Media Playback Interruption Using Sound Priority and User Reaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consuming media content is often disrupted by ambient sounds, such as doorbells or baby cries, which can be detrimental to the user experience when media playback is paused for every sound.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines the priority of detected sounds and only modifies media playback if the user does not react to the sound within a predefined time period, allowing important sounds to interrupt media playback while minimizing disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If media playback is interrupted for every detected sound, then important sounds can be heard, but user experience deteriorates due to excessive interruptions from ambient noises
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of sound priority classification by assigning different priority levels to different sound types. Important sounds (doorbells, baby cries) are assigned high priority while ambient noises are assigned low priority, allowing selective interruption based on sound importance
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism - a priority threshold - between sound detection and media interruption. The processor compares the priority of detected sounds against the threshold to determine whether to interrupt media playback, acting as a mediator that filters out unnecessary interruptions
2Reliability
If media playback is paused for every sound, then no important sound is missed, but media consumption continuity is broken
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of time-based decision making by introducing a reaction time threshold. The processor waits to see if the user reacts to important sounds within a predefined time period before pausing media, allowing media to continue playing when users are already aware of important sounds
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by monitoring user reaction to detected sounds. The processor determines whether the user has reacted to important sounds within a predefined time period and uses this feedback to decide whether to pause media playback, creating a closed-loop control system
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, the method includes: while presenting media via a computing system, obtaining an audio sample from within a physical environment; in response to obtaining the audio sample, determining a class for the audio sample; determining a priority value for the audio sample based on the determined class for the audio sample; in response to determining that the priority value for the audio sample satisfies an interruption criterion, determining whether a user of the computing system has reacted to the audio sample; and in response to determining that the user has not reacted to the audio sample within a predefined time period, modifying the presentation of the media.