Automated personalized picture frame method

• US 9,472,166 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aura Home, Inc. (Pushd, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pushd, Inc.
• Inventors: Frieder, Ophir, Chowdhury, Abdur, Jensen, Eric, Cherry, Ben, Sanford, Richard, Wirt, Jonathan, Milstein, Scott, Kolcz, Alek, Waldron, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ballard, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/949,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20160140934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/16 Digital picture frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A digital picture frame including a camera integrated with the frame, and a network connection module allowing the frame for use as a Mobile Positional Social Media (MPSM) device for displaying social media pictures from a user'"'"'s social media account or her or his community members'"'"' social media accounts. The integrated camera is used to automatically determine an identity of a frame viewer, and a viewer profile automatically determined from the identity of the viewer. The displayed photos are automatically shown and/or changed according to the detected viewers.

Claims

1. A method of displaying photos on a digital picture frame including a digital display mounted within a frame, a camera connected to the frame, and a network connection module in communication with a social media account of a first user, the method comprising:

automatically determining a first user visit of the first user at a destination via a first user electronic device, wherein the user activity is manually entered by the first user at the first user visit at the destination;

automatically determining a location of the destination via the first user electronic device;

receiving a user activity at the location through the first user electronic device;

automatically determining a first context for the first user visit and user activity;

automatically tagging the location with the user activity and context information from the first context, and storing the tagged location in a location database;

automatically determining a second user visit at the destination via the first user electronic device;

automatically delivering via the first user electronic device a request for manual confirmation of the user activity being performed for the second user arrival;

receiving the manual confirmation of the user activity for the second user visit to the destination;

automatically determining a second context for the second user visit at the destination;

automatically updating the context information of the tagged location from the second context;

for each of a plurality of automatically determined further user visits at the destination, automatically determining a potential for the user activity based upon a comparison of a corresponding further context automatically determined for the each of the further user visits to the context information;

automatically presenting the user activity to the first user through the first user electronic device for manual confirmation of the user activity through the user device at each of a plurality of further user visits at the location;

automatically updating the context information of the tagged location from the further context of each of the further user visits;

automatically learning the user activity by automatically associating the user activity with the location and the context information after receiving the user activity for the plurality of further user visits at the location;

automatically identifying that the first user is participating in the learned user activity upon future user arrivals at the location as a function of comparing the context information to a future context of each of the future user arrivals, without receiving any manually entered confirmation or manually entered additional user information;

a server computer of the computer system automatically sharing via a communication network to a second user electronic device of a second user participating in a social networking service of the social media account that the first user is participating in the learned user activity upon the automatically identifying that the first user is participating in the learned user activity at each of the future user arrivals at the location;

automatically determining with the camera of the digital picture frame an identity of a viewer of the digital picture frame, wherein the viewer is the first user;

automatically loading a viewer profile based upon the determined identity of the viewer; and

automatically changing photos shown on the digital display as a function of the viewer profile upon detection of the viewer with the camera;

wherein each of the first context, the second context, the further context, and the context information comprises at least one of;

a time of day, a day of a week, a calendar date, a preceding user activity to the user visits, a weather condition, people accompanying the user, or community member activity bias information for the destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer profile is automatically learned and uploaded via the social media account of the viewer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically augmenting a photo display on the digital display as a function of photo metadata and the viewer profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically displaying a slideshow of photos relevant to the viewer on the digital display as a function of photo context selected from at least one of:

time taken, photo location, or photo content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically accessing using the network module the social media account of the viewer or a further social media account of at least one social media community member of the viewer; and

automatically loading and displaying photos for display on the digital display from the social media account of the viewer or the further social media account of the at least one social media community member.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising automatically sequencing photos displayed on the digital display as a function of profiling traits selected from at least one of:

chronological order, photo location, photo activity, or community member.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a server computer automatically sharing via a communication network to the network module photos from a social media account of at least one community member of the viewer upon the automatic determination of the viewer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically changing photos displayed on the digital display to photos from a social media account of each of two or more persons viewing the digital picture frame, upon automatic detection with the camera of the two or more persons viewing the digital picture frame.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the photos from the social media account of each of the two or more persons comprise shared activity photos from activities shared by the two or more persons, wherein a server computer automatically determines shared activity photos from the social media account of the each of the two or more persons as a function of context information automatically associated with the shared activity photos by a server computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the context information of each of the shared activity photos comprises a photo location, a photo activity, and a present community member.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital picture frame comprises a leveling device connected to the frame, wherein the leveling device automatically detects when the frame is not level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital picture frame comprises an automated display adjustment device in detection combination with the camera, wherein the automated display adjustment device automatically detects frame environment or viewer position using the camera and automatically adjusts digital display settings.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital picture frame comprises a microphone in combination with the automated display module that receives spoken instructions from the viewer to change the displayed photos.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital picture frame displays a slideshow of photos for the viewer uploaded to the digital picture frame from the first user electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital picture frame comprises a facial recognition module in combination with an automated display module, wherein the automated display module automatically changes the display upon detection of the viewer with the facial recognition module.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising augmenting the photos shown on the digital display as a function of photo metadata from the social media account, wherein the photos displayed are automatically downloaded from a server or the first user electronic device to the digital picture frame.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying with each photo a tag identifying a photo location, a photo activity, or a present community member.

18. The method of claim 2, further comprising automatically generating or updating the viewer profile from learned user activities, corresponding locations and corresponding context information.