Enhancing User Sleep Cycle

• US 20180361109A1
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Eng, Adam, Barnett, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 10,589,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/005 images, e.g. video
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/08 Biomedical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for receiving and processing video content to aid in a user'"'"'s rest cycles, such as sleep and wake cycles. Video content may be received and processed to determine information related to a plurality of pixels to be displayed on a screen. Each of the plurality of pixels may have a corresponding color value. A time of day when the video content is to be displayed is determined, and compared to a current time of day. Based on the comparison or other data, a color value of one or more of the pixels can be adjusted or changed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving video content comprising information for a plurality of pixels each having a corresponding color value;

determining a display time for displaying the video content;

determining a sleep time of a user; and

based on the determined sleep time and based on the determined display time, shifting, in an amount based on a difference in time from when the video content is to be displayed to the determined sleep time of the user, a color value of at least one of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is displayed on a Red, Green, Blue (R, G, B) display screen, and wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

shifting a color value in a linear manner to at least a Red color value of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen, wherein the Red color value increases in a linear manner as the difference in time decreases.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, based on the difference in time, at least one of an intensity or a brightness of the video content to be displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

shifting a color value to larger portions of the video content as a current time approaches the sleep time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a sleep time comprises:

collecting data comprising information when a display screen changed from an ON state to an OFF state; and

determining the sleep time of the user based on the collected data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

increasing, in a linear manner as the difference in time gets smaller, a red color value of each of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed; and

decreasing, in a linear manner as the difference in time gets smaller, a blue color value of each of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is displayed on a Red, Green, Blue, Yellow (R, G, B, Y) display screen, and wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

shifting, in a linear manner as the difference in time gets smaller, a color value to at least one of red, green, blue or yellow (R, G, B, Y) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is displayed on a Red, Green, Blue, White (R, G, B, W) display screen, and wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

shifting, in a linear manner as the difference in time gets smaller, a color value to at least one of red, green, blue or white (R, G, B, W) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

9. A method comprising:

receiving video content comprising information for a plurality of pixels each having a corresponding color value;

determining a time of day when the video content is to be displayed;

determining a target time associated with a user viewing the video content; and

based on the target time and based on a current time of day when the video content is to be displayed, shifting a color value of at least one of the plurality of pixels of a portion of the video content to be displayed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portion of the video content for which the color value is shifted increases as the current time of day when the video content is displayed approaches the target time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the video content is displayed on a (R, G, B, Y) display screen, and wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

shifting a color value in a linear manner to at least one of red, green, blue or yellow (R, G, B, Y) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the video content is displayed on a (R, G, B, W) display screen, and wherein the shifting a color value comprises:

shifting a color value in a linear manner to at least one of red, green, blue or white (R, G, B, W) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of an intensity or a brightness of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the shifting a color value is performed by a controller of a set top box associated with a television set that is to display the video content.

15. A method comprising:

receiving video content comprising information for a plurality of pixels each having a corresponding color value;

determining a display time for display the video content;

determining a sleep time of a user; and

determining, based on;

the determined sleep time,

the determined display time, and

a genre associated with the video content,

an amount of a color shift to apply to at least one of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a genre for which no color shift is to be applied.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content is displayed on a Red, Green, Blue, Yellow (R, G, B, Y) display screen, and wherein determining whether an amount of a color shift to apply comprises:

determining whether to apply a color shift in a linear manner to at least one of red, green, blue or yellow (R, G, B, Y) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content is displayed on a Red, Green, Blue, White (R, G, B, W) display screen, and wherein determining whether an amount of a color shift to apply comprises:

determining whether to apply a color shift in a linear manner to at least one of red, green, blue or white (R, G, B, W) color values of one or more of the plurality of pixels of the video content to be displayed on the display screen.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

adjusting, based on a difference in time between the determined sleep time and the determined display time, at least one of an intensity or a brightness of the video content to be displayed.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content is displayed on a display screen at a same time that audio content associated with the video content is output by an audio device.