Thought control of set top box

• US 9,357,251 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Dove, Antony Michael, Hey, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick A
• Application Number:
  US12/903,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20120090003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 725/10, 725/12, 725/38, 725/52, 725/56, 600/544, 600/545
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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

Abstract

Disclosure is directed to commanding a content receiver by interpreting brainwave patterns that are captured from a user of the content receiver. The user'"'"'s brainwave patterns may be captured by the use of a headset having a plurality of sensors that are disposed at various locations in proximity to the user'"'"'s head. The content receiver may be operable to learn to recognize specific brainwave patterns for individual users. The content receiver may recognize a number of specific brainwave patterns for each user, each specific brainwave pattern corresponding to a specific command that is executable by the content receiver. When executing user commands, the content receiver may process an input stream from the headset and compare portions of the input stream to the recognized brainwave patterns in order to extract commands from the input stream. Following this, the extracted commands may be executed by the content receiver.

Claims

1. A method of training a content receiver to recognize commands received from a headset, comprising:

acquiring, by a television receiver, baseline brain measurements of a user by repeatedly measuring brain activity of the user as the user repeatedly thinks the same thought over a historical time frame;

outputting, by the television receiver, a first instruction for the user to think a particular command, wherein the command is executable by the television receiver, and wherein the first instruction for the user to think a particular command is displayable on a display device;

receiving, at the television receiver, a first input signal from a headset, the first input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a first time frame following a display of the first instruction on the display device, wherein the first time frame is later in time than the historical time frame;

storing, at the television receiver, the first input signal as a signal pattern, wherein the signal pattern is in correlation with the first instruction output to the user;

analyzing the first input signal using the baseline brain measurements of the user to determine a plurality of commands associated with the user;

outputting a second instruction for the user to think a test command, wherein the test command is one of the plurality of commands that are each stored in correlation with a particular brainwave pattern for the user, wherein the second instruction is different than the first instruction, and wherein the test command is different than the particular command;

in response to outputting the second instruction to the user to think a test command, receiving a second input signal from the headset, the second input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a second time frame following a display of the second instruction on the display device, wherein the second time frame is later in time than the first time frame;

in response to receiving the second input, comparing the second input signal to each particular brainwave pattern for the user stored at the television receiver to determine a candidate command, wherein the candidate command is correlated with a brainwave pattern that substantially matches the brainwave pattern of the second user input; and

in response to determining the candidate command, executing, by the television receiver, the candidate command;

prompting the user to indicate that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command based on visual confirmation by the user of implementation of the executed command;

in response to prompting the user, receiving a third input signal from the user, the third input signal indicating whether or not the executed command corresponds to the test command;

retaining the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with the candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command corresponds to the test command; and

deleting the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with the candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command does not correspond to the test command.

2. The method of training a content receiver of claim 1, wherein the third input signal is received from a hand-held device used by the user to confirm that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on a display device, the method further comprising:

outputting an programming guide signal to the display device, the programming guide signal configured to cause the display device to display an electronic programming guide; and

moving a cursor across the display device in response to a direction specified by the extracted user command.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting a particular channel or program that is indicated by the cursors location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a menu signal to the display device, the menu signal configured to cause the display device to display a control screen menu having one or more menu items selectable by a cursor to execute one or more function of the television receiver,

wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on the display device and a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the control screen menu items include at least one of a power off selector, a input source selector, a volume selector, and a channel selector.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a fourth input, wherein the fourth input includes an indication that the user is no longer wearing the headset;

receiving an indication that a second user has put on the headset;

retrieving, based on an identification of the second user, a baseline brain measurements for the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to retaining the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with the candidate command, transmitting the brainwave pattern to a second television receiver.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the television receiver and the second television receiver are connected to different networks.

10. A method of training a content receiver, comprising:

loading, by a television receiver, a user profile, wherein the user profile is based on input received from a handheld handset communicatively connected with the television receiver, and wherein the user profile includes one or more signal patterns for a user at the television receiver, each signal pattern including a brainwave pattern corresponding to the user'"'"'s thought of a command executable by the television receiver;

receiving, by the television receiver, a stream of user input from a headset at the television receiver, the stream of user input representing brainwave activity of a user who is wearing the headset;

in response to receiving the stream of user input, comparing, by the television receiver, the user input stream to the one or more signal patterns to extract a user command, wherein the extracted user command has a brainwave pattern that substantially matches a portion of the user input stream; and

in response to extracting the user command, executing, by the television receiver, the user command;

outputting, by the television receiver, a first instruction for the user to think a particular command that is executable by the television receiver;

in response to outputting the first instruction to the user, receiving, by the television receiver, a first input signal from the headset, the first input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the first instruction;

in response to receiving the first input signal, storing, by the television receiver, the first input signal as a signal pattern at the television receiver, wherein the signal pattern is stored in correlation with the first instruction output to the user;

outputting, by the television receiver, a second instruction for the user to think a test command, wherein the test command is one of a plurality of commands that are each stored in correlation with a particular brainwave pattern for the user, and wherein the second instruction is different than the first instruction, and wherein the test command is different than the particular command;

in response to outputting the second instruction to the user to think a test command, receiving, by the television receiver, a second input signal from the headset, the second input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a time frame following a display of the second instruction;

in response to receiving the second input, comparing, by the television receiver, the second input signal to each particular brainwave pattern for the user stored at the television receiver to determine a candidate command, wherein the candidate command is correlated with a brainwave pattern that substantially matches the brainwave pattern of the second user input;

in response to determining a candidate command, executing, by the television receiver, the candidate command by the program receiver;

prompting the user to indicate that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command based on visual confirmation by the user of implementation of the executed command;

in response to prompting the user, receiving, by the television receiver, a third input signal from the user, the third input signal indicating whether or not the executed command corresponds to the test command;

retaining, by the television receiver, the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command corresponds to the test command; and

deleting, by the television receiver, the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command does not correspond to the test command.

11. The method of training a content receiver of claim 10, wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on a display device, the method further comprising:

outputting an programming guide signal to the display device, the programming guide signal configured to cause the display device to display an electronic programming guide; and

moving a cursor across the display device in response to a direction specified by the extracted user command.

12. The method of training a content receiver of claim 11, wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor, the method further comprising:

selecting a particular channel or program that is indicated by the cursors location if the extracted command is a selection command.

13. The method of training a content receiver of claim 10, further comprising:

outputting a menu signal to the display device, the menu signal configured to cause the display device to display a control screen menu having one or more menu items selectable by a cursor to execute one or more function of the television receiver;

wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on display device and a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor.

14. The method of training a content receiver of claim 13, wherein the control menu items include at least one of a power off selector, a input source selector, a volume selector, and a channel selector.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a fourth input, wherein the fourth input includes an indication that the user is no longer wearing the headset;

receiving an indication that a second user has put on the headset;

retrieving, based on an identification of the second user, a brainwave pattern for the second user.

16. A non-transitory computer program product, tangible embodied in a non-transitory machine readable storage medium, including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

acquire, by a television receiver, baseline brain measurements of a user by repeatedly measuring brain activity of the user as the user repeatedly thinks the same thought over a historical time frame;

output, by the television receiver, a first instruction for the user to think a particular command, wherein the command is executable by the television receiver, and wherein the first instruction for the user to think a particular command is displayable on a display device;

receive, at the television receiver, a first input signal from a headset, the first input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a first time frame following a display of the first instruction on the display device, wherein the first time frame is later in time than the historical time frame;

store, at the television receiver, the first input signal as a signal pattern, wherein the signal pattern is in correlation with the first instruction output to the user;

analyze the first input signal using the baseline brain measurements of the user to determine a plurality of commands associated with the user;

output a second instruction for the user to think a test command, wherein the test command is one of the plurality of commands that are each stored in correlation with a particular brainwave pattern for the user, wherein the second instruction is different than the first instruction, and wherein the test command is different than the particular command;

in response to outputting the second instruction to the user to think a test command, receive a second input signal from the headset, the second input signal representing brainwave activity of the user acquired by the headset during a second time frame following a display of the second instruction on the display device, wherein the second time frame is later in time than the first time frame;

in response to receiving the second input, compare the second input signal to each particular brainwave pattern for the user stored at the television receiver to determine a candidate command, wherein the candidate command is correlated with a brainwave pattern that substantially matches the brainwave pattern of the second user input; and

in response to determining the candidate command, execute, by the television receiver, the candidate command;

prompt the user to indicate that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command based on visual confirmation by the user of implementation of the executed command;

in response to prompting the user, receive a third input signal from the user, the third input signal indicating whether or not the executed command corresponds to the test command;

retain the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command corresponds to the test command; and

delete the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with the candidate command based on determining that the third input signal indicates that the executed command does not correspond to the test command.

17. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, wherein the third input signal is received from a hand-held device used by the user to confirm that the executed command correctly corresponds to the test command.

18. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on a display device, the non-transitory computer program product further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

output an programming guide signal to the display device, the programming guide signal configured to cause the display device to display an electronic programming guide;

move a cursor across the display device in response to a direction specified by the extracted user command; and

select a particular channel or program that is indicated by the cursors location.

19. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

output a menu signal to the display device, the menu signal configured to cause the display device to display a control screen menu having one or more menu items selectable by a cursor to execute one or more function of the television receiver,

wherein the commands executable by the television receiver include direction commands operable to move a cursor to a desired location on the display device and a selection command operable to select an item that corresponds to a location of the cursor.

20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive a fourth input, wherein the fourth input includes an indication that the user is no longer wearing the headset;

receive an indication that a second user has put on the headset;

retrieve, based on an identification of the second user, a baseline brain measurements for the second user.

21. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

in response to retaining the brainwave pattern stored at the television receiver in correlation with the candidate command, transmit the brainwave pattern to a second television receiver, wherein the television receiver and the second television receiver are connected to different networks.