# US 9,439,022 B2 · Playback device speaker configuration based on proximity detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,439,022 B2 - Document ID: US9439022B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/921,799 - 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/US9439022B2 ## 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 causing the playback device to play an audio content, where a first speaker of the playback device is arranged to output in a first direction and configured to play a component of the audio content; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device; detecting that the barrier is within a threshold proximity to the first speaker of the playback device; based on the detecting, causing the first speaker to be deactivated; and causing a second speaker of the playback device to play at least the component of the audio content, where the second speaker arranged to output in a second direction that is different from the first direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A playback device comprising: a first speaker arranged to output in a first direction; a second speaker arranged to output in a second direction that is different from the first direction; one or more processors; 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 causing the playback device to play an audio content, wherein the first speaker is configured to play a component of the audio content; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device; 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; based on the detecting, causing the first speaker to be deactivated; and after the first speaker is deactivated, causing the second speaker of the playback device to play at least the component of the audio content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the second speaker arranged to output in a second direction that is different from the first direction, and wherein the method further comprises modifying at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second output direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, 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 4 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, wherein the component of the audio content is a sub-component of audio content to be played by the first speaker. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The playback device of claim 1, the method further comprising: adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The playback device of claim 5, 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 7 (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 the 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 8 (depends on 7) The playback device of claim 7, 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, wherein causing the first speaker to be deactivated comprises 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 9 (depends on 1) The method 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 a 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 10 A method comprising: causing a playback device to play an audio content, wherein a first speaker of the playback device is arranged to output in a first direction and configured to play a component of the audio content; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device; 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; based on the detecting, causing the first speaker to be deactivated; and after the first speaker is deactivated, causing a second speaker of the playback device to play at least the component of the audio content, wherein the second speaker arranged to output in a second direction that is different from the first direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, 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 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the component of the audio content is a sub-component of audio content to be played by the first speaker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the playback device has a frequency response, and wherein detecting that the barrier is within the 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, wherein causing the first speaker to be deactivated comprises 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 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: causing the playback device to play an audio content, wherein a first speaker of the playback device is arranged to output in a first direction and configured to play a component of the audio content; receiving proximity data that includes an indication of a barrier that is proximate to the playback device; 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; based on the detecting, causing the first speaker to be deactivated; and after the first speaker is deactivated, causing a second speaker of the playback device to play at least the component of the audio content, wherein the second speaker arranged to output in a second direction that is different from the first direction. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise modifying at least a portion of the component of the audio content based on at least the second direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, 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 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the component of the audio content is a sub-component of audio content to be played by the first speaker. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising: adjusting the component of the audio content based on the received proximity data. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the playback device has a frequency response, and wherein detecting that the barrier is within the 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 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, wherein causing the first speaker to be deactivated comprises 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.