Voice-controlled closed caption display

• US 10,235,997 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shah, Raunaq, Shekel, Tomer
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Shaun
• Application Number:
  US15/592,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 704231, 704275, 725 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/20 Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/40 Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4104 Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A method is implemented on a server system for initiating by voice display of closed captions (CC) for media content. The server system receives a voice message recorded by an electronic device, and determines that the voice message is a first CC initiation request including a user voice command to initiate closed captions and a user voice designation of a display device playing the media content for which closed captions are to be activated. The server system identifies in a device registry a cast device associated in a user domain with the electronic device and coupled to the designated display device, and sends a second CC initiation request to the cast device, thereby enabling the cast device to execute a media play application that controls the designated display device to turn on and display the closed captions of media content currently displayed on the designated display device.

Claims

1. A method for initiating by voice display of closed captions for media content, comprising:

at a server system including a processor and memory storing at least one program for execution by the processor, wherein the server system is configured to manage a virtual user domain in which an electronic device and a cast device are registered and linked to each other via a user account, and wherein the electronic device and the cast device are remote from the server system and communicatively coupled to the server system via one or more wireless communication networks;

receiving a voice message from the electronic device;

determining by the server system that the voice message is a first closed caption initiation request, wherein the first closed caption initiation request includes a user voice command to initiate closed captions, and a user voice designation of a display device playing the media content for which closed captions are to be activated, and the user voice designation identifies the display device from a plurality of user devices associated with the user account in the virtual user domain based on descriptive information of the display device;

in accordance with the designation of the display device, identifying by the server system the cast device associated in the user domain with the electronic device and coupled to the designated display device, wherein the cast device is configured to execute a media play application for controlling the designated display device to display media content received from a media content host, and the display device is associated with the cast device in the user domain, thereby allowing identification of the cast device in accordance with the designation of the display device, the media content host being distinct from the server system; and

automatically and without intervention, sending by the server system a second closed caption initiation request to the cast device coupled to the designated display device, thereby enabling the cast device to execute the media play application for controlling the designated display device to display closed captions, wherein under the control of the media display application executed by the cast device, the designated display device is configured to turn on the closed caption of media content that is currently displayed on the designated display device and display the closed caption according to the second closed caption initiation request provided by the media display application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with the first closed caption initiation request, determining by the server system a display specification of the closed captions, wherein the second closed caption initiation request includes the display specification of the closed caption, and the cast device is configured to execute the media play application to control the display device to display the closed caption according to the display specification.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display specification of the closed caption includes at least one of a font, a font size, a font color and a background color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the closed caption is displayed on the designated display device according to a default CC display specification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server system is located remotely from the electronic device, the cast device and the designated display device that are disposed in proximity to each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user voice designation of the display device includes description of the designated display device, and the cast device is identified in a device registry, further comprising:

identifying in the registry the designated display device among a plurality of display devices according to the description of the designated display device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the description of the designated display device includes at least a brand or a location of the designated display device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the voice message to a voice processing server that is configured to parse the voice message and identify the user voice command and the user voice designation of the destination media device; and

receiving from the voice processing server the user voice command and the user voice designation of the destination media device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first closed caption initiation request includes format information of the closed captions to be displayed on the display device.

10. A server system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to perform operations for;

receiving a voice message from an electronic device;

determining by the server system that the voice message is a first closed caption initiation request, wherein the first closed caption initiation request includes a user voice command to initiate closed captions, and a user voice designation of a display device playing the media content for which closed captions are to be activated, and the user voice designation identifies the display device from a plurality of user devices associated with the user account in the virtual user domain based on descriptive information of the display device;

in accordance with the designation of the display device, identifying by the server system the cast device associated in the user domain with the electronic device and coupled to the designated display device, wherein the cast device is configured to execute a media play application for controlling the designated display device to display media content received from a media content host, and the display device is associated with the cast device in the user domain, thereby allowing identification of the cast device in accordance with the designation of the display device, the media content host being distinct from the server system; and

automatically and without intervention, sending by the server system a second closed caption initiation request to the cast device coupled to the designated display device, thereby enabling the cast device to execute the media play application for controlling the designated display device to display closed captions, wherein under the control of the media display application executed by the cast device, the designated display device is configured to turn on the closed caption of media content that is currently displayed on the designated display device and display the closed caption according to the second closed caption initiation request provided by the media display application;

wherein the server system is configured to manage the user domain in which the electronic device and the cast device are registered and linked to each other via a user account, and wherein the electronic device and the cast device are remote from the server system and communicatively coupled to the server system via one or more wireless communication networks.

11. The server system of claim 10, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the processors to perform operations for:

in accordance with the first closed caption initiation request, determining by the server system a display specification of the closed captions, wherein the second closed caption initiation request includes the display specification of the closed caption, and the cast device is configured to execute the media play application to control the display device to display the closed caption according to the display specification.

12. The server system of claim 11, wherein the display specification of the closed caption includes at least one of a font, a font size, a font color and a background color.

13. The server system of claim 10, wherein the closed caption is displayed on the designated display device according to a default CC display specification.

14. The server system of claim 10, wherein the server system is located remotely from the electronic device, the cast device and the designated display device that are disposed in proximity to each other.

15. The server system of claim 10, wherein the user voice designation of the display device includes description of the designated display device, and the cast device is identified in a device registry, and the memory further comprises instructions for:

identifying in the registry the designated display device among a plurality of display devices according to the description of the designated display device.

16. The server system of claim 15, wherein the description of the designated display device includes at least a brand or a location of the designated display device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

at a server system, wherein the server system is configured to manage a virtual user domain in which an electronic device and a cast device are registered and linked to each other via a user account, and wherein the electronic device and the cast device are remote from the server system and communicatively coupled to the server system via one or more wireless communication networks;

receiving a voice message from the electronic device;

determining by the server system that the voice message is a first closed caption initiation request, wherein the first closed caption initiation request includes a user voice command to initiate closed captions, and a user voice designation of a display device playing the media content for which closed captions are to be activated, and the user voice designation identifies the display device from a plurality of user devices associated with the user account in the virtual user domain based on descriptive information of the display device;

in accordance with the designation of the display device, identifying by the server system the cast device associated in the user domain with the electronic device and coupled to the designated display device, wherein the cast device is configured to execute a media play application for controlling the designated display device to display media content received from a media content host, and the display device is associated with the cast device in the user domain, thereby allowing identification of the cast device in accordance with the designation of the display device, the media content host being distinct from the server system; and

automatically and without intervention, sending by the server system a second closed caption initiation request to the cast device coupled to the designated display device, thereby enabling the cast device to execute the media play application for controlling the designated display device to display closed captions, wherein under the control of the media display application executed by the cast device, the designated display device is configured to turn on the closed caption of media content that is currently displayed on the designated display device and display the closed caption according to the second closed caption initiation request provided by the media display application.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

in accordance with the first closed caption initiation request, determining by the server system a display specification of the closed captions, wherein the second closed caption initiation request includes the display specification of the closed caption, and the cast device is configured to execute the media play application to control the display device to display the closed caption according to the display specification.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the display specification of the closed caption includes at least one of a font, a font size, a font color and a background color.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

forwarding the voice message to a voice processing server that is configured to parse the voice message and identify the user voice command and the user voice designation of the destination media device; and

receiving from the voice processing server the user voice command and the user voice designation of the destination media device.