DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR PLAYING AUDIO-VIDEO CONTENT

• US 20100122277A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: FONSECA, PEDRO
• Application Number:
  US12/307,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20100122277A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

A device and a method for playing audio-video content (205) during which loss of attention of a user (192) is detected. Loss of attention of the user generates at least one attention loss marker (255) that is stored in an attention loss storage unit (210). The user may revert playback to a point in time corresponding to the attention loss marker using a user interface unit (190). By storing markers corresponding to points of attention loss by the user and requiring explicit user input, the attention loss detector may detect attention loss with an accuracy lower than would otherwise be the case. Optionally, storing of the attention loss markers may be made conditional upon a content analysis unit (420), such as a commercial block detector. An attention loss marker indication (260) may be made visible to the user to indicate that at least one attention loss marker has been detected.

Claims

1. A device (100) for playing audio-video content (205), the device comprising:

a storage unit (170) for supplying the content to be played;

a playback unit (220) for playing the content from the storage unit;

an attention loss detector (200) for detecting at least one point of attention loss by a user (192) during playing of the content by the playback unit;

an attention loss storage unit (210) for storing at least one attention loss marker (255) corresponding to the at least one point of attention loss detected by the attention loss detector; and

a user interface unit (190) for receiving user input (245) from the user indicating that the playback unit should play the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the attention loss storage unit comprises:

an attention loss marker generator (300) communicatively coupled to the attention loss detector and the playback unit, for generating the at least one attention loss marker (255) based upon a current playback point (225) received from the playback unit and a point of attention loss indication (215) received from the attention loss detector; and

an attention loss marker database (310) communicatively coupled to the attention loss marker generator and the playback unit, for storing and retrieving the at least one attention loss marker generated by the attention loss marker generator.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein

the storage unit (170) comprises a random access unit (320) for playing the content in an randomly addressable manner;

the playback unit is communicatively coupled to the storage unit to provide a playback pointer (235) to address the content from the storage unit in the randomly addressable manner; and

wherein

the user interface unit (190) is communicatively coupled to the playback unit to indicate that the playback unit should communicate the playback pointer to the storage unit to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a recording unit (400) for recording a broadcast signal (405), the recording unit being communicatively coupled to the storage unit to record the broadcast signal.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising

a content analyser (420) communicatively coupled to the recording unit (400) for analysing the content and generating at least one content segmentation marker (425) indicating at least one segment within the content,

the content analyser (420) being further communicatively coupled to the storage unit (170) for storing the at least one content segmentation marker, and wherein

the playback unit is communicatively coupled to the storage unit to determine a playback pointer (235) based upon the point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker and the at least one content segmentation marker, the playback unit further being adapted to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the playback pointer.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising

a content analyser (420) communicatively coupled to the storage unit (170) for analysing the content and generating at least one content segmentation marker (425) indicating at least one segment within the content, and wherein

the playback unit is communicatively coupled to the content analyser to determine a playback pointer (235) based upon the point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker and the at least one content segmentation marker, the playback unit further being adapted to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the playback pointer.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the content analyser is a commercial block detector (500) and the at least one content segmentation marker is an at least one commercial block segmentation marker (505).

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the playback unit is arranged to generate an attention loss marker indication (260), the attention loss marker indication indicating that the at least one point of attention loss has been detected by the attention loss detector and wherein the attention loss marker indication is made visible to the user.

9. The device of claim 1 realized as at least one of the group consisting of:

a Set-Top-Box device;

a digital video recording device;

a network-enabled device;

a conditional access system;

a portable audio player;

a portable video player;

a mobile phone;

a DVD player;

a CD player;

a hard disk based media player;

an Internet radio device;

a computer;

a television;

a public entertainment device; and

an MP3 player.

10. A method for playing audio-video content (205), the method comprising:

playing (600) the content to a user (192);

detecting (610) at least one point of attention loss by the user during the playing of the content;

storing (630) at least one attention loss marker (255) corresponding to the at least one point of attention loss detected;

receiving (700) user input (245) from the user indicating that the user desires to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker; and

playing (720) the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker in response to the user input.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

analysing (810) the content;

generating (830) at least one content segmentation marker (425) indicating at least one segment within the content detected in the step of analysing; and

determining (860) a playback pointer (235) based upon the point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker and the at least one content segmentation marker.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the method step of analysing (810) further comprises detecting commercial blocks within the content, and wherein the playback pointer is determined (890) further based upon the commercial blocks detected within the content.

13. A system for playing audio-video content (205), comprising:

a first device (900), for detecting attention loss; and

a second device (940), the second device comprising a playback unit (220) for playing the content;

wherein

the first device comprises;

an attention loss detector (200) for detecting at least one point of attention loss by a user (192) during playing of the content by the second device;

an attention loss storage unit (210) for storing at least one attention loss marker (255) corresponding to the at least one point of attention loss detected by the attention loss detector;

a user interface unit (190) for receiving user input (245) from the user indicating that the content should be played from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker; and

a remote device control unit, for controlling the playback unit of the second device in response to the user input to play the content from the point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first device further comprises:

a timer unit (960) communicatively coupled to the attention loss storage unit and to the remote device control unit; and

wherein

the at least one attention loss marker stored by the attention loss storage unit is determined based upon a first current time (965) generated by the timer unit; and

the remote device control unit controls the second device based upon an elapsed duration between the at least one attention loss marker stored by the attention loss storage unit and a second current time (975) corresponding to reception of the user input.

15. A program element directly loadable into a memory of a programmable device, comprising software code portions for performing, when said program element is run on the device, the method steps of:

playing (600) audio-video content to a user (192);

detecting (610) at least one point of attention loss by the user during the playing of the content;

storing (630) at least one attention loss marker (255) corresponding to the at least one point of attention loss detected;

receiving (700) user input (245) from the user indicating that the user desires to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker; and

playing (720) the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker in response to the user input.

16. A computer-readable medium directly loadable into a memory of a programmable device, comprising software code portions for performing, when said code portions are run on the device, the method steps of:

playing (600) audio-video content to a user (192);

detecting (610) at least one point of attention loss by the user during the playing of the content;

storing (630) at least one attention loss marker (255) corresponding to the at least one point of attention loss detected;

receiving (700) user input (245) from the user indicating that the user desires to play the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker; and

playing (720) the content from a point in time corresponding to the at least one attention loss marker in response to the user input.