Detection of a mobile device to identify user preferences and provide customized functionality or content

• US 10,820,032 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Inventors: Garner, Gregory M., Hollinger, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendoza, Junior O
• Application Number:
  US14/958,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 725 28, 4554561, 386296, 715745
• 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 21/41265 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• 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 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for the detection of a mobile device to identify user preferences. An embodiment operates by detecting that a mobile device is within a vicinity of a computing device. A user ID that corresponds to the mobile device is identified. The user ID is provided to an application over a network, wherein the application identifies one or more preferences associated with the user ID. The one or more identified preferences are received from the application. The computing device is configured based on the one or more identified preferences associated with on the user ID, responsive to the detection.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

selecting a default set of media options with which to configure a streaming multimedia device upon system start up, wherein the default set is selected from a first set of media options corresponding to a minor child and second set of media options corresponding to a non-minor user;

detecting that a first mobile device is within a vicinity of the streaming multimedia device based on an audible ping;

identifying a first user ID that corresponds to the first mobile device;

determining that the first user ID corresponds to the minor child;

transmitting a message to a telephone number of a mobile device associated with the non-minor user indicating a location of the child as being within the vicinity of the multimedia device;

receiving a request to access particular content from a second user ID from a second mobile device detected to be within the vicinity of the multimedia device, wherein the second user ID corresponds to the non-minor user account, wherein the minor child is prohibited from accessing the particular content;

requesting a passcode from the second mobile device to access the requested particular content based upon the detecting that the first mobile device associated with the minor child is within the vicinity;

responsive to receiving the passcode, providing access to the particular content via the multimedia device; and

outputting the particular content associated with the request, wherein the particular content includes a particular color scheme corresponding to the second set of media options, and wherein a different color scheme corresponds to the first set of media options.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting, identifying and providing the user ID comprise:

identifying, by the streaming multimedia device, the first mobile ID of the first mobile device as corresponding the user ID of a user of the first mobile device;

identifying, by the streaming multimedia device, the second mobile ID of the second mobile device as corresponding the user ID of a user of the second mobile device; and

providing the first user ID and second user ID to the application, wherein the application identifies the preferences associated with at least one of;

the first user ID, the second user ID, or both the first and second user IDs, wherein the streaming multimedia device is configured to receive media content from the application, and wherein the preferences are used to determine which media content is provided to the streaming multimedia device from the application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, from the application, an indication as to which user ID(s) are associated with the one or more identified preferences; and

wherein the configuring comprises providing a visual or audio notification as to which user ID(s) are associated with the one or more identified preferences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises:

determining a relative location of the first mobile device relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the relative location indicates a particular location of the first mobile device within the vicinity and indicates a relative parameter other than the distance;

adjusting visual display settings of the streaming multimedia device based on the relative location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the configuring comprises:

adjusting audio settings of the streaming multimedia device based on the relative location.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the relative location comprises:

receiving a ping from the mobile device; and

determining, based on the ping, a location of the mobile device in a room relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the one or more preferences are adjusted based on the location of the mobile device relative to the streaming multimedia device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a subsequent location of the mobile device in the room relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the relative location indicates whether the mobile device is located to the left, right, or center of a location of the streaming multimedia device; and

adjusting the one or more preferences based on the subsequent location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an app associated with the application is active on the streaming multimedia device;

communicating the user ID to the app, wherein the app is communicatively coupled to the application over the network;

and wherein the outputting comprises outputting content received from the app appropriate for the minor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting a request to a security system enable an alarm based on a location of the child.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

transmitting a general ping; and

receiving from the mobile device associated with the child a response to the general ping including information that indicates that the location of the child associated with the mobile device is within the vicinity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the default set of media options excludes a program accessible in the second set of media options to the non-minor user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the streaming multimedia device, a return audible ping from the first mobile device; and

determining that the first mobile device is within the vicinity based on the return audible ping.

13. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

select a default set of media options with which to configure a streaming multimedia device upon system start up, wherein the default set is selected from a first set of media options corresponding to a minor child and second set of media options corresponding to a non-minor user;

detect that a first mobile device is within a vicinity of the streaming multimedia device based on an audible ping, wherein the vicinity is a measure of a distance between the first mobile device and the streaming multimedia device;

identify a first user ID that corresponds to the first mobile device;

determine that the first user ID corresponds to the minor child;

transmit a message to a telephone number of a mobile device associated with the non-minor user indicating a location of the child as being within the vicinity of the multimedia device;

receive a request to access particular content from a second user ID from a second mobile device detected to be within the vicinity of the multimedia device, wherein the second user ID corresponds to the non-minor user account, wherein the minor child is prohibited from accessing the particular content;

request a passcode from the second mobile device to access the requested particular content based upon the detecting that the first mobile device associated with the minor child is within the vicinity;

responsive to receiving the passcode, provide access to the particular content via the multimedia device; and

output the particular content associated with the request, wherein the particular content includes a particular color scheme corresponding to the second set of media options, and wherein a different color scheme corresponds to the first set of media options.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein to detect, identify, and provide the user ID, the processor is configured to:

detect that the first mobile device is within the vicinity of the streaming multimedia device, wherein the first mobile device corresponds to a first user ID;

detect that the second mobile device is within the vicinity of the streaming multimedia device, wherein the second mobile device corresponds to a second user ID; and

provide the first user ID and second user ID to the application, wherein the application identifies the preferences associated with at least one of;

the first user ID, the second user ID, or both the first and second user IDs, wherein the streaming multimedia device is configured to receive media content from the application, and wherein the preferences are used to determine which media content is provided to the streaming multimedia device from the application.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the application, an indication as to which user ID(s) are associated with the one or more identified preferences; and

wherein the processor that configures the computing device is configured to provide a visual or audio notification as to which user ID(s) are associated with the one or more identified preferences.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein to configure the computing device the processor is configured to:

determine a relative location of the first mobile device relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the relative location indicates a particular location of the first mobile device within the vicinity and indicates a relative parameter other than the distance; and

adjust visual display settings of the streaming multimedia device based on the relative location.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that an app associated with the application is active on the streaming multimedia device; and

communicate the user ID to the app, wherein the app is communicatively coupled to the application over the network.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein to detect the processor is configured to:

determine a location of the second mobile device in a room relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the one or more preferences are adjusted based on the location of the second mobile device relative to the first computing device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a subsequent location of the mobile device in the room relative to the streaming multimedia device, wherein the relative location indicates whether the mobile device is located to the left, right, or center of a location of the streaming multimedia device; and

adjust the one or more preferences based on the subsequent location of the mobile device.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

selecting a default set of media options with which to configure a streaming multimedia device upon system start up, wherein the default set is selected from a first set of media options corresponding to a minor child and second set of media options corresponding to a non-minor user;

detecting that a first mobile device is within a vicinity of the streaming multimedia device based on an audible ping;

identifying a first user ID that corresponds to the first mobile device;

determining that the first user ID corresponds to the minor child;

transmitting a message to a telephone number of a mobile device associated with the non-minor user indicating a location of the child as being within the vicinity of the multimedia device;

receiving a request to access particular content from a second user ID from a second mobile device detected to be within the vicinity of the multimedia device, wherein the second user ID corresponds to the non-minor user account, wherein the minor child is prohibited from accessing the particular content;

requesting a passcode from the second mobile device to access the requested particular content based upon the detecting that the first mobile device associated with the minor child is within the vicinity;

responsive to receiving the passcode, providing access to the particular content via the multimedia device; and

outputting the particular content associated with the request, wherein the particular content includes a particular color scheme corresponding to the second set of media options, and wherein a different color scheme corresponds to the first set of media options.