User speech interfaces for interactive media guidance applications
View Patent ↗A user speech interface for interactive media guidance applications, such as television program guides, guides for audio services, guides for video-on-demand (VOD) services, guides for personal video recorders (PVRs), or other suitable guidance applications is provided. Voice commands may be received from a user and guidance activities may be performed in response to the voice commands.
1. A method of performing guidance activities in an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
providing content from a first user-specified media source to a user, wherein the first user-specified media source is of a first type;
receiving a voice command from the user, wherein:
the voice command indicates a user-specified guidance activity for a second user-specified media source, and
the second user-specified media source is of a second type that is different from the first type;
determining an identity of the user based on the voice command; and
in response to receiving the voice command, identifying the second user-specified media source and performing the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source, wherein the user-specified guidance activity is based on the identity of the user.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user's request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user's request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting the second user-specified media source; and
performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting the second user-specified media source.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises browsing media listings; and
performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing listings for the second user-specified media source in a browse display.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information related to a media source; and
performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information for media from the second user-specified media source.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content; and
performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content from the second user-specified media source.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing content from a first user-specified media source comprises providing a first audio output from the first user-specified media source, and wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source comprises:
providing a second audio output from the second user-specified media source; and
lowering the volume of the first audio output or muting the first audio output from the first user-specified media source.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording content from the second user-specified media source; and
performing the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a second voice command from the user indicating a user-specified device on which to record the content of the second user-specified media source, wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity further comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source to the user-specified device.
11. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a second voice command from the user indicating a user-specified file in which to record the content of the second user-specified media source, wherein performing the user-specified guidance activity further comprises recording the content from the second user-specified media source in the user-specified file.
12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
recording the content to a device or file based on the identity of the user.
13. A system for performing guidance activities in an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
a microphone;
a user output device; and
an interactive media guidance application implemented at least partially on local processing circuitry and configured to:
direct the user output device to provide content from a first user-specified media source to a user, wherein the first user-specified media source is of a first type;
receive a voice command from the microphone, wherein:
the voice command indicates a user-specified guidance activity for a second user-specified media source; and
the second user-specified media source is of a second type that is different from the first type;
determine an identity of the user based on the voice command; and
in response to receiving the voice command, identify the second user-specified media source and perform the user-specified guidance activity for the second user-specified media source, wherein the user-specified guidance activity is based on the identity of the user; and
direct the user output device to provide an output to the user corresponding to the user-specified guidance activity.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user's request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.
15. The system of claim 13 wherein the second user-specified media source comprises a television channel, an audio channel, a source of video-on-demand content, a source of content recorded pursuant to the user's request, or a source of Internet-delivered content.
16. The system of claim 13 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises selecting a media source; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
select the second user-specified media source; and
direct the user output device to provide an output to the user for the second user-specified media source.
17. The system of claim 13 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises browsing media listings; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
obtain media listings for the second user-specified media source; and
direct the user output device to provide listings for the second user-specified media source.
18. The system of claim 13 wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises providing information related to the second user-specified media source; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the user output device to provide information to the user related to the second user-specified media source.
19. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a recording device, wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises playing back previously-recorded media source content; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the recording device to play back previously-recorded content from the user-specified second media source.
20. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a speaker, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
direct the speaker to provide a first audio output from the first user-specified media source;
direct the speaker provide a second audio output from the second user-specified media source; and
direct the speaker to lower the volume of the first audio output or mute the first audio output of the first user-specified media source.
21. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a recording device, wherein:
the user-specified guidance activity comprises recording content from the second user-specified media source; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to direct the recording device to record the content from the user-specified second media source.
22. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a plurality of recording devices, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
receive a second voice command from the microphone indicating a user-specified recording device on which to record the content from the second user-specified media source; and
direct the user-specified recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source.
23. The system of claim 21 wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
receive a second voice command from the microphone indicating a user-specified file in which to record the content from the second user-specified media source; and
direct the recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source to the user-specified file.
24. The system of claim 21 wherein:
the system further comprises a plurality of recording devices; and
the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
select a recording device based on the identity of the user; and
direct the selected recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source.
25. The system of claim 21 wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to:
select a file based on the identity of the user; and
direct the recording device to record the content from the second user-specified media source to the selected file.