Evaluating Calibration of a Playback Device

Abstract

An example method may include recording, via a microphone of a first playback device, audio played by a second playback device in accordance with a calibration setting. The method may further include, based on the recorded audio, determining that the calibration setting is invalid. The method may further include, in response to determining that the calibration setting is invalid, sending an indication that the calibration setting is invalid. This disclosure also includes example non-transitory computer readable media and playback devices that are related to the example method.

1 . A system comprising a first device and a second device, wherein the first device comprises:
 at least one audio transducer;   a first communications interface;   at least one first processor; and   at least one first non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one first processor such that the first device is configured to perform first functions comprising:
 at a first time, applying a first calibration to playback of first audio content via the at least one audio transducer, wherein, at the first time, the first calibration at least partially offsets first acoustic characteristics of an environment surrounding the first device when applied to playback by the first device; 
 receiving, via the first communications interface, from the second device, an indication that the first calibration is no longer valid; 
 based on receiving the indication that the first calibration is no longer valid, performing a recalibration to determine a second calibration; and 
 at a second time, apply the second calibration to playback of second audio content via the at least one audio transducer, wherein, at the second time, the second calibration at least partially offsets second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device when applied to playback by the first device, 
   wherein the second device comprises:   a second communications interface;   at least one second processor; and   at least one second non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one second processor such that the second device is configured to perform second functions comprising:
 receiving data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device; 
 determining that the received data indicates a change to the environment surrounding the first device; and 
 based on determining that the received data indicates a change to the environment surrounding the first device, sending, via the second communications interface, the indication that the first calibration is no longer valid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises at least one microphone, and wherein performing the recalibration to determine the second calibration comprises:
 while playing back audio via the at least one audio transducer, recording, via the at least one microphone, audio within the environment surrounding the first device; and   determining calibration settings for the second calibration that, when applied to playback via the at least one audio transducer at least partially offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein determining the calibration settings for the second calibration comprises:
 determining an equalization that modifies playback via the at least one audio transducer in multiple frequency ranges to offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device in the multiple frequency ranges.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises at least one microphone, wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device comprises receiving, via the at least one microphone, microphone data representing playback of the first audio content by the first device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the first device comprises determining that the received microphone data indicates a change in the reverberations in the environment surrounding the first device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein determining that the received microphone data indicates the change in the reverberations in the environment surrounding the first device comprises determining that the reverberations in the environment surrounding the first device have changed by more than a threshold amount. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device comprises receiving data representing a current time in the environment surrounding the first device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the first device comprises determining that a threshold time has past from a previous validation of the first calibration to the current time. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second functions further comprise:
 receiving, via the second communications interface from a server, an instruction to validate calibration of the first device, wherein the second device is configured to request the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device based on receiving the instruction to validate calibration of the first device.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device comprises receiving data representing movement in the environment surrounding the first device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the first device comprises determining that a threshold movement has occurred in the environment. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device comprises receiving, via the second communications interface, network data indicative of one or more additional network devices in the environment surrounding the first device. 
     
     
         10 . A first device comprising:
 at least one audio transducer;   a communications 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 device is configured to perform functions comprising:
 while a first calibration is applied to playback of first audio content by a second device at a first time, receiving data indicative of an environment surrounding the second device wherein, at the first time, the first calibration at least partially offsets first acoustic characteristics of an environment surrounding the second device when applied to playback by the first device; 
 determining that the received data indicates a change to the environment surrounding the second device; and 
 based on determining that the received data indicates a change to the environment surrounding the second device, causing, via the communications interface, the second device to perform a recalibration to determine a second calibration, wherein, at a second time, the second calibration at least partially offsets second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the second device when applied to playback of second audio content by the second device. 
   
     
     
         11 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises at least one microphone, and wherein causing first device to perform the recalibration comprises:
 while the second device is playing back audio via the at least one audio transducer, causing the second device to record, via the at least one microphone, audio within the environment surrounding the second device; and   determining calibration settings for the second calibration that, when applied to playback by the second device, at least partially offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the second device.   
     
     
         12 . The first device of  claim 11 , wherein determining the calibration settings for the second calibration comprises:
 determining an equalization that modifies playback by the second device in multiple frequency ranges to offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the second device in the multiple frequency ranges.   
     
     
         13 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein the first device comprises at least one microphone, wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the second device comprises receiving, via the at least one microphone, microphone data representing playback of the first audio content by the second device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the second device comprises determining that the received microphone data indicates a change in the reverberations in the environment surrounding the second device. 
     
     
         14 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the second device comprises receiving data representing a current time in the environment surrounding the second device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the second device comprises determining that a threshold time has past from a previous validation of the first calibration to the current time. 
     
     
         15 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein the functions further comprise:
 receiving, via the communications interface from a server, an instruction to validate calibration of the second device, wherein the first device is configured to request the data indicative of the environment surrounding the first device based on receiving the instruction to validate calibration of the second device.   
     
     
         16 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the second device comprises receiving data representing movement in the environment surrounding the second device, and wherein determining that the received data indicates the change to the environment surrounding the second device comprises determining that a threshold movement has occurred in the environment. 
     
     
         17 . The first device of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the data indicative of the environment surrounding the second device comprises receiving, via the communications interface, network data indicative of one or more additional network devices in the environment surrounding the second device. 
     
     
         18 . A first device comprising:
 at least one audio transducer;   a communications 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 device is configured to perform functions comprising:
 at a first time, applying a first calibration to playback of first audio content via the at least one audio transducer, wherein, at the first time, the first calibration at least partially offsets first acoustic characteristics of an environment surrounding the first device when applied to playback by the first device; 
 receiving, via the communications interface, from a second device, an indication that the first calibration is no longer valid; 
 based on receiving the indication that the first calibration is no longer valid, performing a recalibration to determine a second calibration; and 
 at a second time, apply the second calibration to playback of second audio content via the at least one audio transducer, wherein, at the second time, the second calibration at least partially offsets second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device when applied to playback by the first device. 
   
     
     
         19 . The first device of  claim 18 , wherein the first device comprises at least one microphone, and wherein performing the recalibration to determine the second calibration comprises:
 while playing back audio via the at least one audio transducer, recording, via the at least one microphone, audio within the environment surrounding the first device; and   determining calibration settings for the second calibration that, when applied to playback via the at least one audio transducer at least partially offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device.   
     
     
         20 . The first device of  claim 19 , wherein determining the calibration settings for the second calibration comprises:
 determining an equalization that modifies playback via the at least one audio transducer in multiple frequency ranges to offset the second acoustic characteristics of the environment surrounding the first device in the multiple frequency ranges.