Calibration based on grouping

• US 10,735,879 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2019
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartung, Klaus, Wilberding, Dayn
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang V
• Application Number:
  US16/542,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20190373387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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 29/007 for public address systems public address systems per se H04R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

Example techniques may involve multiple calibrations for a playback device. In an example implementation, a first playback device, while in a first playback configuration, applies a first calibration to playback by the first playback device, which offsets acoustic characteristics of a first listening area. The first playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the first audio content (a) independently or (b) in a bonded zone with a second playback device. The first playback device joins a synchrony group in a second playback configuration. While in the second playback configuration as part of the synchrony group, the first playback device applies a second calibration to playback by the first playback device, which offsets acoustic characteristics of a second listening area. The second playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the second audio content in synchrony with a third playback device in the second listening area.

Claims

1. A first playback device comprising:

one or more audio amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers;

one or more processors; and

data storage having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform functions comprising;

while playing back, via the one or more audio amplifiers, first audio content in a first playback configuration, applying a first calibration to playback by the first playback device, the first calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a first listening area, wherein the first playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the first audio content (a) independently or (b) in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices;

joining a synchrony group in a second playback configuration; and

while playing back, via the one or more audio amplifiers, second audio content in the second playback configuration as part of the synchrony group, applying a second calibration to playback by the first playback device, the second calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a second listening area, wherein the second playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the second audio content in synchrony with one or more third playback devices in the second listening area.

2. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the synchrony group comprises a first zone that includes the first playback device and a second zone that includes the one or more third playback devices, and wherein the first listening area is a subset of the second listening area.

3. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the bonded zone is a surround sound configuration with the one or more second playback devices, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

4. The first playback device of claim 3, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises one or more of (i) offsetting propagation delay from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations, or (ii) adjusting gain of the first playback device based on a distance from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations.

5. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the bonded zone is a stereo pair configuration with a given second playback device, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

6. The first playback device of claim 5, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises balancing gain of the stereo pair configuration to the one or more particular locations.

7. The first playback device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

sending instructions to the one or more third playback devices to apply respective portions of the second calibration when while playing back second audio content in the synchrony group.

8. A method to be performed by a first playback device comprising one or more audio amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers, the method comprising:

while playing back, via the one or more audio amplifiers, first audio content in a first playback configuration, applying a first calibration to playback by the first playback device, the first calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a first listening area, wherein the first playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the first audio content (a) independently or (b) in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices;

joining a synchrony group in a second playback configuration; and

while playing back, via the one or more audio amplifiers, second audio content in the second playback configuration as part of the synchrony group, applying a second calibration to playback by the first playback device, the second calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a second listening area, wherein the second playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the second audio content in synchrony with one or more third playback devices in the second listening area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the synchrony group comprises a first zone that includes the first playback device and a second zone that includes the one or more third playback devices, and wherein the first listening area is a subset of the second listening area.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the bonded zone is a surround sound configuration with the one or more second playback devices, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises one or more of (i) offsetting propagation delay from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations, or (ii) adjusting gain of the first playback device based on a distance from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the bonded zone is a stereo pair configuration with a given second playback device, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises balancing gain of the stereo pair configuration to the one or more particular locations.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending instructions to the one or more third playback devices to apply respective portions of the second calibration when while playing back second audio content in the synchrony group.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a first playback device to perform a method comprising:

while playing back, via one or more audio amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers, first audio content in a first playback configuration, applying a first calibration to playback by the first playback device, the first calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a first listening area, wherein the first playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the first audio content (a) independently or (b) in a bonded zone with one or more second playback devices;

joining a synchrony group in a second playback configuration; and

while playing back, via the one or more audio amplifiers, second audio content in the second playback configuration as part of the synchrony group, applying a second calibration to playback by the first playback device, the second calibration offsetting acoustic characteristics of a second listening area, wherein the second playback configuration configures the first playback device to play back the second audio content in synchrony with one or more third playback devices in the second listening area.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the synchrony group comprises a first zone that includes the first playback device and a second zone that includes the one or more third playback devices, and wherein the first listening area is a subset of the second listening area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the bonded zone is a surround sound configuration with the one or more second playback devices, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises one or more of (i) offsetting propagation delay from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations, or (ii) adjusting gain of the first playback device based on a distance from the first playback device to the one or more particular locations.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the bonded zone is a stereo pair configuration with a given second playback device, and wherein the first calibration further calibrates the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area when playing back surround sound audio content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein calibrating the first playback device to one or more particular locations within the first listening area comprises balancing gain of the stereo pair configuration to the one or more particular locations.