System and method for enabling interaction with an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11435892-B2
Application number	US-201916715702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2019
Priority date	Dec 8, 2017
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for enabling advertisement interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment. A media device includes a touch-sensitive display screen, and user interface that enables access to a stored media application. During the streaming of media content from a media server, an audio advertisement or other type of advertisement can be inserted into a stream, for playback at the media device. Using playback controls provided either by the user interface, or by a headphones, headset, or other type of device, a user can interact with the advertisement (even if the user interface is locked), by performing a defined gesture, which, if received at the media application during a defined time period associated with the advertisement, is interpreted as a signal to select or otherwise interact with the advertisement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for enabling interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment, comprising:
a media device having a processor, operating system, and user interface that enables access to a stored media application adapted to play a stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a device in communication with the media device and having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate operations of the playback controls with defined gestures,
wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the defined gesture to be recognized;

wherein during streaming of a media content from a media server, the media application receives, from the operating system, an indication of an operation of the playback controls at the device in communication with the media device; and
wherein if the operation of the playback controls is determined to be a defined gesture as indicated by:
operation of the playback controls within the time threshold associated with the defined gesture, and
receipt of said operation at the media application during a defined time period associated with the media content being streamed,
then the operation of the playback controls is interpreted as a signal indicative of selection or interaction with the media content;

otherwise a regular functionality associated with operation of the playback controls is performed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the defined time period is a period of time during which the media content is being played at the media device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the defined gesture is a skip action performed using the one or more playback controls at the user interface or a headphones, headset, or other type of device, and passed by the operating system to the media application, for use by the media application in determining whether the defined gesture is received during the defined time period associated with the media content.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface can be locked, and wherein the defined gesture, performed using the one or more playback controls at the user interface or headphones, headset, or other type of device, can be communicated from the operating system to the media application while the user interface is locked.

5. The system of claim 1 , whereupon receiving the signal to select or otherwise interact with the media content, the media application causes an indication of a media content that is associated with the media content to be placed in a queue data structure at the media application, for playback at the media device.

6. A method of enabling interaction with an electronic device, for use in a digital media content environment, comprising:
providing, at a media device having a processor, operating system, and user interface, a stored media application adapted to play a stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a device in communication with the media device and having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate operations of the playback controls with defined gestures,
wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the defined gesture to be recognized;

during streaming of a media content from a media server, receiving at the media application, from the operating system, an indication of an operation of the playback controls at the device in communication with the media device; and
if the operation of the playback controls is determined to be a defined gesture as indicated by:
operation of the playback controls within the time threshold associated with the defined gesture, and
receipt of said operation at the media application during a defined time period associated with the media content being streamed,
then the operation of the playback controls is interpreted as a signal indicative of selection or interaction with the media content;

otherwise a regular functionality associated with operation of the playback controls is performed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the defined time period is a period of time during which the media content is being played at the media device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the defined gesture is a skip action performed using the one or more playback controls at the user interface or a headphones, headset, or other type of device, and passed by the operating system to the media application, for use by the media application in determining whether the defined gesture is received during the defined time period associated with the media content.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user interface can be locked, and wherein the defined gesture, performed using the one or more playback controls at the user interface or headphones, headset, or other type of device, can be communicated from the operating system to the media application while the user interface is locked.

10. The method of claim 6 , whereupon receiving the signal to select or otherwise interact with the media content, the media application causes an indication of a media content that is associated with the media content to be placed in a queue data structure at the media application, for playback at the media device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps comprising:
providing, at a media device having a processor, operating system, and user interface, a stored media application adapted to play a stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media device operates with a device in communication with the media device and having playback controls for controlling playback of the stream of media content received at the media device;
wherein the media application is configured to:
associate operations of the playback controls with defined gestures,
wherein each defined gesture is associated with a time threshold within which a combination of the playback controls must be applied in order for the defined gesture to be recognized;

during streaming of a media content from a media server, receiving at the media application, from the operating system, an indication of an operation of the playback controls at the device in communication with the media device; and
if the operation of the playback controls is determined to be a defined gesture as indicated by:
operation of the playback controls within the time threshold associated with the defined gesture, and
receipt of said operation at the media application during a defined time period associated with the media content being streamed,
then the operation of the playback controls is interpreted as a signal indicative of selection or interaction with the media content;

otherwise a regular functionality associated with operation of the playback controls is performed.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the defined time period is a period of time during which the media content is being played at the media device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the defined gesture is a skip act

Assignees

• Spotify Ab

Inventors

• Chen Edward
• Cohen Simon
• Horned Carl

Classifications

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0267 Primary

  Wireless devices · CPC title

• H04L65/1059

  End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication · CPC title