Acoustic coordination of audio sources

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use with a coordination device, the computer-readable storage medium storing a program module that, when executed by the coordination device, causes the coordination device to coordinate playback of audio content by carrying out one or more operations that comprise:

• measuring sound, in an environment, using one or more acoustic transducers, wherein the sound corresponds to one or more acoustic-characterization patterns;
• calculating current time offsets between clocks in electronic devices and a clock in the coordination device based on the measured sound, one or more times when the electronic devices output the sound and the one or more acoustic-characterization patterns, wherein the current time offsets comprise clock drifts between the clocks and the clock, wherein calculating the current time offsets comprises correcting for propagation times of the sound from the electronic devices to the coordination device including a correction for changes in temperature that impact a speed of sound, and wherein calculating the current time offsets comprises modifying the measured sound based on an acoustic transfer function of the environment in at least a band of frequencies to improve an accuracy of the calculated current time offsets;
• and
• transmitting, to one or more nodes in the coordination device that are communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, one or more frames that include the audio content and playback timing information for the electronic devices, wherein the playback timing information specifies playback times when the electronic devices are to playback the audio content based on the current time offsets,
• wherein the playback times of the electronic devices have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices is coordinated, and
• wherein the coordination of the playback times has an accuracy that is less than 10 microseconds.

A method for coordinating playback of audio content, comprising:

• by a coordination device:
• measuring sound, in an environment, using one or more acoustic transducers, wherein the sound corresponds to one or more acoustic-characterization patterns;
• calculating current time offsets between clocks in electronic devices and a clock in the coordination device based on the measured sound, one or more times when the electronic devices output the sound and the one or more acoustic-characterization patterns, wherein the current time offsets comprise clock drifts between the clocks and the clock, wherein calculating the current time offsets comprises correcting for propagation times of the sound from the electronic devices to the coordination device including a correction for changes in temperature that impact a speed of sound, and wherein calculating the current time offsets comprises modifying the measured sound based on an acoustic transfer function of the environment in at least a band of frequencies to improve an accuracy of the calculated current time offsets;
• and
• transmitting, to one or more nodes in the coordination device that are communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, one or more frames that include audio content and playback timing information to the electronic devices, wherein the playback timing information specifies playback times when the electronic devices are to playback the audio content based on the current time offsets,
• wherein the playback times of the electronic devices have a temporal relationship so that the playback of the audio content by the electronic devices is coordinated, and
• wherein the coordination of the playback times has an accuracy that is less than 10 microseconds.