Playback device calibration

• US 9,936,318 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
• Inventors: Sheen, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMID, AMMAR T
• Application Number:
  US15/298,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 381 59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/00 Speech or voice signal processing techniques to produce another audible or non-audible signal, e.g. visual or tactile, in order to modify its quality or its intelligibility G10L19/00 takes precedence
• 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 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Examples described herein involve calibration of a playback device. In an example, a system maintains a database of representative acoustic characteristics. Each representative acoustic characteristic corresponds to a respective plurality of network devices and the network devices in each respective plurality of network devices shares characteristics. The system receives, from a particular network device, data indicating characteristics of the particular network device, an identification of a playback device, and data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played a calibration tone. The system identifies, in the database, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to those characteristics. Based on the identified representative acoustic characteristic, the identification of the playback device, and the data indicating the detected audio, the system determines an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device. The system causes audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by determined algorithm.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

maintaining a database of representative acoustic characteristics, wherein each representative acoustic characteristic corresponds to a respective plurality of network devices, and wherein each network device in each respective plurality of network devices shares one or more characteristics;

receiving, from a particular network device, data indicating (i) one or more characteristics of the particular network device, (ii) an identification of a playback device, and (iii) data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played a calibration tone;

based on at least one of the one or more characteristics of the particular network device, identifying, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the one or more characteristics;

based on (i) the identified representative acoustic characteristic, (ii) the identification of the playback device, and (iii) the data indicating the detected audio, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device; and

causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein maintaining the database of representative acoustic characteristics comprises:

receiving, from multiple network devices sharing one or more common characteristics, respective data indicating microphone acoustic characteristics of each network device;

determining a representative acoustic characteristic based on the received data indicating the microphone acoustic characteristics of each network device; and

storing, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, data indicating the representative acoustic characteristic in association with the one or more common characteristics.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the particular network device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the playback device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played the calibration tone; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response.

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

prior to receiving the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback devices played the calibration tone, transmitting, to the playback device, the calibration tone.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein network devices of each plurality of network devices comprise respective microphones of a particular model, wherein the one or more characteristics of the particular network device include the particular model of microphone, and wherein identifying the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the one or more characteristics comprises:

identifying, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the particular model of microphone.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

causing the audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm to have a pre-determined audio characteristic that is representative of desired audio playback qualities.

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

maintaining a database of representative acoustic characteristics, wherein each representative acoustic characteristic corresponds to a respective plurality of network devices, and wherein each network device in each respective plurality of network devices shares one or more characteristics;

receiving, from a particular network device, data indicating (i) one or more characteristics of the particular network device, (ii) an identification of a playback device, and (iii) data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played a calibration tone;

based on at least one of the one or more characteristics of the particular network device, identifying, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the one or more characteristics;

based on (i) the identified representative acoustic characteristic, (ii) the identification of the playback device, and (iii) the data indicating the detected audio, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device; and

causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein maintaining the database of representative acoustic characteristics comprises:

receiving, from multiple network devices sharing one or more common characteristics, respective data indicating microphone acoustic characteristics of each network device;

determining a representative acoustic characteristic based on the received data indicating the microphone acoustic characteristics of each network device; and

storing, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, data indicating the representative acoustic characteristic in association with the one or more common characteristics.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the particular network device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the playback device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played the calibration tone; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the functions further comprise:

prior to receiving the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback devices played the calibration tone, transmitting, to the playback device, the calibration tone.

15. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of representative acoustic characteristics, wherein each representative acoustic characteristic corresponds to a respective plurality of network devices, and wherein each network device in each respective plurality of network devices shares one or more characteristics;

receiving, from a particular network device, data indicating (i) one or more characteristics of the particular network device, (ii) an identification of a playback device, and (iii) data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played a calibration tone;

based on at least one of the one or more characteristics of the particular network device, identifying, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the one or more characteristics;

based on (i) the identified representative acoustic characteristic, (ii) the identification of the playback device, and (iii) the data indicating the detected audio, determining an audio processing algorithm to adjust audio output of the playback device; and

causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the particular network device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein causing audio output of the playback device to be adjusted by the audio processing algorithm comprises:

transmitting, to the playback device, data indicating the audio processing algorithm.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the audio processing algorithm comprises:

determining a frequency response based on the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback device played the calibration tone; and

determining the audio processing algorithm based on the determined frequency response.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prior to receiving the data indicating audio detected by the particular network device while the playback devices played the calibration tone, transmitting, to the playback device, the calibration tone.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein network devices of each plurality of network devices comprise respective microphones of a particular model, wherein the one or more characteristics of the particular network device include the particular model of microphone, and wherein identifying the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the one or more characteristics comprises:

identifying, in the database of representative acoustic characteristics, the representative acoustic characteristic corresponding to the particular model of microphone.