Systems and methods for automatically enabling subtitles based on user activity

• US 9,538,251 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Aravamudan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US14/314,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Systems and methods for automatically enabling subtitles are provided. A user request is received from a user input device to access a first media asset. A type of activity associated with the user is detected in response to receiving the user request. The type of activity is cross-referenced with a database of activity types associated with subtitles stored in a storage device. A subtitles setting is automatically enabled when the subtitles setting is disabled, in response to determining that the type of activity associated with the user is associated with subtitles.

Claims

1. A method for automatically enabling subtitles, the method comprising:

receiving a user request to access a first media asset;

detecting a type of activity associated with the user in response to receiving the user request;

storing a plurality of entries in a database of activity types, wherein each entry includes an activity type field and a subtitles field, wherein a first entry includes a first activity type in the activity type field and a disabled subtitles state in the subtitles field, and wherein a second entry includes a second activity type in the activity type field and an enabled subtitles state in the subtitles field;

computing a first number representing how many user requests to enable subtitles were previously received while each of the users were performing the first activity type;

computing a second number representing how many user requests to disable subtitles were previously received while each of the users were performing the first activity type;

in response to determining that the second number exceeds the first number, automatically setting the subtitles state in the subtitles field of the first entry that includes the first activity type to the disabled subtitles state;

in response to determining that the first number exceeds the second number, automatically setting the subtitles state in the subtitles field of the first entry that includes the first activity type to the enabled subtitles state;

searching the activity type fields of the stored plurality of entries for the detected type of activity associated with the user in response to determining that the type of activity associated with the user matches the activity type included in the activity type field of the second entry, retrieving the enabled subtitles state in the subtitles field of the second entry; and

automatically enabling a subtitles setting when the subtitles setting is disabled, in response to retrieving the enabled subtitles state from the subtitles field of the second entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a first of the activity types is associated with at least one of a first combination of biometric states, first brainwave information, and a first geographical location, and wherein a second of the activity types is associated with at least one of a second combination of biometric states, second brainwave information and a second geographical location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the type of activity associated with the user comprises receiving at least one of biometric information, brainwave information, and location information from a mobile device associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile device includes a monitoring component that is wearable by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically disabling the subtitles setting in response to determining that the user is no longer associated with the previously detected type of activity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an activity type associated with the user when a user request to enable the subtitles setting is received while viewing a second media asset; and

adding the determined activity type to the database of activity types associated with subtitles.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subtitles are transmitted together with the first media asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein first media asset is presented to the user on a first user equipment device, and wherein the subtitles setting is enabled for presenting subtitles to the user on a second user equipment device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically selectively enabling the subtitles setting based on at least one of a location, brainwave information, and biometric information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the type of activity comprises determining that the user is engaged in a physical activity that impairs the user'"'"'s ability to hear audio corresponding to the first media asset, wherein the database of activity types associated with subtitles includes physical activity types that impair the user'"'"'s ability to hear audio.

11. A system for automatically enabling subtitles, the system comprising:

a user input device;

a storage device; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive a user request from the user input device to access a first media asset;

detect a type of activity associated with the user in response to receiving the user request;

store, in the storage device, a plurality of entries in a database of activity types, wherein each entry includes an activity type field and a subtitles field, wherein a first entry includes a first activity type in the activity type field and a disabled subtitles state in the subtitles field, and wherein a second entry includes a second activity type in the activity type field and an enabled subtitles state in the subtitles field;

compute a first number representing how many user requests to enable subtitles were previously received while each of the users were performing the first activity type;

compute a second number representing how many user requests to disable subtitles were previously received while each of the users were performing the first activity type;

in response to determining that the second number exceeds the first number, automatically set the subtitles state in the subtitles field of the first entry that includes the first activity type to the disabled subtitles state;

in response to determining that the first number exceeds the second number, automatically set the subtitles state in the subtitles field of the first entry that includes the first activity type to the enabled subtitles state;

search the activity type fields of the stored plurality of entries for the detected type of activity associated with the user in response to determining that the type of activity associated with the user matches the activity type included in the activity type field of the second entry, retrieve the enabled subtitles state in the subtitles field of the second entry; and

automatically enable a subtitles setting when the subtitles setting is disabled, in response to retrieving the enabled subtitles state from the subtitles field of the second entry.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a first of the activity types is associated with at least one of a first combination of biometric states, first brainwave information, and a first geographical location, and wherein a second of the activity types is associated with at least one of a second combination of biometric states, second brainwave information and a second geographical location.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry configured to detect the type of activity associated with the user is further configured to receive at least one of biometric information, brainwave information, and location information from a mobile device associated with the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device includes a monitoring component that is wearable by the user.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically disable the subtitles setting in response to determining that the user is no longer associated with the previously detected type of activity.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an activity type associated with the user when a user request to enable the subtitles setting is received while viewing a second media asset; and

add the determined activity type to the database of activity types associated with subtitles.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the subtitles are transmitted together with the first media asset.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein first media asset is presented to the user on a first user equipment device, and wherein the subtitles setting is enabled for presenting subtitles to the user on a second user equipment device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically selectively enable the subtitles setting based on at least one of a location, brainwave information, and biometric information.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry configured to detect the type of activity is further configured to determine that the user is engaged in a physical activity that impairs the user'"'"'s ability to hear audio corresponding to the first media asset, wherein the database of activity types associated with subtitles includes physical activity types that impair the user'"'"'s ability to hear audio.