Method and system for analysis of sensory information to estimate audience reaction

• US 9,137,558 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbon, David Crawford, Gopalan, Raghuraman, Renger, Bernard S., Shahraray, Behzad, Zavesky, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Jason K
• Application Number:
  US14/089,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20150150031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, operations including identifying a presentation of a first media item. From sensing data, a behavior of an audience member and a characteristic of an environment in a vicinity of the audience member are determined. A tuning status is monitored by which the media processor remains tuned to a first media item or tunes away to a second media item. A first correlation value is determined between the characteristic of the first audience member and subject matter of the first media item, and a second correlation value is determined between the characteristic of the first audience member and the characteristic of the environment. Responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first, a determination is made that the environment, not the subject matter being presented in the first media item, is responsible for the tuning status. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a system comprising a processor, a presentation of a first media item at a display communicatively coupled to a media processor tuned to a channel comprising the presentation of the first media item;

receiving, by the system, sensing data obtained from an environment in a vicinity of the display;

determining, by the system, from the sensing data a behavior of a first audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented at the display is observable by the first audience member;

determining, by the system, from the sensing data a characteristic of the environment;

monitoring, by the system, a tuning status comprising one of a fixed tune by which the media processor remains tuned to the channel comprising the presentation of the first media item, or a tune away by which the media processor is tuned from the channel comprising the presentation of the first media item to a second media item, wherein the second media item, when presented at the display, is observable by the first audience member;

determining, by the system, a first correlation value between the behavior of the first audience member and a subject matter being presented in the first media item;

determining, by the system, a second correlation value between the behavior of the first audience member and the characteristic of the environment in the vicinity of the first audience member; and

responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, determining, by the system, that the tuning status is based on the environment and not the subject matter being presented in the first media item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the first correlation value exceeding the second correlation value, determining, by the system, that the presentation of the first media item and not the environment is responsible for the tuning status.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining that the environment is responsible for the tuning status comprises:

detecting, by the system, from the sensing data a reaction of the first audience member that is associated with the environment and not associated with the subject matter being presented in the first media item, thereby resulting in the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the system, from the sensing data a behavior of a second audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented by the display is observable by the second audience member;

determining, by the system, a third correlation value between the behavior of the first audience member and the behavior of the second audience member; and

responsive to the third correlation value exceeding the first and second correlation values, determining, by the system, that the second audience member and neither the subject matter being presented in the first media item nor the environment is responsible for the tuning status.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining, by the system, from the sensing data, which of the first audience member and the second audience members is responsible for the tuning status.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining which of the first and second audience members is responsible for the tuning status comprises:

identifying, by the system, from the sensing data, a first position of the first audience member and a second position of the second audience member;

identifying, by the system, from the sensing data, a third position of a remote control device; and

associating the third position with a closer of the first and second positions, wherein one of the first and second audience members at the closer of the first and second positions is determined to be responsible for the tuning status.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting of a tune away in association with an advertisement presented during of the tune away,

wherein a plurality of audience members is proximate to the display, and further comprising:

associating members of the plurality of audience members by gender, age, attribute estimator, or combinations thereof.

8. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

identifying a presentation of a first media item at a display communicatively coupled to a media processor tuned to the presentation of the first media item;

receiving sensing data obtained from an environment in a vicinity of the display;

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of a first audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented at the display is observable by the first audience member;

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of the environment;

monitoring a tuning status comprising one of a fixed tune by which the media processor remains tuned to the presentation of the first media item, or a tune away by which the media processor is tuned from the presentation of the first media item to a second media item, wherein the second media item, when presented at the display, is observable by the first audience member;

determining a first correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and a subject matter being presented in the first media item;

determining a second correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and the characteristic of the environment; and

responsive to the first correlation value exceeding the second correlation value, determining that the tuning status is based on the subject matter being presented in the first media item and not the environment.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, determining that the environment and not the subject matter being presented in the first media item is responsible for the tuning status.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining that the environment is responsible for the tune status comprises:

detecting from the sensing data a reaction of the first audience member that is associated with the environment and not associated with the subject matter being presented in the first media item, thereby resulting in the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of a second audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented at the display is observable by the second audience member;

determining a third correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and the characteristic of the second audience member; and

responsive to the third correlation value exceeding the first and second correlation values, determining that the second audience member and neither the subject matter being presented in the first media item nor the environment is responsible for the tuning status.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising determining from the sensing data, which of the first audience member and the second audience member is responsible for the tuning status.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the determining which of the first and second audience members is responsible for the tuning status comprises:

identifying from the sensing data, a first position of the first audience member and a second position of the second audience member;

identifying from the sensing data, a third position of a remote control device; and

associating the third position with a closer of the first and second positions, wherein one of the first and second audience members that is at the closer of the first and second positions is determined responsible for the tuning status.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein a plurality of audience members is proximate to the display, and wherein the operations further comprise:

associating members of the plurality of audience members by gender, age, attribute estimator, or combinations thereof.

15. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, responsive to being executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

identifying a presentation of a first media item at a display communicatively coupled to a media processor tuned to the presentation of the first media item;

receiving sensing data obtained from an environment in a vicinity of the display;

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of a first audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented at the display is observable by the first audience member;

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of an environment in a vicinity of the first audience member;

monitoring a tuning status comprising one of a fixed tune by which the media processor remains tuned to the presentation of the first media item, or a tune away by which the media processor is tuned from the presentation of the first media item to a second media item, wherein the second media item, when presented at the display, is observable by the first audience member;

determining a first correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and a subject matter being presented in the first media item;

determining a second correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and the characteristic of the environment; and

responsive to the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value, determining that the tuning status is based on the environment and not the subject matter being presented in the first media item.

16. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to the first correlation value exceeding the second correlation value, determining that the presentation of the first media item and not the environment is responsible for the tuning status.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the determining that the environment is responsible for the tuning status comprises:

detecting from the sensing data a reaction of the audience member that is associated with the environment and not associated with the subject matter being presented in the first media item, thereby resulting in the second correlation value exceeding the first correlation value.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

determining from the sensing data a characteristic of a second audience member proximate to the display, wherein the first media item presented at the display is observable by the second audience member;

determining a third correlation value between the characteristic of the first audience member and the characteristic of the second audience member; and

responsive to the third correlation value exceeding the first and second correlation values, determining that the second audience member and neither the subject matter being presented in the first media item nor the environment is responsible for the tuning status.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 18, further comprising determining from the sensing data, which of the first audience member and the second audience member is responsible for the tuning status.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the determining which of the first and second audience members is responsible for the tuning status comprises:

identifying from the sensing data, a first position of the first audience member and a second position of the second audience member;

identifying from the sensing data, a third position of a remote control device; and

associating the third position with a closer of the first and second positions, wherein one of the first and second audience members that is at the closer of the first and second positions is determined responsible for the tuning status.