CONTROL METHOD OF PLAYING CONTENT AND CONTENT PLAYING APPARATUS PERFORMING THE SAME

• US 20160057497A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Hyun-jee, KONG, Won-keun, LEE, Nam-suk
• Granted Patent: US 10,887,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

An example content playing apparatus includes: an output device including a display and a speaker; and one or more controllers configured to recognize a plurality of users viewing content played by the output device, select at least one of the plurality of users based on one or more criteria, and control playing of the content according to the at least one selected user.

Claims

1. A content playing system comprising:

an output device including a display and a speaker;

one or more controllers, each including a processor, configured to recognize a plurality of users viewing content played by the output device,

select at least one of the plurality of users based on one or more criteria, and control playing of the content according to the at least one selected user.

2. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to determine ages of the plurality of users based on at least one of faces, voices, and body shapes of the plurality of users,

select the youngest user from among the plurality of users, and restrict playing of content which the youngest user is not allowed to view.

3. The content playing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more controllers determine a viewing rating based on analysis of the content and compare the determined viewing rating against the age of the youngest user in order to determine whether the youngest user is allowed to view the content.

4. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to detect a change in the number of users viewing the content being played, and

repeat the selection of at least one of the plurality of users when the number of users changes.

5. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to predict at least one additional user based on analysis of voices of the plurality of users viewing the content being played, the voices included in conversations between the plurality of users, and select at least one user from among the plurality of users and the predicted at least one additional user.

6. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein, based on changes to the content played through the output device, the one or more controllers are configured to repeat the recognition of the plurality of users viewing the content, and

repeat the selection of at least one of the plurality of recognized users.

7. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to periodically recognize the plurality of users,

periodically select at least one of the plurality of users.

8. The content playing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to recognize activities of the plurality of users,

select at least one user performing a predetermined activity from among of the plurality of users, and control playing of the content according to a preference of the at least one selected user.

9. The content playing system of claim 8, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to generate for display, on the output device, a list of channels or a list of content preferred by the at least one selected user.

10. A method of controlling playing of content on an output device including a display and a speaker, the method comprising:

recognizing a plurality of users viewing the content;

selecting at least one of the plurality of users based on predetermined criteria; and

controlling playing of the content one the output device according to the at least one selected user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing comprises determining ages of the plurality of users based on at least one of faces, voices, and body shapes of the plurality of users,

the selecting comprises selecting the youngest user from among the plurality of users, and

the controlling comprises restricting playing of content which the youngest user is not allowed to view.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlling comprises:

determining a viewing rating based on analysis of the content;

comparing the determined viewing rating against the age of the at least one selected user in order to determine whether the at least one selected user is allowed to view the content; and

restricting playing of at least some pieces of the content if the youngest user is not allowed to view the pieces of the content.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing and the selecting are performed whenever the number of users viewing the content changes.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing comprises:

predicting whether at least one additional user will view the content based on analysis of voices of the plurality of users in conversations between the plurality of users; and

selecting at least one user from among the plurality of users and the predicted at least one additional user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the recognizing and the selecting are performed whenever the content being played changes.

16. A system for controlling playing content on an output device including one or both of a display and a speaker, the system including:

one or more controllers configured to recognize users viewing and/or listening to the content, select at least one of the viewers based on one or more criteria, and control playing of the content on the output device based on the selected user.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a camera for capturing images of the users for use by the one or more controllers in recognizing the users.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a microphone for capturing sounds of the users for use by the one or more controllers in recognizing the users.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more criteria includes age.