Controlling power levels of electronic devices through user interaction

• US 9,113,190 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Clavin, John, Tardif, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOND, TARIQ A
• Application Number:
  US12/794,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 348/730, 704/246, 713/323, 362/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A processor-implemented method, system and computer readable medium for intelligently controlling the power level of an electronic device in a multimedia system based on user intent, is provided. The method includes receiving data relating to a first user interaction with a device in a multimedia system. The method includes determining if the first user interaction corresponds to a user'"'"'s intent to interact with the device. The method then includes setting a power level for the device based on the first user interaction. The method further includes receiving data relating to a second user interaction with the device. The method then includes altering the power level of the device based on the second user interaction to activate the device for the user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling power to one or more devices in a multimedia system comprising:

capturing image data of a field of view of an image capture device of the multimedia system;

detecting a presence of a user in the field of view of the image capture device in the captured image data by a processor;

identifying by the processor a first user interaction with a first device in the multimedia system in the image data, the first user interaction comprising a voice input from the user;

determining by the processor if the first user interaction corresponds to a user intent to interact with the first device in the multimedia system by correlating a volume of the voice input with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the first device;

setting a first power level for the first device based on the first user interaction by the processor;

capturing image data by the image capture device of a second user interaction with the first device of the multimedia system in the image data, the second user interaction including a gesture;

altering by the processor the first power level for the first device based on the second user interaction, to generate a second power level for the first device;

activating by the processor the first device based on the second power level;

determining by the processor whether the second user interaction corresponds to a user intent to interact with at least one additional device in the multimedia system by the processor analyzing the captured data of the second user interaction;

responsive to determining by the processor the second user interaction corresponds to the user intent to interact with the at least one additional device, altering a power level of the at least one additional device to an altered power level by the processor based on the second user interaction;

and activating the at least one additional device for the user by the processor, based on the altered power level for the at least one additional device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a computing environment in the multimedia system.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein setting the first power level comprises displaying a power level progression associated with the first device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein activating by the processor the first device based on the second power level comprises displaying at least one of an audio output or a video display associated with the first device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second user interaction further comprises a voice input from the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data of the second user interaction with the first device includes a sound input.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second user interaction comprises a voice input from the user, and a volume of the voice input is correlated by the processor with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the at least one additional device.

8. A multimedia system, comprising:

an image capture device, wherein the capture device detects a presence of a user in a field of view of the image capture device;

and a computing environment in communication with the image capture device and one or more devices in the multimedia system, wherein the computing environment includes a processing module that includes instructions to;

receive data relating to a first user interaction including a gesture from the image capture device;

set a first power level for the computing environment based on the first user interaction comprising a voice input from the user;

determine a user intent to interact with a computing device by correlating a volume of the voice input with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the computing environment;

receive image data relating to a second user interaction including a gesture from the image capture device;

alter the first power level for the computing environment based on the second user interaction, to generate a second power level for the computing environment;

activate the computing environment for the user, based on the second power level;

analyze the image data of the second user interaction to determine whether a user'"'"'s intent to interact with at least one additional device in the multimedia system exists;

responsive to determining the user'"'"'s intent to interact with the at least one additional device exists, alter a power level of the at least one additional device to an altered power level based on the second user interaction;

and activate the at least one additional device for the user, based on the altered power level for the at least one additional device.

9. The multimedia system of claim 8, wherein the one or more devices in the multimedia system comprise at least one of a compact disc (CD) player, a digital video disc/videocassette recorder (DVD/VCR) player, an audio/video (A/V) amplifier, a television (TV) and a personal computer (PC).

10. The multimedia system of claim 8, wherein the processing module includes instructions to display at least one of an audio output or a video display associated with the computing environment to the user, based on the second power level.

11. The multimedia system of claim 8, wherein the processing module includes instructions to display a power level progression associated with the computing environment to the user.

12. The multimedia system of claim 8, wherein the first user interaction corresponds to a user intent to interact with the computing environment.

13. The multimedia system of claim 8, wherein the second user interaction comprises a voice input from the user, and a volume of the voice input is correlated by the computing environment with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the second device.

14. One or more computer readable memory storage devices for controlling power to a computing environment in a multimedia system comprising processor executable instructions to:

receive data relating to a first user interaction with the computing environment, the first user interaction comprising a voice input from the user;

determine whether the data relating to the first user interaction indicates a user intent to interact with the computing environment by correlating a volume of the voice input with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the computing environment;

set a first power level for the computing environment responsive to the first user interaction indicating the user intent to interact with the computing environment;

display a power level progression associated with the computing environment;

receive image data relating to a second user interaction with the computing environment, the second user interaction including a gesture;

alter the first power level for the computing environment based on the second user interaction, to generate a second power level;

activate the computing environment, based on the second power level;

determine whether the second user interaction indicates a user intent to interact with at least one additional device in the multimedia system by analyzing the image data of the second user interaction;

responsive to determining the second user interaction indicates the user intent to interact with the at least one additional device, alter a power level of the at least one additional device based to an altered power level based on the second user interaction; and

activate the at least one additional device for the user, based on the altered power level for the at least one additional device.

15. The one or more computer readable memory storage devices of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions to activate the computing environment comprise executable instructions to output at least one of an audio output or a video display associated with the computing environment.

16. The one or more computer readable memory storage devices of claim 14 further comprising executable instructions for identifying voice input from the user, and correlating a volume of the voice input with an increased probability that the user intends to engage with the second device.