Automatic creation of sleep bookmarks in content items

• US 9,335,819 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jaeger, Timothy, Taneja, Shiranchal, Brothers, Nathan Garret
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US14/316,679
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

Features are disclosed for facilitating content presentation and consumption based on input regarding a user'"'"'s gaze. Gaze tracking or eye tracking information can be obtained from, e.g., a user-facing camera. A content presentation system can determine whether the user'"'"'s eyes have closed and how long they have closed, whether the user'"'"'s gaze is directed at the portion of content currently being presented or at some other location, etc. Based on such determinations, presentation of content may be modified. In some cases, a current presentation position may be changed, highlights may be applied, a special bookmark may be generated, etc.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data store configured to store computer-executable instructions; and

a computing device in communication with the data store, the computing device, when executing the computer-executable instructions, configured to at least;

cause presentation of an audio version of a content item simultaneously with a textual version of the content item;

receive, during presentation of the audio version and textual version of the content item, input data regarding eyes of a user to whom the audio version and textual version of the content item are being presented;

determine, using the input data, that the eyes of the user have been closed for a period of time exceeding a threshold; and

in response to determining that the eyes of the user have been closed for the period of time, create a bookmark comprising information regarding a presentation position of the audio version of the content item, the presentation position corresponding to a portion of the audio version of the content item that was presented to the user before the period of time had elapsed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least determine, using sensor input regarding at least one of an action of the user or a characteristic of the user, that the user is asleep, and wherein the bookmark is created in response to determining that the user is asleep.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the content item comprises a book, wherein the audio version comprises an audio book, and wherein the textual version comprises an electronic book.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the bookmark further comprises contextual information regarding an action of the user occurring prior to determining that the eyes of the user have been closed for the period of time.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing devices configured with specific computer-executable instructions,

receiving, during presentation of a media content item, input data regarding eyes of a user to whom the media content item is being presented;

determining that the input data does not indicate the eyes of the user are open during a particular period of time;

in response to the determining, creating content location information for the media content item, the content location information reflecting a presentation position of the media content item corresponding to a portion of the media content item that was presented to the user before the particular period of time elapsed; and

storing the content location information in an electronic data store,

wherein the electronic data store is accessible during a subsequent presentation of the media content item.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the presentation position relates to a play position within the media content item, an elapsed time of the media content item, a remaining time of the media content item, a portion of the media content item, or an amount of the media content item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein creating the content location information comprises creating the content location information without user intervention.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the media content item comprises an audio book, a musical recording, or a video.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the media content item is presented simultaneously with a textual content item, and wherein a current presentation position of the media content item is synchronized with a current presentation position of the textual content item.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

using the input to determine that the eyes of the user are not open; and

starting a timer corresponding to the particular period of time.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the input comprises optical input obtained from a user-facing camera.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising determining that the user is asleep based at least partly on input from one or more sensors different than the user-facing camera.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a microphone, a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, or a global positioning system component.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the content location information is associated with contextual information based at least partly on input from the one or more sensors.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium which stores a computer-executable module, said computer-executable module, when executed by one or more processors, being configured to:

receive, during presentation of an automatically-progressing content item, input data regarding a user to whom the automatically-progressing content item is being presented;

determine that the input data does not indicate the eyes of the user are open during a particular period of time; and

in response to determining that the input does not indicate the user is following the presentation, create content location information for the automatically-progressing content item, the content location information reflecting a presentation position of the automatically-progressing content item corresponding to a portion of the automatically-progressing content item that was presented to the user before the particular period of time elapsed.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the presentation position relates to a play position within the automatically-progressing content item, an elapsed time of the automatically-progressing content item, a remaining time of the automatically-progressing content item, a portion of the automatically-progressing content item, or an amount of the automatically-progressing content item.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein creating the content location information comprises creating the content location information without user intervention.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the automatically-progressing content item comprises an audio book, a musical recording, a textual item, a video, or a combination of two or more of:

an audio book, a musical recording, a textual item, an image, and a video.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the automatically-progressing content item comprises an audio content item presented simultaneously with a textual content item, and wherein a current presentation position of the audio content item is synchronized with a current presentation position of the textual content item.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to at least:

start a timer corresponding to the particular period of time.

21. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the input comprises optical input obtained from a user-facing camera.

22. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable module is further configured to at least determine that the user is asleep based at least partly on input from one or more sensors different than the user-facing camera.

23. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of:

a microphone, a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, or a global positioning system component.

24. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 22, wherein the content location information is associated with contextual information based at least partly on input from the one or more sensors.