Playback device calibration

• US 9,749,744 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy, Jasty, Ananth, Ramos, Aurelio
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US14/884,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56- 59, 381103, 381 77, 333 28 R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/16 Automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/22 for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only circuit for combining transducers having different responses H04R3/00; for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for device playback calibration. An example implementation involves a computing device receiving, via a microphone, detected audio content rendered by at least one playback device. The implementation also involves the computing device modulating the detected audio content with a modulation signal such that the modulation signal has a modulation frequency determined based on an input frequency range of a processing unit. The implementation also involves providing the modulated audio content to the processing unit; and determining, via the processing unit, an equalization setting for the at least one playback device.

Claims

1. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving, via a microphone, detected audio content rendered by at least one playback device;

modulating the detected audio content with a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal has a modulation frequency determined based on an input frequency range of a processing unit;

providing the modulated audio content to the processing unit; and

determining, via the processing unit, an equalization setting for the at least one playback device.

2. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to modulating the detected audio content with the modulation signal, determining the input frequency range of the processing unit.

3. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining the equalization setting for the at least one playback device comprises determining, via the processing unit, the equalization setting based on a frequency spectrum of the audio content prior to modulation.

4. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein modulating the detected audio content with the modulation signal comprises:

multiplying the detected audio content with the modulation signal.

5. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the modulation frequency is 4 kilohertz.

6. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to modulating the detected audio content, applying a low-pass filter to the detected audio content.

7. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein applying the low-pass filter to the detected audio content comprises removing frequency components of the detected audio content above 1 kilohertz.

8. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise:

causing the at least one playback device to apply the equalization setting.

9. The tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein causing the at least one playback device to apply the equalization setting, comprises causing data indicating the equalization setting to be transmitted to the at least one playback device.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device from a microphone, detected audio content rendered by at least one playback device;

modulating, via the computing device, the detected audio content with a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal has a modulation frequency determined based on an input frequency range of a processing unit;

providing, via the computing device, the modulated audio content to the processing unit; and

determining, via the processing unit, an equalization setting for the at least one playback device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to modulating the detected audio content with the modulation signal, determining, via the computing device, the input frequency range of the processing unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the equalization setting for the at least one playback device comprises determining the equalization setting based on a frequency spectrum of the audio content prior to modulation.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein modulating the detected audio content with the modulation audio content comprises:

multiplying the detected audio content with the modulation signal.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to modulating the detected audio content, applying a low-pass filter to the detected audio content.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

causing the at least one playback device to apply the equalization setting.

16. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the computing device to perform a method comprising;

receiving, via a microphone, detected audio content rendered by at least one playback device;

modulating the detected audio content with a modulation signal, wherein the modulation signal has a modulation frequency determined based on an input frequency range of a processing unit;

providing the modulated audio content to the processing unit; and

determining, via the processing unit, an equalization setting for the at least one playback device.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to modulating the detected audio content with the modulation signal, determining the input frequency range of the processing unit.

18. The computing device of claim 16, wherein determining the equalization setting for the at least one playback device comprises determining the equalization setting based on a frequency spectrum of the audio content prior to modulation.

19. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to modulating the detected audio content, applying a low-pass filter to the detected audio content.

20. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

causing the at least one playback device to apply the equalization setting.