Systems and methods for modifying content based on a positional relationship

• US 9,021,404 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian, Stallings, Heath, Relyea, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US11/510,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,168 Days
• Field of Search: 715/866
• US Class Current: 715/866
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4518 involving characteristics of one or more peripherals, e.g. peripheral type, software version, amount of memory available or display capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a content processing subsystem and a user device communicatively coupled to the content processing subsystem. The content processing subsystem is configured to provide content for experiencing by a user, the content processing subsystem being further configured to modify at least one element of the content based on a positional relationship between the content processing subsystem and the user device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a content processing subsystem including processor and memory hardware and configured to provide content for experiencing by a user; and

a user device communicatively coupled to said content processing subsystem;

wherein said content processing subsystem is configured to;

receive user input indicating a predefined distance threshold approximating a distance between said content processing subsystem and a specified location;

pause or resume playback of said content based on a positional relationship between said content processing subsystem and said user device, said pausing or resuming playback comprising;

pausing playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that exceeds said predefined distance threshold, or

resuming playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that does not exceed said predefined distance threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said positional relationship includes at least one of a distance relationship and an angular relationship between said content processing subsystem and said user device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said user device is physically portable in relation to said content processing subsystem.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said content processing subsystem and said user device is configured to determine said positional relationship based on at least one communication signal transmitted between said user device and said content processing subsystem.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said user device transmits said at least one communication signal to said content processing subsystem, said content processing subsystem configured to use at least one property of said communication signal to determine said positional relationship.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said at least one property includes at least one of intensity, transmission delay, and angle of incidence of said communication signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said user device includes at least one button configured to be actuated by the user, wherein an actuation of said button is configured to cause said content processing subsystem to perform at least one of activating a content modification mode, determining said positional relationship, and modifying said content based on said positional relationship.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said modifying of said content based on said positional relationship takes into account an attribute of said content identified in metadata associated with said content.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said content processing subsystem is further configured to:

provide configuration output for experiencing by the user,

receive feedback from the user, and

modify said predefined distance threshold based on said feedback.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein said configuration output comprises at least one of visual content and audio content.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said configuration output comprises an eye exam chart.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said feedback from the user indicates whether said visual content is viewable.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one output driver configured to provide an output signal including content for experiencing by a user;

a communication interface configured to;

communicate with a user device, and

receive user input indicating a predefined distance threshold approximating a distance between said apparatus and a specified location; and

at least one hardware processor configured to pause or resume playback of said content based on a positional relationship between said apparatus and the user device,

wherein said pausing or resuming playback of said content based on said positional relationship comprises;

pausing playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said apparatus and said user device that exceeds said predefined distance threshold, or

resuming playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said apparatus and said user device that does not exceed said predefined distance threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said communication interface is configured to receive at least one communication signal from the user device, said at least one processor configured to use said at least one communication signal to determine said positional relationship.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said positional relationship includes at least one of a distance relationship and an angular relationship between said apparatus and the user device.

13. A method comprising:

receiving user input indicating a predefined distance threshold approximating a distance between a content processing subsystem and a specified location;

determining a positional relationship between said content processing subsystem and a user device, said positional relationship being determined by at least one of said content processing subsystem and said user device; and

pausing or resuming playback of content by said content processing subsystem based on said positional relationship,

wherein said pausing or resuming playback of said content based on said positional relationship comprises;

pausing playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that exceeds said predefined distance threshold, or

resuming playback of said content when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that does not exceed said predefined distance threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining step includes determining at least one of a distance relationship and an angular relationship between said content processing subsystem and said user device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting at least one communication signal between said user device and said content processing subsystem, wherein said determining step includes using said at least one communication signal to determine said positional relationship.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said content comprises media content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said media content comprises at least one of audio content and video content.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said content processing subsystem is located in a room comprising a doorway; and

said predefined distance threshold approximates a distance between said content processing subsystem and said doorway.

19. A method comprising:

receiving user input indicating a predefined distance threshold approximating a distance between a content processing subsystem and a specified location;

playing back, by the content processing subsystem, a media program for experiencing by a user;

determining, by the content processing subsystem, a positional relationship between the content processing subsystem and a user device;

pausing, by the content processing subsystem, the playback of the media program when said positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that exceeds said predefined distance threshold;

determining, by the content processing subsystem, another positional relationship between the content processing subsystem and the user device; and

resuming, by the content processing subsystem, the playback of the media program when said another positional relationship comprises a distance between said content processing subsystem and said user device that does not exceed said predefined distance threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the media program comprises at least one of a television program, an on-demand program, a pay-per-view program, and a recorded broadcast media program.