Systems and methods for authenticating and calibrating passive speakers with a graphical user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11197115-B2
Application number	US-202016880859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2020
Priority date	Feb 12, 2019
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting and configuring passive speakers within a playback system using a graphical user interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of for detecting and configuration passive speakers in a playback system using a mobile device includes deriving speaker identification data concerning one or more passive speakers connected to an audio device in a playback system based upon at least an electrical signal sent to and returned from the one or more passive speakers, where the electrical signal is sent by the audio device including an audio stage comprising one or more amplifiers, and where the speaker identification data comprises information identifying a type of speaker, and displaying a graphical user interface screen on a mobile device based upon the identified type of speaker, where the displayed information and selectable options are dependent upon the identified type of speaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detecting and configuring passive speakers in a playback system using a mobile device, the method comprising:
displaying a graphical user interface screen on a mobile device based upon the speaker identification data of one or more passive speakers connected to an audio device in a playback system, where the playback system is in a home theater configuration, the speaker identification data comprises information identifying a type of speaker, and the displayed information and selectable options are dependent upon the speaker identification data;
determining whether the audio device is a group coordinator playback device in the playback system;
displaying a confirmation screen on the mobile device indicating the one or more speakers are configured as surround speakers when the audio device is not a group coordinator playback device;
displaying a confirmation screen on the mobile device indicating the one or more passive speakers are configured as front speakers when the audio device is a group coordinator playback device;
playing back an audio signal with equalizer curve applied that is based upon information from the derived speaker identification data; and
performing a calibration process on the one or more passive speakers using the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein deriving speaker identification data concerning one or more speakers in a playback system based upon at least an electrical signal sent to and returned from the one or more speakers comprises:
activating a passive speaker identification circuit in the one or more speakers by the playback device using the electrical signal;
measuring an electrical current of the electrical signal by the playback device;
determining, based on the measured electrical current, an impedance modulation of the passive speaker; and
determining the information identifying a type of speaker based on the determined impedance modulation of the speaker.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the speaker identification data is stored in a speaker identification database and deriving speaker identification data comprises receiving information from a speaker identification circuit in the one or more passive speakers which can be used to retrieve speaker identification data from the speaker identification database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an error screen indicating that no compatible speaker was detected when deriving speaker identification data is not successful because none of the one or more passive speakers is compatible with configuration process for the playback system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying an error screen indicating that mixed types of speakers were detected when deriving speaker identification data results in detecting several of the one or more passive speakers that are not the same type of speaker.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the playback system is in a home theater configuration comprises retrieving a model number of the one or more passive speakers and determining whether the model number is assigned to a home theater category of products.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calibration process comprises playing a preset calibration audio signal from the one or more passive speakers and adjusting a frequency curve of the speaker output to match that of a target frequency curve.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a group coordinator playback device is a playback device that is configured to output audio for front channels in surround sound decoded audio.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the playback system is in a home theater configuration comprises retrieving a model number of the one or more passive speakers and determining whether the model number is assigned to a home theater category of products.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein a group coordinator playback device is a playback device that is configured to output audio for front channels in surround sound decoded audio.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
deriving the speaker identification data of the one or more passive speakers connected to an audio device in a playback system based upon at least an electrical signal sent to and returned from the one or more passive speakers, where the electrical signal is sent by the audio device including an audio stage comprising one or more amplifiers.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein deriving speaker identification data concerning one or more speakers in a playback system based upon at least an electrical signal sent to and returned from the one or more speakers comprises:
activating a passive speaker identification circuit in the one or more speakers by the playback device using the electrical signal;
measuring an electrical current of the electrical signal by the playback device;
determining, based on the measured electrical current, an impedance modulation of the passive speaker; and
determining the information identifying a type of speaker based on the determined impedance modulation of the speaker.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying a completion screen on the mobile device indicating that an outdoor speaker is configured when the identified type is an outdoor speaker.

14. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors;
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving from an audio device, speaker identification data, wherein the speaker identification data indicates one or more passive speakers connected to the audio device in a playback system, wherein the playback system is in a home theater configuration and wherein the speaker identification data comprises information identifying a type of speaker;
displaying a graphical user interface screen on the computing device based upon the speaker identification data, where the displayed information and selectable options are dependent upon the speaker identification data;
determining whether the audio device is a group coordinator playback device in the playback system;
displaying a confirmation screen on the computing device indicating the one or more speakers are configured as surround speakers when the audio device is not a group coordinator playback device;
displaying a confirmation screen on the computing device indicating the one or more passive speakers are configured as front speakers when the audio device is a group coordinator playback device;
playing back an audio signal with equalizer curve applied that is based upon information from the derived speaker identification data; and
performing a calibration process on the one or more passive speakers using the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , where the speaker identification data is stored in a speaker identification database and deriving speaker identification data comprises receiving information from a speaker identification circuit in the one or more passive speakers which can be used to retrieve speaker identification data from the speaker identification database.

16. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises displaying an error screen indicating that no compatible speaker was detected when deriving speaker identification data is not successful because none of the one or more passive speakers is compatible with configuration process for the play

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Vautrin Jodi
• Mcdevitt Jennifer
• Valente Daniel

Classifications

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04R3/04 Primary

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04S7/301 Primary

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

• H04R5/04

  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 title

• H04R2227/005

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