Audio calibration of a portable playback device

• US 10,734,965 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2019
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: McPherson, Patrick, Ramos, Aurelio Rafael
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Mark
• Application Number:
  US16/538,629
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• 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 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• 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

Disclosed herein are example techniques to facilitate calibrating a portable playback device. An example implementation involves determining that a playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device and initiating the equalization calibration. Initiating the equalization calibration involves (i) outputting audio content, (ii) capturing audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located, (iii) determining an acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, (iv) selecting a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, and (v) applying to the audio content, via the playback device, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic area response.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

one or more processors;

an accelerometer configured to output data indicative of movement by the playback device; and

data storage storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform operations comprising;

storing an acoustic response database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set of stored audio calibration settings associated with a respective stored acoustic area response of a plurality of stored acoustic area responses;

determining that the playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device; and

in response to the determination that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration, initiating the equalization calibration, wherein the equalization calibration comprises;

outputting, via the speaker, audio content;

capturing, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located;

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

selecting a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located; and

applying to the audio content, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic response.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating motion of the playback device; and

in response to receiving data indicating motion of the playback device, suspending the equalization calibration of the playback device.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device further comprises:

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating the playback device is stationary for a predetermined duration of time; and

in response to detecting that the playback device is stationary for the predetermined duration of time, initiating the equalization calibration of the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 1 wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device comprises:

performing the equalization calibration periodically over a first time period;

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating the playback device is stationary for a predetermined duration of time; and

in response to detecting that the playback device is stationary over the predetermined duration of time, performing the equalization calibration periodically over a second time period, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period.

5. The playback device of claim 1 wherein initiating the equalization calibration comprises performing the equalization calibration periodically, wherein a time period between the equalization calibration is between 10 seconds and 30 seconds.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device further comprises:

receiving an instruction to play audio content; and

in response to the instruction to play audio content, playing the audio content and initiating the equalization calibration of the playback device.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein initiating the equalization calibration comprises performing the equalization calibration periodically according to a time period between the equalization calibrations, and wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device further comprises:

determining the playback device is not outputting audio content when the time period between equalization calibration has elapsed; and

in response determining the playback device is not outputting audio content, suspending the equalization calibration of the playback device.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein determining the acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located further comprises:

excluding captured audio data representing noise in the area in which the playback device is located.

9. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of stored acoustic area responses corresponds to a plurality of best fit lines of acoustic responses previously measured on multiple media playback systems.

10. 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 area response.

11. A method comprising:

storing, via a playback device, an acoustic response database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set of stored audio calibration settings associated with a respective stored acoustic area response of a plurality of stored acoustic area responses, wherein the playback device comprises a speaker, a microphone, and an accelerometer;

determining that the playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device; and

in response to the determination that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration, initiating the equalization calibration, wherein the equalization calibration comprises;

outputting, via the speaker, audio content;

capturing, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located;

based on at least the captured audio data, determining, via the playback device, an acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located;

selecting, via the playback device, a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located; and

applying to the audio content, via the playback device, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic area response.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating motion of the playback device; and

in response to receiving data indicating motion of the playback device, suspending the equalization calibration of the playback device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device further comprises:

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating the playback device is stationary for a predetermined duration of time; and

in response to detecting that the playback device is stationary for the predetermined duration of time, initiating the equalization calibration of the playback device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device comprises:

performing the equalization calibration periodically over a first time period;

receiving, from the accelerometer, data indicating the playback device is stationary for a predetermined duration of time; and

in response to detecting that the playback device is stationary over the predetermined duration of time, performing the equalization calibration periodically over a second time period, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein initiating the equalization calibration comprises performing the equalization calibration periodically, wherein a time period between the equalization calibration is between 10 seconds and 30 seconds.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration of the playback device further comprises:

receiving an instruction to play audio content; and

in response to the instruction to play audio content, playing the audio content and initiating the equalization calibration of the playback device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located further comprises:

excluding captured audio data representing noise in the area in which the playback device is located.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of stored acoustic area responses corresponds to a plurality of best fit lines of acoustic responses previously measured on multiple media playback systems.

19. The method of claim 11, 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 area response.

20. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a mobile device to perform a method comprising:

storing, via a playback device, an acoustic response database comprising a plurality of sets of stored audio calibration settings, each set of stored audio calibration settings associated with a respective stored acoustic area response of a plurality of stored acoustic area responses, wherein the playback device comprises a speaker, a microphone, and an accelerometer;

determining that the playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device; and

in response to the determination that the playback device is to perform the equalization calibration, initiating the equalization calibration, wherein the equalization calibration comprises;

outputting, via the speaker, audio content;

capturing, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located;

based on at least the captured audio data, determining, via the playback device, an acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located;

selecting, via the playback device, a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located; and

applying to the audio content, via the playback device, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic area response.