Presence-based operation of devices

• US 9,769,283 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mason, Todd Christopher, Mincher, Richard William
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY III, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US14/929,118
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described are techniques for modifying the distribution or behavior of content based on the presence or absence of a particular user or a count of users relative to a media device. Based on user proximity data associated with one or multiple users, a corresponding proximity instruction may be determined. The proximity instruction may be configured to cause one or more media devices to request, present, or modify presentation of content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first user proximity data from a first device, the first user proximity data indicative of a count of users associated with one or more of the first device or a second device;

receiving second user proximity data from the first device, the second user proximity data indicative of physical nearness of a particular user included in the count of users to the one or more of the first device or the second device;

accessing proximity action data including one or more user proximity states and one or more proximity instructions, wherein the one or more proximity instructions are configured to cause one or more actions to be performed by one or more of;

the first device, the second device, or a third device in communication with the one or more of the first device or the second device;

determining correspondence between the second user proximity data and a proximity state of the proximity action data;

determining a proximity instruction corresponding to the proximity state; and

executing the proximity instruction to affect content associated with the one or more of the first device or the second device, wherein executing the proximity instruction includes determining a delivery priority associated with the content and prioritizing one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality of the content based at least in part on the delivery priority.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the count of users using one or more sensors associated with the one or more of the first device or the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the count of users to be within a threshold distance of the one or more of the first device or the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more of a type of user, a relative identity, or an absolute identity, associated with the particular user; and

wherein the second user proximity data includes an indication of the one or more of the type of user, the relative identity, or the absolute identity, associated with the particular user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical nearness of the particular user by determining a presence of a user device associated with the particular user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the physical nearness of the particular user by detecting the particular user using one or more sensors associated with the one or more of the first device or the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the proximity instruction includes sending a request for the content to a server and receiving the content from the server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the proximity instruction includes determining the content corresponding to the proximity instruction and sending the content to the one or more of the first device or the second device.

9. A system comprising:

one or more memories storing computer-executable instructions; and

one or more hardware processors configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, by a first device, first user proximity data indicative of a count of users associated with one or more of the first device or a second device;

determine second user proximity data indicative of a particular user included in the count of users within a threshold distance of the one or more of the first device or the second device;

access proximity action data including one or more user proximity states and one or more proximity instructions, wherein the one or more proximity instructions are configured to cause one or more of;

the first device, the second device, or a third device in communication with the one or more of the first device or the second device, to perform one or more actions;

determine correspondence between the second user proximity data and the proximity action data;

determine, based on the correspondence between the second user proximity data and the proximity action data, a proximity instruction configured to cause the one or more of;

the first device, the second device, or the third device in communication with the one or more of the first device or the second device, to perform the one or more actions; and

execute the proximity instruction to prioritize one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality of the content.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions to determine, using one or more sensors associated with the first device, a presence of one or more of:

the count of users or the particular user.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions to determine a user device associated with the particular user to be within the threshold distance of the one or more of the first device or the second device.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions to:

determine one or more of a type of user, a relative identity, or an absolute identity, associated with the particular user; and

wherein the proximity instruction corresponds to the one or more of the type of user, the relative identity, or the absolute identity, associated with the particular user.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions to execute the proximity instruction include computer-executable instructions to send a request for content to a server and the proximity instruction is configured to cause the server to send the content to the one or more of the first device or the second device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions to execute the proximity instruction include computer-executable instructions to:

determine, by the first device, content corresponding to the proximity instruction; and

present the content using the one or more of the first device or the second device.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer-executable instructions to execute the proximity instruction include computer-executable instructions to:

determine a delivery priority associated with content; and

prioritize the one or more of the resource allocation or the transmission quality of the content based at least in part on the delivery priority.

16. A method comprising:

determining first user proximity data indicative of a count of users associated with one or more of a first device or a second device;

determining second user proximity data indicative of one or more of a presence or absence of a particular user included in the count of users at a location proximate to the one or more of the first device or the second device;

sending one or more of the first user proximity data or the second user proximity data to one or more servers;

receiving, from the one or more servers, a proximity instruction configured to modify the presentation of content;

determining, based in part on the proximity instruction, a delivery priority associated with the content; and

prioritizing one or more of a resource allocation or a transmission quality of content based in part on the delivery priority.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining one or more of a type of user, a relative identity, or an absolute identity, associated with the particular user; and

providing the one or more of the type of user, the relative identity, or the absolute identity, associated with the particular user, to the one or more servers.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting one or more of the count of users or the particular user by one or more of:

detecting one or more user devices associated with the one or more of the count of users or the particular user;

or

detecting the one or more of the presence of or absence of the count of users or the particular user using one or more sensors.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining the content corresponding to the proximity instruction; and

presenting the content using the one or more of the first device or the second device.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining one or more of the first proximity data or the second proximity data by using one or more sensors associated with the one or more of the first device or the second device to detect one or more of the count of users or the particular user.