Location Determination According To Auditory Tones

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus to calibrate sounds fields are disclosed. An example implementation involves causing, via a transducer of a network device, the network device to produce an auditory tone. After causing the network device to produce the auditory tone, the example implementation involves receiving, via a network interface of the network device from a playback device, data indicating a location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the auditory tone. The example implementation further involves causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 causing, via a transducer of a network device, the network device to produce an auditory tone;   after causing the network device to produce the auditory tone, receiving, via a network interface of the network device from a playback device, data indicating a location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the auditory tone; and   causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auditory tone is in the human audible range. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auditory tone is outside of the human audible range. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, wherein the data indicating the location of the network device is first data indicating a first location of the network device, and wherein the playback device is a first playback device, the method further comprising:
 causing, via the transducer of the network device, the network device to produce a second auditory tone;   after causing the network device to produce the second auditory tone, receiving, via the network interface of the network device from a second playback device, data indicating a second location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the second auditory tone; and   causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the second location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the second location of the network device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, via the network interface of the network device to the playback device, one or more commands to control playback of media by the playback device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, the method further comprising:
 receiving, via a microphone of the network device, a second auditory tone produced by the playback device, wherein displaying the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device comprises displaying, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device and the received second auditory tone produced by the playback device, the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device indicates proximity of the network device to the playback device. 
     
     
         8 . A network device comprising:
 data storage for storing instructions that when executed cause the network device perform functions comprising:
 causing, via a transducer of the network device, the network device to produce an auditory tone; 
 after causing the network device to produce the auditory tone, receiving, via a network interface of the network device from a playback device, data indicating a location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the auditory tone; and 
 causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the auditory tone is in the human audible range. 
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the auditory tone is outside of the human audible range. 
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, wherein the data indicating the location of the network device is first data indicating a first location of the network device, and wherein the playback device is a first playback device, the functions further comprising:
 causing, via the transducer of the network device, the network device to produce a second auditory tone;   after causing the network device to produce the second auditory tone, receiving, via the network interface of the network device from a second playback device, data indicating a second location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the second auditory tone; and   causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the second location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the second location of the network device.   
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 8 , the functions further comprising:
 sending, via the network interface of the network device to the playback device, one or more commands to control playback of media by the playback device.   
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, the functions further comprising:
 receiving, via a microphone of the network device, a second auditory tone produced by the playback device, wherein displaying the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device comprises displaying, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device and the received second auditory tones produced by the playback device, the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.   
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device indicates proximity of the network device to the playback device. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, implement a network device to perform functions comprising:
 causing, via a transducer of the network device, the network device to produce an auditory tone;   after causing the network device to produce the auditory tone, receiving, via a network interface of the network device from a playback device, data indicating a location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the auditory tone; and   causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the auditory tone is in the human audible range. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the auditory tone is outside of the human audible range. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, wherein the data indicating the location of the network device is first data indicating a first location of the network device, and wherein the playback device is a first playback device, the functions further comprising:
 causing, via the transducer of the network device, the network device to produce a second auditory tone;   after causing the network device to produce the second auditory tone, receiving, via the network interface of the network device from a second playback device, data indicating a second location of the network device corresponding to where the network device produced the second auditory tone; and   causing the network device to display, based on the received data indicating the second location of the network device, a visual representation of the received data indicating the second location of the network device.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , the functions further comprising:
 sending, via the network interface of the network device to the playback device, one or more commands to control playback of media by the playback device.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the auditory tone is a first auditory tone, the functions further comprising:
 receiving, via a microphone of the network device, a second auditory tone produced by the playback device, wherein displaying the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device comprises displaying, based on the received data indicating the location of the network device and the received second auditory tones produced by the playback device, the visual representation of the received data indicating the location of the network device.