IP Library Granted Patent US 12,537,990
Granted Patent B2
US 12,537,990 · App. 17/713,185 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Hardware for entertainment content in vehicles

Inventors: Gregory I. Gewickey (Carpinteria, CA); Ha Nguyen (Fullerton, CA); Rana Brahma (Los Angeles, CA); Prashant Abhyankar (Los Angeles, CA); Nicole Schoepf (Burbank, CA); Genevieve Morris (Burbank, CA); Michael Zink (Altadena, CA); Michael Smith (Hermosa Beach, CA); Gary Lake-Schaal (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
H04N21/41422H04N21/42202H04N21/4532H04N21/4788
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,537,990
App. No.
17/713,185
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and computer-implemented methods are disclosed for providing social entertainment experiences in a moving vehicle via an apparatus that simulates human social behavior relevant to a journey undertaken by the vehicle, for displaying human-perceivable exterior communication on the moving vehicle to neighboring vehicles and/or pedestrians, and for providing a modular travel experience.

Claims (42)

1 . A computer-implemented method for providing entertainment experiences in a moving vehicle, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, a trip initiation indicator for a trip with a vehicle and one or more passengers, wherein the trip initiation indicator corresponds to starting an engine of the vehicle, detecting movement of the vehicle, and/or user input;

receiving, by the one or more processors, vehicle trip information corresponding to the trip initiation indicator, wherein the vehicle trip information includes an origin, a destination, one or more points of interest along a trip route, a trip purpose, a vehicle location, and/or a trip context;

selecting, by the one or more processors, a program for non-navigational social interaction during the trip, wherein the selecting is based on biometric sensor data that includes an emotional state indicator of the one or more passengers, wherein the emotional state indicator corresponds to an emotional category of an external intended target response type, and wherein the external intended target is external to the vehicle;

executing, by the one or more processors, the program for the non-navigational social interaction in synchrony with progress of the trip;

based on the executing, receiving, by the one or more processors, updated trip data that corresponds to the progress of the trip, and wherein the updated trip data includes a current location and/or a current event of the vehicle; and

based on the updated trip data, outputting, by the one or more processors, human-perceivable interactive social behavior related to the trip on one or more output devices.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the computer-implemented method further comprising:

adapting the program for the non-navigational social interaction to be responsive to vehicle data, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle trip progress data, vehicle expected arrival time, trip data, and/or vehicle state data.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the program for the non-navigational social interaction includes one or more social networking applications and/or one or more multiplay audio and video games.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting is based on sensing and/or receiving trip initiation information, wherein the trip initiation information includes a vehicle status, the vehicle location, a passenger condition, and/or a passenger location.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the user profile data includes user past and present affinities, one or more social trends, one or more user social trends, one or more user demographic attributes, and/or user membership status in a real group or a virtual group.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior includes speech, and wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior is outputted via an audio signal sent to an audio transducer of a content player device of the vehicle.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior includes one or more facial expressions and/or body language, and wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior is outputted via a video signal sent to an electronic screen display of a content player device.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior is outputted via a motor control signal sent to a motorized armature of the content player device.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the emotional state indicator corresponds to a facial expression, a skin temperature, a pupil dilation, a respiration rate, a muscle tension, nervous system activity, or a pulse rate.

10 . A computer system for providing entertainment experiences in a moving vehicle the computer system comprising:

at least one memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, a trip initiation indicator for a trip with a vehicle and one or more passengers, wherein the trip initiation indicator corresponds to starting an engine of the vehicle, detecting movement of the vehicle, and/or user input;

receiving, by the at least one processor, vehicle trip information corresponding to the trip initiation indicator, wherein the vehicle trip information includes an origin, a destination, one or more points of interest along a trip route, a trip purpose, a vehicle location, and/or a trip context;

selecting, by the at least one processor, a program for non-navigational social interaction during the trip, wherein the selecting is based on biometric sensor data that includes an emotional state indicator of the one or more passengers, wherein the emotional state indicator corresponds to an emotional category of an external intended target response type, and wherein the external intended target is external to the vehicle;

executing, by the at least one processor, the program for the non-navigational social interaction in synchrony with progress of the trip;

based on the executing, receiving, by the at least one processor, updated trip data that corresponds to the progress of the trip, and wherein the updated trip data includes a current location and/or a current event of the vehicle; and

based on the updated trip data, outputting, by the at least one processor, human-perceivable interactive social behavior related to the trip on one or more output devices.

11 . The computer system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

adapting the program for the non-navigational social interaction to be responsive to vehicle data, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle trip progress data, vehicle expected arrival time, trip data, and/or vehicle state data.

12 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the program for the non-navigational social interaction includes one or more social networking applications and/or one or more multiplay audio and video games.

13 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the selecting is based on sensing and/or receiving trip initiation information, wherein the trip initiation information includes a vehicle status, the vehicle location, a passenger condition, and/or a passenger location.

14 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the user profile data includes user past and present affinities, one or more social trends, one or more user social trends, one or more user demographic attributes, and/or user membership status in a real group or a virtual group.

15 . The computer system of claim 10 , wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior includes speech, and wherein the human-perceivable interactive social behavior is outputted via an audio signal sent to an audio transducer of a content player device of the vehicle.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for dynamically managing electronic transactions of pet care services data, the operations comprising:

receiving a trip initiation indicator for a trip with a vehicle and one or more passengers, wherein the trip initiation indicator corresponds to starting an engine of the vehicle, detecting movement of the vehicle, and/or user input;

receiving vehicle trip information corresponding to the trip initiation indicator, wherein the vehicle trip information includes an origin, a destination, one or more points of interest along a trip route, a trip purpose, a vehicle location, and/or a trip context;

selecting a program for non-navigational social interaction during the trip, wherein the selecting is based on biometric sensor data that includes an emotional state indicator of the one or more passengers, wherein the emotional state indicator corresponds to an emotional category of an external intended target response type, and wherein the external intended target is external to the vehicle;

executing the program for the non-navigational social interaction in synchrony with progress of the trip;

based on the executing, receiving updated trip data that corresponds to the progress of the trip, and wherein the updated trip data includes a current location and/or a current event of the vehicle; and

based on the updated trip data, outputting human-perceivable interactive social behavior related to the trip on one or more output devices.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , the operations further comprising:

adapting the program for the non-navigational social interaction to be responsive to vehicle data, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle trip progress data, vehicle expected arrival time, trip data, and/or vehicle state data.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the program for the non-navigational social interaction includes one or more social networking applications and/or one or more multiplay audio and video games.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the selecting is based on sensing and/or receiving trip initiation information, wherein the trip initiation information includes a vehicle status, the vehicle location, a passenger condition, and/or a passenger location.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the user profile data includes user past and present affinities, one or more social trends, one or more user social trends, one or more user demographic attributes, and/or user membership status in a real group or a virtual group.

Assignments (1)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC.; WARNER MEDIA, LLC; TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM, INC.; HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.; DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; WARNERMEDIA DIRECT LLC; DISCOVERY.COM LLC; WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.; CNN INTERACTIVE GROUP, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072995/0858 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2020054164 · Oct 3, 2020
Provisional Application 62910854 · Oct 4, 2019
Related Publication 20220303607A1 · Sep 22, 2022
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