Playback device calibration

• US 10,582,326 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2019
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US16/401,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20200077219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 381 26, 381 58, 381 85, 381 91, 381122, 381150, 381303, 381337, 381345, 381372, 381375
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17881 the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/007 Electronic adaptation of audio signals to reverberation of the listening space for PA
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for calibrating a playback device include (i) outputting first audio content; (ii) capturing audio data representing reflections of the first audio content within a room in which the playback device is located; (iii) based on the captured audio data, determining an acoustic response of the room; (iv) connecting to a database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set associated with a respective stored acoustic room response of a plurality of stored acoustic room responses; (v) querying the database for a stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located; and (vi) applying to the playback device a particular set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

one or more processors; and

tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

outputting, via the speaker, first audio content;

capturing, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the first audio content within a room in which the playback device is located;

based on the captured audio data, determining an acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

establishing a connection with a database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set associated with a respective stored acoustic room response of a plurality of stored acoustic room responses;

wherein the plurality of stored acoustic room responses are determined based on multiple media playback systems each performing a respective acoustic room response determination process comprising (i) outputting, via a respective playback device within a respective room that is different from the room in which the playback device is located, respective audio content, (ii) while the respective playback device outputs the respective audio content, capturing, via a microphone disposed in a housing of the respective playback device, respective audio data representing reflections of the respective audio content in the respective room, and (iii) based on the respective audio data, determining an acoustic response of the respective room;

querying the database for a stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

responsive to the query, applying to the playback device a particular set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located; and

outputting, via the speaker, second audio content using the particular set of audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein each respective set of stored audio calibration settings includes respective audio calibration settings for offsetting one or more audio characteristics of an associated respective stored acoustic room response.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein querying the database comprises:

mapping the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located to a particular stored acoustic room response in the database that satisfies a threshold similarity to the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein a self-response of the playback device is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the playback device from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein a self-response of the microphone is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the microphone from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein outputting, via the speaker, the first audio content comprises gradually increasing a volume level of the playback device while outputting the first audio content, and wherein the operations further comprise:

while outputting the first audio content, measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio content to environmental noise in the room in which the playback device is located; and

when the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a threshold value for calibration, ceasing to increase the volume level of the playback device and continuing to output the first audio content at the current volume level.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first audio content is different from the respective audio content.

8. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a playback device to perform operations comprising:

outputting, via a speaker of the playback device, first audio content;

capturing, via a microphone of the playback device, audio data representing reflections of the first audio content within a room in which the playback device is located;

based on the captured audio data, determining an acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

establishing a connection with a database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set associated with a respective stored acoustic room response of a plurality of stored acoustic room responses;

wherein the plurality of stored acoustic room responses are determined based on multiple media playback systems each performing a respective acoustic room response determination process comprising (i) outputting, via a respective playback device within a respective room that is different from the room in which the playback device is located, respective audio content, (ii) while the respective playback device outputs the respective audio content, capturing, via a microphone disposed in a housing of the respective playback device, respective audio data representing reflections of the respective audio content in the respective room, and (ii) based on the respective audio data, determining an acoustic response of the respective room;

querying the database for a stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

responsive to the query, applying to the playback device a particular set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located; and

outputting, via the speaker of the playback device, second audio content using the particular set of audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

9. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein each respective set of stored audio calibration settings includes respective audio calibration settings for offsetting one or more audio characteristics of an associated respective stored acoustic room response.

10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein querying the database comprises:

mapping the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located to a particular stored acoustic room response in the database that satisfies a threshold similarity to the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein a self-response of the playback device is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the playback device from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein a self-response of the microphone is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the microphone from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

13. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein outputting, via the speaker of the playback device, the first audio content comprises gradually increasing a volume level of the playback device while outputting the first audio content, and wherein the operations further comprise:

while outputting the first audio content, measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio content to environmental noise in the room in which the playback device is located; and

when the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a threshold value for calibration, ceasing to increase the volume level of the playback device and continuing to output the first audio content at the current volume level.

14. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the first audio content is different from the respective audio content.

15. A method comprising:

outputting, via a speaker of a playback device, first audio content;

capturing, via a microphone of the playback device, audio data representing reflections of the first audio content within a room in which the playback device is located;

based on the captured audio data, determining an acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

establishing a connection with a database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set associated with a respective stored acoustic room response of a plurality of stored acoustic room responses;

wherein the plurality of stored acoustic room responses are determined based on multiple media playback systems each performing a respective acoustic room response determination process comprising (i) outputting, via a respective playback device within a respective room that is different from the room in which the playback device is located, respective audio content, (i) while the respective playback device outputs the respective audio content, capturing, via a microphone disposed in a housing of the respective playback device, respective audio data representing reflections of the respective audio content in the respective room, and (ii) based on the respective audio data, determining an acoustic response of the respective room;

querying the database for a stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located;

responsive to the query, applying to the playback device a particular set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located; and

outputting, via the speaker of the playback device, second audio content using the particular set of audio calibration settings associated with the stored acoustic room response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each respective set of stored audio calibration settings includes respective audio calibration settings for offsetting one or more audio characteristics of an associated respective stored acoustic room response.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein querying the database comprises:

mapping the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located to a particular stored acoustic room response in the database that satisfies a threshold similarity to the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a self-response of the playback device is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the playback device from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a self-response of the microphone is pre-determined in an anechoic chamber, and wherein determining the acoustic response of the room in which the playback device is located comprises offsetting the self-response of the microphone from the captured audio data representing reflections of the first audio content.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein outputting, via the speaker of the playback device, the first audio content comprises gradually increasing a volume level of the playback device while outputting the first audio content, and wherein the operations further comprise:

while outputting the first audio content, measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio content to environmental noise in the room in which the playback device is located; and

when the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a threshold value for calibration, ceasing to increase the volume level of the playback device and continuing to output the first audio content at the current volume level.