Apparatus and method for providing messages in a social network

• US 8,744,860 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao, Renger, Bernard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US12/848,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 704270-275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server including a controller to receive audio signals and content identification information from a media processor, generate text representing a voice message based on the audio signals, determine an identity of media content based on the content identification information, generate an enhanced message having text and additional content where the additional content is obtained by the controller based on the identity of the media content, and transmit the enhanced message to the media processor for presentation on the display device, where the enhanced message is accessible by one or more communication devices that are associated with a social network and remote from the media processor. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a controller; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising;

receiving audio signals and content identification information from a gateway, the audio signals representing a voice message inputted into a remote control device in communication with the gateway when media content is being presented by a display device in communication with the gateway, the content identification information being associated with the media content;

generating text representing the voice message based on the audio signals;

determining an identity of the media content based on the content identification information;

determining a context of the voice message;

generating an enhanced message comprising the text and additional content, wherein the additional content is obtained by the controller based on the identity of the media content and the context of the voice message; and

transmitting the enhanced message to the gateway for presentation on the display device, wherein the enhanced message is accessible by a group of communication devices, wherein users of the group of communication devices and a user of the remote control device are associated with each other by a social network server managing a social network website, and wherein the group of communication devices are remote from the remote control device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise selecting a speech recognition grammar from a group of speech recognition grammars based on the identity of the media content, and generating the text according to the speech recognition grammar.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting the speech recognition grammar to recognize words spoken in the voice message.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating the additional content based on the context of the voice message.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining the additional content based on user profiles associated with the gateway and the group of communication devices.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise delivering the media content for presentation at another display device that is operably coupled with one of the group of communication devices, wherein the one of the group of communication devices is not subscribed to receive the media content.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the media content is presented at the other display device for a pre-determined duration.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the remote control device is configured for voice communication with at least a portion of the group of communication devices.

9. A computing device comprising:

a controller; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising;

wirelessly receiving a voice message from a remote communication device, wherein the voice message is an input into the remote communication device;

transmitting the voice message to a server for generating text based on the voice message;

transmitting content identification information associated with media content to the server, wherein an identity of the media content being presented at a time of receiving the voice message is determined by the server based on the content identification information, wherein an enhanced message comprising the text and additional content is generated by the server, and wherein the additional content is obtained by the server based on the identity of the media content and based on a context of the voice message;

receiving the enhanced message from the server; and

providing the enhanced message for presentation on a display device in communication with the controller, wherein the enhanced message is accessible by a group of communication devices, wherein users of the group of communication devices and a user of the remote communication device are associated with each other by a social network server managing a social network website, and wherein the group of communication devices are remote from the remote communication device.

10. The computing device of claim 9, comprising one of a gateway, a set top box or a gaming console.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the content identification information comprises time information and a channel being viewed at the time of receiving the voice message.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

wirelessly receiving control signals from the remote communication device;

controlling presentation of the media content on the display device operably coupled with the computing device based on the control signals; and

transmitting a portion of the media content to the server.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server including a processor, a voice message from a media processor, the voice message associated with media content presented by the media processor at a time the voice message was captured;

determining, by the server, a context of the voice message;

obtaining, by the server, additional content according to an identity of the media content and the context of the voice message;

generating, by the server, an enhanced message comprising the additional content and text representing the voice message; and

providing, by the server, access to the enhanced message for a group of communication devices, wherein users of the group of communication devices and a user of the media processor are associated with each other by a social network server managing a social network website, and wherein the group of communication devices is remote from the media processor.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising providing the enhanced message to the media processor for presentation on a display device operably coupled with the media processor, wherein the providing of the enhanced message causes the media processor to present a graphical user interface super-imposed over a portion of second media content being presented by the media processor, wherein the graphical user interface includes a picture-in-picture window for presenting the media content, wherein the graphical user interface includes the additional content and the text representing the voice message, and wherein the context of the voice message comprises a subject matter of media content.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving, by the server from the media processor, the media content that was being presented by the media processor at the time the voice message was captured, wherein the media content was recorded by the media processor; and

comparing, by the server, the media content to a sample of media content to determine the identity of the media content, wherein the determining of the context of the voice message is based on the identity of the media content, and wherein the sample of media content is stored among a group of samples of media content accessible to the server.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising determining the identity of the media content based on identification information received from the media processor, wherein the identification information includes a time stamp associated with the voice message and a channel being accessed by the media processor at a time corresponding to the time stamp.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising:

applying, by the server, speech recognition to the voice message;

detecting, by the server, an unclear word in the voice message according to the speech recognition;

determining, by the server, a clarified word representative of the unclear word based on the context of the voice message and the identity of the media content; and

generating, by the server, the text representing the voice message based on the speech recognition and the determining of the clarified word.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising:

accessing, by the server, a user profile associated with the media processor; and

generating, by the server, additional text representing a question related to the media content, wherein the question is generated based on the user profile, and wherein the enhanced message comprises the additional text.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the context of the voice message comprises a discussion of music or television programming, wherein the enhanced message comprises additional text representing information describing the additional content, and wherein the additional content comprises an image embedded in the enhanced message.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the voice message is recorded by a remote control device in communication with the media processor, and wherein the remote control device is operable to transmit control signals to the media processor for controlling presentation of the media content by the media processor.