Automatic transition of content based on facial recognition

• US 10,257,571 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Benea, Robert, Cedilnik, Andrej
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Application Number:
  US16/017,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20180310061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Methods and systems for automatically transitioning content based on facial recognition, wherein the method may include receiving a signal from a camera, identifying a face of a viewer within an area, retrieving a user identifier associated with the face of the viewer, selecting a program, and displaying the program.

Claims

1. A device for transitioning content, the device comprising:

a memory; and

a hardware processor that, when executing computer executable instructions stored in the memory, is configured to;

receive one or more signals that include first image data associated with a first media playback device that has been assigned a first environment and second image data associated with a second media playback device that has been assigned a second environment;

determine, from the received signal, that a viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during playback of a media content item on the first media playback device in the first environment; and

causing the media content item to be presented on the second media playback device in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during the playback of the media content item on the first media playback device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to cause the first media device to power off.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to transmit instructions that cause the media content item to no longer be presented by the first media device.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising an imaging device, wherein the at least the first image data is received from the imaging device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

detect that the viewer has moved from the second environment during playback of the media content item on the second media playback device;

associate a time parameter of the media content item that corresponds to the detection;

detect that the viewer has moved back into the second environment with the second media device; and

in response to the detection, cause the media content item to resume being presented by the second media device based on the associated time parameter.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

identify the viewer based on facial characteristics determined from the first image data; and

associate the viewer with an identifier based on the identification.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment, identify a plurality of media content items that have been partially viewed by the viewer;

cause an interface that presents selectable indications of the plurality of media content items to be presented on the second media device;

receive a selection of one of the indications of the plurality of media content items; and

cause one of the plurality of media content items that corresponds to the selected indication to be presented by the second media device.

8. A method for transitioning content, the method comprising:

receiving, using a hardware processor, one or more signals that include first image data associated with a first media playback device that has been assigned a first environment and second image data associated with a second media playback device that has been assigned a second environment;

determine, using the hardware processor, from the received signal, that a viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during playback of a media content item on the first media playback device in the first environment; and

causing, using the hardware processor, the media content item to be presented on the second media playback device in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during the playback of the media content item on the first media playback device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the first media device to power off.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting instructions that cause the media content item to no longer be presented by the first media device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least the first image data is received from an imaging device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting that the viewer has moved from the second environment during playback of the media content item on the second media playback device;

associating a time parameter of the media content item that corresponds to the detection;

detecting that the viewer has moved back into the second environment with the second media device; and

in response to the detection, causing the media content item to resume being presented by the second media device based on the associated time parameter.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying the viewer based on facial characteristics determined from the first image data; and

associating the viewer with an identifier based on the identification.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment, identifying a plurality of media content items that have been partially viewed by the viewer;

causing an interface that presents selectable indications of the plurality of media content items to be presented on the second media device;

receiving a selection of one of the indications of the plurality of media content items; and

causing one of the plurality of media content items that corresponds to the selected indication to be presented by the second media device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for transitioning content, the method comprising:

receiving, using a hardware processor, one or more signals that include first image data associated with a first media playback device that has been assigned a first environment and second image data associated with a second media playback device that has been assigned a second environment;

determine, using the hardware processor, from the received signal, that a viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during playback of a media content item on the first media playback device in the first environment; and

causing, using the hardware processor, the media content item to be presented on the second media playback device in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment during the playback of the media content item on the first media playback device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises causing the first media device to power off.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises transmitting instructions that cause the media content item to no longer be presented by the first media device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least the first image data is received from an imaging device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting that the viewer has moved from the second environment during playback of the media content item on the second media playback device;

associating a time parameter of the media content item that corresponds to the detection;

detecting that the viewer has moved back into the second environment with the second media device; and

in response to the detection, causing the media content item to resume being presented by the second media device based on the associated time parameter.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the viewer based on facial characteristics determined from the first image data; and

associating the viewer with an identifier based on the identification.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

in response to detecting that the viewer has moved from the first environment to the second environment, identifying a plurality of media content items that have been partially viewed by the viewer;

causing an interface that presents selectable indications of the plurality of media content items to be presented on the second media device;

receiving a selection of one of the indications of the plurality of media content items; and

causing one of the plurality of media content items that corresponds to the selected indication to be presented by the second media device.