System, method and apparatus for viewer detection and action
View Patent ↗An application for a television has a detector capable of determining the identity and/or presence of at least one viewer in a viewing area of the television. In response to viewers entering and leaving the viewing area of the television, the television adjusts its operation based upon settings for the currently present viewers (e.g., enables channels, content, etc).
1. A system for monitoring viewers of a television, the system comprising:
a display panel;
a processing element operatively coupled to the display panel;
a memory, storing a plurality of records, each record associated with a viewer and each record comprising a viewer identity and a viewer category;
a viewer sensing device operatively coupled to the processing element, and operating to electronically sense at least one viewer who is viewing the television; and
software running on the processing element, the software detect the at least one viewer in an area of the television by consulting with a remote server to identify the at least one viewer, and to automatically carry out a viewing limit associated with the at least one viewer, wherein the software running on the processing element operates to detect multiple viewers within a viewing area of the television, determining information about the multiple viewers, and, using the identities of the multiple viewers, determining viewing limits associated with the multiple viewers and determining a most restrictive limit on viewing content for a most restrictive limit among the viewers, and providing content only for the most restrictive limit among the viewers.
2. The system for monitoring viewers of claim 1 , wherein the viewer sensing device is an image sensing device and the software identities comprises an image of the viewer.
3. The system for monitoring viewers of claim 1 , wherein the viewer sensing device is an audio sensing device and the software identifies an audio sample of the viewer.
4. The system for monitoring viewers of claim 1 , wherein the viewing limit is a limit on a number of hours in one week.
5. The system for monitoring viewers of claim 1 , wherein the viewing limit is a set of allowable viewing times associated with the viewers.
6. A method for monitoring viewers of a television comprising:
displaying content on a display panel;
storing a plurality of records in a memory, each record associated with a viewer and each record comprising a viewer identity and a viewer category;
electronically sensing at least one viewer who is viewing the television;
detecting the at least one viewer in an area of the television by consulting with a remote server to identify the at least one viewer; and
automatically carrying out a viewing limit associated with the at least one viewer, wherein the detecting comprises detecting multiple viewers within a viewing area of the television, determining information about the multiple viewers, and, using the identities of the multiple viewers, determining viewing limits associated with the multiple viewers and determining a most restrictive limit on viewing content for a most restrictive limit among the viewers, and providing content only for the most restrictive limit among the viewers.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the detecting includes capturing an image of the viewing area and using facial recognition to compare faces within the image with viewer image data within each viewer identity.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the detecting includes capturing voice prints from the viewing area and using vocal recognition to compare voices within the voice prints with viewer voice print data within each viewer identity.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the viewer category is based upon an age of the viewers.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein, wherein the viewer category is based upon a preference of the viewers.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein, further comprising creating the plurality of records before the detecting.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the creating the plurality of records includes presenting an on-screen display and for each added viewer: capturing an image of the added viewer as the viewer identity and capturing the viewer category of the added viewer.