, recording the audio content output by the first audio driver and the second audio driver.

20. A media playback system comprising:

a playback device comprising a first audio driver and a second audio driver that are positioned at a known distance apart in a given azimuthal plane;

a networked microphone device (NMD) comprising a microphone, the networked microphone device connected to the playback device via one or more networks;

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the media playback system to perform a method comprising;

causing the first audio driver and the second audio driver to output audio content, recording, via the microphone, the audio content output by the first audio driver and the second audio driver;

identifying, within an impulse response of the recorded audio content corresponding to a particular point-in-time, (i) a first reference point corresponding to a particular frequency of the audio content played by the first audio driver at the particular point-in-time and (ii) a second reference point corresponding to the particular frequency of the audio content played by the second audio driver at the particular point-in-time;

determining a phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver;

identifying a direction of the NMD relative to a center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane, wherein identifying the direction of the NMD comprises determining a range of possible azimuthal angles between the NMD and the center point, the range of possible angles dependent upon (i) the known distance between the first audio driver and the second audio driver and (ii) the determined phase offset between the first audio driver and the second audio driver; and

causing the playback device to adjust calibration based on the identified direction of the NMD relative to the center point of the first audio driver and the second audio driver in the given azimuthal plane.