Volume customization

• US 9,215,507 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Madathodiyil, Baburaj, Mohammed, Saleem S., Senthil, Vijay, Surianarayanan, Vinodkrishnan, Raman, Sampath, Sriraman, Venkatesan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders, Justin
• Application Number:
  US13/301,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20130128119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 348/563
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A method may include identify an application launched in a device by a user or a program or a channel selected by the user for playing. The method may further include querying a database to determine whether the application, program, or channel is associated with preset volume settings, wherein the database includes information identifying preset volume settings for a plurality of applications, a plurality of programs, or a plurality of channels. The method may include setting, when the application, program, or channel is associated with preset volume settings, the volume according the preset volume settings during execution of the application or playing of the program or channel. The method may also include prompting the user to set volume settings associated with the application, program, or channel when the application is not associated with the preset volume settings.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying an application launched in a device by a user or identifying a program or a channel selected by the user for playing, wherein the identified application, program, or channel includes audio content;

querying a database, in response to identifying the application, program, or channel, to determine whether the application, program, or channel is associated with a corresponding set of rules, wherein the database stores a set of rules for each of a plurality of applications, programs, or channels, wherein each of the sets of rules is associated with a plurality of conditions and a plurality of preset volume settings corresponding to the plurality of conditions, wherein the plurality of conditions and the plurality of preset volume settings are customizable by the user, and wherein the plurality of preset volume settings associated with a particular application, program, or channel are applied to all audio content played in association with the particular application, program, or channel;

adjusting a volume for playing the audio content, according to the corresponding set of rules, when determined that the identified application, program, or channel is associated with the corresponding set of rules, during execution of the identified application or during the playing of the identified program or channel;

prompting the user to set a new set of rules to associate with the identified application, program, or channel, in response to determining that the identified application, program, or channel is not associated with the corresponding set of rules; and

receiving from the user in response to prompting the user to set the new set of rules, the new set of rules and associating the new set of rules in the database with the identified application, program, or channel.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a volume level for adjusting the volume of the content included in the corresponding application, program, or channel.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a maximum volume level above which the volume for playing the audio content included in the application, program, or channel cannot exceed.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the user is associated with a profile, the method further comprising:

preventing altering of the maximum volume level by the user based on privileges associated with the profile that prevent altering of the maximum volume level.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the user is a first user and the profile is a first profile, the method further comprising:

allowing altering of the maximum volume level by a second user based on privileges associated with a second profile that allow altering of the maximum volume level.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the sets of rules includes a time frame during which the corresponding preset volume setting applies.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the application, program, or channel includes identifying the program selected for playing, wherein the sets of rules corresponding to the selected program includes a genre of programming for which the preset volume setting applies.

8. A device comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions to;

receive a command initiated by a user to launch an application or to play a channel or a program, wherein the application, channel, or program includes audio content;

query a database, in response to the received command initiated by the user, to determine whether the application, program, or channel is associated with a set of rules, wherein the database stores sets of rules for each of a plurality of applications, programs, or channels, wherein each of the sets of rules is associated with a set of conditions and a plurality of preset volume settings corresponding to the set of conditions, wherein the sets of conditions and the plurality of preset volume settings corresponding to the sets of conditions are customizable by the user, and wherein the plurality of preset volume settings associated with a particular application, program, or channel are applied to all audio content played in association with the particular application, program, or channel;

adjust a volume for playing the audio content, according to a corresponding set of rules, when the processor determines that the application, program, or channel is associated with the corresponding set of rules during execution of the application or playing of the channel or the program; and

prompt the user to set a new set of rules to associate with the application, program, or channel in response to the command initiated by the user, and in response to the application, channel, or program not being associated a corresponding set of rules; and

receive from the user, in response to the prompt, the new set of rules and associate the new set of rules in the database with the application, program, or channel.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a volume level for adjusting the volume for playing the audio content included in the corresponding the application, program, or channel.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a maximum volume level above which the volume for playing the audio content included in the corresponding application, program, or channel cannot exceed.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the user is associated with a profile, and wherein the processor is configured to prevent altering of the maximum volume level by the user based on privileges associated with the profile that prevent altering of the maximum volume level.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the user is a first user and the profile is a first profile, and wherein the processor is configured to allow altering of the maximum volume level by a second user based on privileges associated with a second profile that allow altering of the maximum volume level.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the sets of rules includes a time frame during which the corresponding preset volume setting applies.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor receives a selection of the program for playing, and wherein the set of rules corresponding to the selected program includes a genre of programming for which the preset volume setting applies.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions including:

one or more instructions to identify an application launched in a device by a user or to identify a program or a channel selected by the user for playing, wherein the identified application, program, or channel includes audio content;

one or more instructions to query a database, in response to the identification of the application, the program, or the channel, to determine whether the application, program, or channel is associated with a corresponding set of rules, wherein the database stores a set of rules for each of a plurality of applications, programs, or channels, wherein each of the sets of rules is associated with a set of conditions and a plurality of preset volume settings corresponding to the set of conditions, wherein the sets of conditions and the plurality of preset volume settings corresponding to the sets of conditions are customizable by the user, and wherein the plurality of preset volume settings associated with a particular application, program, or channel are applied to all audio content played in association with the particular application, program, or channel;

one or more instructions to adjust a volume for playing the audio content, according to the corresponding set of rules, when the application, program, or channel is associated with the corresponding set of rules, during execution of the application or playing of the program or channel; and

one or more instructions to prompt the user to set a new set of rules to associate with the identified application, program, or channel, in response to identification of the application, program, or channel, and in response to the determining that the application, program, or channel, is not associated a set of rules; and

one or more instructions to receive from the user, in response to prompting the user to set the new set of rules, the new set of rules and associate the new set of rules in the database with the identified application, program, or channel.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a volume level for adjusting the volume for playing the audio content included in the corresponding application, program, or channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the preset volume settings includes a maximum volume level above which the volume for playing the audio content included in the corresponding application, program, or channel cannot exceed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user is associated with a profile, further comprising:

one or more instructions to prevent altering of the maximum volume level by the user based on privileges associated with the profile that prevent altering of the maximum volume level.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the user is a first user and the profile is a first profile, further comprising:

one or more instructions to allow altering of the maximum volume level by a second user based on privileges associated with a second profile that allow altering of the maximum volume level.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein each of the sets of rules includes a time frame during which the corresponding preset volume setting applies.