Media Control via User Reaction Sensing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for controlling media programs, such as pausing or muting, are often slow and inconvenient, leading to a poor user experience, especially when users need to attend to other activities or protect children from inappropriate content.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses passive sensor data to detect user reactions, such as attention levels and demographics, to automatically control media programs, pausing, muting, or changing content without user intervention, by employing an audience-sensing device, state module, interest module, and control module to determine and respond to media reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional controls (remote control) are used to pause or stop media program, then user can control media program, but user experience is poor due to slow response time
Solution Approach 1:
The media program control system automatically detects user presence and engagement status through sensors (motion detectors, cameras) and makes control decisions without requiring user intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring user behavior patterns and autonomously pausing, resuming, or stopping media programs based on detected conditions such as user absence or engagement level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors user presence and engagement through sensor feedback and adjusts media program playback accordingly. The feedback loop involves detecting user status (present/absent, engaged/disengaged) and automatically triggering appropriate control actions, creating a responsive system that adapts to user behavior in real-time.
2Ease of operation
If user manually controls media program (find remote, press button), then media program can be controlled, but user must spend time locating and operating controls
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates the need for users to manually locate and operate remote controls by implementing automatic detection and control. Sensors continuously monitor the environment and trigger media program control actions autonomously, freeing users from the task of physically interacting with control devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces sensors and detection mechanisms as intermediaries between the user's actions and media program control. Instead of direct manual control, the system uses environmental sensors to detect user presence and status, translating physical conditions into control commands automatically.
3Ease of operation
If user actively controls media program (pause, mute) during conversation, then user can control playback, but may miss parts of conversation due to slow control speed
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time feedback from sensors detecting user engagement and presence to automatically adjust media playback. When the system detects user disengagement (such as turning away from the screen or entering conversation mode), it automatically pauses or mutes the media program, providing immediate response without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The media control system monitors user behavior patterns and autonomously makes control decisions based on detected conditions. When conversation or user disengagement is detected through sensor analysis, the system self-regulates playback without waiting for user commands, enabling timely responses to conversational contexts.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional control methods are used to stop media program when child enters room, then user can protect child from inappropriate content, but response is undesirably slow
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the room environment through sensors (motion detectors, cameras) to detect the presence of children. When a child is detected entering the room during media program playback, the system receives feedback about this condition and automatically pauses or stops the program, providing rapid protection without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The media program control system autonomously monitors for child presence and makes protective control decisions without requiring user action. The system serves the protective function by detecting environmental conditions and automatically adjusting playback to prevent exposure of children to inappropriate content.
Data Source
AI summary
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for controlling a media program based on a media reaction. In some embodiments, the techniques pause, mute, or stop a media program when a user leaves the room, when a user in the room is talking or is otherwise not paying attention to the program, or when a child walks into the room.