A data package is received from a plurality of devices. Each data package comprises audio content captured by a respective device from the plurality of devices. Each data package further comprises metadata including a location of the respective device when the audio content was captured and a time at which the audio content was captured. A subset of the data packages that include audio content captured within a specified geographic area and within a specified time period is identified based on the metadata. A playlist for the specified area and the specified time period is generated based on the subset of data packages. The playlist may be provided to at least a first device.

A remote engagement system for a live event occurring at a venue includes an output device located at the venue or remotely from the venue for providing audio and/or visual output to at least one recipient. A controller receives signals, such signals being representative of physical reactions of remote viewers and being transmitted from a plurality of user input devices located remotely from each other and from the venue and controls the output device located at the venue or remotely from the venue to provide an audio and/or visual output to people at the venue or located remotely from the venue.

An electronic device, computer program product, and method manage presenting and pausing of media content in response to locally detected visual and aural interruptions. The electronic device is configured to determine, using one or more sensors from among: (i) an image capturing device positioned to have a field of view of a monitored area and (ii) a microphone positioned to detect sounds in or near the monitored area. A consumer is in the monitored area during presenting of media content by a media output device. The electronic device is configured to monitor the one or more sensors to determine whether an interruption is occurring that can degrade consumer experience relative to the presenting of the media content. In response to determining that the interruption is occurring, the electronic device is configured to pause the presenting of the media content on the media output device.

Certain exemplary embodiments relate to entertainment systems that interact with users to provide access to media appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. For example, in certain exemplary embodiments, an entertainment system in a location is configured to provide jukebox-related and entertainment system mediated services that are accessible from within and from the outside of the location, and provide (1) attract or flight media operations, (2) browsing services, and/or (3) search screens appropriate to and/or customized for a particular user using the entertainment system, the location at which the entertainment system is being accessed, and/or a predefined event. Such screens may be provided with a three-dimensional look-and-feel in certain exemplary embodiments.

A display apparatus and a server which implements an interactive system are disclosed. The server includes a communicator which receives text information corresponding to a user voice collected at the display apparatus from the display apparatus, and a controller which extracts an utterance component from the text information and controls so that a query to search contents is generated using the extracted utterance component and transmitted to an external server which categorizes metadata of the content under each item and stores the same, in which the controller generates the query by adding a preset item to a criteria to search a content, when a number of criteria to categorize the content under an item corresponding to the extracted utterance component is less than a preset number.

Interactive content containing audio or video may be provided in conjunction with non-interactive content containing audio or video to enhance user engagement and interest with the contents and to increase the effectiveness of the distributed information. Interactive content may be directly inserted into the existing, non-interactive content. Additionally or alternatively, interactive content may be streamed in parallel to the existing content, with minimal modification to the existing content. For example, the server may monitor content from a content provider; detect an event (e.g., a marker embedded in the content stream, or in a data source external to the content stream); upon detecting the event, play interactive content at a designated time while silencing the content stream of the content provider (e.g., by muting, pausing, playing silence.) The marker may be a sub-audible tone or metadata associated with the content stream. The user may respond to the interactive content by voice.

Described are systems and methods for enabling voice interaction with appliances, services (e.g., media streaming services, gaming services, news feed services, social platform services, etc.), and the like by way of appropriate supplied apps (also referred to as “skills,” “actions,” or the like) which may be presented or downloaded to a smart device having associated therewith one or more cloud-based voice service platforms.

Various embodiments provide media based on a detected language being spoken. In one embodiment, the system electronically detects which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by a user, such during a conversation or while giving a voice command to the television. Based on which language of a plurality of languages is being spoken by the user, the system electronically presents media to the user that is in the detected language. For example, the media may be television channels and/or programs that are in the detected language and/or a program guide, such as a pop-up menu, including such media that are in the detected language.

A system for locking a remote-control device blocks a remote-control device from sending signals related to user input until a code to unlock the remote-control device is received. The system for locking a remote-control device receives an indication that the remote-control device should be locked and locks the remote-control device. The system for locking a remote-control device receives user input and determines whether the user input included a predetermined code. Based on a determination that the user input included the predetermined code, the system for locking a remote-control device unlocks the remote-control device.

In one aspect, a method includes using a Wi-Fi module of a computing device to detect that an end-user has entered a monitored environment of the computing device, where the computing device is separate from, and communicatively coupled over an Internet of Things (IoT) network to, a battery-powered IoT device. The method also includes in response to detecting that the end-user has entered the monitored environment of the computing device, causing the IoT device to switch from operating in a standby mode to instead operating in an active mode, where operation in the standby mode comprises a mode in which the IoT device consumes less power than when operating in the active mode.