Identifying audio characteristics of a room using a spread code

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10992336-B2
Application number	US-201816133817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for identifying audio characteristics of a room using a spread code. In some embodiments, a first electronic device receives a spread spectrum signal from a second electronic device over an audio data channel. The first electronic device determines a time of receipt of the spread spectrum signal based on despreading. The first electronic device calculates an airtime delay based on the time of receipt and a time of transmission of the spread spectrum signal. The first electronic device determines a direction of the second electronic device based on the spread spectrum signal and beam forming techniques. The first electronic device adjusts playback of audiovisual content at the second electronic device and a third electronic device for a location based on the airtime delay and the direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method for adjusting playback of audiovisual content at a location, comprising:
receiving, by at least one processor at a first electronic device at the location, a spread spectrum signal from a second electronic device over an audio data channel;
despreading, by the at least one processor, the spread spectrum signal based on a spreading code;
determining, by the at least one processor, a time of receipt of the spread spectrum signal based on the despreading;
receiving, by the at least one processor, a time of transmission of the spread spectrum signal;
calculating, by the at least one processor, an airtime delay associated with the second electronic device based on the time of receipt and the time of transmission;
determining, by the at least one processor, a direction of the second electronic device from the first electronic device based on the spread spectrum signal from the second electronic device and beam forming techniques; and
adjusting, by the at least one processor, the playback of the audiovisual content at the second electronic device and a third electronic device for the location based on the airtime delay associated with the second electronic device and the direction of the second electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , the adjusting further comprising:
adjusting, by the at least one processor, the playback of the audiovisual content for the location based on the airtime delay associated with the second electronic device and a second airtime delay associated with the third electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 , the adjusting further comprising:
calculating, by the at least one processor, a playback delay to the second electronic device based on the airtime delay associated with the second electronic device and the second airtime delay associated with the third electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3 , the adjusting further comprising:
transmitting, by the at least one processor, the playback delay to the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device changes an amount of the audiovisual content to buffer based on the playback delay.

5. The method of claim 3 , the adjusting further comprising:
transmitting, by the at least one processor, the playback delay to the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device changes a playback offset for the audiovisual content based on the playback delay.

6. The method of claim 1 , the adjusting further comprising:
adjusting, by the at least one processor, the playback of the audiovisual content at the second electronic device and the third electronic device to cause a sound wave from the second electronic device and a sound wave from the third electronic device to arrive at the location at approximately the same time, wherein the sound wave from the second electronic device corresponds to the sound wave from the third electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1 , the adjusting further comprising:
adjusting, by the at least one processor, the playback of the audiovisual content at the second electronic device and the third electronic device to simulate a virtual surround sound experience.

8. A system, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive, at a location, a spread spectrum signal from a first electronic device over an audio data channel;
despread the spread spectrum signal based on a spreading code;
determine a time of receipt of the spread spectrum signal based on the despreading;
receive a time of transmission of the spread spectrum signal;
calculate an airtime delay associated with the first electronic device based on the time of receipt and the time of transmission;
determine a direction of the first electronic device from the system based on the spread spectrum signal from the first electronic device and beam forming techniques; and
adjust playback of audiovisual content at the first electronic device and a second electronic device for the location based on the airtime delay associated with the first electronic device and the direction of the first electronic device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein to adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device for the location, the at least one processor is configured to: adjust the playback of the audiovisual content for the location based on the airtime delay associated with the first electronic device and a second airtime delay associated with the second electronic device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein to adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device for the location, the at least one processor is configured to:
calculate a playback delay to the first electronic device based on the airtime delay associated with the first electronic device and the second airtime delay associated with the second electronic device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein to adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device for the location, the at least one processor is configured to: transmit the playback delay to the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device changes an amount of the audiovisual content to buffer based on the playback delay.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein to adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device for the location, the at least one processor is configured to: transmit the playback delay to the first electronic device, wherein the first electronic device changes a playback offset for the audiovisual content based on the playback delay.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein to adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device for the location, the at least one processor is configured to: adjust the playback of the audiovisual content at the first electronic device and the second electronic device to cause a sound wave from the first electronic device and a sound wave from the second electronic device to arrive at the location at approximately the same time, wherein the sound wave from the first electronic device corresponds to the sound wave from the second electronic device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at the at least one computing device at a location, a spread spectrum signal from a first electronic device over an audio data channel;
despreading the spread spectrum signal based on a spreading code;
determining a time of receipt of the spread spectrum signal based on the despreading;
receiving a time of transmission of the spread spectrum signal;
calculating an airtime delay associated with the first electronic device based on the time of receipt and the time of transmission;
determining a direction of the first electronic device from the at least one computing device based on the spread spectrum signal from the first electronic device and beam forming techniques;
adjusting playback of audiovisual content at the first electronic device and a second electronic device for the location based on the airtime delay associated with the first electronic device and the direction of the first electronic device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , the adjusting further comprising:
adjusting the playback

Assignees

• Roku Inc

Inventors

• Curtis Robert Caston
• Ely Mark
• Møller Brian Thoft Moth

Classifications

• H04S7/301

  Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone · CPC title

• H04R2430/20

  Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04L65/765

  intermediate · CPC title

• H04L65/764

  at the destination  (reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355) · CPC title

• H04B1/69 Primary

  Spread spectrum techniques · CPC title