SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRESENTING SOCIAL NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS IN AUDIBLE FORM BASED ON USER ENGAGEMENT WITH A USER DEVICE

• US 20150149179A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Korbecki, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,892,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination

Abstract

Methods and systems are described herein for generating an audible presentation of a communication received from a remote server. A presentation of a media asset on a user equipment device is generated for a first user. A textual-based communication is received, at the user equipment device from the remote server. The textual-based communication is transmitted to the remote server by a second user and the remote server transmits the textual-based communication to the user equipment device responsive to determining that the second user is on a list of users associated with the first user. An engagement level of the first user with the user equipment device is determined. Responsive to determining that the engagement level does not exceed a threshold value, a presentation of the textual-based communication is generated in audible form.

Claims

1. A method for generating an audible presentation of a communication received from a remote server, the method comprising:

generating a presentation, for a first user, of a media asset on a user equipment device;

receiving, at the user equipment device from the remote server, a textual-based communication, wherein the textual-based communication is transmitted to the remote server by a second user, and wherein the remote server transmits the textual-based communication to the user equipment device responsive to determining that the second user is on a list of users associated with the first user;

determining an engagement level of the first user with the user equipment device; and

responsive to determining that the engagement level does not exceed a threshold value, generating a presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form is performed instead of generating a visual presentation of the communication.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing text from the textual-based communication using a text-to-speech technique to convert the text into the audible form based on a voice of the second user, such that when sounded the audio of the communication is presented in the voice of the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote server is associated with a social network, wherein the textual-based communication is a communication on the social network, and wherein the list of users includes friends of the first user on the social network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein audio from the generation of the presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form replaces audio corresponding to the media asset.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a priority level associated with the second user; and

in response to determining the priority level exceeds a priority threshold assigned by the first user, generating an audible signal unique to the second user, the audible signal identifies the second user to the first user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the audible signal is sounded before the textual-based communication is presented in audible form.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the engagement level comprises determining whether a gaze of the first user is directed at a display associated with the user equipment device for a threshold period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the engagement level comprises determining whether the first user is within a given proximity of the user equipment device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the textual-based communication is presented in audible form on a mobile user equipment device associated with the first user.

11. A system for generating an audible presentation of a communication received from a remote server, the system comprising:

processing circuitry configured to;

generate a presentation, for a first user, of a media asset on a user equipment device;

receive, at the user equipment device from the remote server, a textual-based communication, wherein the textual-based communication is transmitted to the remote server by a second user, and wherein the remote server transmits the textual-based communication to the user equipment device responsive to determining that the second user is on a list of users associated with the first user;

determine an engagement level of the first user with the user equipment device; and

responsive to determining that the engagement level does not exceed a threshold value, generate a presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form instead of generating a visual presentation of the communication.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to process text from the textual-based communication using a text-to-speech technique to convert the text into the audible form based on a voice of the second user, such that when sounded the audio of the communication is presented in the voice of the second user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote server is associated with a social network, wherein the textual-based communication is a communication on the social network, and wherein the list of users includes friends of the first user on the social network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein audio from the generation of the presentation of the textual-based communication in audible form replaces audio corresponding to the media asset.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a priority level associated with the second user; and

in response to determining the priority level exceeds a priority threshold assigned by the first user, generate an audible signal unique to the second user, the audible signal identifies the second user to the first user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the audible signal is sounded before the textual-based communication is presented in audible form.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether a gaze of the first user is directed at a display associated with the user equipment device for a threshold period of time.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether the first user is within a given proximity of the user equipment device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the textual-based communication is presented in audible form on a mobile user equipment device associated with the first user.

21-50. -50. (canceled)