Patent Application
20060107281
Many households have consumer electronic devices such as personal video recorders and cable television set top boxes. Other devices are growing in popularity or are expected to be introduced for consumer use, including so-called “media centers” that may in a centralized fashion allow a user to control various sources of information and entertainment, or advanced digital TVs. One design issue with respect to all consumer devices is ease and convenience of use. In households in which two or more users share the use of an electronic device, the needs and wishes of the various users may be different or even in conflict. This may result in design challenges that have not yet been successfully met.
In accordance with some embodiments the remote control unit 104 includes a component (not separately shown in
At least in some embodiments, the remote control unit allows a user to transmit control signals to the digital TV when the user is at a distance from the electronic device. (As used herein and in the appended claims, “at a distance” shall mean at least two meters away. This is not to imply that the remote control unit would not operate at closer range.) The biometric data collecting component of the remote control unit allows the system to detect a biometric characteristic of the user via the remote control unit.
The transmitter 206 may, in some embodiments, transmit the control signals via a wireless signal channel such as an infrared signal channel or a radio frequency signal channel.
Further, in accordance with some embodiments, the remote control unit includes a biometric data input device 210 mounted in and/or on the housing 202. In some embodiments the biometric data input device 210 is a fingerprint scanner that is properly positioned on the housing 202 to capture an image of a fingerprint from one or more of the fingers of the hand of a user who is holding and/or operating the remote control unit. (As used herein and/or in the appended claims, “finger” may include a thumb and “fingerprint” may include a thumbprint.)
In other embodiments, the biometric data input device 210 may include a microphone to generate a voice signal from a verbal utterance of the user, and suitable circuitry to capture and store a sample of the user's speech so that one or more characteristics of the user's voice may be detected.
The remote control unit 104 may also include an analog-to-digital converter 212 to couple the biometric data input device (e.g., a microphone) to the control circuit/DSP 208 to facilitate capture of biometric (e.g., voice signal) data. The storing of the voice signal, if a microphone is included, may be associated with the control circuit/DSP 208 rather than part of the biometric data input device 210. Where a microphone is part of the biometric data input device 210, the transmitter 206 may be responsive to the microphone to transmit to the digital TV at least one of a voice signal generated by the microphone and signals indicative of at least one characteristic of the voice signal. The control circuit/DSP 208 may function to generate the signals indicative of at least one characteristic of the voice signal by analyzing the voice signal generated by the microphone. The control circuit/DSP 208 may provide to the transmitter the signals indicative of at least one characteristic of the voice signal. It will be observed that the control circuit/DSP is coupled between the microphone and the transmitter, if it is assumed that the biometric data input device 210 is or includes a microphone.
The control keys on the remote control unit may include other keys, indicated collectively in phantom at 312, to control other functions of the remote control unit and/or of the digital TV. Such other functions may, for example, include invoking one or more menus to be displayed by the digital TV and/or navigating among menu items included in such menus.
The control keys on the remote control unit may include other keys, indicated collectively in phantom at 412, to control other functions of the remote control unit and/or of the digital TV. Such other functions may, for example, include invoking one or more menus to be displayed by the digital TV and/or navigating among menu items included in such menus. The other functions may further include, for example, functions relating to video recording capabilities of the digital TV, such as keys to allow a time-code to be entered to navigate to a particular point in a stored video program.
In some embodiments, the key layouts of
The circuitry 500 may include a general purpose processing block 502, that may be constituted by one or more conventional processors, such as microprocessors, microcontrollers and/or digital signal processors. The circuitry 500 may further include a remote control signal receiver 504 that is coupled to the general purpose processing block 502. The receiver 504 may receive the wireless control signals transmitted from the remote control unit and may translate the control signals into commands for the general purpose processing block 502.
The circuitry 500 may further include a biometric signal processing block 506 which may be coupled between the remote control signal receiver 504 and the general purpose processing block 502 (or alternatively the biometric signal processing function may be at least partially integrated with the general purpose processing block 502). The biometric signal processing block 506 may receive from the receiver 504 biometric data contained in signals transmitted from the remote control unit which reflect biometric information collected by the remote control unit from the current user of the remote control unit. The biometric data processing block 506 may process the biometric data in such a manner that the general purpose processing block is able to proceed with identifying the current user of the remote control unit. Processing of the general purpose processing block 502 to identify the current user of the remote control unit is indicated in phantom at 508.
The circuitry 500 may also include a general purpose memory device 510 coupled to the general purpose processing block 502. In some embodiments, the general purpose memory device 510 may store one or more programs to control operation of the general purpose processing block 502. The general purpose memory device 510 may be constituted by one or more conventional devices such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read only memory) and flash memory. The general purpose memory device 510 may further include data storage facilities that aid the circuitry 500 in identifying users and/or modifying and/or directing operation in response to the detected identities of users. Thus, for example, the general purpose memory device 510 may include one or more databases such as biometric database 512 to store biometric data detected from time to time for the various users of the system 100, override privileges database 514 that indicates what control function override privileges have been established for one or more of the users, user history database 516 that maintains a history of what activities/system functions/television channels have been invoked by the various users, and user profile database 518 that stores preferences and/or other information to allow the system to operate in accordance with particular needs/wishes of the various users. In some embodiments, the user history database 516 may store selections (e.g., channel selections) made by users and the stored selections made by each user may be stored in association with biometric data associated with each user.
The circuitry 500 may also include a television receiver 520 coupled to receive one or more radio frequency television signals and to select one of the signals in response to a channel selection signal provided to the TV receiver 520 from the general purpose processing block 508. Thus the TV receiver 520 may be coupled to a cable (not shown) or an antenna (not shown) to receive the RF television signals and may also be coupled to the general purpose processing block 502 to receive the channel selection signal.
The circuitry 500 may also include a video decoder 522 coupled to the TV receiver 520 to receive and decode the television channel signal selected via the TV receiver 520.
In addition, the circuitry 500 may include a graphics processing block 524 coupled to the general purpose processing block 502. The general purpose processing block 502 may output to the graphics processing block 524 commands to generate graphics image data to implement user interface display elements, and the graphics processing block 524 may generate graphics image data in accordance with such commands.
Still further, the circuitry 500 may include a video/graphics plane assembly and storage block 526 coupled to the video decoder 522 and to the graphics processing block 524. The video/graphics plane assembly and storage block 526 may form composite images from the decoded video signal provided by the video decoder 522 and the graphics image data generated by the graphics processing block 524 and may store the resulting composite images before outputting the same for display (as indicated by block 528) by the CRT or other display element of the digital TV.
In some embodiments, the circuitry 500 may have digital video recording capabilities, like those of a PVR (personal video recorder). In such embodiments, the circuitry 500 may include a mass storage device (not shown) such as a hard disk drive and/or a read/write DVD drive. Moreover, in such embodiments, the general purpose processing block 502 may have capabilities for controlling recording and playback functions, as indicated at 530. In addition, or alternatively, the circuitry 500 may be part of a so-called media center, or the like and may have capabilities for more generally controlling information flow within the user's household. For example, the circuitry 500 may be connected to the Internet and may be arranged to selectively route e-mail messages, data downloads and other information for display by the digital TV. (As used herein and in the appended claims, the term “data file” includes, but is not limited to, user settings, e-mail messages, updates, downloads and recorded data files.)
In some embodiments the remote control unit and the RCU receiver 504 may be partially or completely replaced or supplemented by a microphone 532 (shown in phantom) incorporated in the circuitry 500 (and hence in DTV 102) to receive voice commands from a user and to directly receive biometric data (voice characteristics) from the user. For that purpose the microphone 532, if present, may be coupled to one or both of the biometric signal processing block 506 and the general purpose processing block 502. (Although not shown in the drawing, the circuitry 500 may include suitable buffering/conditioning circuitry, such as an analog-to-digital converter, coupled between the microphone 532 and the biometric signal processing block 506 and/or the general purpose processing block 502.)
At 602 in
As indicated at 606, one or more biometric characteristics of the user of the remote control unit are detected, either at the remote control unit or at the biometric signal processing block 506 (
Based on knowing the user's identity, the digital TV may automatically take one or more of a number of different actions to enhance the user's operation of the system, improve convenience of use, and/or implement parental control regimes, etc. For example, as indicated at 610, the digital TV may automatically implement one or more preferences of the user identified at 608. For example, if the digital TV knows that the current user has a favorite TV channel, the digital TV may automatically select that channel in response to the detected identity of the user, without requiring the user to make that channel selection by actuating control keys on the remote control unit. The digital TV may further know that the user's favorite TV channel varies with time of day and/or day of the week. As a result, a channel that is automatically selected by the digital TV in response to detecting the user's identity may also vary with time of day and/or day of the week. The digital TV may gain its knowledge of the user's TV channel preferences as a result of the user programming such preferences (e.g., by entering data) during a set-up mode of the system. Alternatively, the digital TV may infer the user's TV channel preferences by tracking and storing data regarding the channels selected by the user from time to time as the user uses the remote control unit. Thus, the digital TV may infer the user preferences from data stored in the user history database 516 (
The digital TV may remember/infer and automatically implement other user preferences in addition to or instead of favorite TV channels. For example, the digital TV may implement user preferences in regard to sound volume, picture contrast, color adjustment or the like. If the circuitry shown in
In some embodiments, the digital TV may, as indicated at 612, be programmed to restrict access to at least one TV channel in response to the detected identity of the user of the remote control unit. For example, during a set-up or parental control session of the system, an adult user of the system may enter data to indicate that one or more child users may not view certain channels and/or that the child user(s) may not watch any TV at all during certain hours, such as from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Consequently, if a user subject to restrictions is detected at 608 to be the current user of the remote control unit, (a) the digital TV may refuse to implement selection of certain channels indicated by signals from the remote control unit; and/or (b) if a “blackout” (homework) period is currently in effect, the digital TV may refrain from displaying any TV programming and instead may display a notice to the effect of “No TV Now, Please Do Your Homework”.
The restrictions applied at 612 may have been programmed into the system by a user who has supervisory privileges. Programming of restrictions by the supervisory user may be guided by a “wizard” software module or the like.
In some embodiments, assuming the circuitry of 500 to be part of a media center or having similar functionality, the system may be programmed to select one or more data files for display on the digital TV in response to the detected identity of the current user of the remote control device. “Data files”, as used herein and in the appended claims, may refer for example to electronic mail messages, downloads from the Internet, automatic news updates gathered by a browser or other program in accordance with the user's preferences, etc. In one scenario, indicated at 614, in response to the identity of the user detected at 608, the circuitry 500 may cause the digital TV to display a news update that is customized for the detected user and is automatically downloaded daily or at other regular intervals from the Internet. A field in such a display (not shown) may allow the detected user to access his/her e-mail messages and to display them on the digital TV by actuation of appropriate control keys on the remote control unit.
In some embodiments, if the user whose identity is detected at 608 has previously been assigned a supervisory role for the system (e.g., during set-up or the like), the system may respond to the detection of the user's identity by providing the user with access to supervisory control levels of operation of the system, as indicated at 616. If the user acts to access such fuictions (e.g., by selecting an appropriate menu item by actuating control keys on the remote control unit), the user may proceed to exercise supervisory functions (618 in
In some embodiments, the system may, as indicated at 620, allow the user identified at 608 to override the current control status of the system, assuming that the user has been registered with the system as having override privileges. For example, if the TV is in a blackout period (previously programmed to be inoperative for a period of time), a user having override privileges, when identified as the current user of the remote control unit, may be allowed to turn on the TV, select channels, etc. In another example, a user with override privileges may approach the remote control unit (assumed in this case to include a microphone) and utter a phrase such as “no more TV”. In response, the system may identify the user and cause the TV to be inactivated for (say) an hour to allow for an uninterrupted dinner time or the like. During the period of inactivation, the system may operate such that only the user having override privileges can cause the TV to become operable again.
It should be understood that most or all of the functions ascribed herein to the digital TV may in other embodiments be performed by one or more stand-alone devices coupled to a television. Such devices may include a set top box (also referred to as a “set top unit”) and/or a PVR.
In some embodiments, all user identification functions may be performed in the remote control unit, rather than being divided between the remote control unit and the digital TV.
In a system like that described herein, wherein the remote control unit collects biometric data to permit identification of the current user of the remote control unit, behavior of the system can be tailored to the user's preferences or otherwise controlled to enhance the usability of the system and to provide desirable features. As a result the convenience of use of the system may be enhanced.
The several embodiments described herein are solely for the purpose of illustration. The various features described herein need not all be used together, and any one or more of those features may be incorporated in a single embodiment. Therefore, persons skilled in the art will recognize from this description that other embodiments may be practiced with various modifications and alterations.
