Playback device calibration

• US 9,706,323 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMID, AMMAR T
• Application Number:
  US14/481,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 381 59, 381122, 381 56, 700 94
• 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 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

Examples described herein involve calibrating a playback device for a playback environment based on audio signals detected by a microphone of a network device as the network device moves about the playback environment. While the playback device is playing a first audio signal and the network device is moving within the playback environment from a first physical location to a second physical location, the network device may detect by a microphone of the network device, a second audio signal. The network device may then identify an audio processing algorithm based on data indicating the second audio signal, and transmit to the playback device, data indicating the identified audio processing algorithm. Similar functions may also be performed by the playback device being calibrated or a computing device, such as a server to coordinate calibration of the playback device.

Claims

1. A network device comprising:

a microphone;

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the network device to perform functions comprising;

while (i) a playback device is playing a first audio signal in a given environment and (ii) the network device is moving from a first physical location to a second physical location within the given environment, detecting via the microphone, a second audio signal at a plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm to have the pre-determined audio characteristic.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second audio signal represents at least one or more reflections of the first audio signal played by the playback device.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response and a frequency response corresponding to the pre-determined audio characteristic.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

sending, to a computing device, data indicating the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a first playback device, and wherein detecting via the microphone, the second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location comprises:

detecting via the microphone, the second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location comprises while a second playback device is playing a third audio signal.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing the playback device to play the first audio signal.

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

while detecting the second audio signal, displaying on a graphical display of the network device, an indication to move the network device within the given environment.

8. A playback device comprising:

one or more processors;

a network interface; and

a tangible non-transitory computer-readable memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors cause the playback device to perform functions comprising;

playing a first audio signal;

receiving, via the network interface from a network device, data indicating a second audio signal detected by a microphone of the network device at a plurality of locations between a first physical location and a second physical location within a given environment while the network device was moving from the first physical location to the second physical location;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output by the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

applying the determined audio processing algorithm when playing audio content in the given environment to output audio having the pre-determined audio characteristic in the given environment.

9. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the second audio signal comprises a portion corresponding to the first audio signal played by the playback device.

10. The playback device of claim 8, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response and a frequency response corresponding to the pre-determined audio characteristic.

11. The playback device of claim 8, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

sending, to a computing device, data indicating the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

12. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the playback device is a first playback device, and wherein the second audio signal detected at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location represents components of the first audio signal and components of a third audio signal played by a second playback device while the second audio signal is being detected.

18. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to playing the first audio signal, transmitting, via the network interface to the network device, data indicating that the playback device is to begin playing the first audio signal.

19. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

storing, in data storage, data indicating the determined audio processing algorithm.

20. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to playing the first audio signal, determining that a calibration of the playback device is to be performed.

13. A Tangible non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a playback device, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, from a network device, data indicating an audio signal detected by a microphone of a network device at a plurality of locations between a first physical location and a second physical location of a given environment while the network device moved from the first physical location to the second physical location;

based on the detected audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining via the one or more processors, an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output by the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback; and

causing audio output by the playback device in the given environment to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm to have the pre-determined audio characteristic.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detected audio signal is a second audio signal, and wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving the data from the network device, causing the playback device to play a first audio signal.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detected audio signal represents at least one or more reflections of a first audio signal played by the playback device.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response and a frequency response corresponding to the pre-determined audio characteristic.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the playback device is a first playback device, and wherein the detected audio signal further comprises a portion corresponding to a first audio signal played by the first playback device, and a portion corresponding to a third audio signal played by a second playback device.

21. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a network device to perform a method comprising:

while (i) a playback device is playing a first audio signal in a given environment and (ii) the network device is moving from a first physical location to a second physical location within the given environment, detecting via a microphone, a second audio signal at a plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, wherein the second audio signal represents at least one or more reflections of the first audio signal played by the playback device;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

causing, via a network interface, audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm to have the pre-determined audio characteristic.

22. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response and a frequency response corresponding to the pre-determined audio characteristic.

23. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

sending, to a computing device, data indicating the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

24. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the playback device is a first playback device, and wherein detecting via the microphone, the second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location comprises:

detecting via the microphone, the second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location comprises while a second playback device is playing a third audio signal.

25. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

while detecting the second audio signal, displaying on a graphical display of the network device, an indication to move the network device within the given environment.

26. A method comprising:

while (i) a playback device is playing a first audio signal in a given environment and (ii) a network device is moving from a first physical location to a second physical location within the given environment, detecting via a microphone of a network device, a second audio signal at a plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, wherein the second audio signal represents at least one or more reflections of the first audio signal played by the playback device;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining, via the network device, an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

causing, via a network interface of the network device, audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm to have the pre-determined audio characteristic.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

sending, to a computing device, data indicating the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises:

while detecting the second audio signal, displaying on a graphical display of the network device, an indication to move the network device within the given environment.

29. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a playback device to perform a method comprising:

playing a first audio signal;

receiving, via a network interface from a network device, data indicating a second audio signal detected by a microphone of the network device at a plurality of locations between a first physical location and a second physical location within a given environment while the network device was moving from the first physical location to the second physical location;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output by the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

applying the determined audio processing algorithm when playing audio content in the given environment to output audio having the pre-determined audio characteristic in the given environment.

30. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 29, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm further comprises:

sending, to a computing device, data indicating the determined audio characteristic of the given environment; and

receiving, from the computing device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

31. A method comprising:

playing, via a playback device, a first audio signal;

receiving, via a network interface of the playback device from a network device, data indicating a second audio signal detected by a microphone of the network device at a plurality of locations between a first physical location and a second physical location within a given environment while the network device was moving from the first physical location to the second physical location;

based on the detected second audio signal at the plurality of locations between the first physical location and the second physical location, determining, via the playback device, an audio characteristic of the given environment;

based on the determined audio characteristic of the given environment, determining, via the playback device, an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output by the playback device in the given environment to have a pre-determined audio characteristic, wherein the pre-determined audio characteristic is representative of desired audio playback qualities; and

applying, via the playback device, the determined audio processing algorithm when playing audio content in the given environment to output audio having the pre-determined audio characteristic in the given environment.