Systems and methods for providing media content for an exhibit or display

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing media content to supplement an exhibit from an image of an audience for the exhibit include an image capture device proximate the exhibit that captures an image of the audience that includes the faces of audience members. A facial recognition process is used to identify each audience member, and certain audience characteristics are determined from the captured image. Stored information about the identified audience members and/or the audience characteristic information are used to determine the media content to provide to a playback device for playback while the exhibit is viewed by the audience.

1 . A system for providing media content for an exhibit, comprising:
 an image capture device operable to obtain an image of an audience area of the exhibit;   a media content playback device;   a processor; and   memory in data communication with the processor and having stored therein instructions that, when read by the processor, direct the processor to:
 (a) receive the image of the audience area from the image capture device; 
 (b) analyze the image of the audience area to generate one or more audience identifiers; 
 (c) retrieve, from a content provider device, current audience information associated with each of the one or more audience identifiers; 
 (d) select media content to present based on the retrieved current audience information; and 
 (e) provide the media content information to the media content playback device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a proximity sensor operable to detect an audience member in the audience area, and to transmit a proximity signal in response to the detection, wherein the image capture device obtains the image in response to the proximity signal. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the image capture device includes the proximity sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction to analyze the image of the audience area includes instructions to:
 identify each portion of the image that includes a facial image; and   perform facial recognition on each portion of the image that includes a facial image to determine an audience member associated with the facial image.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instruction to analyze the image of the audience area further includes instructions to:
 obtain audience information for each audience member associated with each portion of the image including a facial image; and   add the audience information for each associated audience member to the current audience information.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions to analyze the image of the audience area include instructions to:
 perform behavioral recognition on each portion of the image including a facial image portion to determine demographic information for a plurality of audience members in the audience area; and   include the demographic information for each facial image portion in current audience information.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction to analyze the image includes instructions to:
 identify each portion of the image that includes a facial image of one of a plurality of audience members;   determine physical attribute information for each of the plurality of audience members from the portions of the image that include the facial images of the plurality of audience members to generate audience attribute information; and   include the audience attribute information in the current audience information.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction to determine the media content information includes instructions to:
 determine the media content to provide to the media content playback device;
 determine playback parameters for use during playback of the determined media content by the media content playback device; and 
   include an identifier of the determined media content and the determined playback parameters in the playback information.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the playback parameters include one or more parameters selected from a group of parameters consisting of volume, resolution, contrast, brightness, and interface configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content includes at least one of video media content and audio media content. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content information includes an identifier of a file including the determined media content. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the media content information includes source media content. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:
 receive a second image of the audience area captured by the image capture device during the playback of the determined media content;   analyze the second image to generate a current audience information update;   modify the determined media content based upon the current audience information update to generate media content update information; and   provide the media content update information to the media content playback device.   
     
     
         14 . A method for providing media content for an exhibit, the method comprising:
 capturing an image of an audience area from an image capture device;   performing, by a processor, facial recognition on the captured image to obtain facial recognition information;   generating, by the processor, one or more audience identifiers from the facial recognition information;   retrieving, by the processor, current audience information associated with each of the one or more audience identifiers from a content provider device;   identifying, by the processor, media content information for media content presentation based on the retrieved current audience information;   providing, by the processor, the media content information to a media content playback device; and   playing media content by the media content playback device based on the media content information.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: detecting an audience member and transmitting a proximity signal in response to the detection, wherein the image capture device obtains the image of the audience area in response to the proximity signal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the facial recognition comprises:
 identifying each portion of the image that includes a facial image; and   performing facial recognition on each portion of the image to identify an audience member associated with the facial image.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the facial recognition further comprises:
 obtaining audience information for each audience member associated with each portion of the image; and   adding the audience information for each associated audience member to the current audience information.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the facial recognition further comprises:
 performing behavioral recognition on each portion of the image to determine demographic information for a plurality of audience members in the audience area; and   including the demographic information for each facial image portion in the current audience information.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the facial recognition comprises:
 identifying each portion of the image that includes a facial image of one of a plurality of audience members;   determining physical attribute information for each of the plurality of audience members from the portions of the image that include the facial images of the plurality of audience members to generate audience attribute information; and   including the audience attribute information in the current audience information.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the identifying of the media content information includes instructions to:
 determine the media content to trigger the operation of the media content playback device;   determine playback parameters for use during the playback of the determined media content by the media playback device; and   include an identifier of the determined media content and the playback parameters in the playback information.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the identifying of the media content information includes instructions to:
 determine the media content to provide to the media content playback device;   determine playback parameters for use during the playback of the determined media content by the media playback device; and   include an identifier of the determined media content and the playback parameters in the playback information.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 receiving a second image of the audience area captured using the image capture device during the playback of the determined media content;   analyzing the second image to generate a current audience information update;
 modifying the determined media content based upon the current audience information update to generate media content update information; and 
   providing the media content update information to the media content playback device.   
     
     
         23 . Apparatus for providing media content for an exhibit to a media content playback device associated with the exhibit, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   memory readable by the processor that stores instructions that, when read by the processor, directs the processor to:
 capture an image of an audience area proximate the exhibit from an image capture device; 
 perform facial recognition on the captured image to obtain facial recognition information; 
 retrieve current audience information stored on a content provider device using the facial recognition information; 
 identify media content information for media content presentation based on the retrieved audience information; and 
 provide the media content information to the media content playback device. 
   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieved audience information comprises interests and requirements associated with at least some of the audience identifiers stored in the content provider device, and wherein the media content is selected based on the retrieved interests and requirements. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the retrieved audience information comprises demographic information associated with at least some of the audience identifiers stored in the content provider device, and wherein the media content is selected based on the retrieved demographic information. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions, when read by the processor, further direct the processor to:
 receive an input of specific audience information from a personal device of an audience member associated with a specified one of the one or more audience identifiers;   save the specific audience information in the content provider device as being associated with the specified one of the one or more audience identifiers;   retrieve the specific audience information as a part of the current audience information; and   use the specific audience information to select the media content.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the specific audience information comprises at least one of the group consisting of a primary language, an age, an interest, and a time allocation.