Granted Patent B2

US 12,739,581 · App. 18/502,349 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventors: Klaus Hartung (Boston, MA); Dayn Wilberding (Portland, OR)

Assignee: Sonos, Inc.

H04R29/007H04R5/02H04R27/00H04S7/301H04R3/00H04R2227/003H04R2227/005

Abstract

Claims (57)

1 . A first playback device comprising:

a network interface;

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

stream, via the network interface from at least one server, data representing multiple media items;

select respective calibrations for media items of the multiple media items from among multiple stored calibrations based on respective types of the media items, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a first calibration for a first media item of the multiple media items when the type of the first media item comprises primarily pre-recorded spoken dialog; and

select a second calibration for a second media item of the multiple media items when the type of the second media item consists of music;

before playing back each media item, cause the first playback device and a second playback device to apply the selected calibration for the media item, wherein application of the selected calibration modifies respective equalizations of the first playback device and the second playback device; and

while the selected calibration is applied, play back the respective media item; and

cause, via the network interface, the second playback device to play back the respective media item synchronously with playback of the respective media item by the first playback device.

2 . The first playback device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one audio amplifier, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to play back the respective media item comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

play back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier.

3 . The first playback device of claim 2 , further comprising at least one audio transducer, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to play back the respective media item comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

play back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier and the at least one audio transducer.

4 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular first calibration that at least partially offsets differences in relative positions between the first playback device and the second playback device relative to one or more listener locations.

5 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the first media item is an audio track of a video.

6 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular second calibration that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of an environment in which the first playback device and the second playback device are located.

7 . The first playback device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular calibration for a particular media item of the multiple media items when the type of the particular media item comprises audio received by the first playback device from a particular source.

8 . The first playback device of claim 7 , wherein the particular source is a particular type of streaming audio service.

9 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by at least one processor such that a first playback device is configured to:

stream, via a network interface from at least one server, data representing multiple media items;

select respective calibrations for media items of the multiple media items from among multiple stored calibrations based on respective types of the media items, wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a first calibration for a first media item of the multiple media items when the type of the particular first media item comprises primarily pre-recorded spoken dialog; and

select a second calibration for a second media item of the multiple media items when the type of the particular second media item consists of music;

before playing back each media item, cause the first playback device and a second playback device to apply the selected calibration for the media item, wherein application of the selected calibration modifies respective equalizations of the first playback device and the second playback device;

while the selected calibration is applied, play back the respective media item; and

cause, via the network interface, the second playback device to play back the respective media item synchronously with playback of the respective media item by the first playback device.

10 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first playback device comprises at least one audio amplifier, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to play back the respective media item comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

play back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier.

11 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first playback device comprises at least one audio transducer, and wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to play back the respective media item comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

play back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier and the at least one audio transducer.

12 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular first calibration that at least partially offsets differences in relative positions between the first playback device and the second playback device relative to one or more listener locations.

13 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the first media item is an audio track of a video.

14 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular second calibration that at least partially offsets acoustic characteristics of an environment in which the first playback device and the second playback device are located.

15 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to select the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprise program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the first playback device is configured to:

select a particular calibration for a particular media item of the multiple media items when the type of the particular media item comprises audio received by the first playback device from a particular source.

16 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the particular source is a particular type of streaming audio service.

17 . A method comprising:

streaming, via a network interface of a first playback device from at least one server, data representing multiple media items;

selecting, via at least one processor of the first playback device, respective calibrations for media items of the multiple media items from among multiple stored calibrations based on respective types of the media items, wherein selecting the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprises:

selecting a first calibration for a first media item of the multiple media items when the type of the first media item comprises primarily pre-recorded spoken dialog; and

selecting a second calibration for a second media item of the multiple media items when the type of the second media item consists of music;

before playing back each media item, causing the first playback device and a second playback device to apply the selected calibration for the media item, wherein application of the selected calibration modifies respective equalizations of the first playback device and the second playback device;

while the selected calibration is applied, playing back the respective media item via the first playback device; and

causing, via the network interface, the second playback device to play back the respective media item synchronously with playback of the respective media item by the first playback device.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first playback device comprises at least one audio amplifier, and wherein playing back the respective media item comprises:

playing back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first playback device comprises at least one audio transducer, and wherein playing back the respective media item comprises:

playing back the respective media item via the at least one audio amplifier and the at least one audio transducer.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein selecting the respective calibrations for the media items of the multiple media items from among the multiple stored calibrations based on the respective types of the media items comprises:

selecting a particular first calibration that at least partially offsets differences in relative positions between the first playback device and the second playback device relative to one or more listener locations.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (8)

References Cited (400)