Portable Playback Acoustic Calibration Using Stored Room Responses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable playback devices face challenges in calibrating themselves to account for changing acoustic environments due to limited access to network devices and remote databases, especially when frequently relocated or in environments with varying acoustic settings.
Innovation Solution
These devices employ built-in microphones and a locally stored database of calibration settings and room responses, utilizing a generalized representation of multi-location acoustic data to perform self-calibration, allowing them to determine and apply appropriate audio processing algorithms for optimal sound output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If portable playback devices rely on network devices and remote databases for calibration, then calibration accuracy can be improved, but device portability and independence are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The portable playback device integrates multiple functions including audio playback, self-calibration capability, and environmental adaptation within a single device. The device contains built-in microphones, processors, and databases to perform calibration operations independently without requiring external network devices, making the device universal and self-sufficient while maintaining portability
Solution Approach 2:
The playback device performs self-calibration using its own built-in microphones and processing capabilities. The device autonomously captures audio signals, determines acoustic responses, selects calibration settings, and applies corrections without requiring external assistance from network devices or remote databases, enabling the device to serve itself in calibration operations
2Reliability
If portable playback devices perform frequent self-calibration, then sound quality in varying environments is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device maintains a pre-stored database of calibration settings and room acoustic responses that were prepared in advance. When calibration is needed, the device quickly matches current environmental conditions with pre-analyzed patterns from the database rather than performing complex real-time acoustic analysis, reducing processing complexity while maintaining calibration effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs calibration operations selectively based on detected environmental changes rather than continuously. The processor monitors acoustic environment variations and triggers calibration only when necessary, performing partial calibration actions focused on specific frequency ranges or acoustic parameters that need adjustment, rather than comprehensive recalibration of all audio settings
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables portable playback devices to effectively calibrate and maintain sound quality in diverse environments without relying on network devices or remote databases, ensuring consistent audio performance across different locations.
Implementation Method 1
capture a set of audio data representing a localized acoustic response of the room in which the portable media playback device is located
Implementation Method 2
outputting, via the speaker, audio content... capturing, via the microphone, audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are example techniques to facilitate calibrating a portable playback device. An example implementation involves determining that a playback device is to perform an equalization calibration of the playback device and initiating the equalization calibration. Initiating the equalization calibration involves (i) outputting audio content, (ii) capturing audio data representing reflections of the audio content within an area in which the playback device is located, (iii) determining an acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, (iv) selecting a stored acoustic response from the acoustic response database that is most similar to the determined acoustic response of the area in which the playback device is located, and (v) applying to the audio content, via the playback device, a set of stored audio calibration settings associated with the selected stored acoustic area response.