Loudness matching

• US 9,893,696 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• 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:
  US15/359,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170077888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 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. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining a first loudness representation for a playback device, wherein the first loudness representation is based on applying a first equalization setting of the playback device 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 second loudness representation is based on applying a second equalization setting of the playback device 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 tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first equalization setting is associated with a first media source and wherein the second equalization settings is associated with a second media source.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor comprises:

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

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

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.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

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

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, 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.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving data indicating a selection of the media to be played back by the playback device, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor comprises determining the loudness adjustment factor in response to receiving the data indicating the selection of the media to be played back by the playback device.

8. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

determining a first loudness representation for a first playback device, wherein the first loudness representation is based on applying a first equalization setting of the first playback device 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 a second playback device, wherein the second loudness representation is based on applying a second equalization setting of the second playback device 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.

9. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

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

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor comprises:

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

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to determining the loudness adjustment factor, receiving data indicating that the first playback device and the second playback device are in a bonded zone.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to determining the loudness adjustment factor, receiving data indicating that the first playback device and the second playback device are in a zone group.

13. A method comprising:

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

determining, by the computing device, a second loudness representation for a second playback device,

wherein the second loudness representation is based on applying a second equalization setting of the second playback device to the representation of average music;

determining, by the computing device, a loudness adjustment factor based on the first and second loudness representations; and

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

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

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

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the loudness adjustment factor comprises:

determining, by the computing device, a difference between the second loudness representation and the first loudness representation.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to determining the loudness adjustment factor, receiving, by the computing device, data indicating that the first playback device and the second playback device are in a bonded zone.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

prior to determining the loudness adjustment factor, receiving, by the computing device, data indicating that the first playback device and the second playback device are in a zone group.