Method and apparatus for analyzing discussion regarding media programs

• US 8,457,971 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• 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: White, Scott, Mukerji, Ankur, Scott, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Smits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Application Number:
  US13/594,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 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 system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device including a controller to detect a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference related to 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 based on the behavioral profile of the at least one user. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a system comprising a processor, from a communication link a plurality of users engaging in a voice conference related to a presentation of a media program;

converting, by the system, speech dialog of the plurality of users detected in the voice conference to textual dialog of the plurality of users; and

identifying, by the system, content for distribution to equipment of a user of the plurality of users responsive to the textual dialog of the plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the system, a behavioral pattern from the textual dialog of the plurality of users using a feature selected from a group consisting of:

key words;

key phrases;

statistical modeling; and

combinations thereof, wherein the system corresponds to equipment selected from a group consisting of;

a set-top box;

a communications device;

a computing device;

central office equipment; and

combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by the system, the media program; and

identifying, by the system, a media program profile from the media program,

wherein the identifying, by the system, of the content comprises identifying, by the system, the content for the user of the plurality of users responsive to the textual dialog of the plurality users and the media program profile.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

submitting, by the system, a message to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users recommending a new program upon completion of the media program, based on the textual dialog of the plurality of users and the media program profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media program is pre-recorded, and wherein the method further comprises replacing, by the system, existing advertisements presented with the media program with targeted advertisements for distribution to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users based on the textual dialog of the plurality of users.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the system, a behavioral pattern from the textual dialog of the plurality of users;

identifying, by the system, previously recorded behavior patterns determined from equipment of the user of the plurality of users; and

correlating, by the system, the previously recorded behavior patterns with the behavioral pattern to direct the content to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of new advertising content and new media content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the behavioral pattern comprises profiling information monitored from the communication link for a trait selected from a group consisting of;

biases;

opinions;

moods;

language;

personality;

demographics;

psychographics; and

combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching, by the system, a databases for additional content of potential interest; and

submitting, by the system, to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users a message that recommends the additional content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting of the speech dialog to the textual dialog of the plurality of users is conducted utilizing a speech-to-text computer program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media program is selected from a group consisting of:

of audio content;

image content; and

a combination thereof.

11. A device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

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

detecting from a monitored communication session a plurality of users engaging in a discussion with respect to a presentation of a media program;

determining a textual dialog of the plurality of users indicative of a speech dialog of the plurality of users detected from the monitored communication session; and

identifying, for distribution to equipment of a user of the plurality of users, content responsive to the textual dialog of the plurality of users.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller further performs operations comprising:

detecting from the textual dialog of the plurality of users a behavioral profile;

monitoring the media program;

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

wherein the identifying of the content comprises identifying the content according to the behavioral profile and the media program profile, wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of;

advertising content;

marketable media content; and

combinations thereof.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the behavioral profile is detected using features selected from a group consisting of:

key words;

key phrases;

statistical modeling; and

combinations thereof.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller further performs operations comprising:

identifying previously recorded behavior patterns; and

correlating the previously recorded behavior patterns with the behavioral profile to direct one of new advertisements and new content to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of:

a set-top box; and

an interactive television to invoke the detection of the discussion.

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

detecting from a communication session a voice conference involving among a plurality of users a discussion of a presentation of a media program;

analyzing textual dialog of the plurality of users derived from the voice conference; and

identifying, for distribution to equipment of a user of the plurality of users, content responsive to processing of the textual dialog of the plurality of users.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein processing of the textual dialog of the plurality of users comprises detecting features selected from a group consisting of:

key words;

key phrases;

application of statistical modeling; and

combinations thereof.

18. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

monitoring the media program; and

identifying a media program profile from the monitored media program;

wherein the identifying of the content comprises identifying the content responsive to the textual dialogs of the plurality of users and the media program profile, wherein the content is selected from a group consisting of;

advertising content;

marketable media content; and

combinations thereof.

19. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

detecting a behavioral pattern from the textual dialog of the plurality of users;

identifying previously recorded behavior patterns; and

correlating the previously recorded behavior patterns with the behavioral pattern to direct new content to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users.

20. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the processor further performs operations comprising:

searching a content database for additional content of potential interest; and

submitting to the equipment of the user of the plurality of users a message that recommends the additional content.