CLOSED CAPTIONING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130278824A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Einarsson, Torbjorn
• Granted Patent: US 9,516,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles

Abstract

Media content typically includes closed captioning information such as subtitles in domestic and foreign languages. Techniques and mechanisms provide that closed captioning information may be toggled on/off using menu options and preferences as well as automatically managed by intelligently monitoring the environment surrounding a device. Device sensors such as microphones and vibration monitors determine the noise level of an environment as well as the spectral characteristics of the noise to determine whether the noise profile would interfere with the video playback experience. A particular environmental noise profile could automatically trigger the display of closed captioning information or present an easy access, otherwise unavailable toggle to display closed captioning information associated with a video stream.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a viewer to play media content at a device;

monitoring environmental noise using a sensor associated with the device;

determining that environmental noise has reached a threshold where environmental noise would adversely impact a viewing experience of the media stream;

automatically activating closed captioning to display text corresponding to the media content upon determining that the environmental noise has reached the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring environmental noise comprises monitoring environmental noise volume.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring environmental noise comprises analyzing spectral components of environmental noise.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein analyzing spectral components of environmental noise comprises identifying environmental noise duration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein if spectral components of environmental noise and environmental noise duration exceed a particular threshold, an option to activate closed captioning is presented to the viewer.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein if spectral components of environmental noise overlap significantly with spectral components of program audio, closed captioning is activated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically activating closed captioning comprises automatically displaying a metadata track.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a vibration detector.

10. A system, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a request from a viewer to play media content at a device;

a processor operable to monitor environmental noise using a sensor associated with the device and determine that environmental noise has reached a threshold where environmental noise would adversely impact a viewing experience of the media content;

wherein closed captioning to display text corresponding to the media content is automatically activated upon determining that the environmental noise has reached the threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein monitoring environmental noise comprises monitoring environmental noise volume.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein monitoring environmental noise comprises analyzing spectral components of environmental noise.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein analyzing spectral components of environmental noise comprises identifying environmental noise duration.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein if spectral components of environmental noise and environmental noise duration exceed a particular threshold, an option to activate closed captioning is presented to the viewer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein if spectral components of environmental noise overlap significantly with spectral components of program audio, closed captioning is activated.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein automatically activating closed captioning comprises automatically displaying a metadata track.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is a vibration detector.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

computer code for receiving a request from a viewer to play media content at a device;

computer code for monitoring environmental noise using a sensor associated with the device;

computer code for determining that environmental noise has reached a threshold where environmental noise would adversely impact a viewing experience of the media content;

computer code for automatically activating closed captioning to display text corresponding to the media content upon determining that the environmental noise has reached the threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein monitoring environmental noise comprises analyzing spectral components of environmental noise.