Systems and methods for customizing broadband content based upon passive presence detection of users

• US 8,849,199 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shrum, Edgar V. Jr., Civiletto, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US12/956,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for customizing broadband content based upon passive presence detection of users are provided. A user device in proximity to a customer premise device may be detected. The customer premise device may be configured to output programming content received from a service provider. An identifier of the detected user device may be determined. Based at least in part on the identifier, an identity of a user may be determined. Based at least in part on the identity of the user, content that is output by the customer premise device may be customized.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an audio capture device configured to collect a sample of ambient audio;

at least one communications interface associated with a customer premise device and configured to passively detect one or more users in proximity to the customer premise device; and

at least one processor associated with the customer premise device, the at least one processor configured to;

(i) receive, from the at least one communications interface, a respective identifier of one or more respective user devices associated with a first detected user and a second detected user of the one or more users,

(ii) determine, based at least in part on the received identifiers, an identity of the first detected user,

(iii) receive the collected sample of ambient audio from the audio capture device,

(iv) process the sample of ambient audio, wherein the processing comprises determining a first voice sample associated with the first detected user and a second voice sample associated with the second detected user,

(v) compare the first voice sample and the second voice sample to one or more stored voice samples,

(vi) determine, based at least in part on the comparison, that the first detected user is a registered user and the second detected user is an unregistered user,

(vii) determine one or more first characteristics associated with the registered user and one or more second characteristics associated with the unregistered user, wherein determining the one or more second characteristics comprises;

determining that the second voice sample associated with the unregistered user does not match the one or more stored voice samples, and

determining that the second voice sample associated with the unregistered user matches a generic stored voice sample associated with the one or more second characteristics, and

(viii) customize, based at least in part on the identity of the registered user, the one or more first characteristics associated with the registered user, and the one or more second characteristics associated with the unregistered user, content that is output by the customer premise device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to remove, from the collected sample, one or more audio components associated with an output of the customer premise device, and

wherein the remainder of the collected sample following the removal is compared to the one or more voice samples, the remainder comprising the first voice sample and the second voice sample.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio capture device comprises at least one of (i) a microphone embedded into the customer premise device or (ii) a microphone in communication with the customer premise device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the identity comprises a first identity; and

the at least one processor is further configured to (i) determine a second respective identity of one or more third users and (ii) customize the content based at least in part on the identities of the first detected user and the one or more third users.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to (i) communicate, based upon the identity of the first detected user, a request for programming content to a service provider, (ii) receive, from the service provider, customized content information, and (iii) customize the content that is output based upon the received customized content information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more respective user devices comprise mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communications interface comprises at least one of (i) a BLUETOOTH transceiver, (ii) a WI-FI transceiver, (iii) a radio frequency transceiver, or (iv) a femtocell.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer premise device comprises a television set-top box.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the customized output comprises at least one of (i) a presentation associated with personalized channels for the first detected user, (ii) a targeted advertisement, (iii) a recommendation of on demand content, or (iv) a presentation associated with a social networking account for the first detected user.

10. A method comprising:

passively detecting, by a customer premise device configured to output programming content received from a service provider, one or more user devices in proximity to the customer premise device;

determining, by the customer premise device, a respective identifier of a first detected user device and a second detected user device of the one or more user devices;

collecting, by the customer premise device, a sample of ambient audio;

processing, by the customer premise device, the sample of ambient audio, wherein the processing comprises determining a first voice sample associated with the first detected user device and a second voice sample associated with the second detected user device;

determining, by the customer premise device based at least in part on the identifier of the first user device, an identity of a registered user associated with the first user device; and

determining, by the customer premise device, one or more first characteristics associated with the registered user at least in part by comparing the first voice sample to one or more stored voice samples;

determining, by the customer premise device, one or more second characteristics associated with an unregistered user associated with the second user device, wherein determining one or more second characteristics comprises;

determining that the second voice sample does not match the one or more stored voice samples; and

determining that the second voice sample matches a generic stored voice sample associated with the one or more second characteristics; and

customizing, based at least in part on the identity of the registered user, the one or more first characteristics associated with the registered user, and the one or more second characteristics associated with the unregistered user, content that is output by the customer premise device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

removing, from the collected sample by the customer premise device, one or more audio components associated with an output of the customer premise device,

wherein comparing the collected sample to one or more stored user voice samples comprises comparing the remainder of the collected sample following the removal, the remainder comprising the first voice sample and the second voice sample.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein collecting a sample of ambient audio comprises one of (i) collecting a sample utilizing a microphone embedded into the customer premise device or (ii) receiving a sample collected by a microphone in communication with the customer premise device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the identity of the registered user comprises a first identity, the method further comprising:

determining, by the customer premise device, a second respective identity of one or more third users,

wherein customizing the content comprises customizing the content based at least in part on the identities of the registered user and the one or more third users.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

communicating, by the customer premise device to the service provider based upon the identity of the registered user, a request for programming content; and

receiving, by the customer premise device from the service provider, customized content information,

wherein customizing the content comprises customizing the content based upon the received customized content information.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a user device comprises detecting a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein customizing the content comprises generating at least one of (i) a presentation associated with personalized channels for the registered user, (ii) a targeted advertisement, (iii) a recommendation of on demand content, or (iv) a presentation associated with a social networking account for the registered user.