MEDIA CONTENT OUTPUT CONTROL

• US 20160066020A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale Llewelyn
• Granted Patent: US 9,936,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals

Abstract

Control, based upon one or more pre-determined and user-configurable criterion, the loudness or intensity of audio as output by a television or handheld mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, a command to tune to particular programming at a time of broadcast of the particular programming by a satellite television provider;

determining, by the computing device, whether at least one particular criterion that specifies a condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by an audio output device is applicable; and

generating, by the computing device when the at least one particular criterion is applicable, a command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device to a finite volume level less than that prior the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by a television receiver, the command to tune to particular programming at the time of broadcast of the particular programming by a satellite television provider;

determining, by the television receiver, that the at least one particular criterion is applicable;

generating, by the television receiver, the command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device; and

modifying, by the television receiver, an audio signal that which is sent to a television that exhibits the audio output device to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by a handheld mobile device that exhibits the audio output device, the command to tune to particular programming at the time of broadcast of the particular programming by a satellite television provider;

determining, by the handheld mobile device, that the at least one particular criterion is applicable;

generating, by the handheld mobile device, the command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device; and

adjusting, by the handheld mobile device, a volume control of the handheld mobile device to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device to a level that is a fraction of a maximum level of volume for output of audio by the audio output device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a television receiver.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a handheld mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a definition of the at least one particular criterion that specifies the condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device; and

storing the definition to a particular persistent memory location for subsequent access therefrom.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, when the at least one particular pre-defined criterion is applicable, a command to discontinue output of audio and video of the particular programming by a television that which exhibits the audio output device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, when the at least one particular pre-defined criterion is applicable, a command to discontinue output of audio and video of the particular programming by a handheld mobile device that which exhibits the audio output device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one particular criterion is selected from:

a particular time of day and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device;

a particular type of content of the particular programming and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device; and

a particular broadcast channel that carries the particular programming at the time of broadcast of the particular programming by the satellite television provider and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one particular criterion is selected from:

a particular time of day;

a particular type of content of the particular programming; and

a particular broadcast channel that carries the particular programming at the time of broadcast of the particular programming by the satellite television provider.

12. A television receiver, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory element communicatively coupled with and readable by at least one processor and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

detect a command to tune to particular programming at a time of broadcast of the particular programming by a satellite television provider;

determine whether at least one particular criterion that specifies a condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by an audio output device is applicable; and

generate when the at least one particular criterion is applicable a command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device to a finite volume level.

13. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

determine that the at least one particular criterion is applicable;

generate the command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device; and

modify an audio signal that which is sent to a television that exhibits the audio output device to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device.

14. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

generate the command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device to a level that is a particular predefined fraction of a maximum level of volume for output of audio by the audio output device.

15. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

receive a definition of the at least one particular criterion that specifies the condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device; and

store the definition to a particular persistent memory location for subsequent access therefrom.

16. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

generate, when the at least one particular pre-defined criterion is applicable, a command to discontinue output of audio and video of the particular programming to a television that is coupled to the television receiver and that which exhibits the audio output device.

17. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

detect a command to activate the television receiver to determine whether at least one particular criterion that specifies the condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by an audio output device is applicable.

18. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

derive an instant output level of volume of audio output by the audio device; and

determine that the at least one particular criterion that specifies the condition to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device is applicable when the instant output level of volume of audio output by the audio device is estimated to be greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

19. The television receiver of claim 12, wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

identify the at least one particular criterion selected from;

a particular time of day and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device;

a particular type of content of the particular programming and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device; and

a particular broadcast channel that carries the particular programming at the time of broadcast of the particular programming by the satellite television provider and an instant volume level of audio output by the audio output device.

20. A method, comprising:

determining, by a television receiver, that particular criteria that together specifies a condition to attenuate audio of particular programming as instantly output by an audio output device of a presentation device is applicable;

generating, by the television receiver, a command to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device to a particular volume level; and

modifying, by the television receiver, an audio signal that which is sent to the presentation device to attenuate audio of the particular programming as instantly output by the audio output device.