Playback Calibration Interface for Multi-Device Audio Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems face challenges in maintaining calibration across multiple devices and environments, leading to inconsistent audio quality due to changes in device configuration, location, and acoustics, which affects the listening experience.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a calibration state variable that is stored and shared across devices within a media playback system, allowing for the maintenance of calibration status through power cycling, detection of changes in device configuration and location, and automatic recalibration procedures, ensuring consistent audio performance across zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If calibration is performed manually for each device and environment, then initial audio quality can be optimized, but calibration consistency is lost when devices are moved or power-cycled
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration once and stores the calibration state variable in a database. This pre-stored calibration data is then automatically retrieved and applied when devices are power-cycled or moved to different zones, eliminating the need for repeated manual calibration and ensuring consistency across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration state variable is copied and shared across multiple devices and zones. When one device is calibrated, its calibration state is stored and then copied to other devices and zones, ensuring that all devices maintain consistent calibration without requiring separate calibration procedures for each device.
2Reliability
If calibration state is not shared across devices, then each device maintains independent calibration, but system-wide audio consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges calibration management across multiple devices by implementing a centralized database that stores and shares calibration state variables. This allows calibration information to be consolidated and distributed system-wide, ensuring audio quality consistency while simplifying management through a unified approach rather than device-by-device calibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where calibration state variables are continuously monitored and shared across devices. When calibration status changes in one device or zone, this information is fed back to the database and automatically propagated to other devices, maintaining system-wide consistency through continuous feedback loops.
3Measurement precision
If manual recalibration is required after each configuration change, then calibration accuracy is maintained, but user convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service calibration by automatically detecting configuration changes such as device moves or power-cycles, retrieving the appropriate calibration state variable from the database, and applying it without user intervention. This maintains calibration accuracy while providing operational simplicity, as the system serves itself by automatically managing recalibration based on detected changes.
Solution Approach 2:
Calibration data is prepared and stored in advance in the database during initial setup. When configuration changes occur, the system automatically retrieves this pre-prepared calibration information and applies it, eliminating the need for users to perform manual recalibration while maintaining accuracy through pre-computed calibration parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples disclosed herein relate to playback device calibration. A calibration state variable may represent a calibration state of a playback device. A control device may display an indications of the calibration state. For instance, in a first instance, the control device may display an indication that a first playback device is in an uncalibrated state. Further, in a second instance, the control device may display an indication that the first playback device is in an calibrated state, perhaps after instructing the first playback device to initiate calibration.