Systems and methods for providing personalized audio content

• US 9,635,390 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Alistair K., Holman, Pablos, Hyde, Roderick A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Rosema, Keith David, Stephenson, Neal, Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, REGINA NEAL
• Application Number:
  US14/965,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 31/00 Associated working of cameras or projectors with sound-recording or sound-reproducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/00 Pseudo-stereo systems, e.g. in which additional channel signals are derived from monophonic signals by means of phase shifting, time delay or reverberation
• 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 method for providing audio content to a user device in a movie theater includes the steps of personalizing the audio content for the user device based on an identifier and providing the personalized audio content to the user device. In some embodiments, the identifier is based on demographic information about the user. According to some embodiments, the personalized audio content accompanies additional content that is not provided by the user device. In some embodiments, the personalized audio content accompanies a movie.

Claims

1. A method for providing audio content to a user device in a movie theater, comprising:

personalizing the audio content for the user device based on an identifier;

providing the personalized audio content to the user device; and

changing the personalized audio content provided to the user device to a different personalized audio content based on a change in location of the user device within the movie theater.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content accompanies a movie.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the personalized audio content comprises at least one of:

an alternate or additional dialogue, an alternate or additional sound effect, and an additional musical accompaniment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content comprises one or more advertisements or offers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more advertisements or offers are related to an in-theater purchase.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more advertisements or offers are for merchandise related to content being viewed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

personalizing the audio content for a different user device based on a different identifier, wherein the personalized audio content for the user device is different from the personalized audio content for the different user device; and

providing the personalized audio content to the different user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content is based on a location in a room.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content is based on a location outside a room displaying a movie.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content is at a range of audio frequencies different from a range of audio frequencies provided by an external audio source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content is a three-dimensional audio effect.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional audio effect is dependent on a location in a room of the user device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized audio content is based on a group to which a user of the user device belongs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

personalizing the audio content for a different user device based on a different identifier, wherein the personalized audio content for the user device is different from the personalized audio content for the different user device; and

providing the personalized audio content to the different user device;

wherein the personalized audio content for the different user device is based on a different group to which a different user of the different user device belongs.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein members of the group each receive the personalized audio content through their respective user devices, the personalized audio content being the same for each of the members.

16. A system for providing audio content to a user device in a movie theater, the system comprising:

a content personalizer comprising a processor, the content personalizer configured to;

personalize the audio content for the user device based on an identifier; and

provide the personalized audio content to the user device based on a change in location of the user device within the movie theater.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content personalizer wirelessly provides the personalized audio content to the user device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the content personalizer is within the user device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the personalized audio content is based on a type of the user device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the personalized audio content is based on at least one user preference.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the personalization of the audio content is affected by at least one user preference.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the personalized audio content is provided as a result of a ticket purchase.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the identifier is based on a ticket purchase.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the identifier is based on information provided by the user device.

25. The system of claim 16, the content personalizer further configured to:

receive input from a user.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon, wherein the instructions when processed by a processing circuit perform the following:

personalizing audio content for a user device based on an identifier; and

providing the personalized audio content to the user device; and

changing the personalized audio content when the user device leaves a room displaying a movie.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier is based on demographic information about a user.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier is based on a ticket purchase.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier is based on information provided by the user device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier is based on an identity of the user device.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the identifier is based on facial recognition.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the facial recognition determines demographics of a user.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the personalized audio content comprises audio in a language foreign to a user of the user device.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the personalized audio content is provided to the user device in exchange for money or credit.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein a user is provided an incentive in exchange for receiving the personalized audio content.