ADAPTING A PLAYBACK OF A RECORDING TO OPTIMIZE COMPREHENSION

• US 20170064244A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DRACOULIS, GREGORY P., STUBBS, PETER E., ULRICK, STEVEN J., ABOU MAHMOUD, ALAA
• Granted Patent: US 10,158,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7605 on discs or drums H04N5/781, H04N5/805, H04N5/83, H04N5/85 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate

Abstract

Each of segment of a recording is analyzed for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speech. A target rate is selected at which to playback the recording, the target rate specifying a fastest optimal speed at which a particular user listening to the recording is able to comprehend the playback. During playback of the recording, a separate adjusted playback rate is selected for each of the segments to adjust the playback rate of speech from the rate of speech at the normal playback speed to the target rate.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

analyzing, by a computer, each of the plurality of segments of a recording for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speed;

selecting, by the computer, a target rate at which to playback the recording, the target rate specifying a fastest optimal speed at which a particular user listening to the recording is able to comprehend the playback; and

during playback of the recording, selecting, by the computer, a separate adjusted playback rate of each of the plurality of segments to adjust the playback rate of speech from the rate of speech at the normal playback speed to the target rate.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

during playback of the recording, monitoring, by the computer, for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user; and

responsive to the comprehension level not evaluated as optimal capacity for comprehension by the particular user, dynamically adjusting, by the computer, the target rate based on the comprehension level.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as available capacity for the particular user to comprehend the playback at a faster speed, dynamically increasing, by the computer, a speed set in the target rate; and

responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as over capacity to comprehend the playback at a current speed for the target rate, dynamically decreasing, by the computer, the current speed set in the target rate.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein during playback of the recording, monitoring, by the computer, for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user, further comprises:

detecting, by the computer, a proximity of the particular user to a speaker outputting the playback of the recording; and

responsive to detecting the proximity of the particular user to the speaker within a threshold distance of the speaker, evaluating, by the computer, the comprehension level of the particular user over capacity.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein during playback of the recording, monitoring, by the computer, for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user, further comprises:

capturing, by the computer, one or more images of the particular user during the playback of the recording;

analyzing, by the computer, the captured one or more images of the particular user to identify one or more facial features associated with one or more expressions;

responsive to the one or more expressions matching one or more specified expressions set as indicating struggling, evaluating, by the computer, the comprehension level of the particular user as over capacity; and

responsive to the one or more expressions matching one or more specified expressions set as indicating distraction, evaluating, by the computer, the comprehension level of the particular user as having additional capacity available.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein during playback of the recording, monitoring, by the computer, for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user, further comprises:

monitoring, by the computer, a frequency and length of one or more user selections of one or more of forwarding the playback and reversing the playback;

analyzing the frequency and length of the one or more user selections;

responsive to the frequency and length of the one or more user selections of reversing the playback exceeding a reverse threshold setting, evaluating, by the computer, the comprehension level of the particular user as over capacity; and

responsive to the frequency and length of the one or more users selections of forwarding the playback exceeding a forward threshold setting, evaluating, by the computer, the comprehension level of the particular user as comprising additional capacity.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing, by the computer, each of the plurality of segments of a recording for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speed further comprises:

analyzing, by the computer, each of the plurality of segments using natural language processing; and

adjusting, by the computer, the complexity to reflect a difficulty performing natural language processing to detect each spoken word within the recording.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, by the computer, each of the plurality of segments of a recording for relevance, wherein each separate segment comprising silence is marked as irrelevant; and

during playback of the recoding, by the computer, omitting one or more segments marked as irrelevant from among the plurality of segments.

9. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to analyze each of the plurality of segments of a recording for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speed;

program instructions to select a target rate at which to playback the recording, the target rate specifying a fastest optimal speed at which a particular user listening to the recording is able to comprehend the playback; and

program instructions to, during playback of the recording, select a separate adjusted playback rate of each of the plurality of segments to adjust the playback rate of speech from the rate of speech at the normal playback speed to the target rate.

10. The computer system according to claim 9, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to, during playback of the recording, monitor for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user, and

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level not evaluated as optimal capacity for comprehension by the particular user, to dynamically adjust the target rate based on the comprehension level.

11. The computer system according to claim 10, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as available capacity for the particular user to comprehend the playback at a faster speed, to dynamically increase a speed set in the target rate; and

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as over capacity to comprehend the playback at a current speed for the target rate, too dynamically decrease the current speed set in the target rate.

12. The computer system according to claim 10, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to detect a proximity of the particular user to a speaker outputting the playback of the recording; and

program instructions, responsive to detecting the proximity of the particular user to the speaker within a threshold distance of the speaker, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user over capacity.

13. The computer system according to claim 10, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to capture one or more images of the particular user during the playback of the recording;

program instructions to analyze the captured one or more images of the particular user to identify one or more facial features associated with one or more expressions;

program instructions, responsive to the one or more expressions matching one or more specified expressions set as indicating struggling, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user as over capacity; and

program instructions, responsive to the one or more expressions matching one or more specified expressions set as distracted, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user as having additional capacity.

14. The computer system according to claim 10, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to monitor a frequency and length of one or more user selections of one or more of forwarding the playback and reversing the playback;

program instructions to analyze the frequency and length of the one or more user selections;

program instructions, responsive to the frequency and length of the one or more user selections of reversing the playback exceeding a reverse threshold setting, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user as over capacity; and

program instructions, responsive to the frequency and length of the one or more users selections of forwarding the playback exceeding a forward threshold setting, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user as comprising additional capacity.

15. The computer system according to claim 9, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to analyze each of the plurality of segments using natural language processing; and

program instructions to adjust the complexity to reflect a difficulty performing natural language processing to detect each spoken word within the recording.

16. The computer system according to claim 9, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to analyze each of the plurality of segments of a recording for relevance, wherein each separate segment comprising silence is marked as irrelevant; and

program instructions to, during playback of the recoding, omit one or more segments marked as irrelevant from among the plurality of segments.

17. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:

program instructions to analyze each of the plurality of segments of a recording for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speed;

program instructions to select a target rate at which to playback the recording, the target rate specifying a fastest optimal speed at which a particular user listening to the recording is able to comprehend the playback; and

program instructions to, during playback of the recording, select a separate adjusted playback rate of each of the plurality of segments to adjust the playback rate of speech from the rate of speech at the normal playback speed to the target rate.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to, during playback of the recording, monitor for one or more responses by the particular user indicative of a comprehension level of the playback of the recording by the particular user, and

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level not evaluated as optimal capacity for comprehension by the particular user, to dynamically adjust the target rate based on the comprehension level.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as available capacity for the particular user to comprehend the playback at a faster speed, to dynamically increase a speed set in the target rate; and

program instructions, responsive to the comprehension level evaluated as over capacity to comprehend the playback at a current speed for the target rate, too dynamically decrease the current speed set in the target rate.

20. The computer program product according to claim 18, the stored program instructions further comprising:

program instructions to detect a proximity of the particular user to a speaker outputting the playback of the recording; and

program instructions, responsive to detecting the proximity of the particular user to the speaker within a threshold distance of the speaker, to evaluate the comprehension level of the particular user over capacity.