# US 9,439,021 B2 · Proximity detection using audio pulse > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,439,021 B2 - Document ID: US9439021B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/921,781 - Filed: 2015-10-23 - Published: 2016-02-11 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-17 - Assignees: Sonos, Inc. - Applicants: Sonos, Inc. - Inventors: Tetsuro Oishi; William H. Bush - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9439021B2 ## CPC - H04R 29/007: {for public address systems (public address systems per se H04R27/00)} - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04R 1/323: {for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - 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)} - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04R 29/002: {Loudspeaker arrays} - H04S 7/307: {Frequency adjustment, e.g. tone control (H04S7/301 takes precedence)} - H04R 2227/001: Adaptation of signal processing in PA systems in dependence of presence of noise - H04R 2227/003: Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet - H04R 2227/005: Audio distribution systems for home, i.e. multi-room use - H04R 2420/03: Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers - H04R 2430/03: Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing - H04R 2499/13: Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles - 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 - H04S 2420/07: Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract Embodiments described herein involve configuring a playback device based on the detection of a barrier in proximity to the playback device. One embodiment may involve receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to a playback device; detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to a first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device; in response to the detecting, setting a playback configuration of the playback device; and causing the playback device to play an audio content according to the playback configuration. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A playback device comprising: one or more processors; one or more speakers; one or more microphones; and tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions encoded therein, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the playback device to perform a method comprising outputting, via at least one of the one or more speakers, an audio pulse; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device, wherein receiving the proximity data comprises: receiving data indicative of a reflected audio pulse via at least one of the one or more microphones, and wherein the reflected audio pulse corresponds to the outputted audio pulse; detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to a first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device; based on the detecting, setting a playback configuration of the playback device; and causing the playback device to play an audio content according to the playback configuration. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein setting a playback configuration of the playback device comprises: causing the first speaker of the playback device to be deactivated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The playback device of claim 2, wherein the first speaker of the playback device is configured to play a component of the audio content, the method further comprising: after causing the first speaker to be deactivated, causing a second speaker of the playback device to play at least a portion of the component of the audio content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The playback device of claim 3, wherein the first speaker has a first output direction, wherein the second speaker has a second output direction that is different from the first output direction of the first speaker, and wherein causing a second speaker to play at least a portion of the component of the audio content further comprises: modifying the at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second output direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The playback device of claim 3, wherein the audio content is a stereo recording, and wherein the component of the audio content is one of: (i) a right channel component of the stereo recording or (ii) a left channel component of the stereo recording. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the first speaker is configured to play a component of the audio content, and wherein setting a playback configuration of the playback device comprises: adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The playback device of claim 6, wherein adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data comprises: adjusting one or more frequency components of the component of the audio content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device has a frequency response, and wherein detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to the first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device comprises: determining a frequency response of a system, wherein the system comprises the playback device and the barrier; and determining whether a difference between the frequency response of the playback device and the frequency response of the system is greater than a first distortion threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The playback device of claim 8, wherein the playback device further operates according to a second distortion threshold that is of a higher distortion than the first distortion threshold, the method further comprising: adjusting a component of the audio content to be played by the first speaker based on the received proximity data when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the first distortion threshold by the barrier; and causing the first speaker to be deactivated when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the second distortion threshold by the barrier. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a component of a media playback system, and wherein the media playback system comprises the playback device and a controller, the method further comprising: in response to setting the playback configuration of the playback device, sending an indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device to the controller of the media playback system. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: outputting, via at least one speaker of a playback device, an audio pulse; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device, wherein receiving the proximity data comprises: receiving data indicative of a reflected audio pulse via at least one microphone, and wherein the reflected audio pulse corresponds to the outputted audio pulse; detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to a first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device, wherein the first speaker is configured to play a component of an audio content; and based on the detecting, (i) causing the first speaker to be deactivated and (ii) causing a second speaker of the playback device to play the component of the audio content. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first speaker has a first output direction, wherein the second speaker has a second output direction that is different from the first output direction of the first speaker, and wherein causing a second speaker to play at least a portion of the component of the audio content further comprises: modifying the at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second output direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the audio content is a stereo recording, and wherein the component of the audio content is one of: (i) a right channel component of the stereo recording or (ii) a left channel component of the stereo recording. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the playback device has a frequency response, and wherein detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to the first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device comprises: determining a frequency response of a system, wherein the system comprises the playback device and the barrier; and determining whether a difference between the frequency response of the playback device and the frequency response of the system is greater than a first distortion threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the playback device further operates according to a second distortion threshold that is of a higher distortion than the first distortion threshold, the method further comprising: adjusting a component of the audio content to be played by the first speaker based on the received proximity data when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the first distortion threshold by the barrier; and causing the first speaker to be deactivated when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the second distortion threshold by the barrier. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed, cause a playback device to perform operations comprising: outputting, via at least one of speaker, an audio pulse; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device, wherein receiving the proximity data comprises: receiving data indicative of a reflected audio pulse via at least one microphone, and wherein the reflected audio pulse corresponds to the outputted audio pulse; detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to a first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device; based on the detecting, setting a playback configuration of the playback device; and causing the playback device to play an audio content according to the playback configuration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein setting a playback configuration of the playback device comprises causing the first speaker of the playback device to be deactivated, wherein the first speaker of the playback device was configured to play a component of the audio content; and wherein the operations further comprise: after causing the first speaker to be deactivated, causing a second speaker of the playback device to play at least a portion of the component of the audio content. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first speaker has a first output direction, wherein the second speaker has a second output direction that is different from the first output direction of the first speaker, and wherein causing a second speaker to play at least a portion of the component of the audio content further comprises: modifying the at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second output direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the audio content is a stereo recording, and wherein the component of the audio content is one of: (i) a right channel component of the stereo recording or (ii) a left channel component of the stereo recording. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first speaker is configured to play a component of the audio content, and wherein setting a playback configuration of the playback device comprises: adjusting one or more frequency components of the component of the audio content. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the playback device has a frequency response, and wherein detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to the first speaker of the playback device based on the indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device comprises: determining a frequency response of a system, wherein the system comprises the playback device and the barrier; and determining whether a difference between the frequency response of the playback device and the frequency response of the system is greater than a first distortion threshold. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the playback device further operates according to a second distortion threshold that is of a higher distortion than the first distortion threshold, the operations further comprising: adjusting a component of the audio content to be played by the first speaker based on the received proximity data when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the first distortion threshold by the barrier; and causing the first speaker to be deactivated when the frequency response of the playback device is distorted above the second distortion threshold by the barrier. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the playback device is a component of a media playback system, and wherein the media playback system comprises the playback device and a controller, the operations further comprising: in response to setting the playback configuration of the playback device, sending an indication of the barrier that is proximate to the playback device to the controller of the media playback system.