IP Library Granted Patent US 11,798,565
Granted Patent B2
US 11,798,565 · App. 17/154,571 · Granted Oct 24, 2023

Systems and methods for identifying users based on voice data and media consumption data

Inventors: Sean Matthews (Los Altos, CA); Benjamin H. Maughan (Pleasanton, CA); Kevin B. Lenhart (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
G10L17/22G10L17/00G10L17/02G10L17/04G10L17/06
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,798,565
App. No.
17/154,571
Granted
Oct 24, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for identifying users based on voice data and media consumption data. A media guidance application may generate a voice signature from the user's input and based on that signature identify some demographic characteristics of the user (e.g., age, gender, and other suitable characteristics). The media guidance application may retrieve user data for users that are associated with a household of the user and attempt to identify which of the users spoke the command. If multiple users are identified, based on the demographic characteristics, the media guidance application may use the content of the voice command (e.g., a type of media requested) to identify the user.

Claims (80)

1. A method for identifying a user based on voice data and media consumption data, the method comprising:

generating a voice signature from a voice command received from a user;

identifying, based on the voice signature, a plurality of voice characteristics associated with the user, wherein each of the plurality of voice characteristics corresponds to a plurality of demographics associated with the user;

comparing the plurality of demographics with demographic information within each profile of a plurality of profiles associated with a plurality of users associated with a household;

determining, based on the comparing, that two or more profiles in the plurality of profiles match the plurality of demographics;

in response to determining that two or more profiles in the plurality of profiles match the plurality of demographics, identifying, based on content of the voice command from the two or more profiles, a profile of the user; and

generating for display an indication indicating that the user has been identified.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a request for user information that is associated with a household of the user;

receiving the user information, wherein the user information comprises respective demographic information of each user within the household.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein transmitting the request for user information that is associated with the household of the user comprises:

determining an identification string associated with a user equipment device where the voice command is received;

generating a query for the household user information, wherein the query comprises the identification string; and

transmitting the query to a remote server that stores the user information that is associated with the household of the user.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the user information further comprises storing the user information in a data structure, the data structure comprising:

a plurality of entries, wherein the plurality of entries comprises an entry for each user within the household; and

a plurality of fields for each entry, wherein the plurality of fields comprises a field for each item of demographic information associated with a respective user.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the voice command comprises a request for a media asset;

comparing metadata associated with the media asset with metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics; and

determining, based on comparing the metadata associated with the media asset with the metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics, that a first user of the two or more users constitutes a best match;

wherein generating for display the indication that the user has been identified occurs in response to determining that the first user is the best match.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein comparing metadata associated with the media asset with metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics comprises:

receiving a plurality of user profiles, wherein each user profile in the plurality of user profiles corresponds to a user of the two or more users, and wherein each user profile comprises a plurality of characteristics corresponding to media assets that a respective user of the two or more users prefers;

comparing the metadata associated with the media asset with the characteristics of media assets that the corresponding user prefers;

determining, for each user of the two or more users based on comparing the metadata associated with the media asset with the characteristics of media assets that the corresponding user prefers, an amount of characteristics that match; and

determining from the two or more users one with the highest amount of matching metadata.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining from the two or more users one with the highest amount of matching metadata comprises:

retrieving a weight associated with each characteristic of the plurality of characteristics;

calculating, using a respective weight for each characteristic, for each user of the two or more users, the amount of characteristics that match; and

selecting a matching user with the highest amount of characteristics that match.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the plurality of demographics with demographic information within each profile of a plurality of profiles associated with a plurality of users associated with a household comprises:

retrieving a first entry from the plurality of entries;

comparing each demographic of the plurality of demographics with content of a field associated with a corresponding demographic of a first user of the two or more users; and

generating, based on comparing each demographic of the plurality of demographics with content of the field associated with the corresponding demographic of the first user of the two or more users, a set of demographic information from the plurality of demographics that matches demographics associated with the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining that demographic information associated with the two or more users matches the plurality of demographics.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that demographic information associated with the two or more users matches the plurality of demographics comprises:

comparing an amount of demographic information associated with the first user that matches the plurality of demographics with amounts of demographic information associated with other users that matches the plurality of demographics; and

identifying, based on comparing the amount of demographic information associated with the first user that matches the plurality of demographics with amounts of demographic information associated with other users that matches the plurality of demographics, two or more users with the highest amount of demographic information that matches.

11. A system for identifying a user based on voice data and media consumption data the system comprising:

communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to:

generate a voice signature from a voice command received from a user;

identify, based on the voice signature, a plurality of voice characteristics associated with the user, wherein each of the plurality of voice characteristics corresponds to a plurality of demographics associated with the user;

compare the plurality of demographics with demographic information within each profile of a plurality of profiles associated with a plurality of users associated with a household;

determine, based on the comparing, that two or more profiles in the plurality of profiles match the plurality of demographics;

in response to determining that two or more profiles in the plurality of profiles match the plurality of demographics, identify, based on content of the voice command from the two or more profiles, a profile of the user; and

generate for display an indication indicating that the user has been identified.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

transmit a request for user information that is associated with a household of the user;

receive the user information, wherein the user information comprises respective demographic information of each user within the household.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry configured to transmit the request for user information that is associated with the household of the user is further configured to:

determine an identification string associated with a user equipment device where the voice command is received;

generate a query for the household user information, wherein the query comprises the identification string; and

transmit the query to a remote server that stores the user information that is associated with the household of the user.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry configured to receive the user information is further configured to store the user information in a data structure, the data structure comprising:

a plurality of entries, wherein the plurality of entries comprises an entry for each user within the household; and

a plurality of fields for each entry, wherein the plurality of fields comprises a field for each item of demographic information associated with a respective user.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the voice command comprises a request for a media asset;

compare metadata associated with the media asset with metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics; and

determine, based on comparing the metadata associated with the media asset with the metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics, that a first user of the two or more users constitutes a best match; and

wherein the control circuitry configured to generate for display an indication that the user has been identified is configured to do so in response to determining that the first user is the best match.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry configured to compare metadata associated with the media asset with metadata associated with media assets that are of interest to each of the two or more users that match the plurality of demographics is further configured to:

receive a plurality of user profiles, wherein each user profile in the plurality of user profiles corresponds to a user of the two or more users, and wherein each user profile comprises a plurality of characteristics corresponding to media assets that a respective user of the two or more users prefers;

compare the metadata associated with the media asset with the characteristics of media assets that the corresponding user prefers;

determine, for each user of the two or more users based on comparing the metadata associated with the media asset with the characteristics of media assets that the corresponding user prefers, an amount of characteristics that match; and

determine from the two or more users one with the highest amount of matching metadata.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry configured to determine from the two or more users one with the highest amount of matching metadata is further configured to:

retrieve a weight associated with each characteristic of the plurality of characteristics;

calculate, using a respective weight for each characteristic, for each user of the two or more users, the amount of characteristics that match; and

select a matching user with the highest amount of characteristics that match.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry configured to compare the plurality of demographics with demographic information within each profile of a plurality of profiles associated with a plurality of users associated with a household is further configured to:

retrieve a first entry from the plurality of entries;

compare each demographic of the plurality of demographics with content of a field associated with a corresponding demographic of a first user of the two or more users; and

generate, based on comparing each demographic of the plurality of demographics with content of the field associated with the corresponding demographic of the first user of the two or more users, a set of demographic information from the plurality of demographics that matches demographics associated with the first user.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine that demographic information associated with the two or more users matches the plurality of demographics.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry configured to determine that demographic information associated with the two or more users matches the plurality of demographics is further configured to:

compare an amount of demographic information associated with the first user that matches the plurality of demographics with amounts of demographic information associated with other users that matches the plurality of demographics; and

identify, based on comparing the amount of demographic information associated with the first user that matches the plurality of demographics with amounts of demographic information associated with other users that matches the plurality of demographics, two or more users with the highest amount of demographic information that matches.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 069112/0430 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2023
From: ADEIA GUIDES INC.; ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC; ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR BONDING TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063707/0884 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2021
From: MATTHEWS, SEAN; MAUGHAN, BENJAMIN H.; LENHART, KEVIN B.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 054988/0550 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16308620
Related Publication 20210233542A1 · Jul 29, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,451,143