IP Library Granted Patent US 12,212,808
Granted Patent B2
US 12,212,808 · App. 18/133,121 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Systems and methods for selecting network- connected devices to provide device functions for an event

Inventors: Sara Dever (Boothwyn, PA); Jennifer L Holloway (Wallingford, PA); Daniel P. Rowan (Springfield, PA); Mark D. Thompson (Havertown, PA)
Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc.
H04N21/43615H04N21/4131H04N21/42203H04N21/4325H04N21/435H04N21/44218G16Y10/60G16Y20/40
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 12,212,808
App. No.
18/133,121
Granted
Jan 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for selecting one or more network-connected devices to provide device functions required by an event. A media guidance application may detect an event in which a user is currently engaged. The media guidance application may identify a set of device capabilities associated with the event. The media guidance application may search, within a plurality of network-connected devices of the user, to identify one or more devices that enable functions corresponding to the set of device capabilities to be perceptible to the user, and the media guidance application may instruct the identified one or more devices to provide the functions corresponding to the set of device capabilities associated with the event.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

identifying a plurality of network-connected devices;

detecting, by a first subset of the plurality of network-connected devices, an event in which a user is currently engaged, wherein the event is of an event type;

retrieving, based on the event type and from a database of a plurality of device responses associated with a plurality of event types, a set of device responses associated with the event, wherein each device response of the set of device responses is associated with a respective device function;

determining respective device capabilities associated with each network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices;

determining, based on (a) the respective device capabilities associated with each network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices and (b) the respective device functions associated with each device response of the set of device responses, a second subset of the plurality of network-connected devices capable of performing the set of device responses;

searching, within the second subset of the plurality of network-connected devices, to identify one or more devices that enable at least one device response of the set of device responses to be perceptible to the user; and

instructing the identified one or more devices to provide the at least one device response of the set of device responses associated with the event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the event type is at least one of an emergency, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation event, a Heimlich maneuver event, a cleaning event, a cooking event, a household event, a laundry event, a sports event, an exercise event, a cultural event, a holiday event, a celebration event, a walking event, a driving event, a repair event, a news event, or a child event.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the set of device responses comprises generating for output audio and/or visual content related to the event determined to be related to the at least one of the emergency, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation event, the Heimlich maneuver event, the cleaning event, the cooking event, the household event, the laundry event, the sports event, the exercise event, the cultural event, the holiday event, the celebration event, the walking event, the driving event, the repair event, the news event, or the child event.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a position of the user with relation to the identified one or more devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising determining based on the determined position whether the user is facing the identified one or more devices.

6. The method of claim 4 , comprising determining based on the determined position whether the user is within a range of an audio output of the identified one or more devices.

7. The method of claim 4 , comprising determining based on the determined position whether the identified one or more devices is able to detect the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising detecting an utterance of the user.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising determining a location of the user based on the detected utterance.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the detecting the event in which the user is currently engaged is based on the detected utterance.

11. A system comprising:

circuitry configured to:

identify a plurality of network-connected devices;

detect, by a first subset of the plurality of network-connected devices, an event in which a user is currently engaged, wherein the event is of an event type;

retrieve, based on the event type and from a database of a plurality of device responses associated with a plurality of event types, a set of device responses associated with the event, wherein each device response of the set of device responses is associated with a respective device function;

determine respective device capabilities associated with each network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices;

determine, based on (a) the respective device capabilities associated with each network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices and (b) the respective device functions associated with each device response of the set of device responses, a second subset of the plurality of network-connected devices capable of performing the set of device responses;

search, within the second subset of the plurality of network-connected devices, to identify one or more devices that enable at least one device response of the set of device responses to be perceptible to the user; and

instruct the identified one or more devices to provide the at least one device response of the set of device capabilities responses associated with the event.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the event type is at least one of an emergency, a cardiopulmonary resuscitation event, a Heimlich maneuver event, a cleaning event, a cooking event, a household event, a laundry event, a sports event, an exercise event, a cultural event, a holiday event, a celebration event, a walking event, a driving event, a repair event, a news event, or a child event.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the set of device responses comprises generating for output audio and/or visual content related to the event determined to be related to the at least one of the emergency, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation event, the Heimlich maneuver event, the cleaning event, the cooking event, the household event, the laundry event, the sports event, the exercise event, the cultural event, the holiday event, the celebration event, the walking event, the driving event, the repair event, the news event, or the child event.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a position of the user with relation to the identified one or more devices.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine based on the determined position whether the user is facing the identified one or more devices.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine based on the determined position whether the user is within a range of an audio output of the identified one or more devices.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine based on the determined position whether the identified one or more devices is able to detect the user.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is configured to detect an utterance of the user.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the circuitry is configured to determine a location of the user based on the detected utterance.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the detecting the event in which the user is currently engaged is based on the detected utterance.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 3, 2024
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 069106/0129 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2023
From: DEVER, SARA; HOLLOWAY, JENNIFER L.; ROWAN, DANIEL P.; THOMPSON, MARK D.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 063290/0185 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17041004
Related Publication 20230262284A1 · Aug 17, 2023
References Cited (26)
US 6239794B1 · Yuen et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6564378B1 · Satterfield et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 7165098B1 · Boyer et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 7761892B2 · Ellis et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8046801B2 · Ellis et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8731373B2 · Gerbasi · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 11653055B2 · Dever et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20020174430A1 · Ellis et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20050251827A1 · Ellis et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20090070798A1 · Lee et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20100153885A1 · Yates · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20150134761A1 · Sharma et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160055879A1 · Arai et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170048476A1 · Freiin Von Kapri et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170155703A1 · Hao et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170310608A1 · Kulick · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170330565A1 · Daley · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20200059976A1 · Bhatia et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20210105529A1 · Dever et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210182111A1 · Jakobsson · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018005334A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion of PCT/2018/024652 dated Jul. 13, 2018. [cited by applicant]
“IPRP”, International Preliminary Report on Patentability of PCT/US2018/024652 dated Sep. 29, 2020 (12 pages). [cited by applicant]
Anonymous , “Anonymous: ”Alexa can tell you the steps for CPR, warning signs of heart attack and stroke—News on Heart.org, Feb. 22, 2017 (Feb. 22, 2017), XP055488203, Retrieved from the Internet: (3 pages), 3 pages. [cited by applicant]
Isbitski, David , David Isbitski, “Alexa blog—How to Control Your Content with the Video Skill API”, Jun. 8, 2017 (13 pages), 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Palermo, Michael , Michael Palermo, “Managing Device Discovery for Your Alexa Smart Home Skill”, Sep. 27, 2016 (Sep. 27, 2016)(22 pages), 22 pages. [cited by applicant]