IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,628,844

Granted Patent B2

US 9,628,844 · App. 14/815,321 · Granted Apr 18, 2017

Determining audience state or interest using passive sensor data

Inventors: Michael J. Conrad (Monroe, WA); Geoffrey J. Hulten (Lynnwood, WA); Kyle J. Krum (Sammamish, WA); Umaimah A. Mendhro (San Francisco, CA); Darren B. Remington (Sammamish, WA)

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

H04N21/42201 H04N21/4223 H04N21/42203 H04N21/44213 H04N21/44218 H04N21/4667

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 9,628,844
App. No.: 14/815,321
Granted: Apr 18, 2017
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for determining an audience's state or interest using passive sensor data. The techniques receive sensor data that measures an audience during presentation of a media program. The techniques, based on this sensor data, then determine a state or interest of the audience members during the media program.

Claims (43)

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, response to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a media program that includes multiple portions;

determining a media type for each of the multiple portions of the media program, the media type describing a category of each respective portion of the media program;

receiving sensor data for a person, the sensor data passively sensed during presentation of the media program to the person;

determining, based on the sensor data, a state of the person during each of the multiple portions of the media program, the state of the person being indicative of an emotional state of the person during each of the multiple portions of the media program;

determining, based on the sensor data, an overall interest level of the person during the multiple portions of the media program, the overall interest level of the person being indicative of a level of interest of the person to the media program overall;

providing the state of the person during each of the multiple portions of the media program; and

providing the overall interest level of the person during the multiple portions of the media program such that the provided overall interest level in combination with the provided state of the person are effective to enable measurement of a value of the media program, assessment of a potential value of a similar media program or portion thereof, control of presentation of the media program, or automatic rating, for the person, of the media program.

2. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, an identity of the person and providing the identity of the person.

3. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, a demographic of the person and providing the demographic of the person.

4. The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the media type and the state, an interest level of the person relative to the multiple portions of the media program.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes head movement of the person, facial movement or orientation of the person, and high-amplitude audio from the person.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data includes audio and the operation of determining the state determines, using speech recognition, the state to be a related talking state or an unrelated talking state.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation of determining the state of the person determines a numerical probability for the state or multiple numerical probabilities for multiple states, respectively.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a media program that includes multiple portions;

determining a media type for each of the multiple portions of the media program, the media type describing a category of each respective portion of the media program;

receiving sensor data for a person, the sensor data passively sensed during presentation of the media program to the person;

providing the state of the person during each of the multiple portions of the media program; and

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, an identity of the person and providing the identity of the person.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, a demographic of the person and providing the demographic of the person.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising determining, based on the media type and the state, an interest level of the person relative to the multiple portions of the media program.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor data includes head movement of the person, facial movement or orientation of the person, and high-amplitude audio from the person.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor data includes audio and the determining the state determines, using speech recognition, the state to be a related talking state or an unrelated talking state.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the determining the state of the person determines a numerical probability for the state or multiple numerical probabilities for multiple states, respectively.

15. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processor, causes the processor to implement operations including:

receiving a media program that includes multiple portions;

determining a media type for each of the multiple portions of the media program, the media type describing a category of each respective portion of the media program;

receiving sensor data for a person, the sensor data passively sensed during presentation of the media program to the person;

providing the state of the person during each of the multiple portions of the media program; and

16. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, an identity of the person and providing the identity of the person.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the sensor data, a demographic of the person and providing the demographic of the person.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , the operations further comprising determining, based on the media type and the state, an interest level of the person relative to the multiple portions of the media program.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , wherein the sensor data includes head movement of the person, facial movement or orientation of the person, and high-amplitude audio from the person.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 15 , wherein the sensor data includes audio and the operation of determining the state determines, using speech recognition, the state to be a related talking state or an unrelated talking state.

Assignments (2)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2015

From: CONRAD, MICHAEL J.; HULTEN, GEOFFREY J.; KRUM, KYLE J.; MENDHRO, UMAIMAH A.; REMINGTON, DARREN B.

To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION

Reel/Frame 036275/0400 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2015

From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION

To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC

Reel/Frame 036275/0429 →

Continuity (2)

Continuation 13316351 · Dec 9, 2011

Related Publication 20150341692A1 · Nov 26, 2015