Automated audio-based display indicia activation based on viewer preferences

• US 9,967,631 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: D'Amelio, Richard E., Duschl, Heather L., Martz, Kassidy B., Nguyen, Ha H., Oppenhuis, Luke M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US14/938,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

Aspects relate to computer implemented methods, systems, and processes to automatically enable audio-based display indicia during playback of a media content including receiving, by a processor, one or more user preference audio profiles, the user preference audio profiles defining at least one audio characteristic and an associated criteria, playing the media content having audio-based display indicia, monitoring, with one or more detectors, the at least one audio characteristic defined in the user preference audio profiles, and when the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria, enabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method to automatically enable audio-based display indicia during playback of a media content, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, one or more user preference audio profiles, the user preference audio profiles defining at least one audio characteristic and an associated criteria;

playing the media content having audio-based display indicia;

monitoring, with one or more detectors, the at least one audio characteristic defined in the user preference audio profiles, wherein the at least one audio characteristic comprises a volume of dialogue in a narrative in the media content, the monitoring comprises monitoring the volume of dialogue in the media content, the at least one audio characteristic further comprises an audio frequency of the dialogue in the narrative in the media content, and the monitoring further comprises monitoring the audio frequency of the dialogue in the media content;

automatically generating the one or more user preference audio profiles based on a user'"'"'s actions without requiring active input from the user to configure the one or more user preference audio profiles, wherein the generating comprises tracking when the user enables the audio-based display indicia, and comparing the action of enabling the audio-based display indicia to the at least one audio characteristic to determine the associated criteria for enabling the audio-based display indicia, and the generating comprises automatically tracking when the user enables audio-based display indicia based on transitions from a loud scene to a quiet scene within the played media content;

when the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria, enabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content, wherein the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria when a certain audio frequency or certain range of audio frequencies is used in the dialogue in the narrative; and

when the monitored audio characteristic no longer meets the associated criteria, disabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the audio-based display indicia is at least one of subtitles or captions related to the media content.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more detectors is at least one of a microphone or a device configured to monitor audio levels of the media content.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating the one or more user preference audio profiles based on input provided by the user.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the criteria in the one or more user preference audio profiles comprises a threshold value, and the audio-based display indicia are enabled when the threshold is met or exceeded by the audio characteristic.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the criteria in the one or more user preference audio profiles comprises a threshold value, and the audio-based display indicia are enabled when the audio characteristic falls below the threshold.

7. A system to automatically enable audio-based display indicia during playback of a media content comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions comprising;

receiving, by the processor one or more user preference audio profiles, the user preference audio profiles defining at least one audio characteristic and an associated criteria;

playing the media content having audio-based display indicia;

monitoring, with one or more detectors, the at least one audio characteristic defined in the user preference audio profiles, wherein the at least one audio characteristic comprises a volume of dialogue in a narrative in the media content, the monitoring comprises monitoring the volume of dialogue in the media content, the at least one audio characteristic further comprises an audio frequency of the dialogue in the narrative in the media content, and the monitoring further comprises monitoring the audio frequency of the dialogue in the media content;

automatically generating the one or more user preference audio profiles based on a user'"'"'s actions without requiring active input from the user to configure the one or more user preference audio profiles, wherein the generating comprises tracking when the user enables the audio-based display indicia, and comparing the action of enabling the audio-based display indicia to the at least one audio characteristic to determine the associated criteria for enabling the audio-based display indicia, and the generating comprises automatically tracking when the user enables audio-based display indicia based on transitions from a loud scene to a quiet scene within the played media content;

when the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria, enabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content, wherein the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria when a certain audio frequency or certain range of audio frequencies is used in the dialogue in the narrative; and

when the monitored audio characteristic no longer meets the associated criteria, disabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the audio-based display indicia is at least one of subtitles or captions related to the media content.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more detectors is at least one of a microphone or a device configured to monitor audio levels of the media content.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising generating the one or more user preference audio profiles based on input provided by the user.

11. A computer program product to automatically enable audio-based display indicia during playback of a media content, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

receive, by the processor, one or more user preference audio profiles, the user preference audio profiles defining at least one audio characteristic and an associated criteria;

play the media content having audio-based display indicia;

monitor, with one or more detectors, the at least one audio characteristic defined in the user preference audio profiles, wherein the at least one audio characteristic comprises a volume of dialogue in a narrative in the media content, the monitoring comprises monitoring the volume of dialogue in the media content, the at least one audio characteristic further comprises an audio frequency of the dialogue in the narrative in the media content, and the monitoring further comprises monitoring the audio frequency of the dialogue in the media content;

automatically generate the one or more user preference audio profiles based on a user'"'"'s actions without requiring active input from the user to configure the one or more user preference audio profiles, wherein the generating comprises tracking when the user enables the audio-based display indicia, and comparing the action of enabling the audio-based display indicia to the at least one audio characteristic to determine the associated criteria for enabling the audio-based display indicia, and the generating comprises automatically tracking when the user enables audio-based display indicia based on transitions from a loud scene to a quiet scene within the played media content;

when the monitored audio characteristic meets the associated criteria, enable the audio-based display indicia in the media content, wherein the at least one audio characteristic meets the associated criteria when a certain audio frequency or certain range of audio frequencies is used in the dialogue in the narrative; and

when the monitored audio characteristic no longer meets the associated criteria, disabling the audio-based display indicia in the media content.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the audio-based display indicia is at least one of subtitles or captions related to the media content.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the one or more detectors is at least one of a microphone or a device configured to monitor audio levels of the media content.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising generating the one or more user preference audio profiles based on input provided by the user.