Audio calibration of a portable playback device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11728780-B2
Application number	US-202217807595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example techniques to facilitate calibrating a portable playback device. An example implementation involves determining that a playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device and initiating the equalization calibration. Initiating the equalization calibration involves (i) outputting audio content, (ii) capturing audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located, (iii) determining an acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, (iv) selecting a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, and (v) applying to the audio content, via the playback device, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic area response.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A playback device comprising:
a network interface;
an audio transducer;
a microphone;
a battery;
at least one processor;
a housing configured for placement on a device base, the housing carrying the network interface, audio transducer, the microphone, the battery; and the at least one processor; and
data storage including instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
while placed on the device base, apply a first calibration that modifies playback by the playback device to at least partially offset acoustic characteristics of an environment at a first location, wherein the playback device is configured to (i) re-calibrate periodically while removed from the device base and (ii) suspend re-calibration while placed on the device base;
after removal of the playback device from the device base, detect a calibration trigger condition, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to detect the calibration trigger condition comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to detect removal of the playback device from the device base;
based on detection of the calibration trigger condition, re-calibrate the playback device for a second location, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to re-calibrate the playback device for the second location comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
play back, via the audio transducer, audio content;
capture, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the audio content within the environment;
determine an acoustic response of the environment from the captured audio data;
query a dataset for a particular stored acoustic response that corresponds to the determined acoustic response of the environment, wherein the dataset relates a plurality of stored acoustic responses to respective calibrations; and
apply, to the playback device in place of the first calibration, a second calibration returned from the query of the dataset, wherein the second calibration modifies playback by the playback device to at least partially offset acoustic characteristics of the environment at the second location.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the calibration trigger condition comprises elapse of a threshold time period while stationary, and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to detect the calibration trigger condition comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
detect, via a sensor, that threshold time period has elapsed while the playback device remained stationary.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is further configured to:
calibrate the playback device for the first location, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to calibrate the playback device for the first location comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
play back, via the audio transducer, additional audio content;
capture, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the additional audio content within the environment;
determine an additional acoustic response of the environment from the captured audio data;
query the dataset for an additional stored acoustic response that corresponds to the determined additional acoustic response of the environment; and
apply to the playback device the first calibration returned from the query of the dataset.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is further configured to:
while the second calibration is applied, detect re-placement of the playback device on the device base; and
based on detection of re-placement of the playback device on the device base, re-apply the first calibration in place of the second calibration.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is further configured to:
charge the battery via electrical current from the device base.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein a database comprises the dataset, and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to query the dataset for the particular stored acoustic response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
send, via the network interface to a server, a query of the database.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the data storage comprises the dataset, and wherein the plurality of stored acoustic responses are determined based on multiple media playback systems each performing a respective acoustic room response determination process comprising (i) outputting, via a respective playback device within a respective environment that is not the same as the environment in which the playback device is located, respective audio content, (ii) while the respective playback device outputs the respective audio content, capturing, via a first microphone disposed in a housing of the respective playback device, respective first audio data representing reflections of the respective audio content in the respective environment, (iii) capturing, via a second microphone disposed in a housing of a respective mobile device, respective first audio data representing reflections of the respective audio content in the respective environment, (iv) based on the respective first audio data, determining an acoustic response of the respective environment, and (v) based on the respective second audio data, determining a calibration of the respective playback device in the respective environment.

8. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to query the dataset for the particular stored acoustic response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
map the determined acoustic response to the particular stored acoustic response in the dataset that satisfies a threshold similarity to the determined acoustic response.

9. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to determine the acoustic response of the environment from the captured audio data comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
offset a self-response of the playback device from the captured audio data representing reflections of the audio content.

10. A system comprising a device base and a playback device, the playback device comprising:
a network interface;
an audio transducer;
a microphone;
a battery;
at least one processor;
a housing configured for placement on the device base, the housing carrying the network interface, audio transducer, the microphone, the battery; and the at least one processor; and
data storage including instructi

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Mcpherson Patrick
• Ramos Aurelio Rafael

Classifications

• H03G5/165 Primary

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

• G06F3/165 Primary

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

• H04R29/001

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

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R27/00

  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 title