Calibration of audio playback devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12464302-B2
Application number	US-202418424041-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2024
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

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 system comprising:
processors comprising a first processor and a second processor; a playback device comprising the first processor, at least one microphone, one or more audio transducers, and a housing configured to carry the at least one microphone and the one or more audio transducers; a computing device comprising the second processor; and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by the processors 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; during output of the audio, record, via the at least one microphone, the audio as outputted via the 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 processors such that the system is configured to estimate the room response comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to apply, via the second processor of the computing device, 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 system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the processors 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.

3 . The system 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 system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to determine the self-response of the playback device in the first environment comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to:
send, via a network interface of the playback device, data representing the recorded audio; and determine the self-response of the playback device in the first environment via the second processor.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to determine the self-response of the playback device in the first environment comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to:
determine a power spectral density representing the self-response of the playback device in the first environment.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to output audio via the one or more audio transducers comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system 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.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the processors 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.

8 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system 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 processors such that the system is configured to output audio via the one or more audio transducers comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to: play back the particular audio content.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the playback device further comprises 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.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system 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.

11 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by processors of a system comprising a playback device and a computing device such that the system is configured to:
while the playback device is at a first position in a first environment, output audio via one or more audio transducers of the playback device, wherein the playback device comprises a first processor of the processors, and wherein the computing device comprises a second processor of the processors; during output of the audio, record, via at least one microphone of the playback device, the audio as outputted via the 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 processors such that the system is configured to estimate the room response comprise instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to apply, via the second processor of the computing device, 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.

12 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions that are executable by the processors such that the system is configured to apply the mapping to the determined self-response comprise instructions that are executable by the processors 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.

13 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , 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.

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Mcpherson Patrick
• Shih Shao-Fu
• Hartung Klaus

Classifications

• H04R2227/005

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

• H04R29/007 Primary

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