User interface presenting an animated avatar performing a media reaction

• US 8,635,637 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krum, Kyle J., Conrad, Michael J., Hulten, Geoffrey J, Mendhro, Umaimah A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US13/309,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20130145384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 725/10, 725/40, 348/222.1, 348/563, 348/564, 348/589, 348/600, 715/861
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a user interface for presenting a media reaction. The techniques receive media reactions of a person to a media program, such as the person laughing at one point of a comedy show, then smiling at another point, and then departing at a third point. The techniques may present these and other media reactions in a user interface through which a user may interact.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a person to which a selected media program has been presented and passive sensor data has been sensed during the presentation of the selected media program to the person; and

presenting, in a user interface, an animated avatar performing a media reaction corresponding to a reaction for the person during the presentation of the selected media program to the person, the media reaction including a clapping, cheering, laughing, screaming, looking toward, looking away, smiling, departed, crying, or sleeping state, the media reaction determined based on the passive sensor data sensed for the person during the presentation of the selected media program.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising presenting multiple other animated avatars performing multiple other media reactions in a time-based state graph for the person.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising presenting a rating automatically determined for the person based on the passive sensor data.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein determining the person determines the person from a group of persons that have selected to share media reactions with a second person, the second person associated with the user interface or associated with a computing device through which the user interface is presented.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining one or more other persons to which the selected media program has been presented and other passive sensor data has been sensed during the presentation of the selected media program to the one or more other persons and presenting, in the user interface, another media reaction corresponding to another reaction for each of the one or more other persons.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising enabling selection, through the user interface, to display the selected media program or a portion thereof, and responsive to selection, causing display of the selected media program or portion thereof.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, wherein causing display of the selected media program or portion thereof presents the selected media program or portion thereof in the user interface.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, further comprising causing a representation of the media reaction to be displayed with display of the selected media program or portion thereof.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, prior to presenting the animated avatar performing the media reaction corresponding to the reaction for the person, receiving a search inquiry through the user interface and determining, based on the search inquiry, the selected media program.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, prior to presenting the animated avatar performing the media reaction corresponding to the reaction for the person, determining the media reaction based on the passive sensor data sensed during the presentation of the selected media program to the person.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a media program that has been presented to a selected person and for which passive sensor data has been sensed during the presentation of the media program to the selected person; and

presenting, in a user interface, an animated avatar performing a media reaction representing a reaction for the person, the media reaction including a clapping, cheering, laughing, screaming, looking toward, looking away, smiling, departed, crying, or sleeping state, the media reaction determined based on the passive sensor data sensed during the presentation of the selected media program to the person.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, further comprising presenting multiple other animated avatars performing multiple other media reactions in a time-based state graph.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, further comprising determining multiple other media programs that have been presented to the selected person and for which passive sensor data has been sensed during the presentations of the media programs and, responsive to determining the multiple other media programs, presenting another media reaction corresponding to another reaction for each of the multiple other media programs within the user interface.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein the other media reactions each include multiple other media reactions and presenting another media reaction for each of the multiple other media programs within the user interface presents time-based graphs for each of the other media reactions.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 14, wherein presenting the time-based graphs presents the time-based graphs in the user interface arranged by order of viewing, media category, or rating for the respective media programs.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, further comprising presenting a rating automatically determined for the person based on the passive sensor data.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, further comprising determining the media reaction.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, wherein the media reaction further includes a sad, a related talking, an unrelated talking, a disgusted, an afraid, a scowling, a placid, a surprised, a waving, a leaning-away, a leaning-toward, or an angry state.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving media reactions for a person, the media reactions determined based on sensor data passively sensed at time periods during which a media program is presented to the person;

presenting, in a user interface, a time-based graph, the time-based graph showing the media reactions for the person at the time periods;

enabling selection, through the time-based graph of the user interface, to display a portion of the media program associated with one of the media reactions; and

responsive to selection of the portion of the media program, causing;

the portion of the media program to be presented; and

an animated avatar to be presented in conjunction with the portion of the media program, the animated avatar clapping, cheering, laughing, screaming, looking toward, looking away, smiling, departed, crying, or sleeping in correspondence with one of the media reactions for the person.

20. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 19, wherein the media reactions include states of the person, the states including one or more of:

a sad, a related talking, an unrelated talking, a disgusted, an afraid, a scowling, a placid, a surprised, an angry, a waving, a leaning-away, or a leaning-toward state.