Spectral correction using spatial calibration

• US 9,860,670 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US15/211,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 381 92, 381106, 381104, 381 26, 381303, 381 56, 381 942, 381 98, 381 1, 381107, 381108, 381122, 381300, 381 7414, 381101, 381307, 381 59, 381 61, 381 7111, 381 91, 381 943, 381 947, 381 96, 704225, 704500, 37940606-40608
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/005 Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use
• 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 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/307 Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

Example techniques may involve performing aspects of a spectral calibration using an applied spatial calibration. An example implementation may include receiving data representing spatial filters that correspond to respective playback configurations. The implementation may also involve causing the audio drivers to output calibration audio that is divided into a repeating set of frames, the set of frames including a respective frame for each playback configuration. Causing the audio drivers to output the calibration audio may involve causing an audio stage to apply, during each frame, the spatial filter corresponding to the respective playback configuration. The implementation may also include receiving data representing spectral filters that correspond to respective playback configurations, the spectral filters based on the calibration audio output by the audio drivers. When playing back audio content in a given playback configuration, the audio stage may apply a particular spectral filter corresponding to that configuration.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a network interface;

an audio stage arranged to drive one or more audio drivers;

one or more processors;

computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

receiving, via the network interface, data representing one or more spatial filters that correspond to respective playback configurations, wherein each playback configuration represents a particular set of sound axes formed via the one or more audio drivers, and wherein each sound axis corresponds to a respective channel of audio content;

causing, via the audio stage, the one or more audio drivers to output calibration audio that is divided into a repeating set of frames, the set of frames comprising a respective frame for each playback configuration, wherein causing the one or more audio drivers to output the calibration audio comprises causing the audio stage to apply, during each frame, the spatial filter corresponding to the respective playback configuration;

receiving, via the network interface, data representing one or more spectral filters that correspond to respective playback configurations, the one or more spectral filters based on the spatially-filtered calibration audio output by the one or more audio drivers; and

when playing back audio content in a given playback configuration, causing the audio stage to apply a particular spectral filter corresponding to the given playback configuration.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein receiving data representing one or more spatial filters comprises receiving data representing one or more spatial filters that calibrate the playback device to a particular listening location within a listening area of the playback device, and wherein receiving data representing one or more spectral filters comprises receiving data representing one or more spectral filters that offset acoustic characteristics of the listening area.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein receiving data representing one or more spatial filters comprises receiving data representing one or more sets of spatial filters, each set of spatial filter comprising a respective spatial filter for each sound axis, and wherein receiving data representing one or more spectral filters comprises receiving data representing one or more sets of spectral filters, each spectral filter comprising a respective spectral filter for each sound axis.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the one or more spatial filters comprise at least one of:

(i) a first filter that corresponds to a mono playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form a sound axis to output mono audio content when playing back audio content in the mono playback configuration, (ii) a second filter that corresponds to a stereo playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output one or more channels of stereo audio content when playing back audio content in the stereo playback configuration, and (iii) a third filter that corresponds to a surround sound playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output one or more channels of surround sound audio content when playing back audio content in the surround sound playback configuration.

5. The playback device of claim 4, wherein the mono playback configuration is a first mono playback configuration, the stereo playback configuration is a first stereo playback configuration, and the surround sound playback configuration is a first surround sound configuration, and wherein the one or more spatial filters comprise at least one of:

(i) a fourth filter that corresponds to a second mono playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form a sound axis to output mono audio content in synchrony with a subwoofer device when playing back audio content in the second mono playback configuration, (ii) a fifth filter that corresponds to a second stereo playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output one or more channels of stereo audio content in synchrony with the subwoofer device when playing back audio content in the second stereo playback configuration, and (iii) a sixth filter that corresponds to a second surround sound playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output one or more channels of surround sound audio content in synchrony with a subwoofer device when playing back audio content in the second surround sound playback configuration.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the one or more spatial filters comprise:

(i) a first filter that corresponds to a music playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output music content when playing back audio content in the music playback configuration, and (ii) a second filter that corresponds to a home theater playback configuration, the one or more audio drivers configured to form one or more sound axes to output audio content that is paired to video content when playing back audio content in the home theater playback configuration.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio drivers comprise multiple audio drivers that form multiple sound axes in a given playback configuration and wherein causing the one or more audio drivers to output the calibration audio comprises causing the multiple sound axes to output calibration audio during respective slots of each frame that corresponds to the given playback configuration.

8. The playback device of claim 7, wherein each sound axis of the multiple sound axes corresponds to a respective channel of surround sound audio content.

9. The playback device of claim 7, wherein each sound axis of the multiple sound axes corresponds to a respective channel of stereo audio content.

10. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio drivers form a single sound axis in a given playback configuration.

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:

detecting a trigger condition that initiates calibration of a media playback system for multiple playback configurations, wherein each playback configuration represents a respective set of sound axes formed via multiple audio drivers of the media playback system, and wherein each sound axis corresponds to a respective channel of audio content;

causing, via a network interface, the multiple audio drivers to output calibration audio that is divided into a repeating set of frames, the set of frames comprising a respective frame for each playback configuration, wherein causing the multiple audio drivers to output the calibration audio comprises causing, during each frame of the set of frames, a respective set of spatial filters to be applied to the multiple audio drivers, each set of spatial filters comprising a respective spatial filter for each sound axis;

recording, via a microphone, the calibration audio output by the multiple audio drivers; and

causing a processing device to determine respective sets of spectral filters for the multiple playback configurations based on the recorded calibration audio, each set of spectral filters comprising a respective spectral filter for each sound axis.

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

when the media playback system is playing back audio content in a given playback configuration, causing a particular set of spectral filters corresponding to the given playback configuration to be applied to the sound axes formed by the multiple audio drivers.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the calibration audio is second calibration audio, the method further comprising:

before causing the multiple audio drivers to output the second calibration audio, causing, via the network interface, the multiple audio drivers to output first calibration audio that is divided into a repeating set of frames, the set of frames comprising a respective frame for each playback configuration of the multiple playback configurations;

recording, via the microphone, the first calibration audio output by the multiple audio drivers; and

causing the processing device to determine the respective sets of spatial filters for the multiple playback configurations based on recorded first calibration audio, each set of spatial filters comprising a respective spatial filter for each sound axis.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein causing the multiple audio drivers to output the calibration audio comprises causing the multiple audio drivers to form respective sound axes of the multiple sound axes during respective slots of each frame.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the multiple playback configurations comprise two or more of:

(i) a mono playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form sound axes to synchronously output mono audio content when playing back audio content in the mono playback configuration, (ii) a stereo playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form sound axes to output channels of stereo audio content when playing back audio content in the stereo playback configuration, and (iii) a surround sound playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form sound axes to output respective channels of surround sound audio content when playing back audio content in the surround sound playback configuration.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the mono playback configuration is a first mono playback configuration, the stereo playback configuration is a first stereo playback configuration, and the surround sound playback configuration is a first surround sound configuration, wherein the multiple playback configurations comprise at least one of:

(i) a second mono playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form one or more full range sound axes and a subwoofer sound axis to synchronously output mono audio content when playing back audio content in the mono playback configuration, (ii) a second stereo playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form one or more full range sound axes to synchronously output channels of stereo content audio content with a subwoofer sound axis when playing back audio content in the second stereo playback configuration, and (iii) a second surround sound playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form one or more full range sound axes to synchronously output respective channels of surround sound content audio content with a subwoofer sound axis when playing back audio content in the second surround sound playback configuration.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the multiple playback configurations comprise two or more of:

(i) a music playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form sound axes to output music content when playing back audio content in the music playback configuration, and (ii) a home theater playback configuration, the multiple audio drivers configured to form sound axes to output audio content that is paired to video content when playing back audio content in the home theater playback configuration.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein causing, during each frames of the set of frames, the respective set of spatial filters to be applied to the multiple audio drivers comprises causing the processing device to apply the spatial filters to the calibration audio and transmit the calibration audio with the applied spatial filters to one or more playback devices comprising the multiple audio drivers.

19. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the media playback system comprises multiple playback devices each comprising a subset of the multiple audio drivers.

20. A media playback system comprising:

one or more playback devices comprising multiple audio drivers that form multiple sound axes, each sound axis corresponding to a respective channel of audio content;

a networked microphone device comprising a microphone;

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;

detecting a trigger condition that initiates calibration of the media playback system for multiple playback configurations, wherein each playback configuration represents a respective set of sound axes formed via the multiple audio drivers;

causing, via a network interface, the multiple audio drivers to output calibration audio that is divided into a repeating set of frames, the set of frames comprising a respective frame for each playback configuration, wherein causing the multiple audio drivers to output the calibration audio comprises causing, during each frame of the set of frames, a respective set of spatial filters to be applied to the multiple audio drivers, each set of spatial filters comprising a respective spatial filter for each sound axis;

recording, via the microphone, the calibration audio output by the multiple audio drivers; and

causing a processing device to determine respective sets of spectral filters for the multiple playback configurations based on the recorded calibration audio, each set of spectral filters comprising a respective spectral filter for each sound axis.