Calibration of playback devices

• US 10,412,516 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Jasty, Ananth, Ramos, Aurelio, Sheen, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/806,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 381 77, 381 58- 59, 381 98, 381103, 381104, 381107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• 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: H04R 1/22 for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only circuit for combining transducers having different responses H04R3/00; for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• 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 5/04 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 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

Example techniques involve calibration of multiple playback devices. An example implementation receives, via a user interface of the network device, an input to initiate calibration of a group of playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device configured to playback audio content in synchrony. After initiating the calibration of the group of playback devices, the implementation detects audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device. Based on the detected audio content, the implementation determines a first equalization adjustment for the first playback device and a second equalization for the second playback device and causes the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment and the second playback device to apply the second equalization adjustment when the first playback device and the second playback device play audio content synchronously as part of the group of playback devices.

Claims

1. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors of a network device to cause the network device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of the network device, an input to initiate calibration of a group of playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device configured to playback audio content in synchrony;

after initiating the calibration of the group of playback devices, detecting, via a microphone of the network device, audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device;

based on the detected audio content, determining a first equalization adjustment for the first playback device and a second equalization for the second playback device; and

causing the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment and the second playback device to apply the second equalization adjustment when the first playback device and the second playback device play audio content synchronously as part of the group of playback devices, wherein causing the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via a network interface of the network device to the first playback device, first calibration settings representing the first equalization adjustment to cause the first calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the first playback device, and wherein causing the second playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via a network interface of the network device to the second playback device, second calibration settings representing the second equalization adjustment to cause the second calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the second playback device.

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

prior to receiving the input to initiate calibration of the group of playback devices, receiving, via the user interface of the network device, an input to form the group of playback devices comprising the first playback device and the second playback device.

3. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first playback device is a low-frequency playback device, and the second playback device is a full-range playback device.

4. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are both full-range playback devices.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device comprises processing the detected audio signal with a low-pass filter and determining the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device based on the processed audio signal.

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device comprises a first channel of the audio content rendered by the first playback device and a second channel of the audio content rendered by the second playback device.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the group of playback devices is a bonded zone player.

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

prior to receiving the input to initiate calibration of the group of playback devices, displaying, on the user interface, a prompt to initiate calibration of the bonded zone player.

9. A network device comprising:

a network interface;

a microphone;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the network device to perform functions comprising;

receiving, via a user interface of the network device, an input to initiate calibration of a group of playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device configured to playback audio content in synchrony;

after initiating the calibration of the group of playback devices, detecting, via the microphone of the network device, audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device;

based on the detected audio content, determining a first equalization adjustment for the first playback device and a second equalization for the second playback device; and

causing the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment and the second playback device to apply the second equalization adjustment when the first playback device and the second playback device play audio content synchronously as part of the group of playback devices, wherein causing the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via the network interface of the network device to the first playback device, first calibration settings representing the first equalization adjustment to cause the first calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the first playback device, and wherein causing the second playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via a network interface of the network device to the second playback device, second calibration settings representing the second equalization adjustment to cause the second calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the second playback device.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving the input to initiate calibration of the group of playback devices, receiving, via the user interface of the network device, an input to form the group of playback devices comprising the first playback device and the second playback device.

11. The network device of claim 9, wherein the first playback device is a low-frequency playback device, and the second playback device is a full-range playback device.

12. The network device of claim 9, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are both full-range playback devices.

13. The network device of claim 9, wherein determining the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device comprises processing the detected audio signal with a low-pass filter and determining the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device based on the processed audio signal.

14. The network device of claim 9, wherein the audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device comprises a first channel of the audio content rendered by the first playback device and a second channel of the audio content rendered by the second playback device.

15. The network device of claim 9, wherein the group of playback devices is a bonded zone player.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of a network device, an input to initiate calibration of a group of playback devices comprising a first playback device and a second playback device configured to playback audio content in synchrony;

after initiating the calibration of the group of playback devices, detecting, by the network device via a microphone of the network device, audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device;

based on the detected audio content, determining, by the network device, a first equalization adjustment for the first playback device and a second equalization for the second playback device; and

causing, by the network device, the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment and the second playback device to apply the second equalization adjustment when the first playback device and the second playback device play audio content synchronously as part of the group of playback devices, wherein causing the first playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via a network interface of the network device to the first playback device, first calibration settings representing the first equalization adjustment to cause the first calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the first playback device, and wherein causing the second playback device to apply the first equalization adjustment comprising sending, via a network interface of the network device to the second playback device, second calibration settings representing the second equalization adjustment to cause the second calibration settings to be stored in data storage of the second playback device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first playback device is a low-frequency playback device, and the second playback device is a full-range playback device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first playback device and the second playback device are both full-range playback devices.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining by the network device, the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device comprises processing, by the network device, the detected audio signal with a low-pass filter and determining by the network device, the first equalization adjustment for the first playback device based on the processed audio signal.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the audio content rendered synchronously by the first playback device and the second playback device comprises a first channel of the audio content rendered by the first playback device and a second channel of the audio content rendered by the second playback device.