Systems and methods for determining content preferences based on vocal utterances and/or movement by a user

• US 9,928,835 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Joshua K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Atala, Jamie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Billah, Masum
• Application Number:
  US14/952,143
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 348 77
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/056 for extraction or identification of individual instrumental parts, e.g. melody, chords, bass; Identification or separation of instrumental parts by their characteristic voices or timbres
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/071 for rhythm pattern analysis or rhythm style recognition rhythm pattern per se G10H2210/341
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/081 for automatic key or tonality recognition, e.g. using musical rules or a knowledge base
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/63 for estimating an emotional state
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence

Abstract

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining when a user likes a piece of content based, at least in part, on analyzing user responses to the content. In one embodiment, the user'"'"'s response may be monitored by audio and motion detection devices to determine when the user'"'"'s vocals or movements are emulating the content. When the user'"'"'s emulation exceeds a threshold amount the content may be designated as “liked.” In certain instances, a similar piece of content may be selected to play when the current content is finished.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a speaker configured to generate first audio output signal corresponding to playback of a song;

a microphone configured to receive a sound wave representative of an utterance by a user, and further configured to generate a second audio output signal corresponding to the sound wave;

at least one memory comprising computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the first audio output signal, that the song is playing;

determine, using the second audio output signal, that the utterance is present during the playback of the song;

determine a number of words in the utterance that are similar to lyrics of the song;

determine that the number of words exceeds a threshold number;

determine that timing of words within the utterance is synchronized with a melody of the song; and

generate an indication that the user likes the song.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to select a second song that is similar to the song, based at least on the indication, and wherein selection of the second song is further based on one of a common genre between the song and the second song, a common artist between the song and the second song, a shared tempo between the song and the second song, or a shared rhythm between the song and the second song.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein to generate the indication, the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a first period associated with the second audio signal output;

determine a second period associated with the playback of the song; and

determine that the first period overlaps at least in part with the second period.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein prior to generation of the indication, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine that an amount of synchronization between the timing of the words and the melody exceeds a second threshold amount.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein to determine the amount of synchronization, the at least one processor is further configured to compare tones of the second audio output signal to second tones of the melody of the song.

6. A device, comprising:

a speaker configured to generate output signal corresponding to playback of a song;

an accelerometer configured to generate second output signal representative of movement of the device;

at least one memory device having computer-executable instructions stored therein;

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory device and configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

determine, using the output signal, that the song is playing;

determine a characteristic of the movement using at least the second output signal;

determine that the characteristic of the movement corresponds to a component of the song, wherein the component of the song comprises a tempo or a rhythm;

rank the characteristic using a ranking criterion, resulting in a movement ranking of the characteristic, wherein the ranking criterion comprises accuracy of correspondence to the component of the song, quantity of the correspondence to component of the song, or intensity of the correspondence to the component of the song; and

generate an indication that a user likes the song based at least on the movement ranking exceeding a defined threshold amount.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein prior to generation of the indication, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to rank the characteristic using a second ranking criterion, resulting in a second movement ranking, wherein the second ranking criterion is different from the ranking criterion and comprises accuracy of correspondence to the component of the song, quantity of the correspondence to component of the song, or intensity of the correspondence to the component of the song;

and

wherein the generation of the indication is further based at least on a combination of the movement raking exceeding a second defined threshold amount.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the quantity of the correspondence to the component of the song comprises a period during which the characteristic of the movement matches the tempo or the rhythm.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the characteristic of the movement comprises a force resulting from the movement, and wherein the intensity of the correspondence to the component of the song comprises a magnitude of the force.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the characteristic of the movement comprises acceleration resulting from the movement, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine changes in the acceleration as a function of time; and

determine an amount of synchronization between the changes in the acceleration as a function of time and the tempo.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the accuracy of the correspondence to the component of the song comprises an amount of synchronization between the movement and the tempo.

12. The device of claim 6, further comprising a microphone configured to generate a third output signal representative of an utterance by a user, wherein the component of the song comprises a melody, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine tones in the utterance using the third output signal; and

determine a difference between a tone of the tones and a defined tone of the melody.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein prior to generation of the indication, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to determine that a correspondence is present between the utterance and the song based at least on the difference being less than a second defined threshold amount;

and

wherein the generation of the indication is further based at least on the correspondence.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein prior to generation of the indication, the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine a second difference between the third output signal and the tempo;

determine that a correspondence is present between the utterance and the song based at least on the second difference being within a second defined threshold amount; and

wherein the generation of the indication is further based at least on the correspondence.

15. A method, comprising:

generating, by a speaker of a device, output signal corresponding to playback of a song;

receiving, from an accelerometer, second output signal representative of movement of a second device;

determining, using the output signal, that the song is playing;

determining a characteristic of the movement using at least the second output signal;

determining that the characteristic of the movement corresponds to a component of a song, wherein the component of the song comprises a tempo or a rhythm;

ranking the characteristic using a ranking criterion, resulting in a movement ranking of the characteristic, wherein the ranking criterion comprises accuracy of correspondence to the component of the song, quantity of the correspondence to component of the song, or intensity of the correspondence to the component of the song; and

generating an indication that a user likes the song based at least on the movement ranking exceeding a defined threshold amount.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, prior to the generating the indication, ranking the characteristic using a second ranking criterion, resulting in a second movement ranking, wherein the second ranking criterion is different from the ranking criterion and comprises accuracy of the correspondence to the component of the song, quantity of the correspondence to component of the song, or intensity of the correspondence to the component of the song;

determining that the second movement ranking exceeds a second defined threshold amount; and

wherein the generating the indication is further based at least on the movement ranking exceeding the defined threshold amount and the second movement ranking exceeding the second defined threshold amount.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the characteristic of the movement comprises acceleration resulting from the movement, and the method further comprises determining changes in the acceleration as a function of time;

and

determining an amount of synchronization between the changes in the acceleration as a function of time and the tempo.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the component of the song comprises a melody, and the method further comprises receiving, from a microphone, a third output signal representative of an utterance;

determining first tones of the utterance using the third output signal;

determining a difference between a first pattern of the first tones and a second pattern of second tones of the melody; and

determining an amount of synchronization between the utterance and the melody using the difference.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, prior to the generating the indication, determining respective differences between the first tones and the second tones;

determining that a correspondence is present between the utterance and the song based at least on the respective differences being less than a second defined threshold amount; and

wherein the generating the indication is further based at least on the correspondence.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second defined threshold amount corresponds to an octave, and wherein the determining the respective differences comprises determining a second difference between a tone of the tones of the third output signal and a second tone of the second tones of the melody, and further wherein the determining that the correspondence is present comprises comparing the second difference to the octave.