Method and apparatus for analyzing discussion regarding media programs

• US 8,275,623 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mukerji, III, Ankur, Scott, Charles, White, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US12/399,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A process and system including a device, such as a set-top box, including a controller to detect a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference to discuss a presentation of a media program, convert speech dialog detected in the voice conference to textual dialog, detect from the textual dialog a behavioral profile of at least one of the plurality of users, and identify at least one of advertisement content and marketable media content for the plurality of users based on the behavioral profile of the at least one user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a device of a system, a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference to discuss a presentation of a media program;

converting, by the device of the system, speech dialog detected in the voice conference to textual dialog;

detecting from the textual dialog, by the device of the system, a behavioral pattern of at least one of the plurality of users; and

identifying, by the device of the system, at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content for the plurality of users according to the behavioral pattern of the at least one user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavioral pattern is detected using at least one of key words, key phrases, or statistical modeling, and wherein the device corresponds to one of a set top box, a communications device, a computing device, or central office equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring the media program;

identifying a media program profile from the monitored media program; and

identifying the at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content for the plurality of users according to the behavioral pattern of the at least one user and the media program profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media program profile is identified using metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving a signal from a set-top box to invoke the detection of the voice conference.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the media program is pre-recorded, and wherein the method comprises replacing existing advertisements with targeted advertisements for the plurality of users based on the detected behavioral patterns of the at least one of a plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying previously recorded behavior patterns of at least a portion of the users; and

correlating the previously recorded behavior patterns with the detected behavioral pattern of the least one of the plurality of users to target one of new advertisements or new content to the plurality of users.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

searching one of an electronic program guide, a video-on-demand, or other content databases for additional content of potential interest; and

suggesting the additional content to the at least one of the plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the plurality of users is a group leader of the users engaging in the voice conference.

10. The method of claim 3, comprising:

recommending to the plurality of users a new program upon completion of the media program based on the behavioral pattern of the at least one user and the media program profile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavioral pattern comprises profiling at least one of the users for one of biases, opinions, moods, language, personality, demographics or psychographics.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting of speech dialog to textual dialog is conducted utilizing a speech-to-text algorithm.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the new target advertisements or the new content is generated in real-time to the plurality of users.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice conference is carried out on an audio bridge.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operates in an interactive media system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the interactive media system comprises at least one of an Internet Protocol Television system, an interactive cable television system, an interactive satellite television system, a cellular communication system, a landline telephony communication system, and an internet protocol multimedia subsystem system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the media program comprises one of audio content, image content, and a combination thereof.

18. A device, comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

detecting a plurality of users engaging in a discussion with respect to a presentation of a media program;

converting speech dialog detected in the discussion to textual dialog; and

identifying for the plurality of users at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content from the textual dialog.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect from the textual dialog a behavioral profile of at least one of the plurality of users;

monitor the media program;

identify a media program profile from the monitored media program; and

identify the at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content according to the behavioral profile of the at least one user and the media program profile.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the behavioral profile is detected using at least one of key words, key phrases, or statistical modeling.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the device comprises one of a set-top box or an interactive television to invoke the detection of the discussion.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the controller is adapted to:

identify previously recorded behavior patterns of a least a portion of the users; and

correlate the previously recorded behavior patterns with the detected behavioral profile of the least one of the plurality of users to target one of new advertisements or new content to the plurality of users.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a voice conference to discuss a presentation of a media program;

analyzing textual dialog derived from the voice conference to detect a behavioral pattern of at least one of a plurality of users engaged in the voice conference; and

identifying for the plurality of users at least one of advertisement content or marketing content according to the behavioral pattern of the at least one user.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the behavioral pattern is detected using at least one of key words, key phrases, or statistical modeling.

25. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for:

monitoring the media program;

identifying a media program profile from the monitored media program; and

identifying for the plurality of users the at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content according to the behavioral pattern of the at least one user and the media program profile.

26. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for:

identifying previously recorded behavior patterns of a least a portion of the users; and

correlating the previously recorded behavior patterns with the detected behavioral pattern of the least one of the plurality of users to target one of new advertisements or new content to the plurality of users.

27. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the storage medium comprises computer instructions for:

searching one of an electronic program guide, a video-on-demand, or other content databases for additional content of potential interest; and

suggesting the additional content to the plurality of users.

28. A set-top box comprising:

a memory storing computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

detecting a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference to discuss a presentation of a media program supplied by an interactive television network; and

identifying for the plurality of users at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content from textual dialog derived from the voice conference.

29. The set-top box of claim 28, wherein the controller is operative to:

monitor the media program;

identify a behavioral profile of at least one user;

identify a media program profile from the monitored media program; and

identify for the plurality of users the at least one of advertisement content or marketable media content according to the behavioral profile of the at least one user and the media program profile.

30. The set-top box of claim 29, wherein the behavioral profile is detected using at least one of key words, key phrases, or statistical modeling.

31. The set-top box of claim 29, wherein the controller is operative to:

identify previously recorded behavior patterns of a least a portion of the users; and

correlate the previously recorded behavior patterns with the identified behavioral profile of the least one user to target one of new advertisements or new content to the plurality of users.