Method and Device for Embedding Event Notification Into Multimedia Content

• US 20080268911A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eronen, Antti, Laine, Pauli
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a device for embedding event notification into multimedia content being reproduced on an electronic device. The method comprises reproducing multimedia content on said electronic device, detecting an event requiring notification of a user of said electronic device and responsive thereto applying a modification to said reproduction of said multimedia content, according to said event, wherein said modification achieves a user-perceivable variation in said reproduced multimedia content.

Claims

1. Method for embedding event notification into multimedia content being reproduced on an electronic device, the method comprising:

reproducing multimedia content on said electronic device;

detecting an event requiring notification of a user of said electronic device; and

responsive thereto

applying a modification to said reproduction of said multimedia content, according to said event, wherein said modification achieves a user-perceivable variation in said reproduced multimedia content.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises audio content, and wherein said modification comprises at least one of

amplitude modulation;

pitch modulation;

tempo modulation;

adding a reverb effect to said audio content;

manipulating an existing reverb effect of said audio content, or

adding a stereo or surround effect to said audio content.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein said modification comprises

analyzing properties of said audio content;

adapting a notification-related audio content according to said analyzed properties; and

adding the adapted notification-related audio content to said reproduction of said audio content.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein said analyzed properties comprise at least one of

the tempo of said audio content;

the pitch of said audio content;

the volume of said audio content;

or

the spectral distribution of said audio content.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein adapting said notification-related audio content comprises

calculating a masking curve of said audio content;

and

adapting the level of said notification-related audio content to exceed said masking curve by a pre-determined value.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content comprises video content, and wherein said modification comprises adding a visual notification to said video content, according to said event.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein said visual notification comprises a manipulation of at least one of

the color of said video content;

the brightness of said video content;

or

the contrast of said video content.

8. Method according to claim 6, comprising

analyzing said video content to detect contiguous faces comprising a substantially uniform color;

and

adding said visual notification within said detected faces.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia content is a computer game, and wherein said modification comprises a manipulation and/or generation of game objects according to said event.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein said computer game uses textures, and wherein said manipulation comprises exchanging textures with textures representing a visual notification according to said event.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein said event is an incoming call or an incoming message.

12. Method according to claim 11, further comprising

terminating said modification of said reproduction of said multimedia content when said incoming call is hung up or refused.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein said event is a change in an operation condition of said electronic device.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein said electronic device is a battery-powered device and wherein said change in an operation condition is the battery capacity falling below a predetermined threshold.

15. Computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium and configured, when said program product is run on a computer or network device, to:

reproduce multimedia content on an electronic device;

detect an event requiring notification of a user of said electronic device; and

responsive thereto

apply a modification to said reproduction of said multimedia content, according to said event, wherein said modification achieves a user-perceivable variation in said reproduced multimedia content.

16. Computer program product comprising program code, downloadable from a server and configured, when said program product is run on a computer or network device, to:

reproduce multimedia content on an electronic device;

detect an event requiring notification of a user of said electronic device; and

responsive thereto

apply a modification to said reproduction of said multimedia content, according to said event, wherein said modification achieves a user-perceivable variation in said reproduced multimedia content.

17. Electronic device for embedding event notification into multimedia content being reproduced thereon, the device comprising:

a content source component adapted for providing a multimedia content;

a reproduction component adapted for reproducing said multimedia content; and

a modification component connected with said reproduction component;

an event detection component connected with said modification component, said event detection component being adapted for detecting events requiring a notification of a user of said electronic device;

wherein said modification component is adapted for applying a modification to said reproduced multimedia content, responsive to said detection component detecting an event, and wherein said modification achieves a user-perceivable variation in said reproduced multimedia content.

18. Device according to claims 17, wherein said multimedia content comprises audio content, and said modification comprises at least one of

amplitude modulation;

pitch modulation;

tempo modulation;

adding a reverb effect to said audio content;

manipulating an existing reverb effect of said audio content;

or

adding a stereo or surround effect to said audio content.

19. Device according to claim 17, wherein said multimedia content comprises audio content, and further comprising

an analyzing component connected with said modification component, adapted for analyzing properties of said audio content;

and

a storage component for storing notification-related audio content;

wherein said modification component is adapted for adapting said stored notification-related audio content according to said analyzed properties; and

for adding the adapted notification-related audio content to said reproduction of said audio content.

20. Device according to claim 19, wherein said modification component is adapted for calculating a masking curve of said audio content;

and for adapting the level of said notification-related audio content to exceed said masking curve by a pre-determined value.

21. Device according to claim 17, wherein said multimedia content comprises video content, and wherein said modification component is adapted for adding a visual notification to said video content, according to said event.

22. Device according to claim 21, wherein said modification component is adapted for performing a manipulation of at least one of

color,

brightness, or

contrast

of said video content, according to said event.

23. Device according to claim 21, wherein said modification component is adapted for analyzing said video content to detect contiguous faces comprising a substantially uniform color;

and adding said visual notification within said detected faces.

24. Device according to claim 17, wherein said multimedia content is a computer game, and wherein said modification component is adapted for performing a manipulation and/or generation of game objects according to said event.

25. Device according to claim 24, wherein said computer game uses textures, and wherein said manipulation component is adapted for exchanging textures with textures representing a visual notification according to said event.

26. Device according to claim 17, wherein said event detection component is adapted for detecting an incoming call or an incoming message.

27. Device according to claim 26, wherein said modification component is further adapted for terminating said modification of said reproduction of said multimedia content when said incoming call is hung up or refused.

28. Device according to claim 17, wherein said event detection component is adapted for detecting a change in an operation condition of said electronic device.

29. Device according to claim 28, wherein said electronic device is a battery-powered device and wherein said event detection component is adapted for detecting when the battery capacity falls below a predetermined threshold.

30. An apparatus comprising:

an event detection component configured to detect events requiring a notification of a user of an electronic device; and

a modification component configured to apply, in response to said detection component detecting an event, a modification to multimedia content that is otherwise to be reproduced such that said modification provides a user-perceivable variation in said multimedia content to be reproduced.