Thought Control of Set Top Box

• US 20120090003A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Dove, Antony Michael, Hey, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015

Abstract

Disclosure is directed to commanding a content receiver by interpreting brainwave patterns that are captured from a user of the content receiver. The user'"'"'s brainwave patterns may be captured by the use of a headset having a plurality of sensors that are disposed at various locations in proximity to the user'"'"'s head. The content receiver may be operable to learn to recognize specific brainwave patterns for individual users. The content receiver may recognize a number of specific brainwave patterns for each user, each specific brainwave pattern corresponding to a specific command that is executable by the content receiver. When executing user commands, the content receiver may process an input stream from the headset and compare portions of the input stream to the recognized brainwave patterns in order to extract commands from the input stream. Following this, the extracted commands may be executed by the content receiver.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a signal receiver operable to receive a plurality of channels of content, the signal receiver operable to select one of the channels responsive to user input;

an output section connected to the signal receiver, the output section operable to output a signal containing content from the channel selected by the signal receiver, wherein the signal is output to a display device that is configured to display the content; and

a command execution module connected to the signal receiver and the output section, the command execution module operable to process a stream of user input from a headset, wherein the user input represents brainwave activity of a user who wears the headset, the command execution module further configured to compare the user input stream to one or more signal patterns to extract a user command and to execute the extracted user command.

2. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a headset training module operable to acquire the one or more signal patterns from the user through input received from the headset.

3. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of user profiles each having one or more signal patterns for a different user, each signal pattern comprising a brainwave pattern corresponding to each user'"'"'s thought of a executable command.

4. The receiver of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage device having one or more media files, each media file being associated with at least one user;

wherein the extracted input command is the identity of a particular media file, and the command execution module is operable to cause the output section to output the particular media file in response to receiving the extracted input command.

5. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the output section is further operable to output a programming guide signal to the display device, the programming guide signal configured to cause the display device to display an electronic programming guide, and the extracted input command is a command to move a cursor to a point on the displayed electronic programming guide.

6. The receiver of claim 5, wherein the command execution module is operable to extract a second user command from the stream of user input, the second user command selects a particular channel or program that is indicated by the location of the cursor on the electronic programming guide.

7. The receiver of claim 1, wherein the extracted input command is the identity of a particular channel of content, and the command execution module is operable to cause the output section to output the particular channel of content in response to receiving the extracted user command.

8. A method of training a content receiver to recognize commands received from a headset, comprising:

outputting an instruction from a content receiver, the instruction for the user to think a particular command that is executable by the content receiver;

in response to outputting the instruction to the user, receiving a first input signal from a headset, the first input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the instruction; and

in response to receiving the first input signal, storing the first input signal as a signal pattern at the content receiver, wherein the signal pattern is stored in correlation with the instruction output to the user.

9. The method of training a content receiver of claim 8, further comprising:

prior to outputting a command to the user to think a particular command, acquiring baseline brain measurements at the content receiver for the user; and

using the baseline measurements to analyze the first input signal.

10. The method of training a content receiver of claim 8, further comprising:

outputting an instruction for the user to think a test command, wherein the test command is one of a plurality of commands that are each stored in correlation with a particular brainwave pattern for the user;

in response to outputting the instruction to the user to think a test command, receiving an second input signal from the headset, the second input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the instruction;

in response to receiving the second input, comparing the second input signal to each particular brainwave pattern for the user stored at the content receiver to determine a candidate command, wherein the candidate command is correlated with a brainwave pattern that substantially matches the brainwave pattern of the second user input; and

in response to determining a candidate command, executing the candidate command by the content receiver.

11. The method of training a content receiver of claim 10, wherein the operation of acquiring one or more signal patterns further comprises:

prompting the user to confirm that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command;

in response to prompting the user, receiving a third input signal from the user, the third input signal indicating whether or not the executed command corresponds to the test command;

if the executed command corresponds to test command, retaining the brainwave pattern stored at the content receiver in correlation with candidate command; and

if the executed command does not corresponds to test command, deleting the brainwave pattern stored at the content receiver in correlation with the candidate command.

12. The method of training a content receiver of claim 11, wherein the third input signal is received from a hand-held device used by the user to confirm that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command.

13. A method of training a content receiver, comprising:

loading a user profile having one or more signal patterns for a user at a content receiver, each signal pattern comprising a brainwave pattern corresponding to a user'"'"'s thought of a command executable by the content receiver;

receiving a stream of user input from a headset at the content receiver, the stream of user input representing brainwave activity of a user who is wearing the headset;

in response to receiving the stream of user input, comparing the user input stream to the one or more signals patterns to extract a user command, wherein the extracted user command has a brainwave pattern that substantially matches a portion of the user input stream; and

in response to extracting the user command, executing the user command by the content receiver.

14. The method of training a content receiver of claim 13, wherein the commands executable by the content receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on a display device, the method further comprising:

outputting an programming guide signal to the display device, the programming guide signal configured to cause the display device to display an electronic programming guide; and

moving a cursor across the display device in response to a direction specified by the extracted user command.

15. The method of training a content receiver of claim 14, wherein the commands executable by the content receiver include a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor, the method further comprising:

selecting a particular channel or program that is indicated by the cursors location if the extracted command is a selection command.

16. The method of training a content receiver of claim 13, further comprising:

outputting a menu signal to the display device, the menu signal configured to cause the display device to display a control screen menu having one or more menu items selectable by a cursor to execute one or more function of the content receiver;

wherein the commands executable by the content receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on display device and a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor.

17. The method of training a content receiver of claim 16, wherein the control menu items include at least one of a power off selector, a input source selector, a volume selector, and a channel selector.

18. The method of training a content receiver of claim 13, further comprising:

acquiring the one or more signal patterns from the user at a content receiver through input received from the headset.

19. The method of training a content receiver of claim 18, wherein the operation of acquiring one or more signal patterns comprises:

outputting an instruction for the user to think a particular command that is executable by the content receiver;

in response to outputting the instruction to the user, receiving a first input signal from the headset, the first input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the instruction;

in response to receiving the first input signal, storing the first input signal as a signal pattern at the content receiver, wherein the signal pattern is stored in correlation with the instruction output to the user;

outputting an instruction for the user to think a test command, wherein the test command is one of a plurality of commands that are each stored in correlation with a particular brainwave pattern for the user;

in response to outputting the instruction to the user to think a test command, receiving an second input signal from the headset, the second input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the instruction;

in response to receiving the second input, comparing the second input signal to each particular brainwave pattern for the user stored at the content receiver to determine a candidate command, wherein the candidate command is correlated with a brainwave pattern that substantially matches the brainwave pattern of the second user input; and

in response to determining a candidate command, executing the candidate command by the program receiver.

20. The method of training a content receiver of claim 19, wherein the operation of acquiring one or more signal patterns further comprises:

prompting the user to confirm that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command;

in response to prompting the user, receiving a third input signal from the user, the third input signal indicating whether or not the executed command corresponds to the test command;

if the executed command corresponds to test command, retaining the brainwave pattern stored at the content receiver in correlation with candidate command; and

if the executed command does not corresponds to test command, deleting the brainwave pattern stored at the content receiver in correlation with candidate command.