IP Library Granted Patent US 10,194,209
Granted Patent B2
US 10,194,209 · App. 15/689,271 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Automatic display of closed captioning information

Inventor: Joseph Hollinger (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: ROKU, INC.
H04N21/4884H04N21/44213H04N21/4667H04N21/47217H04N7/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,194,209
App. No.
15/689,271
Granted
Jan 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for the automatic display of closed captioning information. An embodiment operates by providing a program for display on a user device. A plurality of closed captioning requests associated with the program are determined. It is determined that the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a first threshold. A start time and an end time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests are determined. Closed captioning corresponding to the program is provided for display between the start time and the end time.

Claims (59)

1. A method, comprising:

providing a program for display on a user device;

determining a plurality of closed captioning requests associated with the program, wherein the plurality of closed captioning requests were received from one or more other user devices to which the program was previously provided;

determining that the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a first threshold, wherein the first threshold indicates a minimum number of user devices from which a closed captioning request was received;

determining a start time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests;

determining an end time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests; and

providing closed captioning corresponding to the program for display between the start time and the end time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the closed captioning comprises:

determining that the start time has been reached; and

providing the closed captioning with the program based on the determination that the start time has been reached.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that each of the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a second threshold indicating a minimum length of time between the start time and the end time for a respective closed captioning request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the plurality of closed captioning requests comprises:

determining that a particular one of the plurality of closed captioning requests exceeds a third threshold indicating a maximum amount of time between the start time and the end time for a respective closed captioning request, and wherein the plurality of closed captioning requests exceeds the first threshold exclusive of the particular closed captioning request.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the start time corresponds to a first pre-defined segment of the program, and wherein the end time corresponds to a second pre-defined segment of the program.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining that the end time has been reached; and

providing the program without the closed captioning based on the determination that the end time has been reached.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining the end time comprises:

determining that each of the plurality of closed captioning requests does not exceed a third threshold indicating a maximum amount of time between the start time and the end time for the respective closed captioning request.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first pre-defined segment and the second pre-defined segment are a same chapter of the program.

9. A system, comprising

a memory; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, configured to perform operations comprising:

providing a program for display on a user device;

determining a plurality of closed captioning requests associated with the program, wherein the plurality of closed captioning requests were received from one or more other user devices to which the program was previously provided;

determining that the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a first threshold, wherein the first threshold indicates a minimum number of user devices from which a closed captioning request was received;

determining a start time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests;

determining an end time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests; and

providing closed captioning corresponding to the program for display between the start time and the end time.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor that provides the closed captioning is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the start time has been reached; and

providing the closed captioning with the program based on the determination that the start time has been reached.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that each of the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a second threshold indicating a minimum length of time between the start time and the end time for a respective closed captioning request.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor that determines the plurality of closed captioning requests is configured to perform an operation comprising:

determining that a particular one of the plurality of closed captioning requests exceeds a third threshold indicating a maximum amount of time between the start time and the end time for a respective closed captioning request, and wherein the plurality of closed captioning requests exceeds the first threshold exclusive of the particular closed captioning request.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the start time corresponds to a first pre-defined segment of the program, and wherein the end time corresponds to a second pre-defined segment of the program.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the end time has been reached; and

providing the program without the closed captioning based on the determination that the end time has been reached.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

determining that each of the plurality of closed captioning requests does not exceed a third threshold indicating a maximum amount of time between the start time and the end time for the respective closed captioning request.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first pre-defined segment and the second pre-defined segment are a same chapter of the program.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

providing a program for display on a user device;

determining a plurality of closed captioning requests associated with the program, wherein the plurality of closed captioning requests were received from one or more other user devices to which the program was previously provided;

determining that the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a first threshold, wherein the first threshold indicates a minimum number of user devices from which a closed captioning request was received;

determining a start time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests;

determining an end time corresponding to the plurality of closed captioning requests; and

providing closed captioning corresponding to the program for display between the start time and the end time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one computing device that provides the closed captioning performs operations comprising:

determining that the start time has been reached;

providing the closed captioning with the program based on the determination that the start time has been reached;

determining that the end time has been reached; and

providing the program without the closed captioning based on the determination that the end time has been reached.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the at least one computing device to further perform operations comprising:

determining that each of the plurality of closed captioning requests exceed a second threshold indicating a minimum length of time between the start time and the end time for a respective closed captioning request.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 17 , wherein the start time corresponds to a first pre-defined segment of the program, and wherein the end time corresponds to a second pre-defined segment of the program.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: ROKU, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068982/0377 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (REEL/FRAME 048385/0375) Recorded Feb 22, 2023
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 062826/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (REEL/FRAME 051300/0931) Recorded Feb 22, 2023
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROKU, INC.; ROKU DX HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062826/0205 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2019
From: ROKU, INC.; ROKU DX HOLDINGS, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 051300/0931 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 20, 2019
From: ROKU, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 048385/0375 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2017
From: HOLLINGER, JOSEPH
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 043439/0042 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15357319 · Nov 21, 2016
Related Publication 20180146259A1 · May 24, 2018