Loudness matching

• US 9,729,118 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartung, Klaus, Buoni, Matthew, Kadri, Romi
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNARDI, BRENDA C
• Application Number:
  US14/809,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/034 Automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3005 in amplifiers suitable for low-frequencies, e.g. audio amplifiers H03G3/32, H03G3/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/025 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/16 Automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4307 Synchronising the rendering of multiple content streams or additional data on devices, e.g. synchronisation of audio on a mobile phone with the video output on the TV screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43076 of the same content streams on multiple devices, e.g. when family members are watching the same movie on different devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An example method may involve a device determining a first loudness representation for a playback device based on a first equalization setting applied to a representation of average music. The device may also determine a second loudness representation for the playback device, based on a second equalization setting applied to the representation of average music. The device may also determine a loudness adjustment factor based on the first and second loudness representations, and then causing the playback device to play back media based on the second equalization setting and the determined loudness adjustment factor.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising;

determining a first loudness representation for a playback device, wherein the playback device comprises a first equalization setting, and wherein the first loudness representation is based on the first equalization setting applied to a representation of average music, wherein the representation of average music comprises a power-frequency dropoff curve;

determining a second loudness representation for the playback device, wherein the playback device comprises a second equalization setting, and wherein the second loudness representation is based on the second equalization setting applied to the representation of average music;

determining a loudness adjustment factor based on the first and second loudness representations; and

causing the playback device to play back media based on the second equalization setting and the determined loudness adjustment factor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second equalization settings are associated with a first and second media source, respectively.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:

causing the loudness adjustment factor to be stored in memory on a second playback device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor comprises:

determining a difference between the second loudness representation and the first loudness representation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:

updating the loudness adjustment factor based on metadata associated with the media to be played back; and

causing the playback device to play back the media based on the second equalization setting and the updated loudness adjustment factor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:

determining the media to be played back, wherein determining the representation of average music is based on the determined media to be played back.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the program instructions for determining the representation of average music, when executed by the processor, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:

sampling at least a portion of the media to be played back; and

based on sampling at least the portion of the media to be played back, determining the power-frequency dropoff curve for the media to be played back.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations of determining (i) the first loudness representation, (ii) the second loudness representation, and (iii) the loudness adjustment factor are performed in response to a selection of the media to be played back by the playback device.

9. A method comprising:

determining a first loudness representation for a playback device, wherein the playback device comprises a first equalization setting, and wherein the first loudness representation is based on the first equalization setting applied to a representation of average music, wherein the representation of average music comprises a power-frequency dropoff curve;

determining a second loudness representation for the playback device, wherein the playback device comprises a second equalization setting, and wherein the second loudness representation is based on the second equalization setting applied to the representation of average music;

determining a loudness adjustment factor based on the first and second loudness representations; and

causing the playback device to play back media based on the second equalization setting and the determined loudness adjustment factor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second equalization settings are associated with a first and second media source, respectively.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

causing the loudness adjustment factor to be stored in memory on a second playback device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor, comprises determining a difference between the second loudness representation and the first loudness representation.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

updating the loudness adjustment factor based on metadata associated with the media to be played back; and

causing the playback device to play back the media based on the second equalization setting and the updated loudness adjustment factor.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the media to be played back, wherein determining the representation of average music is based on the determined media to be played back.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the representation of average music comprises sampling at least a portion of the media to be played back and, based on sampling at least the portion of the media to be played back, determining the power-frequency dropoff curve for the media to be played back.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining (i) the first loudness representation, (ii) the second loudness representation, and (iii) the loudness adjustment factor are in response to a selection of the media to be played back by the playback device.

17. A device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising;

determining a first loudness representation for a first playback device, wherein the first playback device comprises a first equalization setting, and wherein the first loudness representation is based on the first equalization setting applied to a representation of average music;

determining a second loudness representation for a second playback device, wherein the second playback device comprises a second equalization setting, and wherein the second loudness representation is based on the second equalization setting applied to the representation of average music;

determining a loudness adjustment factor based on the first and second loudness representations; and

causing the second playback device to play back media based on the second equalization setting and the determined loudness adjustment factor.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the device to perform operations comprising:

causing the loudness adjustment factor to be stored in memory on the second playback device.