Playback device calibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12342152-B2
Application number	US-202318503132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2023
Priority date	May 8, 2012
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A first subwoofer may be configured to output multimedia content in synchrony with at least one other playback device and a second subwoofer. The first subwoofer may, based on a received indication of an acoustic characteristic of the at least one other playback device, determine a crossover frequency of (i) the first subwoofer and the second subwoofer and (ii) the at least one other playback device. After determining the crossover frequency, the first subwoofer may output a first tone set and a second tone set in synchrony with the second subwoofer and the at least one other playback device, and after outputting the first tone set and the second tone set, receive, from a controller device, an indication of a selected one of the first tone set or the second tone set. Based on the selected tone set, the first subwoofer may adjust a phase setting of the first subwoofer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A first subwoofer comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
operate in a synchrony group with at least a second subwoofer and a first playback device such that the first subwoofer, the second subwoofer, and the first playback device are configured to play back media content in synchrony;
output first sound from one or more speaker components of the first subwoofer;
based on the first sound outputted by the first subwoofer, second sound outputted by the second subwoofer, and third sound outputted by the first playback device, determine a phase offset for one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer; and
cause one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer to update a respective phase setting based on the phase offset.

2. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
before operating as part of the synchrony group, determine an initial phase offset for the first subwoofer, wherein the respective phase setting of the first subwoofer is set in accordance with the phase offset.

3. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
before determining the phase offset, receive from a control device an indication of a user request to initiate updating the phase setting for one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer.

4. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
determine one or more environmental characteristics of an environment in which the first subwoofer, the second subwoofer, and the first playback device are located;
determine a respective position and orientation of at least the first playback device; and
cause the respective phase setting of one or both of the first or second subwoofers to be updated based on the one or more environmental characteristics and the respective position and orientation of at least the first playback device.

5. The first subwoofer of claim 4 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to determine the one or more environmental characteristics of the environment comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
determine the one or more environmental characteristics of the environment based at least on the first sound outputted by the first subwoofer and the second sound outputted by the second subwoofer.

6. The first subwoofer of claim 4 , wherein the one or more environmental characteristics include at least a floor, a wall, or a ceiling of the environment, and wherein the respective position and orientation of the first playback device comprises a respective position and orientation of the first playback device relative to the floor, the wall, or the ceiling of the environment.

7. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to:
determine, via one or more sensors of the first subwoofer, a distance from the first subwoofer to at least one wall.

8. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , wherein the synchrony group further comprises a second playback device and a third playback device, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first subwoofer is configured to determine the phase offset for one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer are further based on (iv) fourth sound outputted by the second playback device and (v) fifth sound outputted by the third playback device.

9. The first subwoofer of claim 1 , wherein the first subwoofer comprises one or more sensors, and wherein the phase offset is determined further based on sensor data received via at least one of the one or more sensors.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a first subwoofer to:
operate in a synchrony group with at least a second subwoofer and a first playback device such that the first subwoofer, the second subwoofer, and the first playback device are configured to play back media content in synchrony;
output first sound from one or more speaker components of the first subwoofer;
based on the first sound outputted by the first subwoofer, second sound outputted by the second subwoofer, and third sound outputted by the first playback device, determine a phase offset for one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer; and
cause one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer to update a respective phase setting based on the phase offset.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first subwoofer to:
before operating as part of the synchrony group, determine an initial phase offset for the first subwoofer, wherein the respective phase setting of the first subwoofer is set in accordance with the phase offset.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first subwoofer to:
before determining the phase offset, receive from a control device an indication of a user request to initiate updating the phase setting for one or both of the first subwoofer or the second subwoofer.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium is also provisioned with program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first subwoofer to:
determine one or more environmental characteristics of an environment in which the first subwoofer, the second subwoofer, and the first playback device are located;
determine a respective position and orientation of at least the first playback device; and
cause the respective phase setting of one or both of the first or second subwoofers to be updated based on the one or more environmental characteristics and the respective position and orientation of at least the first playback device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first subwoofer to determine the one or more environmental characteristics of the environment comprise program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the first subwoofer to:
determine the one or more environmental characteristics of the environment based at least on the firs

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Griffiths Neil
• Chamness Mike

Classifications

• H04S7/307

  Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control (H04S7/301 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R3/14

  Cross-over networks · CPC title

• G06F3/165

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

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title