Display device and operating method thereof

• US 9,681,188 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Wonbae, Park, Sewon, Oh, Hyeongchul, Lee, Eunyul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saint Cyr, Jean D
• Application Number:
  US14/477,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895

Abstract

A method for operating a display device according to an embodiment includes acquiring an image of a plurality of users, recognizing a plurality of faces respectively corresponding to the plurality of users from the acquired image, checking a viewing state of media content for each user, when the plurality of users respectively corresponding to the plurality of recognized faces are registered users, acquiring viewing information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of registered users of which the viewing state has been changed from a viewing maintaining state in which the media content is viewed to a not-viewing state in which the media content is not viewed, and performing a re-viewing function on the basis of the acquired viewing information when a face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized.

Claims

1. A method for operating a display device, comprising:

acquiring an image of a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user and a second user;

recognizing a plurality of faces respectively corresponding to the plurality of users from the acquired image;

checking a viewing state of media content for each user, if the plurality of users respectively corresponding to the plurality of recognized faces are registered users;

acquiring viewing information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of registered users of which the viewing state has been changed from a viewing maintaining state in which the media content is viewed to a not-viewing state in which the media content is not viewed, wherein the viewing information comprises information on a channel corresponding to the media content, a title of the media content and a last viewing time point indicating a time point in an entire playback interval of the media content of which a user that has a viewing state that has been changed most recently viewed the media content;

receiving information related to a state of a mobile terminal corresponding to the first user, if the viewing state of the second user has been changed from the viewing maintaining state to the not-viewing state and the viewing state of the first user keeps the viewing maintaining state;

storing the acquired viewing information and the received information related to the state of the mobile terminal in an account of the first user;

displaying the received information related to the state of the mobile terminal and the media content simultaneously;

comparing the acquired first viewing information corresponding to the first user with the acquired second viewing information corresponding to the second user if a face of the first user of which the viewing state has been changed and a face of the second user which the viewing state has been changed are simultaneously re-recognized; and

displaying common information according to a result of the comparison, wherein the common information is information commonly included in the first viewing information and the second viewing information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a re-viewing function based on the acquired viewing information by accessing the account of the at least one of the plurality of registered users of which the viewing state has been changed from the not-viewing state to the viewing maintaining state, wherein the performing the re-viewing function comprises playing the media content from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the performing the re-viewing function comprises recording the media content from the last viewing time point and playing the media content recorded from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the performing the re-viewing function comprises:

displaying a resuming inquiry window for inquiring whether to play the media content from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized; and

playing the media content in response to a request for playing the media content from the last viewing time point through the resuming inquiry window.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring the viewing information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of registered users of which the viewing state has been changed comprises storing channels corresponding to the media content that each of the at least one of the plurality of registered users most recently viewed, in association with the plurality of faces respectively, and

wherein the performing the re-viewing function comprises switching, when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized, a current channel to a channel corresponding to the re-recognized face of the user.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting, by the display device, a message for inquiring whether to resume viewing the media content from the last viewing time point to the mobile terminal of the user of which the viewing state has been changed.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising transmitting, by the display device, the media content from the last viewing time point to the mobile terminal, upon receiving an approval command for the message.

8. A display device comprising:

a display unit;

a camera unit configured to acquire an image of a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of users comprises a first user and a second user;

an external device interface unit configured to receive information related to a state of a mobile terminal corresponding to the plurality of users; and

a controller configured to;

recognize a plurality of faces respectively corresponding to the plurality of users from the acquired image,

check a viewing state of media content for each user, if the plurality of users respectively corresponding to the plurality of recognized faces are registered users,

acquire viewing information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of registered users of which the viewing state has been changed from a viewing maintaining state in which the media content is viewed to a not-viewing state in which the media content is not viewed, wherein the viewing information comprises information on a channel corresponding to the media content, a title of the media content and a last viewing time point indicating a time point in an entire playback interval of the media content of which a user that has a viewing state that has been changed most recently viewed the media content,

receive information related to a state of a mobile terminal corresponding to the first user, if the viewing state of the second user has been changed from the viewing maintaining state to the not-viewing state and the viewing state of the first user keeps the viewing maintaining state,

store the acquired viewing information and the received information related to the state of the mobile terminal in an account of the at least one of the plurality of registered users,

display the received information related to the state of the mobile terminal and the media content simultaneously,

compare the acquired first viewing information corresponding to the first user with the acquired second viewing information corresponding to the second user if a face of the first user of which the viewing state has been changed and a face of the second user which the viewing state has been changed are simultaneously re-recognized, and

display common information according to a result of the comparison, wherein the common information is information commonly included in the first viewing information and the second viewing information.

9. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the controller plays the media content from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized.

10. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the controller records the media content from the last viewing time point and plays the media content recorded from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized.

11. The display device according to claim 9, wherein the controller controls the display unit so as to display a resuming inquiry window for inquiring whether to play the media content from the last viewing time point when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized, and plays the media content in response to a request for playing the media content from the last viewing time point through the resuming inquiry window.

12. The display device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a storage configured to store channels corresponding to the media content that each of the at least one of the plurality of registered users most recently viewed, in association with the plurality of faces respectively,

wherein the controller searches, when the face of the user of which the viewing state has been changed is re-recognized, the storage so as to switch a current channel to a channel corresponding to the re-recognized face of the user.

13. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the controller transmits a message for inquiring whether to resume viewing the media content from the last viewing time point to a mobile terminal of the user of which the viewing state has been changed.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the controller transmits the media content from the last viewing time point to the mobile terminal, upon receiving an approval command for the message.

15. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the controller stores, in a storage, first viewing information corresponding to the first user at a first absence time point at which the viewing state of the first user is changed from the viewing maintaining state to the not-viewing state, and stores, in the storage, second viewing information corresponding to the second user at a second absence time point at which the viewing state of the second user is changed from the viewing maintaining state to the not-viewing state, and

wherein the first absence time point is different from the second absence time point.