Room-corrected voice detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772817-B2
Application number	US-201615098805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A playback device may have a network interface configured to communicate with a network microphone device over a communication network. A processor of the playback device may comprise instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to obtain acoustics of an environment in which the playback device is located; identify a network microphone device; and send the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to voice input received by the network microphone device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A playback device comprising:
a network interface;
a processor; and
tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:
obtaining acoustics of an environment in which the playback device is located, wherein obtaining the acoustics of the environment comprises emitting a calibration tone;
receiving via the network interface, data indicating a network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device; and
based on receiving the data indicating the network microphone device, sending via the network interface, the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device, while the network microphone is bonded with the playback device.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
sending audio content to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the audio content to the detected audio data.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone device is a network microphone that is closest to the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone is in a same zone as the playback device.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the functions further comprise:
receiving an indication of direction of the detected audio data from the network microphone device; and
adjusting directionality of audio content played by the playback device based on the direction.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein sending via the network interface, the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device comprises causing the network microphone device to apply a filter to the audio data detected by the network microphone device, wherein the filter is based on the acoustics of the environment.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the acoustics of the environment further comprises:
receiving from a network computing device, data indicating the acoustics of the environment, wherein the network computing device is different than the network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device.

8. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a playback device, acoustics of an environment in which the playback device is located, wherein obtaining the acoustics of the environment comprises emitting, by the playback device, a calibration tone;
receiving, by the playback device, data indicating a network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device; and
based on receiving the data indicating the network microphone device, sending, by the playback device, the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device, while the network microphone is bonded with the playback device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
sending audio content to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the audio content to the detected audio data.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone device is a network microphone that is closest to the playback device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone is in a same zone as the playback device.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving an indication of direction of the detected audio data from the network microphone device; and
adjusting directionality of audio content played by the playback device based on the direction.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending via the network interface, the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device comprises causing the network microphone device to apply a filter to the audio data detected by the network microphone device, wherein the filter is based on the acoustics of the environment.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein obtaining, by the playback device, the acoustics of the environment further comprises:
receiving by the playback device from a network computing device, data indicating the acoustics of the environment, wherein the network computing device is different than the network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device.

15. A tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by a processor of a playback device, cause the playback device to perform functions comprising:
obtaining acoustics of an environment in which the playback device is located, wherein obtaining the acoustics of the environment comprises emitting a calibration tone;
receiving data indicating a network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device; and
based on receiving the data indicating the network microphone device, sending the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device, while the network microphone is bonded with the playback device.

16. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
sending audio content to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the audio content to the detected audio data.

17. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone device is a network microphone that is closest to the playback device.

18. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the data indicating the network microphone device indicates that the network microphone is in a same zone as the playback device.

19. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein sending via the network interface, the acoustics to the network microphone device to cause the network microphone device to apply the acoustics to audio data detected by the network microphone device comprises causing the network microphone device to apply a filter to the audio data detected by the network microphone device, wherein the filter is based on the acoustics of the environment.

20. The tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein obtaining the acoustics of the environment further comprises:
receiving from a network computing device, data indicating the acoustics of the environment, wherein the network computing device is different than the network microphone device to be bonded with the playback device.

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Jarvis Simon
• Kadri Romi
• Chen Yean-Nian Willy

Classifications

• H04R2227/003

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

• H04S7/301

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

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G10L21/02

  Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation (reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08) · CPC title

• H04S7/303

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title