Smart audio settings

• US 10,437,554 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Lang, Jonathan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/919,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94, 715716, 381101-103, 381 56, 381 58, 84601, 84604, 84608, 84609
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3089 Control of digital or coded signals
• 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 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide for smart configuration of audio settings for a playback device. According to an embodiment, while a playback device is a part of a first zone group that includes the playback device and at least one first playback device, the playback device applies a first audio setting. The embodiment also includes the playback device joining a second zone group that includes the playback device and at least one second playback device. The embodiment further includes the playback device applying a second audio setting based on an audio content profile corresponding to the second zone group.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising;

analyzing an audio track, wherein analyzing the audio track comprises (i) partitioning the audio track into a set of one or more time intervals, (ii) for an individual time interval, determining an amount of audio information in an individual frequency band of a set of one or more frequency bands, and (iii) determining an aggregate magnitude and frequency of the audio information of the audio track based on the amount of audio information in each frequency band during each time interval;

determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile; and

in response to determining that one or more attributes of the audio track do not match one or more corresponding attributes of the audio profile, adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein analyzing an audio track further comprises:

examining spectral content of first audio track.

3. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile comprises:

determining whether spectral content in one or more frequency bands of the audio track is within a range of values corresponding to the audio profile.

4. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

adjusting one or more of a bass, treble, balance, or loudness setting.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least a second playback device.

6. The first playback device of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises adjusting one or more audio playback settings of at least the second playback device.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

processing the audio track based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings;

transmitting at least a portion of the processed audio track to at least a second playback device; and

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least the second playback device.

8. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

processing the audio track based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings;

adjusting one or more audio playback settings of at least a second playback device;

transmitting a least a portion of the processed audio track to at least a second playback device; and

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least the second playback device based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings.

9. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions executable by one or more processors, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a first playback device to perform a method comprising:

analyzing an audio track, wherein analyzing the audio track comprises (i) partitioning the audio track into a set of one or more time intervals, (ii) for an individual time interval, determining an amount of audio information in an individual frequency band of a set of one or more frequency bands, and (iii) determining an aggregate magnitude and frequency of the audio information of the audio track based on the amount of audio information in each frequency band during each time interval;

determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile; and

in response to determining that one or more attributes of the audio track do not match one or more corresponding attributes of the audio profile, adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein analyzing an audio track further comprises:

examining spectral content of first audio track.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile comprises:

determining whether spectral content in one or more frequency bands of the audio track is within a range of values corresponding to the audio profile.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

adjusting one or more of a bass, treble, balance, or loudness setting.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least a second playback device.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises adjusting one or more audio playback settings of at least the second playback device.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

processing the audio track based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings;

transmitting a least a portion of the processed audio track to at least a second playback device; and

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least the second playback device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable memory of claim 9, wherein playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

processing the audio track based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings;

adjusting one or more audio playback settings of at least a second playback device;

transmitting a least a portion of the processed audio track to at least a second playback device; and

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least the second playback device based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings.

17. A method performed by a first playback device, the method comprising:

analyzing an audio track, wherein analyzing the audio track comprises (i) partitioning the audio track into a set of one or more time intervals, (ii) for an individual time interval, determining an amount of audio information in an individual frequency band of a set of one or more frequency bands, and (iii) determining an aggregate magnitude and frequency of the audio information of the audio track based on the amount of audio information in each frequency band during each time interval;

determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile; and

in response to determining that one or more attributes of the audio track do not match one or more corresponding attributes of the audio profile, adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein analyzing an audio track further comprises examining spectral content of the first audio track, and wherein determining whether one or more attributes of the audio track match one or more corresponding attributes of an audio profile comprises determining whether spectral content in one or more frequency bands of the audio track is within a range of values corresponding to the audio profile.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting one or more audio playback settings for the first playback device and playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises playing the audio track in synchrony with at least a second playback device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein playing the audio track with the adjusted one or more audio playback settings comprises:

processing the audio track based on the adjusted one or more audio playback settings;

transmitting a least a portion of the processed audio track to at least a second playback device; and

playing the audio track in synchrony with at least the second playback device.