Calibration of audio playback devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889276-B2
Application number	US-202217567311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2022
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

An audio playback device comprises a microphone, a speaker, and a processor. The processor is arranged to output by the speaker first audio content and receive by the microphone an indication of the first audio content. A first acoustic response of a room in which the audio playback device is located is determined based on the received indication of first audio content. A mapping is applied to the first acoustic response to determine a second acoustic response. The second acoustic response is indicative of an approximated acoustic response of the room at a spatial location different from a spatial location of the microphone. The second audio content output by the speaker is adjusted based on the second response.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A playback device comprising:
a network interface;
at least one microphone;
one or more audio transducers;
at least one processor; and
a housing configured to carry the network interface, the at least one microphone, the one or more audio transducers; and the at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
while at a first position in a first environment, output audio via the one or more audio transducers;
during output of the audio, record, via the at least one microphone, the audio as outputted via one or more audio transducers;
based on the recorded audio, determine a self-response of the playback device in the first environment;
estimate a room response at a second position in the first environment, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to estimate the room response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to apply a mapping to the determined self-response, wherein the mapping is based on multiple pre-determined room responses of additional playback devices that were determined in multiple second environments;
determine calibration settings that at least partially offset acoustic characteristics of the first environment as represented in the estimated room response; and
apply the determined calibration settings to playback by the playback device.

2. 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 apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
apply a particular mapping that is based on multiple pre-determined room responses of particular additional playback devices having the same model as the playback device.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein at least of a portion of the multiple pre-determined room responses were determined via a calibration procedure comprising recording output of the additional playback devices at multiple respective positions in the multiple second environments.

4. 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 output audio via the one or more audio transducers comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
stream data representing an audio track from a streaming audio service; and
play back the audio track via the one or more audio transducers.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
capture, via the at least one microphone, a voice input; and
send the captured voice input to a voice assistant for processing.

6. The playback device of claim 5 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
receive, in response to the captured voice input, a command to play back particular audio content; and wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to output audio via the one or more audio transducers comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
play back the particular audio content.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , further comprising a microphone array that is carried by the housing in proximity to a given surface of the housing, and wherein the microphone array comprises the at least one microphone.

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 determine the self-response of the playback device in the first environment comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to:
determine a power spectral density representing the self-response of the playback device in the first environment.

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 apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to apply, to the determined self-response, a multi-dimensional transfer function that maps the determined self-response to an estimate of the room response at the second position.

10. A system comprising:
a playback device comprising one or more audio transducers;
a network interface;
at least one microphone;
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
while the playback device is at a first position in a first environment, output audio via the one or more audio transducers of the playback device;
during output of the audio, record, via the at least one microphone, the audio as outputted via one or more audio transducers;
based on the recorded audio, determine a self-response of the playback device in the first environment;
estimate a room response at a second position in the first environment, wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to estimate the room response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the playback device is configured to apply a mapping to the determined self-response, wherein the mapping is based on multiple pre-determined room responses of additional playback devices that were determined in multiple second environments;
determine calibration settings that at least partially offset acoustic characteristics of the first environment as represented in the estimated room response; and
apply the determined calibration settings to playback by the playback device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
apply a particular mapping that is based on multiple pre-determined room responses of particular additional playback devices having the same model as the playback device.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least of a portion of the multiple pre-determined room responses were determined via a calibration procedure comprising recording output of the additional playback devices at multiple respective positions in the multiple second environments.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
capture, via the at least one microphone, a voice input; and
send the captured voice input to a voice assistant for processing.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the system is configured to:
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Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Mcpherson Patrick
• Shih Shao-Fu
• Hartung Klaus

Classifications

• H04R29/007 Primary

  for public address systems (public address systems per se H04R27/00) · 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

• H04S7/301 Primary

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

• H04R2227/005

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