Method and apparatus for social network communication over a media network

• US 9,979,690 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao, Mornhineway, David
• Primary Examiner(s): YEN, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US15/257,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/00 Speech or audio signals analysis-synthesis techniques for redundancy reduction, e.g. in vocoders; Coding or decoding of speech or audio signals, using source filter models or psychoacoustic analysis in musical instruments G10H
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/87 Detection of discrete points within a voice signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

A system that transmits a request to initiate a communication session with a member device of a social network may include, for example, activating a speech capture element, maintaining activation of the speech capture element in accordance with a pattern of prior speech messages, detecting a speech message at the activated speech capture element, and transmitting the detected speech message, or a derivative thereof, to the member device of the social network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving a selection from among a list of members of a social network;

initiating a communication session based on the selection, wherein the communication session includes exchanging communications between a user and a member communication device, wherein the user and the member communication device are associated via the social network, and wherein the social network comprises a social network application which has selective accessibility for member devices and which is managed by a social network server;

capturing an input speech message according to a determination of a pattern of prior speech messages of the user;

appending a speech capture time period to a data set comprising elapsed speech times; and

transmitting, to the member communication device, a message representative of the input speech message.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the speech capture time period based on a time between:

an activation of the initiating the communication session, and a period after detecting that the user has stopped speaking, wherein the determining of the speech capture time period is according to the determination of the pattern of prior speech messages of the user.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the communications are associated with a television program which is presented by way of a media processor, wherein the media processor is communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein the device comprises one of a remote controller or a mobile communication device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a command to a media processor, and thereby indicating an activation state of a speech capture element.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the speech capture element is maintained, for a length of time equal to the speech capture time period, in an active state, and wherein the active state is independent of the selection.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the member communication device, a text message; and

presenting, on the display, the text message.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a speaker, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the member communication device, an audio message; and

reproducing, via the speaker, the audio message.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the list of members.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a group of messages generated by the member communication device; and

presenting the group of messages, wherein the group of messages generated by the member communication device are received from the social network server.

10. A network element, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

responsive to a selection from among a list of members of a social network, facilitating establishing a communication session that includes exchanging communications between a first member device and a second member device, wherein the second member device is indicated in the selection, wherein the first and second member devices are associated via the social network, and wherein the social network comprises a social network application which has selective accessibility for member devices and which is managed by a social network server;

receiving, as a captured speech message, a speech message that is captured by a speech capture element in accordance with a pattern of prior speech messages, wherein the speech capture element is part of the first member device;

transmitting, to the second member device, a message that is representative of the captured speech message; and

updating, according to an accuracy of the captured speech message, a user profile, wherein the accuracy of the captured speech message is in relation to a speech capture time period.

11. The network element of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining, based on prior speech messages that are in accordance with the pattern of prior speech messages, the speech capture time period that is based on an elapsed time between:

an initiating of the communication session, and a period after detecting that a user has stopped speaking, wherein the communications are in relation to a media program.

12. The network element of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting, by way of a display which is communicatively coupled to the network element, the list of members.

13. The network element of claim 10, wherein the communication session is initiated responsive to one of:

a duration of a selection of a button, wherein the button is on a user interface of the first member device;

or a sequence of a selection, and wherein the pattern of prior speech messages is determined by one of the first member device or the processor.

14. The network element of claim 10, wherein the pattern of prior speech messages is derived from user profile data, wherein the user profile data is updated by monitoring speech message patterns.

15. The network element of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a group of messages that are generated by the second member device; and

presenting, at a display device that is communicatively coupled to the network element, the group of messages.

16. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

initiating a communication session responsive to a selection from among a list of members of a social network, wherein the selection includes a member communication device, wherein the social network comprises a social network application which has selective accessibility for member devices and which is managed by a social network server;

activating a speech capture element, wherein the speech capture element is maintained, for a speech capture time period, in an active state;

detecting, at the speech capture element, a speech message;

transmitting, to the member communication device, a message that is representative of the speech message; and

appending a user profile, wherein the user profile is appended according to a time that is based on the activation of the speech capture element and that is based on an end of the speech message.

17. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a pattern of prior speech messages is determined by one of:

a processor that is coupled to the speech capture element, a media processor communicatively coupled to the member communication device, or a remote server.

18. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a pattern of prior speech messages is derived from user profile data, wherein the user profile data is updated by monitoring speech message patterns.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, based on prior speech messages that are in accordance with a pattern of prior speech messages, a speech capture time period that is based on a time between;

an activation of the initiating the communication session, and a period after detecting that a user has stopped speaking.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise presenting, by way of a display, the list of members.