Determining Audience State or Interest Using Passive Sensor Data

• US 20170188079A1
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hulten, Geoffrey J., Krum, Kyle J., Conrad, Michael J., Mendhro, Umaimah A., Remington, Darren B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,798,438 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for determining an audience'"'"'s state or interest using passive sensor data. The techniques receive sensor data that measures an audience during presentation of a media program. The techniques, based on this sensor data, then determine a state or interest of the audience members during the media program.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more audience-sensing devices; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, in response to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

sensing audio originating from an audience, the audio passively sensed during presentation of a media program by the system to the audience;

determining interest levels of the audience, the determining based on the sensed audio; and

providing the determined interest levels of the audience to one or more entities, the one or more entities separate from the system and the determined interest levels of the audience effective to enable measurement of a value of the media program, assessment of a potential value of a similar media program or portion thereof, control of presentation of the media program, or automatic rating, for the audience, of the media program.

2. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensed audio, orientation sufficient to determine a person, from the audience, from whom the audio originated.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the sensed audio, words that were spoken by the determined person.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the sensed audio, emotional states of the audience.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing further comprises sensing facial orientations of the audience during presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed facial orientations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing further comprise sensing heart or respiration rates of the audience during the presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed heart or respiration rates.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined interest levels of the audience are associated to portions of the media program.

8. A computer-implemented method performed by a device during presentation of a media program by the device to an audience, the method comprising:

sensing audio originating from the audience during the presentation of the media program;

determining interest levels of the audience, the determining based on the sensed audio; and

providing the determined interest levels of the audience to one or more entities, the one or more entities separate from the device and the determined interest levels of the audience effective to enable measurement of a value of the media program, assessment of a potential value of a similar media program or portion thereof, control of presentation of the media program, or automatic rating, for the audience, of the media program.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the sensed audio, orientation sufficient to determine a person, from the audience, from whom the audio originated.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the sensed audio, words that were spoken by the determined person.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on the sensed audio, emotional states of the audience.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the sensing further comprises sensing facial orientations of the audience during the presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed facial orientations.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the sensing further comprises sensing heart or respiration rates of the audience during the presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed heart or respiration rates.

14. The system of claim 8, where the determined interest levels of the audience are associated to portions of the media program.

15. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processor, causes the processor to implement operations including:

sensing audio originating from an audience, the audio passively sensed during presentation of a media program to the audience;

determining interest levels of the audience, the determining based on the sensed audio; and

providing the determined interest levels of the audience to one or more entities, the determined interest levels of the effective to enable measurement of a value of the media program, assessment of a potential value of a similar media program or portion thereof, control of presentation of the media program, or automatic rating, for the audience, of the media program.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15, the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensed audio, orientation sufficient to determine a person, from the audience, from whom the audio originated.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on the sensed audio, words that were spoken by the determined person.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15, wherein the sensing further comprises sensing facial orientations of the audience during the presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed facial orientations.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15, wherein the sensing further comprises sensing heart or respiration rates of the audience during the presentation of the media program and the determining interest levels of the audience is further based on the sensed heart or respiration rates.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15, wherein the determined interest levels of the audience are associated to portions of the media program.