Validation of audio calibration using multi-dimensional motion check

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11197112-B2
Application number	US-201916570679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2019
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Examples described herein involve validating motion of a microphone during calibration of a playback device. An example implementation involves a mobile device detecting, via one or more microphones, audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of a calibration process. After the one or more playback devices emit the audio signals, the mobile device determines whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process. When the detected audio signals indicate that insufficient horizontal translation occurred, the mobile device displays a prompt to move the mobile device more while the one or more playback devices emit one or more additional audio signals as part of the calibration process. When the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation occurred, the mobile device calibrates the one or more playback devices with a calibration based on the detected audio signals.

First claim

We claim:

1. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors of a mobile device to perform functions comprising:
detecting, via one or more microphones of the mobile device, audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of a calibration process of one or more playback devices;
after the one or more playback devices emit the audio signals as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices, determining whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred while the one or more playback devices emitted the audio signals during the calibration process;
when the detected audio signals indicate that insufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, displaying, via a graphical display, a prompt to move the mobile device more while the one or more playback devices emit one or more additional audio signals as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices; and
when the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, calibrating the one or more playback devices with a calibration based on the detected audio signals emitted from the one or more playback devices.

2. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein detecting the audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices comprises detecting multiple iterations of the audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices, and wherein determining whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process comprises determining whether variation between the multiple iterations of the audio signals indicates that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process.

3. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the functions further comprise:
determining respective radial distances from the one or more playback devices to the mobile device based on respective propagation delays between the one or more playback devices and the one or more microphones in the multiple iterations of the audio signals, and wherein determining whether variation between the multiple iterations of the audio signals indicates that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process comprises determining whether variation among the respective propagation delays indicates that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process.

4. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
while the one or more playback devices emit the audio signals as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices: (i) receiving, via one or more sensors, one or more streams of motion data indicating movement of the mobile device, and (ii) determining whether the received streamed of motion data indicates that sufficient translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process;
when the one or more received streams of motion data indicate that insufficient translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, (i) causing the one or more playback devices to stop emitting the audio signals as part of the calibration process and (ii) displaying, via the graphical display, a prompt to repeat at least a portion of the calibration process; and
when the one or more received streams of motion data indicate that sufficient translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, continuing to detect, via the one or more microphones of the mobile device, the audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices.

5. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein receiving the one or more streams of motion data indicating movement of the mobile device comprises:
receiving, via at least one sensor of the one or more sensors, a stream of sensor data indicating acceleration of the mobile device.

6. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional audio signals are substantially similar to the one or more audio signals.

7. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein calibrating the one or more playback devices with the calibration based on the detected audio signals emitted from the one or more playback devices comprises:
determining a response curve based the detected audio signals emitted from the one or more playback devices, the response curve representing acoustic characteristics of a system comprising the one or more playback devices and surrounding environment;
determining one or more calibration parameters based on a difference between the determined response curve and a target response curve; and
applying the determined calibration parameters during playback of audio content by the one or more playback devices, wherein the applied calibration parameters at least partially offset acoustic characteristics of the surrounding environment.

8. A method to be performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:
detecting, via one or more microphones of the mobile device, audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of a calibration process of one or more playback devices;
after the one or more playback devices emit the audio signals as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices, determining whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred while the one or more playback devices emitted the audio signals during the calibration process;
when the detected audio signals indicate that insufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, displaying, via a graphical display, a prompt to move the mobile device more while the one or more playback devices emit one or more additional audio signals as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices; and
when the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process, calibrating the one or more playback devices with a calibration based on the detected audio signals emitted from the one or more playback devices.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein detecting the audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices comprises detecting multiple iterations of the audio signals emitted from one or more playback devices as part of the calibration process of the one or more playback devices, and wherein determining whether the detected audio signals indicate that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process comprises determining whether variation between the multiple iterations of the audio signals indicates that sufficient horizontal translation of the mobile device occurred during the calibration process.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining respective radial distances from the one or more playback devices to the mobile device based on respective prop

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Downing Jonathan
• Sheen Timothy
• Valente Daniel

Classifications

• H04R2227/005

  Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use · CPC title

• H04R2460/07

  Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection · CPC title

• H04R29/001

  for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03G5/165

  Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title