IP Library Granted Patent US 11,449,546
Granted Patent B2
US 11,449,546 · App. 17/531,928 · Granted Sep 20, 2022

Methods and systems for disambiguating user input based on detection of ensembles of items

Inventors: Alexis Yelton (Somerville, MA); Xin Xu (Reading, MA); Shreyas Mahimkar (Quincy, MA)
Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
G06F16/7867G06F16/58G06F16/78G06V10/751G06V20/00H04N21/4223H04N21/44008H04N21/44227H04N21/4524H04N21/4532H04N21/47H04N21/482H04N21/4828
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,449,546
App. No.
17/531,928
Granted
Sep 20, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for disambiguating user input based on a physical location of items in a vicinity of a user. The system determines that a query received from a user contains an ambiguity. In response, the system identifies several items in the physical vicinity of the user. Then, the system analyzes the identified plurality of items to determine whether the plurality of items forms a first ensemble of items or a second ensemble of items. If the plurality of items forms a first ensemble of items, the system performs a search using the search query and a first keyword related to the first ensemble of items. If the plurality of items forms a second ensemble of items, the system performs a search using the search query and a second keyword related to the second ensemble of items. The system then outputs results of the performed search.

Claims (45)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a request to play media;

detecting, using at least one sensor, an ensemble of items within a threshold physical distance of the device;

selecting, based on a characteristic of the ensemble of items, a genre identifier;

modifying the request to a request to play media associated with the selected genre identifier; and

causing at least one media item associated with the selected genre identifier to be played.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the ensemble of items comprises:

detecting a plurality of items;

identifying that at least one ensemble template of a plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items; and

determining that the plurality of items forms the ensemble of items.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying that at least one ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items comprises determining that a number of the plurality of items belonging to the ensemble is greater than a threshold match count.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates comprises a plurality of descriptive keywords.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is at least one of: an Internet of Things sensor, a video sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a near-field communication (NFC) sensor, and a heat sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ensemble of items is a furniture ensemble.

7. A system comprising:

at least one sensor;

an input interface configured to receive a request to play media; and

control circuitry configured to:

receive, by a device, the request to play the media;

detect, using the at least one sensor, an ensemble of items within a threshold physical distance of the device;

select, based on a characteristic of the ensemble of items, a genre identifier;

modify the request to a request to play media associated with the selected genre identifier; and

cause at least one media item associated with the selected genre identifier to be played.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect the ensemble of items by:

detecting a plurality of items;

identifying that at least one ensemble template of a plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items; and

determining that the plurality of items forms the ensemble of items.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify that at least one ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items comprises determining that a number of the plurality of items belonging to the ensemble is greater than a threshold match count.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates comprises a plurality of descriptive keywords.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor is at least one of: an Internet of Things sensor, a video sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a near-field communication (NFC) sensor, and a heat sensor.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ensemble of items is a furniture ensemble.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, by a device, a request to play media;

means for detecting, using at least one sensor, an ensemble of items within a threshold physical distance of the device;

means for selecting, based on a characteristic of the ensemble of items, a genre identifier;

means for modifying the request to a request to play media associated with the selected genre identifier; and

means for causing at least one media item associated with the selected genre identifier to be played.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for detecting the ensemble of items comprises:

means for detecting a plurality of items;

means for identifying that at least one ensemble template of a plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items; and

means for determining that the plurality of items forms the ensemble of items.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the means for identifying that at least one ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates describes the plurality of items comprises means for determining that a number of the plurality of items belonging to the ensemble is greater than a threshold match count.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the means for the ensemble template of the plurality of ensemble templates comprises means for a plurality of descriptive keywords.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for the sensor is at least one of: an Internet of Things sensor, a video sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a near-field communication (NFC) sensor, and a heat sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for the ensemble of items is a furniture ensemble.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 069106/0129 →
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 Nov 22, 2021
From: YELTON, ALEXIS; XU, XIN; MAHIMKAR, SHREYAS
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058177/0262 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17201669 · Mar 15, 2021
Continuation 16235289 · Dec 28, 2018
Continuation 15949650 · Apr 10, 2018
Related Publication 20220121707A1 · Apr 21, 2022