Context based media selection based on preferences setting for active consumer(s)

An electronic device providing functionality of a virtual assistant (VA), the electronic device comprising:

• at least one microphone that receives user input;
• an output device that outputs media content;
• a memory storing an active consumer media content selector (ACMCS) module that configures the electronic device to determine whether each registered user detected in proximity to the electronic device is an active consumer and to selectively output media content associated with a media preferences profile of each detected registered user that is an active consumer;
• and
• a processor coupled to the at least one microphone, the memory, and the output device, and which executes the ACMCS module that enables the electronic device to:
• detect an input that triggers the VA to perform a task that comprises outputting media content through the output device;
• detect a presence of at least one registered user in proximity to the electronic device, each registered user being associated with a corresponding media preferences profile,
• for each of the at least one detected registered user, determine whether the detected registered user is an active consumer who is actively consuming media content outputted by the electronic device or an inactive consumer who is not consuming the media content output, the determining comprising determining an awake/asleep state of the detected registered user based on receiving audio input by the electronic device comprising speech of another user that includes words describing whether the detected registered user is in the awake state or in the asleep state;
• and
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is an active consumer, determine whether the detected registered user is alone;
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is alone:
• update contextual information to include an alone designation;
• and
• identify, from a set of volume preferences within the media preferences profile, a volume level at which to output audio content;
• and
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is not alone and there is at least one other active consumer present:
• update the contextual information to include an applicable group designation based on which active consumers are present;
• and
• identify, from a set of volume preferences within the media preferences profile of the applicable group designation, a volume level at which to output audio content;
• and
• output, via the output device, media content associated with the media preferences profile of the detected at least one registered user who is an active consumer.

A computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage device;
• program code on the computer readable storage device that when executed by a processor associated with an electronic device that provides functionality of a virtual assistant (VA), the program code enables the electronic device to provide the functionality of:
• detecting an input that triggers the VA to perform a task that comprises outputting media content through an output device associated with the electronic device;
• detecting a presence of at least one registered user in proximity to the electronic device, each registered user being associated with a corresponding media preferences profile,
• for each of the at least one detected registered user, determining whether the detected registered user is an active consumer who is actively consuming media content outputted by the electronic device or an inactive consumer who is not consuming the media content output, the determining comprising determining an awake/asleep state of the detected registered user based on receiving audio input by the electronic device comprising speech of another user that includes words describing whether the detected registered user is in the awake state or in the asleep state;
• and
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is an active consumer, determining whether the detected registered user is alone;
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is alone:
• updating contextual information to include an alone designation;
• and
• identifying, from a set of volume preferences within the media preferences profile, a volume level at which to output audio content based on the alone designation;
• and
• in response to determining that the detected registered user is not alone and there is at least one other active consumer present:
• updating the contextual information to include an applicable group designation based on which active consumers are present;
• and
• identifying, from a set of volume preferences within the media preferences profile corresponding to the applicable group designation, a selected volume level at which to output audio content based on a context associated with the applicable group designation;
• and
• outputting, via the output device, media content associated with the media preferences profile of the detected at least one registered user who is an active consumer at an identified one of the volume level and the selected volume level.