Audio output balancing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9363601-B2
Application number	US-201514937523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

An example implementation involves a first playback device receiving audio content to be played by the first playback device and a second playback device. The first playback device may be configured to play respective portions of the audio that are respectively below and above a first crossover frequency. The playback device determines a first limiting result that represents playback of the second portion of the audio content by applying, to the second portion of the audio content, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, where the first limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the second playback device is limited. The playback device determines a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited and plays a third portion of the audio content that is below the second crossover frequency.

First claim

We claim:

1. A first playback device comprising:
one or more processors; and
tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first playback device to perform a method comprising:
receiving audio content to be played by the first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to play a first portion of the audio content that has a frequency range below a first crossover frequency and the second playback device is configured to play a second portion of the audio content that has a frequency range above the first crossover frequency;
determining a first limiting result that represents playback of the second portion of the audio content by applying, to the second portion of the audio content, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, wherein the first limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the second playback device is limited;
determining a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited; and
playing a third portion of the audio content that is below the second crossover frequency.

2. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the second playback device is a mid-high frequency range playback device.

3. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the second crossover frequency is higher than the first crossover frequency.

4. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first crossover frequency is approximately 80 Hz, and the second crossover frequency is approximately 150 Hz.

5. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the third portion of the audio content comprises the first portion of the audio content.

6. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
causing the second playback device to play a fourth portion of the audio content that has a frequency range above the second crossover frequency.

7. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
facilitating synchronous playback of the audio content by the first playback device and the second playback device.

8. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the second playback device is configured to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content by the first playback device and the second playback device.

9. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
receiving, from the second playback device, the audio content.

10. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
sending, to the second playback device, the audio content.

11. The first playback device of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
before determining the first limiting result, receiving the pre-determined volume-limiting function associated with the second playback device.

12. The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined volume-limiting function is a first pre-determined volume-limiting function, and the method further comprising:
determining a second limiting result that represents playback of the first portion of the audio content by applying to the first portion of the audio content, a second pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the first playback device, wherein the second limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the first playback device is limited,
wherein determining a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited comprises determining the second crossover frequency based on (a) the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited, and (b) the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the first playback device is limited.

13. A method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface of a first playback device, audio content to be played by the first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to play a first portion of the audio content that has a frequency range below a first crossover frequency and the second playback device is configured to play a second portion of the audio content that has a frequency range above the first crossover frequency;
determining, by the first playback device, a first limiting result that represents playback of the second portion of the audio content by applying, to the second portion of the audio content, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, wherein the first limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the second playback device is limited;
determining, by the first playback device, a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited; and
playing by the first playback device, a third portion of the audio content that is below the second crossover frequency.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second playback device is a mid-high frequency range playback device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second crossover frequency is higher than the first crossover frequency.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a first playback device to perform functions comprising:
receiving audio content to be played by the first playback device and a second playback device, wherein the first playback device is configured to play a first portion of the audio content that has a frequency range below a first crossover frequency and the second playback device is configured to play a second portion of the audio content that has a frequency range above the first crossover frequency;
determining a first limiting result that represents playback of the second portion of the audio content by applying, to the second portion of the audio content, a pre-determined volume-limiting function that is associated with the second playback device, wherein the first limiting result indicates frequencies at which a playback volume of the second playback device is limited;
determining a second crossover frequency based on the indicated frequencies at which the playback volume of the second playback device is limited; and
playing a third portion of the audio content that is below the second crossover frequency.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the third portion of the audio content comprises the first portion of the audio content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the functions further comprise:
facilitating synchronous playback of the audio content by the first playback device and the second playback device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second playback device is configured to facilitate synchronous playback of the audio content by the first playback device and the second playback device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the pre-determined volume-limiting function is a first pre-determined volume-limiting function, and wherein the functions further comprise:
determining a second limiting result that represents playback of the first portion of the audio content by applying to the first portion of the audi

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Ramos Aurelio Rafael
• Sheen Timothy W

Classifications

• H04R2227/003

  Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet · CPC title

• H04R2430/03

  Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing · CPC title

• H04R2227/005

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

• H04S2400/03

  Aspects of down-mixing multi-channel audio to configurations with lower numbers of playback channels, e.g. 7.1 -> 5.1 (H04S2400/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title