Abstract:
The environment surrounding an end-user device is analyzed. When a user of the device requests a download of a media presentation, the device uses the results of the environmental analysis to automatically request an alternative audio or video track for the media presentation. By choosing a better alternative before the download even begins, the device avoids user frustration and conserves resources. For example, a user requests a music video to be played on his mobile phone. By using its microphone, the phone analyzes its current audio environment and concludes that there is considerable background noise. Then when requesting a download of the music video, the phone requests an “enhanced-clarity” soundtrack to increase the odds that its user will be able to hear the music over the background noise. In some situations, the alternative track is rendered in addition to, rather than instead of, the default tracks of the media presentation.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is related generally to data-delivery systems and, more particularly, to systems that send or receive media presentations. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    More and more users are downloading more and more media presentations to more and more devices. (Here, “media presentations” generally include just about any kind of digital content, and, more specifically, sound, video, and interactive files including games.) These media presentations are often enormous, and downloading them can consume a significant amount of available bandwidth and battery power on the user&#39;s device. 
         [0003]    In order to manage download requests, download servers often divide a large media presentation into consecutive “chunks” where each chunk represents, for example, a few seconds of video. When a user wishes to consume a media presentation, his device begins by requesting a “playlist” for the presentation from the download server. (Note that here “consume” is meant as a general term for any type of human interaction with a medium. It can include watching television, listening to radio, playing a computer game, talking or texting on a telephone, interacting with a web site, and the like. To simplify the present discussion, a media consumer is generally called a “user” or a “viewer,” even when his medium of choice does not have a visual portion.) The playlist includes a list of descriptions of the chunks into which the presentation is segmented on that server (including alternative resolutions). With the playlist in hand, the user&#39;s device asks the server to download the first chunk of the presentation. While the user is viewing the first chunk, his device attempts to “keep ahead” of the user&#39;s viewing (and thus avoid “video freeze”) by requesting subsequent chunks of the presentation. The chunks are received and buffered on the user&#39;s device so that the user can continue to view the media presentation while subsequent chunks are still being delivered. 
         [0004]    The chunked-download model described above is not suitable to every situation, however. Consider, for example, a user who wishes to view a media presentation on a personal communications device (e.g., a cell phone or tablet computer) in a less than optimal environment, maybe in a noisy neighborhood bar. When he requests the presentation, his device begins to download and play the chunks listed on the playlist. But the user may soon realize that, because of the volume of background noise, he cannot hear the audio track. Rather than giving up entirely, he decides to watch the presentation with close-captioning turned on. Generally, closed-captioning (when available at all) is including in a different version of the presentation. To get it, the user aborts the current download and recommences by requesting a download that includes the closed-captioning content. Often, this forces his personal device to discard the chunks already downloaded, request a different playlist (for the version of the presentation that includes close-captioning), and then recommence the download. This causes a frustrating delay for the user and, in addition, wastes significant resources of battery power on his device and download bandwidth. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The above considerations, and others, are addressed by the present invention, which can be understood by referring to the specification, drawings, and claims. According to aspects of the present invention, the environment surrounding an end-user device is analyzed. When a user of the device requests a download of a media presentation, the device uses the results of the analysis of the environment to automatically request an alternative audio or video track for the media presentation. By choosing a better alternative before the download even begins, the end-user device avoids user frustration and conserves resources. 
         [0006]    For example, a user requests a music video to be played on his mobile phone. By using its microphone, the phone analyzes its current audio environment and concludes that there is considerable background noise. Then when requesting a download of the music video, the phone requests an “enhanced-clarity” soundtrack to increase the odds that its user will be able to hear the music over the background noise. 
         [0007]    As another example, extreme lighting or other environmental factors may cause the end-user device to select as an alternative an enhanced-clarity video track or a summary track. If the end-user device can sense social-presence information, then it may request a censored video track as the alternative track. Depending upon the nature of the alternative track, the alternative can be rendered in addition to, rather than instead of, the default tracks of the requested media presentation. Other examples of environmental factors and corresponding alternative tracks are discussed below. 
         [0008]    Before actually requesting the download, the device may recommend to its user that an alternative track be downloaded. The user can then decide whether to accept the recommendation or to download the default track. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, the analyzing is performed by a remote server that receives environmental samples from the end-user device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    While the appended claims set forth the features of the present invention with particularity, the invention, together with its objects and advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is an overview of a representational environment in which the present invention may be practiced; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a generalized schematic of the end-user device shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method performed by a representative end-user device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Turning to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, the invention is illustrated as being implemented in a suitable environment. The following description is based on embodiments of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the invention with regard to alternative embodiments that are not explicitly described herein. 
         [0015]    Aspects of the present invention may be practiced in the representative communications environment  100  of  FIG. 1 . A user  102  wishes to download a media presentation from a media-download server  106  and then watch the presentation on his end-user device  104  (e.g., a cell phone or tablet computer). However, the user  102  is currently in a neighborhood bar that is both noisy and inappropriately lighted for viewing purposes. Traditionally, the user  102  would request the download and begin playing the presentation. Only then would he notice that he either cannot hear the audio track or clearly perceive the video track. The user  102  would be frustrated and might give up, leave, or stop the download and request a version of the media presentation more suitable to his current environmental conditions. 
         [0016]    Because the user&#39;s device  104  implements an embodiment of the present invention, however, the user  102  is saved from this frustration. When the device  104  receives the download command, it automatically analyzes its environment. It detects the loud noise and the poor lighting. When the device  104  requests the download, it specifies an alternative audio or video track (assuming that these are available on the media-download server  106 ). Then when the media presentation is rendered to the user  102 , the alternative track enables the user  102  to perceive the presentation as well as possible, given the less than optimal environment. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows an end-user device  104  that incorporates an embodiment of the present invention. Typically, the main display  200  is used for most high-fidelity interactions with the user  102 . For example, the main display  200  is used to show video or still images, is part of a user interface for changing configuration settings, and is used for viewing call logs and contact lists. To support these interactions, the main display  200  is of high resolution and is as large as can be comfortably accommodated in the device  104 . A device  104  may have a second and possibly a third display screen for presenting status messages. These screens are generally smaller than the main display screen  200 . They can be safely ignored for the remainder of the present discussion. A typical user interface of the device  104  can include, in addition to the main display  200 , a camera  202 , a microphone  204  (or two), a speaker  206 , and other input or output devices.  FIG. 2  also illustrates some of the more important internal components of the device  104 . The device  104  includes a network interface subsystem  208 , an environmental subsystem  210  that controls the input and output devices, and a processor  212 . 
         [0018]    The end-user device  104  can use the method illustrated in  FIG. 3 . (For the sake of simplicity,  FIG. 3  shows the method as fully embodied on the device  104 , but in other embodiments the method is in a combination of this device  104  and a web server.) In step  300 , the user  102  directs his device  104  to download and play a media presentation. (In some situations, the command of step  300  comes from an entity other than the user  102 . An application running on the device  104  or on a remote server determines, without an explicit command from the user  102 , that the device  104  should download and play a presentation. For example, an alarm-clock application could do this every morning at a set time.) 
         [0019]    The device  104  receives information about its surroundings in step  302 . (Note that in some embodiments, the device  104  is constantly monitoring its environment: Step  302  need not be triggered by the download command of step  300 . In other embodiments, the device  104  performs step  302  when it expects that its user will soon send a download command.) Any type of environmental information may be gathered here. The volume of the background noise is determined by the microphone  204 , and the camera  202  determines the lighting conditions. These inputs can be processed, possibly with the help of a remote server, to extract even more information. For example, the noise can be analyzed to determine if an identifiable media presentation is being played by a device other than the user&#39;s device  104 . (If the requested presentation is the same as the one already being played by a different device, then the device  104  may simply not play the audio to prevent dissonance.) The type of noise might be indicative of a particular type of environment, e.g., a bar, a quiet party, or a lecture. It is possible that a voice can be extracted from the noise and the speaker identified. Other sensors (including Bluetooth&#39;s device discovery) can be used to try to determine social-presence information, that is, who is near to the user  102 . If the device  104  has a GPS sensor, then it can consult a map and know where it is and what type of environment to expect. A device other than the device  104  could sense the environment and send information to the device  104  for use in step  304  (see discussion below). 
         [0020]    As much environmental information is gathered as possible and used in the analysis of step  304 . The analysis guides the selection of an alternative track to download that should make the user&#39;s experience more enjoyable. In the example above, a loud environment might lead to the choice of an “enhanced-clarity” audio track, that is, one that emphasizes distinctions of sound so that speech, for example, may be more easily made out. Another example of an “enhanced-clarity” audio track reduces the dynamic range of the audio energy, thus allowing for better listening of the low-energy portions of the audio. Another audio track enhances audibility by increasing or decreasing energies in specific portions of the audio spectrum. Speech can be replaced by synthesize speech. Poor lighting conditions can similarly lead to the selection of an enhanced-clarity video track or even a cartoon version of the video. Brightness or contrast can be enhanced, or the dynamic range of brightness or contrast compressed. Edge enhancement, where the contrast is increased around the edges of objects detected in the video, can be used to sharpen the image. Another alternative track is a “partial-information” track. A partial-information audio track contains only some of the original audio track, for example, only the speech and not the background music. A partial-information video track contains only some of the video elements of the original video track. For example, a partial-information video sequence contains only the people and foreground objects but not the irrelevant background images. Another partial-information video track “pans and scans,” that is, it constantly finds the most important region of the video image and magnifies that portion. The alternative video track may also be “graphically enhanced” to contain graphical elements that highlight portions of the video in order to facilitate the user&#39;s perception. Examples of graphical elements include arrows which point to objects in the video and geometrical shapes that surround objects in the video. 
         [0021]    Non-environmental information can also be used in the selection of an alternative track in step  304 . General demographic information or profile information specific to this user  102  may be applied. If, for example, the user  102  only speaks Spanish, then a Spanish-language alternative audio track may be requested if the default track is in English. If the user  102  requests a long download, but the device  104  knows that its user  102  has too little time to view the entire presentation (e.g., the device  104  has access to a calendaring application), then the device  104  can request a summary of the presentation rather than the entire presentation. 
         [0022]    Environmental and non-environmental information can both be considered in step  304 . If the device  104  senses the presence of the children of the user  102 , then it can consult preferences in the user&#39;s profile and, perhaps, request a censored audio or video track (or both). Other possible types of environmental and non-environmental information can be easily considered by the device  104 . 
         [0023]    Step  306  is technically optional but is important in many cases. Here, the device&#39;s choice of an alternative track is presented to the user  102  for review. The user  102  may accept the alternative, may reject it for the default, or may select another alternative. The user  102  may also realize that his device  104  considers that the environmental conditions are not at present very good and consequently postpone the download until he can get to a quieter place. 
         [0024]    If the device&#39;s selection of an alternative track is not overridden in step  306 , then the device  104  begins to download the alternative in step  308 . The process of steps  302  through  308  can continue during the presentation and if, for example, the playback environment improves, the device  104  can stop requesting the alternative track and simply request the default tracks. Alternatively, if the user  102  keeps turning up the volume during playback, then the device  104  can request an enhanced-clarity audio track if it has not done so already. 
         [0025]    Note that, according to aspects of the present invention, the device  104  does not create an alternative track. It consults the media-download server  106  to see what alternatives are available and, based on the environmental and other information at hand, decides which of the available alternatives would be best. 
         [0026]    Depending on circumstances, the selected alternative may be rendered along with, or instead of, a default track of the media presentation in step  310 . An enhanced-clarity audio or video track would replace its default track. A commentary track may be suitable for playing along with the default tracks. 
         [0027]    Still monitoring the environment, the device  104  can automatically change various playback parameters in step  312  to make the audio louder or to enhance the contrast of the audio or video tracks. 
         [0028]    In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the embodiments described herein with respect to the drawing figures are meant to be illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. For example, other environmental and non-environmental clues can be analyzed when selecting an appropriate alternative track. Therefore, the invention as described herein contemplates all such embodiments as may come within the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.