# US 2019/0356985 A1 · Environmental sensing for a unique portable speaker listening experience > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356985 A1 - Document ID: US20190356985A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/006,316 - Filed: 2018-06-12 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-15 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: James R. Milne; Allison Joi Burgueno; Keith Resch; Gregory Peter Carlsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356985A1 ## CPC - H03G 7/002: {in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers (H03G7/007, H03G7/001, H03G7/008, H03G7/02, H03G7/06 take precedence)} - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H03G 3/32: the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level - H03G 5/165: {Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands} - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)} - H04S 7/303: {Tracking of listener position or orientation} - H04R 2205/024: Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction - H04R 2227/003: Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet - H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract A networked speaker system automatically adjusts certain audio speaker system settings based on whether the system is inside a building or has been moved outside. Also, techniques are described for adjusting speaker driver direction based on walls or other barriers in a room or based on the location of a listener. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to: identify whether at least a first audio speaker is located inside a building or outdoor; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building, establish a first value of at least a first audio setting of the first audio speaker; and responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located outdoor, establish a second value of the first audio setting of the first audio speaker, wherein the first audio setting comprises at least one of: ambient sound attenuation, a compression setting. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising the at least one processor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising the first audio speaker. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first audio setting comprises a speaker system channel configuration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first audio setting comprises a compression setting. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first audio setting comprises ambient sound attenuation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first audio setting comprises extra bass. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first audio setting comprises equalization (EQ). ### Claim 9 A device comprising: at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to: identify whether at least a first audio speaker is located inside a building or outdoor; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building, establish a first value of at least a first audio setting of the first audio speaker; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located outdoor, establish a second value of the first audio setting of the first audio speaker; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building, identify a location of at least one listener; and establish a speaker driver orientation such that a center channel of N-channel audio produced by plural speakers in the building is directed toward the listener. ### Claim 10 A device comprising: at least one computer medium that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor to: identify whether at least a first audio speaker is located inside a building or outdoor; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building, establish a first value of at least a first audio setting of the first audio speaker; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located outdoor, establish a second value of the first audio setting of the first audio speaker; responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building, identify a location of at least one barrier in the building; and establish a speaker driver orientation such that a center channel of N-channel audio produced by plural speakers in the building is directed away from the barrier. ### Claim 11 A method, comprising: receiving, from at least one of: a switch, a user interface (UI), indication of whether at least a first speaker is located inside a building or outdoors; responsive to the indication, establishing an audio configuration of the first speaker. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: responsive to identifying that the first speaker is located inside a building, establish a first value of at least a first audio setting of the first speaker; and responsive to identifying that the first speaker is located outdoors, establish a second value of the first audio setting of the first speaker. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising receiving, from a switch, the indication of whether at least a first speaker is located inside a building or outdoors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first audio setting comprises a compression setting. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first audio setting comprises ambient sound attenuation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising receiving, from a UI, the indication of whether at least a first speaker is located inside a building or outdoors. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: receiving indication of whether at least a first speaker is located inside a building; responsive to identifying that the first speaker is located inside the building, identifying a location of at least one listener; and establishing a speaker driver orientation such that a center channel of N-channel audio produced by plural speakers in the building is directed toward the listener. ### Claim 18 A method, comprising: receiving indication of whether at least a first speaker is located inside a building; responsive to identifying that the first speaker is located inside the building, identifying a location of at least one barrier in the building; and establishing a speaker driver orientation such that a center channel of N-channel audio produced by plural speakers in the building is directed away from the barrier. ### Claim 19 An audio speaker system, comprising: at least a first audio speaker associated with a first speaker driver; and at least one processor configured with instructions for: establishing a first audio configuration of the first audio speaker responsive to receiving indication that the first audio speaker is located inside a building; establishing a second audio configuration of the first audio speaker responsive to receiving indication that the first audio speaker is located outdoors; and establishing an orientation of a speaker driver orientation responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building based at least in part on a listener location or a barrier location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The audio speaker system of claim 19, wherein the instructions are executable for: establishing the orientation of the speaker driver orientation responsive to identifying that the first audio speaker is located inside a building based at least in part on a listener location.