# US 10,321,174 B1 · Automatic detection of preferences for subtitles and dubbing

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- Number: US 10,321,174 B1
- Document ID: US10321174B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/432,311
- Filed: 2017-02-14
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-15
- Assignees: Netflix, Inc.
- Applicants: Netflix, Inc.
- Inventors: Haley Wilson; Eddy Wu; Ritesh Makharia; Taskin Rahman; Philip Fisher-Ogden
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321174B1

## CPC

- H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- G06F 16/7834: {using audio features}
- G06F 16/7867: {using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings}
- G06F 40/263: Language identification
- G06F 40/58: Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
- G10L 15/005: {Language recognition}
- H04N 21/266: Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
- H04N 21/439: Processing of audio elementary streams
- H04N 21/44204: {Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31)}
- H04N 21/44224: {Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N 21/4856: {for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles}
- H04N 21/4884: {for displaying subtitles}
- H04N 21/6582: {Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38)}
- H04N 21/8106: {involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages}
- H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

In an approach, a server computer receives a request from a client computer specifying particular content for a particular user, wherein the particular content is associated with an original audio language. In response to receiving the request, the server computer selects a preferred audio language and a preferred subtitle language for the particular content based on a particular record of a preference database. The server computer returns asset identifying data that the client computer uses to obtain a stream of the particular content using the preferred audio language and the preferred subtitle language from a content delivery network (CDN) or other asset location. The server computer receives a message from the client computer that identifies an presented audio language and a presented subtitle language that were presented to the particular user while the particular content streamed. In response to a determination that the presented audio language differs from the preferred audio language or that the presented subtitle language differs from the preferred subtitle language, the server computer updates the particular record in the preference database.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving a request from a client computer for particular content for a particular account, wherein the particular content is associated with an original audio language;
in response to receiving the request, selecting a preferred audio language and a preferred subtitle language for the particular content based on a particular record associated with the particular account located within a preference database, wherein each record included in a plurality of records that is stored in the preference database and is associated with the particular account indicates that, for each given content associated with a different original audio language, a different combination of a respective preferred audio language and a respective preferred subtitle language are preferred to be output for the particular account, wherein the particular record indicates that, for content associated with the original audio language, the preferred audio language and the preferred subtitle language are preferred to be output for the particular account;
providing, to the client computer, asset identifying data for an asset associated with the particular content, the preferred audio language, and the preferred subtitle language;
receiving one or more messages from the client computer that identify a presented audio language and a presented subtitle language that were presented by the client computer when presenting content associated with the original audio language;
in response to a determination that the presented audio language differs from the preferred audio language or that the presented subtitle language differs from the preferred subtitle language, updating the particular record in the preference database to generate an updated record in the preference database;
receiving a second request from the client computer specifying second particular content for the particular account, wherein the second particular content is associated with the original audio language; and
responding to the second request from the client computer based on the updated record in the preference database.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
in response to input specifying a new audio language or a new subtitle language, providing different asset identifying data associated with the particular content and the new audio language or the new subtitle language.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving during streaming of the particular content to the client computer, a message from the client computer requesting the new audio language or the new subtitle language; and
in response to receiving the message from the client computer, providing the different asset identifying data associated with the particular content and the new audio language or the new subtitle language.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising updating the particular record in response to a determination that the presented audio language was presented for more than a threshold period of time or a percentage of time, or a determination that the presented subtitle language was presented for more than a second threshold period of time or a second percentage of time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the particular record specifies one or more factors including one or more of: a particular age group, a particular period of time, or a device volume setting, and selecting the preferred audio language and the preferred subtitle language is performed based on the one or more factors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a determination that the preferred audio language or the preferred subtitle language is unavailable for streaming, selecting a backup available audio language or a backup available subtitle language in place of the preferred audio language or the preferred subtitle language.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the available backup audio language or the available backup subtitle language is based on a country of origin of the particular account.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the available backup audio language is based on one or more other records of the preference database that associates a different original audio language and the particular account with the available backup audio language.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the available backup subtitle language is based on one or more records of the preference database that associates a different original audio language and the particular account with the available backup subtitle language.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the particular record specifies one or more of: an ordered list of preferred audio languages or an ordered list of preferred subtitle languages, and the available backup audio language is selected based on the ordered list of preferred audio languages, or the available backup subtitle language is selected based on the ordered list of preferred subtitle languages.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred subtitle language is no subtitles.

### Claim 12

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
receiving a request from a client computer for particular content for a particular account, wherein the particular content is associated with an original audio language;
in response to receiving the request, selecting a preferred audio language and a preferred subtitle language for the particular content based on a particular record associated with the particular account located within a preference database, wherein each record included in a plurality of records that is stored in the preference database and is associated with the particular account indicates that, for each given content associated with a different original audio language, a different combination of a respective preferred audio language and a respective preferred subtitle language are preferred to be output for the particular account, wherein the particular record indicates that, for content associated with the original audio language, the preferred audio language and the preferred subtitle language are preferred to be output for the particular account;
providing, to the client computer, asset identifying data for an asset associated with the particular content, the preferred audio language, and the preferred subtitle language;
receiving one or more messages from the client computer that identify a presented audio language and a presented subtitle language that were presented by the client computer when presenting content associated with the original audio language;
in response to a determination that the presented audio language differs from the preferred audio language or that the presented subtitle language differs from the preferred subtitle language, updating the particular record in the preference database to generate an updated record in the preference database;
receiving a second request from the client computer specifying second particular content for the particular account, wherein the second particular content is associated with the original audio language; and
responding to the second request from the client computer based on the updated record in the preference database.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise:
in response to input specifying a new audio language or a new subtitle language, providing different asset identifying data associated with the particular content and the new audio language or the new subtitle language.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise:
receiving during streaming of the particular content to the client computer, a message from the client computer requesting the new audio language or the new subtitle language; and
in response to receiving the message from the client computer, providing the different asset identifying data associated with the particular content and the new audio language or the new subtitle language.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the steps further comprise updating the particular record in response to a determination that the presented audio language was presented for more than a threshold period of time or a percentage of time, or a determination that the presented subtitle language was presented for more than a second threshold period of time or a second percentage of time.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the particular record specifies one or more factors including one or more of: a particular age group, a particular period of time, or a device volume setting, and the selecting the preferred audio language and the preferred subtitle language is performed based on the one or more factors.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the steps further comprise, in response to a determination that the preferred audio language or the preferred subtitle language is unavailable for streaming, selecting a backup available audio language or a backup available subtitle language in place of the preferred audio language or the preferred subtitle language.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the available backup audio language or the available backup subtitle language is based on a country of origin of the particular account.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the available backup audio language is based on one or more other records of the preference database that associates a different original audio language and the particular account with the available backup audio language.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the available backup subtitle language is based on one or more records of the preference database that associates a different original audio language and the particular account with the available backup subtitle language.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the particular record specifies one or more of: an ordered list of preferred audio languages or an ordered list of preferred subtitle languages, and the available backup audio language is selected based on the ordered list of preferred audio languages, or the available backup subtitle language is selected based on the ordered list of preferred subtitle languages.

### Claim 22 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the preferred subtitle language is no subtitles.