Systems and methods of user localization

1. A playback device comprising:

an audio transducer configured to output at least audible sound;

first and second microphones;

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

playing back, by the audio transducer, audio reproduction from a media source;

while playing back the audio reproduction, transmitting, by the audio transducer, a first sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via the first microphone, a second sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

receiving, via the second microphone, a third sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

processing the second and third sound signals to determine an angular component of a location of a person relative to the playback device; and

selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined angular component.

2. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a delay between the second and third sound signals; and

based on the delay, determining the angular component of the location of the person relative to the playback device.

3. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein processing the second and third sound signals further comprises disregarding a portion of the second and third sound signals corresponding to self-responses of the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first sound signal has a frequency of greater than 20 kHz.

5. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of a volume of the audio reproduction or a particular one or more channels for audio reproduction by the playback device from a media source.

6. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the determined angular component of the location is a determined angular component of a first location, the operations further comprising:

transmitting, by the audio transducer, a fourth sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via the first microphone, a fifth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

receiving, via the second microphone, a sixth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

processing the fifth and sixth sound signals to determine an angular component of a second location of a person relative to the playback device, wherein the second location is different from the first location; and

adjusting the characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined second location of the person.

7. The playback device of claim 1 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device and is bonded with a second playback device so as to synchronously perform audio reproduction with the second playback device, the operations comprising selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the second playback device based on the determined location of the person.

8. A method comprising:

playing back, by an audio transducer of a playback device, audio reproduction from a media source;

while playing back the audio reproduction, transmitting, by the audio transducer, a first sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via a first microphone of the playback device, a second sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

receiving, via a second microphone of the playback device, a third sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

processing the second and third sound signals to determine an angular component of a location of a person relative to the playback device; and

selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined angular component.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a delay between the second and third sound signals; and

based on the delay, determining the angular component of the location of the person relative to the playback device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein processing the second and third sound signals further comprises disregarding a portion of the second and third sound signals corresponding to self-responses of the playback device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first sound signal has a frequency of greater than 20 kHz.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the characteristic comprises at least one of a volume of the audio reproduction or a particular one or more channels for audio reproduction by the playback device from a media source.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determined angular component of the location is a determined angular component of a first location, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the audio transducer, a fourth sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via the first microphone, a fifth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

receiving, via the second microphone, a sixth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

processing the fifth and sixth sound signals to determine an angular component of a second location of a person relative to the playback device, wherein the second location is different from the first location; and

adjusting the characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined second location of the person.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device and is bonded with a second playback device so as to synchronously perform audio reproduction with the second playback device, the operations comprising selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the second playback device based on the determined location of the person.

15. A nontransitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a playback device cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:

playing back, by an audio transducer of a playback device, audio reproduction from a media source;

while playing back the audio reproduction, transmitting, by the audio transducer, a first sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via a first microphone of the playback device, a second sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

receiving, via a second microphone of the playback device, a third sound signal comprising a reflection of the first sound signal;

processing the second and third sound signals to determine an angular component of a location of a person relative to the playback device; and

selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined angular component.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first sound signal has a frequency of greater than 20 kHz.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the determined angular component of the location is a determined angular component of a first location, the operations further comprising:

transmitting, by the audio transducer, a fourth sound signal comprising a predetermined waveform;

receiving, via the first microphone, a fifth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

receiving, via the second microphone, a sixth sound signal comprising a reflection of the fourth sound signal;

processing the fifth and sixth sound signals to determine an angular component of a second location of a person relative to the playback device, wherein the second location is different from the first location; and

adjusting the characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device based on the determined second location of the person.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the playback device is a first playback device and is bonded with a second playback device so as to synchronously perform audio reproduction with the second playback device, the operations comprising selecting a characteristic of audio reproduction by the second playback device based on the determined location of the person.