Systems and methods for resuming media in different modes of playback based on attributes of a physical environment
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are described for resuming media in different modes of playback, based on attributes of a physical environment that a user has moved to. For example, a user may access a media asset (e.g., television broadcast of a baseball game) in a first environment (e.g., a living room). A media guidance application may then determine that the user has left the first environment. In response, the media guidance application may identify the user's new environment (e.g., a car) and analyze characteristics of the new environment. Based on the characteristics, the media guidance application may determine a suitable mode of playback (e.g., an audio version featuring play-by-play commentary of the baseball game on the car's radio) that the user can access from the playback position from where the user left off at the first environment.
1. A method for resuming media in different modes of playback based on attributes of a physical environment where the media is being resumed, the method comprising:
generating for presentation a media asset for a first user in a first physical environment;
collecting data from sensor circuitry representing a location of the first user;
processing the collected data to determine the location of the first user has changed from the first physical environment to a second physical environment indicating that the first user has left the first physical environment and has entered the second physical environment; and
in response to determining that the location of the first user has changed:
identifying a playback position of the media asset that was generated for presentation when the first user left the first physical environment;
determining an attribute of the second physical environment;
determining an environment type of the second physical environment;
determining a plurality of candidate roles associated with the environment type;
determining a first role, of the plurality of candidate roles, of the first user, by:
determining, based on data from the sensor circuitry, that the first user is in a first physical space within the second physical environment;
comparing the first physical space to a plurality of physical space templates, wherein each physical space template is associated with a role of the plurality of candidate roles;
determining, based on the comparing, whether the first physical space matches a first physical space template corresponding to the first role; and
in response to determining that the first physical space matches the first physical space template corresponding to the first role, identifying a first plurality of modes of playback associated with the first role;
comparing a plurality of versions of the media asset with the identified first plurality of modes to identify a first version of the media asset that corresponds to a first mode; and
generating a presentation of the media asset at the second physical environment in the identified first version starting from the identified playback position.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that a second user is present at the second physical environment with the first user;
determining a second role of the plurality of candidate roles, of the second user, wherein the second role is different from the first role;
identifying a second mode of playback that corresponds to the second role, wherein the second mode of playback includes playback using an output that is also used by the first mode and additionally includes an output that is not used by the first mode;
identifying a second version of the media asset that corresponds to the second mode; and
generating a presentation of the media asset at the second physical environment to the second user using the output that is not used by the first mode from the identified playback position.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving a priority level associated with each of the identified modes;
determining that the first version of the media asset corresponds to the first mode and that a second version of the media asset corresponds to a second mode; and
selecting the first version as the identified version in response to determining that a priority level associated with the first mode is greater than a priority level associated with the second mode.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mode presents content using a single device configured to output audio only, wherein a second mode of the modes presents content using multiple types of devices simultaneously, and wherein generating for presentation the media asset in the second physical environment comprises generating a display of the media asset on a display device and outputting audio of the media asset via a separate audio output device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the attribute comprises:
receiving user input classifying the second physical environment;
identifying a social occasion at the second physical environment, wherein the social occasion represents an activity that the user is participating in; and
identifying a plurality of devices associated with the social occasion that are available at the second physical environment.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the attribute comprises:
detecting a second user in the second physical environment;
accessing a viewing history of the second user; and
in response to determining that the second user has not viewed the media asset based on the viewing history:
identifying a first device that is not perceptible to the second user; and
generating the presentation of the media asset on the first device.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining, while the media asset is presented on the first device, that the second user has reached a current playback position in the media asset; and
in response to determining that the second user has reached the current play position in the media asset being presented:
identifying a second device that is perceptible to the first user and the second user; and
generating the presentation of the media asset on the second device.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the presentation of the media asset on the second device comprises changing the identified version from the first version of the media asset that corresponds to the first mode associated with the first device, to a second version of the media asset that corresponds to a second mode associated with the second device.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving a social interaction level associated with each of the identified modes;
determining that the first version of the media asset corresponds to the first mode and that a second version of the media asset corresponds to a second mode; and
selecting the first version as the identified version in response to determining that the social interaction level associated with the first mode is greater than the social interaction level associated with the second mode.
10. A system for resuming media in different modes of playback based on attributes of a physical environment where the media is being resumed, the system comprising:
sensor circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to:
generate for presentation a media asset for a first user in a first physical environment;
collect data from the sensor circuitry representing a location of the first user;
process the collected data to determine the location of the first user has changed from the first physical environment to a second physical environment indicating that the first user has left the first physical environment and has entered the second physical environment; and
in response to determining that the location of the first user has changed:
identify a playback position of the media asset that was generated for presentation when the first user left the first physical environment;
determine an attribute of the second physical environment;
determine an environment type of the second physical environment;
determine a plurality of candidate roles associated with the environment type;
determine a first role, of the plurality of candidate roles, of the first user, by:
determining, based on data from the sensor circuitry, that the first user is in a first physical space within the second physical environment;
comparing the first physical space to a plurality of physical space templates, wherein each physical space template is associated with a role of the plurality of candidate roles;
determining, based on the comparing, whether the first physical space matches a first physical space template corresponding to the first role; and
in response to determining that the first physical space matches the first physical space template corresponding to the first role, identifying a first plurality of modes of playback associated with the first role;
compare a plurality of versions of the media asset with the identified first plurality of modes to identify a first version of the media asset that corresponds to a first mode; and
generate a presentation of the media asset at the second physical environment in the identified first version starting from the identified playback position.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
detect that a second user is present at the second physical environment with the first user;
determine a second role of the plurality of candidate roles, of the second user, wherein the second role is different from the first role;
identify a second mode of playback that corresponds to the second role, wherein the second mode of playback includes playback using an output that is also used by the first mode and additionally includes an output that is not used by the first mode;
identify a second version of the media asset that corresponds to the second mode; and
generate a presentation of the media asset at the second physical environment to the second user using the output that is not used by the first mode from the identified playback position.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve a priority level associated with each of the identified modes;
determine that the first version of the media asset corresponds to the first mode and that a second version of the media asset corresponds to a second mode; and
select the first version as the identified version in response to determining that a priority level associated with the first mode is greater than a priority level associated with the second mode.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first mode presents content using a single device configured to output audio only, wherein a second mode of the modes presents content using multiple types of devices simultaneously, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when generating for presentation the media asset in the second physical environment, to generate a display of the media asset on a display device and output audio of the media asset via a separate audio output device.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the attribute of the second physical environment, to:
receive user input classifying the second physical environment;
identify a social occasion at the second physical environment, wherein the social occasion represents an activity that the user is participating in; and
identify a plurality of devices associated with the social occasion that are available at the second physical environment.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the attribute of the second physical environment, to:
detect a second user in the second physical environment;
access a viewing history of the second user; and
in response to determining that the second user has not viewed the media asset based on the viewing history:
identify a first device that is not perceptible to the second user; and
generate the presentation of the media asset on the first device.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
determine, while the media asset is presented on the first device, that the second user has reached a current playback position in the media asset; and
in response to determining that the second user has reached the current play position in the media asset being presented:
identify a second device that is perceptible to the first user and the second user; and
generate the presentation of the media asset on the second device.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate the presentation of the media asset on the second device by changing the identified version from the first version of the media asset that corresponds to the first mode associated with the first device, to a second version of the media asset that corresponds to a second mode associated with the second device.
18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
retrieve a social interaction level associated with each of the identified modes;
determine that the first version of the media asset corresponds to the first mode and that a second version of the media asset corresponds to a second mode; and
select the first version as the identified version in response to determining that the social interaction level associated with the first mode is greater than the social interaction level associated with the second mode.