User speech interfaces for interactive media guidance applications

• US 7,783,491 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Reichardt, M. Scott, Berezowski, David M., DeWeese, Toby
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US12/106,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 725/39, 725/46, 725/55
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/02 Preprocessing operations, e.g. segment selection; Pattern representation or modelling, e.g. based on linear discriminant analysis [LDA] or principal components; Feature selection or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

A user speech interface for interactive media guidance applications, such as television program guides, guides for audio services, guides for video-on-demand (VOD) services, guides for personal video recorders (PVRs), or other suitable guidance applications is provided. Voice commands may be received from a user and guidance activities may be performed in response to the voice commands.

Claims

1. A method of performing guidance activities in an interactive media guidance application, comprising:

providing content from a first user-specified media source to a user, wherein the first user-specified media source is of a first type;

receiving a voice command from the user, wherein;

the voice command indicates a user-specified guidance activity for a second user-specified media source, and

the second user-specified media source is of a second type that is different from the first type;

determining an identity of the user based on the voice command; and

in response to receiving the voice command, identifying the second user-specified media source and performing the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source, wherein the user-specified guidance activity is based on the identity of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user'"'"'s request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user'"'"'s request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting the second user-specified media source; and

performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting the second user-specified media source.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises browsing media listings; and

performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing listings for the second user-specified media source in a browse display.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information related to a media source; and

performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information for media from the second user-specified media source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content; and

performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content from the second user-specified media source.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing content from a first user-specified media source comprises providing a first audio output from the first user-specified media source, and wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source comprises:

providing a second audio output from the second user-specified media source; and

lowering the volume of the first audio output or muting the first audio output from the first user-specified media source.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording content from the second user-specified media source; and

performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a second voice command from the user indicating a user-specified device on which to record the content of the second user-specified media source, wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity further comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source to the user-specified device.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a second voice command from the user indicating a user-specified file in which to record the content of the second user-specified media source, wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity further comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source in the user-specified file.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

recording the content to a device or file based on the identity of the user.

13. A system for performing guidance activities in an interactive media guidance application, comprising:

a microphone;

a user output device; and

an interactive media guidance application implemented at least partially on local processing circuitry and configured to;

direct the user output device to provide content from a first user-specified media source to a user, wherein the first user-specified media source is of a first type;

receive a voice command from the microphone, wherein;

the voice command indicates a user-specified guidance activity for a second user-specified media source; and

the second user-specified media source is of a second type that is different from the first type;

determine an identity of the user based on the voice command; and

in response to receiving the voice command, identify the second user-specified media source and perform the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source, wherein the user-specified guidance activity is based on the identity of the user; and

direct the user output device to provide an output to the user corresponding to the user-specified guidance activity.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user'"'"'s request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the second user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user'"'"'s request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting a media source; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to;

select the second user-specified media source; and

direct the user output device to provide an output to the user for the second user-specified media source.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises browsing media listings; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to;

obtain media listings for the second user-specified media source; and

direct the user output device to provide listings for the second user-specified media source.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information related to the second user-specified media source; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the user output device to provide information to the user related to the second user-specified media source.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising a recording device, wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the recording device to play back previously-recorded content from the user-specified second media source.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a speaker, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:

direct the speaker to provide a first audio output from the first user-specified media source;

direct the speaker provide a second audio output from the second user-specified media source; and

direct the speaker to lower the volume of the first audio output or mute the first audio output of the first user-specified media source.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a recording device, wherein:

the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording content from the second user-specified media source; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the recording device to record the content from the user-specified second media source.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of recording devices, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:

receive a second voice command from the microphone indicating a user-specified recording device on which to record the content from the second user-specified media source; and

direct the user-specified recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:

receive a second voice command from the microphone indicating a user-specified file in which to record the content from the second user-specified media source; and

direct the recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source to the user-specified file.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein:

the system further comprises a plurality of recording devices; and

the interactive media guidance application is further configured to;

select a recording device based on the identity of the user; and

direct the selected recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:

select a file based on the identity of the user; and

direct the recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source to the selected file.