Apparatus and method for providing messages in a social network

• US 9,263,047 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• 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: Renger, Bernard S., Chang, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US14/533,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 memory that stores instructions; and

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

receiving, from a computing device, a voice message that is associated with media content;

identifying the media content;

determining a context of the voice message, wherein the determining is based on the media content;

obtaining additional content, wherein the obtaining is based on the media content and further based on the context of the voice message;

generating an enhanced message comprising the additional content; and

providing a communication device with access to the enhanced message, wherein the communication device and the computing device are associated with each other via a social network server.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving a message request that includes information, wherein the information comprises information for identifying the media content.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

recognizing a word in the voice message, wherein the recognizing is based on the context of the voice message; and

generating text representing the voice message,

wherein the enhanced message comprises the text and the additional content.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the providing further comprises delivering the enhanced message to the social network, and wherein the communication device has access to the social network.

5. The server of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise selecting a speech recognition grammar, wherein the selecting is in accordance with the context of the voice message, and wherein the text is generated according to the speech recognition grammar.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the social network server manages a social network website, and wherein the communication device is remote from the computing device.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the media content is transmitted over a channel for presentation at a display device, and wherein determining the identity of the media content further comprises identifying the channel over which the media content is presented at the display device, wherein the media content is presented during the voice message.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise receiving state information of a media processor, wherein the media processor is coupled to the display device, and wherein the state information comprises an identity of the channel.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise delivering the enhanced message to a display device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the media content is presented at the display device, and wherein the enhanced message is included in a graphical user interface superimposed on the media content.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a computing device, a voice message that is associated with media content;

determining an identity of the media content, wherein the determining is based on metadata provided with the media content, on an analysis of the media content or on a combination thereof;

determining, based on the identity of the media content, a context of the voice message;

recognizing a word in the voice message, wherein the recognizing is based on the context of the voice message;

generating text representing the voice message;

obtaining additional content, wherein the obtaining is based on the identity of the media content and on the context of the voice message;

generating an enhanced message, wherein the enhanced message comprises the text and the additional content; and

providing a communication device with access to the enhanced message, wherein the communication device and the computing device are associated with each other by a social network.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the recognizing further comprises selecting a speech recognition grammar, wherein the selecting is in accordance with the context of the voice message, and wherein the text is generated according to the speech recognition grammar.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the speech recognition grammar is selected according to a television channel, a television program, a music genre, or a combination thereof.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the media content is presented at a display device, wherein the determining the identity of the media content further comprises identifying a channel over which the media content is transmitted, wherein the media content is transmitted for presentation at the display device, and wherein the presentation is performed when the voice message is received.

15. The machine-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the enhanced message is included in a graphical user interface superimposed on the media content presented at the display device.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server comprising a processor, a voice message from a computing device;

identifying, by the server, media content related to the voice message;

determining, by the server, a context of the voice message, wherein the determining is based on the media content;

recognizing, by the server, a word in the voice message, wherein the recognizing is based on the context of the voice message;

generating text representing the voice message;

obtaining, by the server, additional content, wherein the obtaining is based on the media content and on the context of the voice message;

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

providing, by the server, a communication device with access to the enhanced message, wherein the communication device and the computing device are associated with each other via a social network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the voice message is received during a presentation of the media content, wherein the media content is presented at a display device, and wherein the identifying the media content further comprises identifying a channel over which the media content is transmitted.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the recognizing further comprises selecting a speech recognition grammar, wherein the selecting is in accordance with the context of the voice message, and wherein the text is generated according to the speech recognition grammar.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising accessing a user profile associated with the computing device, and wherein the obtaining of the additional content is based on the user profile.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the social network comprises a website managed by a social network server, and wherein the communication device is remote from the computing device.