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US 12,593,167 B2Granted
Systems and methods of user localization
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorEric Frank
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed in which a playback device transmits a first sound signal including a predetermined waveform. In one example, the playback device receives a second sound signal including at least one reflection of the first sound signal. The second sound signal is processed to determine a location of a person relative to the playback device, and a characteristic of audio reproduction by the playback device is selected, based on the determined location of the person.
Claims20
A playback device having a housing comprising:
- one or more network interfaces;
- one or more audio transducers;
- one or more microphones;
- one or more processors;
- and
- data storage having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of the playback device, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:
- transmitting, via at least one of the one or more audio transducers in the playback device, a first signal comprising a first audio output via the one or more audio transducers;
- receiving, via the one or more microphones in the playback device, a second signal comprising acoustic reflection of the first audio output;
- determining, based on a comparison of the first signal and the second signal, a first location of a user;
- determining, based on the determined first location of the user, a first set of one or more devices near the user;
- receiving a first voice input from the user, the first voice input comprising a first location-based request associated with a first action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting, based on the first location-based request, at least one first device from the set of one or more devices near the user;
- causing, via at least one of the one or more network interfaces, the first action to be performed via the at least one selected first device;
- transmitting, via the one or more audio transducers in the playback device, a third signal comprising a second audio output;
- receiving, via the one or more microphones in the playback device, a fourth signal comprising acoustic reflection of the second audio output;
- determining, based on a comparison of the third signal and the fourth signal, a second location of the user different from the first location of the user;
- determining, based on the determined second location of the user, a second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second set of one or more devices includes at least one different device from the first set of one or more devices;
- receiving, a second voice input from the user, the second voice input comprising a second location-based request associated with a second action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting based on the second location-based request, at least one second device from the second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second device is different from the first device;
- and
- causing, via the one or more network interfaces of the playback device, the second action to be performed via the at least one selected second device.
18 more elements
A method comprising:
- transmitting, via one or more audio transducers in a playback device, a first signal comprising a first audio output via the one or more audio transducers;
- receiving, via one or more microphones in the playback device, a second signal comprising acoustic reflection of the first audio output, wherein the playback device includes a housing in which both the one or more audio transducers and the one or more microphones are disposed;
- determining, based on a comparison of the first signal and the second signal, a first location of a user;
- determining, based on the determined first location of the user, a first set of one or more devices near the user;
- receiving a first voice input from the user the first voice input comprising a first location-based request associated with a first action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting, based on the first location-based request, at least one first device from the set of one or more devices near the user;
- and
- causing, via at one or more network interfaces of the playback device, the first action to be performed via the at least one selected first device;
- transmitting, via the one or more audio transducers in the playback device, a third signal comprising a second audio output;
- receiving, via the one or more microphones in the playback device, a fourth signal comprising acoustic reflection of the second audio output;
- determining based on a comparison of the third signal and the fourth signal a second location of the user different from the first location of the user;
- determining, based on the determined second location of the user, a second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second set of one or more devices includes at least one different device from the first set of one or more devices;
- receiving, a second voice input from the user, the second voice input comprising a second location-based request associated with a second action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting, based on the second location-based request, at least one second device from the second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second device is different from the first device, and
- causing, via the one or more network interfaces of the playback device, the second action to be performed via the at least one selected second device.
12 more elements
One or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a playback device comprising a housing having one or more audio transducers and one or more microphones disposed therein, cause the playback device to perform operations comprising:
- transmitting, via the one or more audio transducers in the playback device, a first signal comprising a first audio output via the one or more audio transducers;
- receiving, via the one or more microphones of the playback device, a second signal comprising acoustic reflection of the first audio output;
- determining, based on a comparison of the first signal and the second signal, a first location of a user;
- determining, based on the determined first location of the user, a first set of one or more devices near the user;
- receiving a first voice input from the user the first voice input comprising a first location-based request associated with a first action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting, based on the first location-based request, at least one first device from the set of one or more devices near the user;
- and
- causing, via at one or more network interfaces of the playback device, the first action to be performed via the at least one first selected device;
- transmitting, via the one or more audio transducers in the playback device, a third signal comprising a second audio output;
- receiving, via the one or more microphones in the playback device, a fourth signal comprising acoustic reflection of the second audio output;
- determining based on a comparison of the third signal and the fourth signal, a second location of the user different from the first location of the user;
- determining, based on the determined second location of the user, a second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second set of one or more devices includes at least one different device from the first set of one or more devices;
- receiving, a second voice input from the user, the second voice input comprising a second location-based request associated with a second action to be performed via one or more devices near the user;
- selecting, based on the second location-based request, at least one second device from the second set of one or more devices near the user, wherein the second device is different from the first device;
- and
- causing, via the one or more network interfaces of the playback device, the second action to be performed via the at least one selected second device.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.