Updating playback device configuration information based on calibration data

• US 10,880,664 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2019
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Jarvis, Simon, Hartung, Klaus, Davies, Chris, Sheen, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant S
• Application Number:
  US16/555,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20190387337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 700 94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

An example computing device is configured to perform functions including receiving calibration data corresponding respectively to a plurality of playback devices, where each playback device in the plurality of playback devices is located in a respective playback environment other than a first playback environment. The functions also include receiving playback device characteristic data respectively indicating at least one playback device characteristic for each playback device of the plurality of playback devices. The functions also include, based on at least the calibration data and the playback device characteristic data, determining updated playback device configuration information and transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to a given playback device located in the first environment.

Claims

1. A playback device comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

determining configuration information for the playback device;

based on the determined configuration information, calibrating the playback device;

after calibrating the playback device, transmitting calibration data to a computing device, wherein the calibration data comprises (i) data corresponding to the calibration of the playback device and (ii) data indicating the configuration information;

after calibrating the playback device, transmitting data to the computing device indicating at least one playback device characteristic for the playback device;

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating updated configuration information; and

applying the updated configuration information when playing back audio content.

2. The playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, from the computing device, a request for the calibration data.

3. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information for the playback device comprises a target frequency response curve corresponding to a model of the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 1, wherein transmitting data to the computing device indicating at least one playback device characteristic for the playback device comprises transmitting data to the computing device indicating at least one playback device characteristic for the playback device according to a periodic scheduling of transmitting data indicating the at least one playback device characteristic.

5. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the data indicating at least one playback device characteristic for the playback device comprises data indicating manual equalization adjustments that have been applied to the playback device.

6. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a first audio processing algorithm, wherein the updated configuration information comprises a second audio processing algorithm, and wherein the second audio processing algorithm differs from the first audio processing algorithm based at least in part on the data indicating at least one playback device characteristic for the playback device.

7. The playback device of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

storing, in local memory, the updated configuration information.

8. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving calibration data corresponding respectively to a plurality of playback devices, wherein each playback device in the plurality of playback devices is located in a respective playback environment other than a first playback environment;

receiving playback device characteristic data respectively indicating at least one playback device characteristic for each playback device of the plurality of playback devices;

based on at least the calibration data and the playback device characteristic data, determining updated playback device configuration information; and

transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to a given playback device located in the first playback environment.

9. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

causing the given playback device to be updated based on the updated playback device configuration information.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the calibration data corresponds to a plurality of calibration events respectively associated with the plurality of playback devices.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the updated playback device configuration information comprises a target frequency response to be used in a calibration of the given playback device.

12. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to each playback device in the plurality of playback devices.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein determining the updated playback device configuration information comprises determining the updated playback device configuration information based on a particular playback device characteristic, and wherein transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to the given playback device comprises transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to the given playback device based on at least the given playback device having the particular playback device characteristic.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that are executable to cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving calibration data corresponding respectively to a plurality of playback devices, wherein each playback device in the plurality of playback devices is located in a respective playback environment other than a first playback environment;

receiving playback device characteristic data respectively indicating at least one playback device characteristic for each playback device of the plurality of playback devices;

based on at least the calibration data and the playback device characteristic data, determining updated playback device configuration information; and

transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to a given playback device located in the first playback environment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that are executable to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

causing the given playback device to be updated based on the updated playback device configuration information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the calibration data corresponds to a plurality of calibration events respectively associated with the plurality of playback devices.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the updated playback device configuration information comprises a target frequency response to be used in a calibration of the given playback device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that are executable to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to each playback device in the plurality of playback devices.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein determining the updated playback device configuration information comprises determining the updated playback device configuration information based on a particular playback device characteristic, and wherein transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to the given playback device comprises transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to the given playback device based on at least the given playback device having the particular playback device characteristic.

20. A method carried out by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving calibration data corresponding respectively to a plurality of playback devices, wherein each playback device in the plurality of playback devices is located in a respective playback environment other than a first playback environment;

receiving playback device characteristic data respectively indicating at least one playback device characteristic for each playback device of the plurality of playback devices;

based on at least the calibration data and the playback device characteristic data, determining updated playback device configuration information; and

transmitting data indicating the updated playback device configuration information to a given playback device located in the first playback environment.