Information processing apparatus, information processing method, transmission apparatus, and transmission method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11438650-B2
Application number	US-201916976995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, information processing method, transmission apparatus, and transmission method, capable of improving the convenience of a voice AI assistance service used in cooperation with content.The convenience of the voice AI assistance service used in cooperation with the content can be improved by providing an information processing apparatus including a control unit configured to control a timing of a voice response upon using a voice AI assistance service in cooperation with content on the basis of voice response time information indicating time suitable for the voice response to an utterance of a viewer watching the content. The present technology can be applied to a system in cooperation with a voice AI assistance service, for example.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to control a timing of a voice response upon using a voice AT assistance service in cooperation with content on a basis of an utterance of a viewer,
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
upon waiting until the timing of the voice response is reached, cause information indicating a waiting state to be presented; and
upon receiving an instruction to start the voice response from the viewer, cause the voice response in the waiting state to be started.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the timing of the voice response on a basis of voice response time information is indicating time suitable for the voice response on a playback time axis of the content.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the voice response time information is acquired via communication.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the content is played back by a first device,
the voice response time information is delivered by a second device via communication,
the second device extracts the voice response time information indicating the time suitable for the voice response to the content being played in the first device from metadata including the voice response time information intended for an entirety or a part of time on the playback time axis of the content, and
processing circuitry is configured to control the timing of the voice response on a basis of the voice response time information delivered via communication.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the voice response time information is delivered via communication together with voice data of the voice response using an HTTP response.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the voice response time information is acquired via broadcasting.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the content is played back by a first device,
the voice response time information is delivered by a second device via broadcasting,
the second device delivers metadata including the voice response time information intended for an entirety or a part of time on the playback time axis of the content,
the first device extracts the voice response time information indicating the time suitable for the voice response to the content being played from the metadata delivered via broadcasting, and
the processing circuitry is configured to control the timing of the voice response on a basis of the voice response time information extracted by the first device.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the content is delivered via broadcasting as a stream compliant with MPEG-DASH, and
the voice response time information is delivered via broadcasting using an MPD.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the voice response time information includes, as at least part of the time suitable for the voice response, a time period during which an uttered voice of the content being played is not output.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to, upon waiting until the timing of the voice response is reached, notify a first device playing back the content of a first message indicating the waiting state,
the first device is configured to cause an icon indicating the waiting state to be displayed on a basis of the notified first message,
the processing circuitry is configured to, upon receiving the instruction to start the voice response from the viewer, notify the first device of a second message indicating that the waiting state of the voice response is released, and
the first device is configured to cause the displayed icon indicating the waiting state to be erased on a basis of the notified second message.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the content is broadcast content delivered via broadcasting, and
the voice response is a response to the utterance of the viewer viewing the broadcast content.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the information processing apparatus is configured as a voice processing device configured to function as a user interface for the voice AI assistance service.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the information processing apparatus is configured as a reception apparatus configured to receive and playback the content delivered via broadcasting.

14. An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:
controlling, by the information processing apparatus, a timing of a voice response upon using a voice AI assistance service in cooperation with content on a basis of an utterance of a viewer,
wherein the controlling the timing comprises:
upon waiting until the timing of the voice response is reached, causing information indicating a waiting state to be presented; and
upon receiving an instruction to start the voice response from the viewer, causing the voice response in the waiting state to be started.

15. A transmission apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
generate, upon using a voice AI assistance service in cooperation with content, metadata including voice response time information indicating time suitable for a voice response to an utterance of a viewer; and
transmit the generated metadata,

wherein
upon waiting until timing of the voice response is reached, information indicating a waiting state to be presented is generated, and
upon receiving an instruction to start the voice response from the viewer, the voice response in the waiting state starts.

16. The transmission apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
generate an MPD in which the voice response time information intended for an entirety or a part of time on a playback time axis of the content is expressed to be identifiable by identification information being used to identify as being used for the voice AI assistance service; and
deliver, together with the MPD, the content as a stream compliant with MPEG-DASH via broadcasting.

17. A transmission method executed by a transmission apparatus, the method comprising:
generating, by the transmission apparatus, upon using a voice AI assistance service in cooperation with content, metadata including voice response time information indicating time suitable for the voice response to an utterance of a viewer watching the content; and
transmitting, by the transmission apparatus, the generated metadata,
wherein
upon waiting until timing of the voice response is reached, information indicating a waiting state to be presented is generated, and
upon receiving an instruction to start the voice response from the viewer, the voice response in the waiting state starts.

Assignees

• Saturn Licensing Llc

Inventors

• TSURU Takumi

Classifications

• H04N21/4302

  Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation · CPC title

• H04N21/44218 Primary

  Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45) · CPC title

• H04H60/82

  the transmission system being the Internet · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L13/02 Primary

  Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers · CPC title