Multi-user TV user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12229475-B2
Application number	US-202318503515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2023
Priority date	Dec 31, 2012
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for a media content system. A media content provider includes storage for storing and serving video content to subscribers. The media content provider records and or otherwise stores video content from around the world. The system includes display devices configured to identify and tailor content to multiple individual users. Each user may have individual settings which provide for a customized viewing environment and experience. The system is configured to identify users of the system in order to tailor the content as appropriate. In addition, identification of users allows for the identification of the subscription content that corresponds to the user. Based upon identification of a user and corresponding subscription, the user's subscription content may be streamed to any location. In this manner, the users subscribed content may follow the user from home to a friend's house, or elsewhere.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at a first electronic device with one or more processors and memory:
determining whether a second electronic device associated with a user is present at the first electronic device;
in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, providing access to a user profile associated with the user at the first electronic device;
while the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, receiving, at a microphone of the first electronic device, a first voice input; and
in response to receiving the first voice input at the microphone of the first electronic device:
in accordance with a determination the first voice input specifies media content, generating first audio output, wherein the first audio output corresponds to the media content specified by the user that is associated with the user profile; and
in accordance with a determination the first voice input does not specify media content, generating a second audio output at the first electronic device, different from the first audio output, wherein the second audio output includes conversational speech.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the second electronic device associated with the user is present at the first electronic device comprises communicating, at the first electronic device with the second electronic device, using a shared network connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the second audio output comprises generating audio output of information received from the second electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first voice input comprises a request to perform a function using information associated with the user profile of the user, and
performing the function includes using the information associated with the user profile of the user to perform the function.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
generating the second audio output comprises utilizing information from the user profile of the user; and
generating the second audio output comprises using the information from the user profile of the user to generate the audio.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the function using information associated with the user profile of the user includes presenting recommendations based on a viewing history associated with the user profile.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein utilizing information from the user profile of the user includes utilizing information associated with contacts associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing information associated with the user profile in response to detecting the first voice input.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the second audio output includes receiving information stored on the second electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conversational speech is based upon information associated with the user profile of the user.

11. A first electronic device comprising:
a microphone;
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first electronic device to perform a method comprising:
determining whether a second electronic device associated with a user is present at the first electronic device;
in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, providing access to a user profile associated with the user at the first electronic device;
while the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, receiving, at a microphone of the first electronic device, a first voice input; and
in response to receiving the first voice input at the microphone of the first electronic device:
in accordance with a determination the first voice input specifies media content, generating first audio output, wherein the first audio output corresponds to the media content specified by the user that is associated with the user profile; and
in accordance with a determination the first voice input does not specify media content, generating a second audio output at the first electronic device, different from the first audio output, wherein the second audio output includes conversational speech.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a first electronic device, cause the first electronic device to perform a method comprising:
determining whether a second electronic device associated with a user is present at the first electronic device;
in accordance with a determination that the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, providing access to a user profile associated with the user at the first electronic device;
while the second electronic device is present at the first electronic device, receiving, at a microphone of the first electronic device, a first voice input; and
in response to receiving the first voice input at the microphone of the first electronic device:
in accordance with a determination the first voice input specifies media content, generating first audio output, wherein the first audio output corresponds to the media content specified by the user that is associated with the user profile; and
in accordance with a determination the first voice input does not specify media content, generating a second audio output at the first electronic device, different from the first audio output, wherein the second audio output includes conversational speech.

13. The first electronic device of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the second electronic device associated with the user is present at the first electronic device comprises communicating, at the first electronic device with the second electronic device, using a shared network connection between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

14. The first electronic device of claim 11 , wherein generating the second audio output comprises generating audio output of information received from the second electronic device.

15. The first electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the first voice input comprises a request to perform a function using information associated with the user profile of the user, and
performing the function includes using the information associated with the user profile of the user to perform the function.

16. The first electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:
generating the second audio output comprises utilizing information from the user profile of the user; and
generating the second audio output comprises using the information from the user profile of the user to generate the audio.

17. The first electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the function using information associated with the user profile of the user includes presenting recommendations based on a viewing history associated with the user profile.

18. The first electronic device of claim 16 , wherein utilizing information from the user profile of the user includes utilizing information associated with contacts associated with the user.

19. The first electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises changing information associated with the user profile in response to detecting the first voice input.

20. The first electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the generating of the second audio outpu

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Christie Gregory N
• Sabatelli Alessandro
• Bachman William M
• Chaudhri Imran
• Robbin Jeffrey
• Young Jim
• Howard Joe
• Van Os Marcel
• Coffman Patrick L
• Lemay Stephen O
• Ma Jeffrey
• Kress Lynne

Classifications

• H04N21/472

  End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} · CPC title

• H04N21/4532

  involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18) · CPC title

• H04N21/4751

  for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children · CPC title

• H04N21/4222

  Remote control device emulator integrated into a non-television apparatus, e.g. a PDA, media center or smart toy (remote control device for a television receiver integrated into a mobile phone H04M1/72415) · CPC title

• H04N21/4316

  for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window · CPC title