Indoor/outdoor playback device calibration

• US 10,863,295 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2019
• Issued: 12/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bush, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda C
• Application Number:
  US16/564,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20190394594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• 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 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• 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

Techniques described herein may involve calibration of playback devices in indoor and outdoor environments. An example implementation may involve a playback device applying a first equalization profile that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of a first zone in a media playback system, the first zone corresponding to an indoor environment. The playback device may play back audio content using the first equalization profile and record, via one or more microphones, at least a portion of the played back audio content. Based on the recorded audio content, the playback device may detect that the playback device has been moved to an outdoor environment. Responsive to detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoor environment, the playback device applies a second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

one or more audio transducers;

one or more amplifiers configured to drive the one or more audio transducers;

one or more microphones;

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

a housing carrying the one or more audio transducers, the one or more amplifiers, the one or more microphones, the network interface, the one or more processors, and data storage having stored therein instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

applying a first equalization profile that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of a first zone in a media playback system, wherein the first zone corresponds to an indoor environment;

playing back audio content using the first equalization profile via the one or more audio transducers and the one or more amplifiers;

recording, via the one or more microphones, at least a portion of the played back audio content;

based on the recorded audio content, detecting that the playback device has been moved to an outdoor environment; and

responsive to detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoor environment, applying a second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment.

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

playing back audio content using the second equalization profile via the one or more audio transducers and the one or more amplifiers.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

based on the recorded audio content, determining a response of a current environment to audio content playback by the playback device; and

determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment.

4. The playback device of claim 3, wherein determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment comprises:

determining that bass frequencies within the determined response are attenuated relative to mid-range and treble frequencies within the determined response.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

determining a duration of time elapsing between the playback device playing back a given audio signal and recording the given audio signal via the one or more microphones; and

determining, based on the duration of time exceeding a threshold, that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein applying the second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment comprises:

applying a particular second equalization profile that boosts output in bass frequencies relative to output in mid-range and treble frequencies.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured for placement on a docking station.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the network interface comprises an IEEE 802.11-compatible interface and an IEEE 802.15-compatible interface, and wherein playing audio content using the first equalization profile comprises streaming the audio content using the 802.11-compatible interface from one or more remote computing devices.

9. A method to be performed by a playback device, the method comprising:

applying a first equalization profile that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of a first zone in a media playback system, wherein the first zone corresponds to an indoor environment;

playing back audio content using the first equalization profile via one or more audio amplifiers configured to drive one or more audio transducers, wherein the one or more amplifiers and the one or more audio transducers are carried in a housing of the playback device;

recording, via one or more microphones, at least a portion of the played back audio content, wherein the one or more microphones are carried in the housing of the playback device;

based on the recorded audio content, detecting that the playback device has been moved to an outdoor environment; and

responsive to detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoor environment, applying a second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

playing back audio content using the second equalization profile via the one or more audio transducers and the one or more amplifiers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

based on the recorded audio content, determining a response of a current environment to audio content playback by the playback device; and

determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment comprises:

determining that bass frequencies within the determined response are attenuated relative to mid-range and treble frequencies within the determined response.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

determining a duration of time elapsing between the playback device playing back a given audio signal and recording the given audio signal via the one or more microphones; and

determining, based on the duration of time exceeding a threshold, that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment comprises:

applying a particular second equalization profile that boosts output in bass frequencies relative to output in mid-range and treble frequencies.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein playback device comprises an IEEE 802.11-compatible interface and an IEEE 802.15-compatible interface, and wherein playing audio content using the first equalization profile comprises streaming the audio content using the 802.11-compatible interface from one or more remote computing devices.

16. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a playback device to perform functions comprising

applying a first equalization profile that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of a first zone in a media playback system, wherein the first zone corresponds to an indoor environment;

playing back audio content using the first equalization profile via one or more audio amplifiers configured to drive one or more audio transducers, wherein the one or more amplifiers and the one or more audio transducers are carried in a housing of the playback device;

recording, via one or more microphones, at least a portion of the played back audio content, wherein the one or more microphones are carried in the housing of the playback device;

based on the recorded audio content, detecting that the playback device has been moved to an outdoor environment; and

responsive to detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoor environment, applying a second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment.

17. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

based on the recorded audio content, determining a response of a current environment to audio content playback by the playback device; and

determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment.

18. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein determining that characteristics of the determined response indicate that the playback device is in the outdoors environment comprises:

determining that bass frequencies within the determined response are attenuated relative to mid-range and treble frequencies within the determined response.

19. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein detecting that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment comprises:

determining a duration of time elapsing between the playback device playing back a given audio signal and recording the given audio signal via the one or more microphones; and

determining, based on the duration of time exceeding a threshold, that the playback device has been moved to the outdoors environment.

20. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein applying the second equalization profile that calibrates the playback device to the outdoor environment comprises:

applying a particular second equalization profile that boosts output in bass frequencies relative to output in mid-range and treble frequencies.