Determining user subscriptions

• US 10,136,175 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tam T
• Application Number:
  US14/074,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 715754, 715745, 715747, 725 46, 725 47, 725 59, 725 61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 : using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a list of media subscriptions offered by a content source, providing one or more questions for display on a display device of a user, receiving one or more answers to the one or more questions, and determining a media subscription based on the one or more answers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computer systems of a social-networking system, accessing a list of media subscriptions offered by a content source;

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing one or more first questions for display on a display device of a user;

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, receiving one or more answers to the one or more first questions;

in response to one of the one or more answers to the one or more first questions comprising an indication that the user is unable to view a particular channel;

providing, by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, one or more additional questions for display on the display device, the one or more additional questions comprising an inquiry about whether the user is able to view one or more other particular channels not included in the one or more first questions; and

receiving, by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, one or more additional answers to the one or more additional questions;

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, determining a media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers and the one or more additional answers; and

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing a programming guide for display on the display device of the user, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each particular entry associated with respective available media content according to the determined media subscription of the user, each particular entry comprising;

social content posted to the social-networking system by other users about the media content of the particular entry, the social content determined by analyzing a social graph of the social-networking system, the social content of each particular entry of the programming guide comprising an indication of how many other users have chosen to like the media content of the particular entry, the social graph comprising;

a plurality of user nodes that are each associated with a respective user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with respective media content; and

a user-selectable option that permits the user to indicate to the social-networking system that they like the particular media content associated with the particular entry of the programming guide.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more answers comprises an indication that the user does not subscribe to a particular channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers comprises:

determining a list of other media content that the user does not subscribe to based on an indication that the user does not subscribe to a particular channel; and

providing an interactive prompt for display on the display device operable to confirm that the user does not subscribe to the list of other media content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, determining unavailable media content based on the media subscription; and

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing at least a portion of the unavailable media content for display in the programming guide on the display device, wherein at least one of the entries is associated with the portion of the unavailable media content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the entries associated with the portion of the unavailable media content comprise a visual indication that the unavailable media content is not available under the media subscription.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the visual indication comprises a black-out of the unavailable media content in the programming guide.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing an interactive feature associated with the unavailable media content for display on the display device;

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, receiving an indication that the user has selected the interactive feature; and

by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing an option to purchase a subscription to the unavailable media content for display on the display device in response to receiving the indication.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising, by the one or more computer systems of the social-networking system, providing at least one of the entries associated with the portion of the unavailable media content for display on the display device below at least one entry associated with available media content in the programming guide.

9. One or more computer-readable non transitory storage media in one or more computing systems, the media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:

access a list of media subscriptions offered by a content source;

provide one or more first questions for display on a display device of a user;

receive one or more answers to the one or more first questions;

in response to one of the one or more answers to the one or more first questions comprising an indication that the user is unable to view a particular channel;

provide one or more additional questions for display on the display device, the one or more additional questions comprising an inquiry about whether the user is able to view one or more other particular channels not included in the one or more first questions; and

receive one or more additional answers to the one or more additional questions;

determine a media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers and the one or more additional answers; and

provide a programming guide for display on the display device of the user, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each particular entry associated with respective available media content according to the determined media subscription of the user, each particular entry comprising;

social content posted to the social-networking system by other users about the media content of the particular entry, the social content determined by analyzing a social graph of the social-networking system, the social content of each particular entry of the programming guide comprising am indication of how many other users have chosen to like the media content of the particular entry, the social graph comprising;

a plurality of the user nodes that are each associated with a respective user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with respective media content; and

a user-selectable option that permits the user to indicate to the social-networking system that they like the particular media content associated with the particular entry of the programming guide.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more answers comprises an indication that the user does not subscribe to a particular channel.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further operable to determine the media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers by:

determining a list of other media content that the user does not subscribe to based on an indication that the user does not subscribe to a particular channel; and

providing an interactive prompt for display on the display device operable to confirm that the user does not subscribe to the list of other media content.

12. The media of claim 9, wherein the logic is further operable to:

determine unavailable media content based on the media subscription; and

provide at least a portion of the unavailable media content for display in the programming guide on the display device, wherein at least one of the entries is associated with the portion of the unavailable media content.

13. The media of claim 12, wherein the entries associated with the portion of the unavailable media content comprise a visual indication that the unavailable media content is not available under the media subscription.

14. The media of claim 12, wherein the logic is further operable to:

provide an interactive feature associated with the unavailable media content for display on the display device;

receive an indication that the user has selected the interactive feature; and

provide an option to purchase a subscription to the unavailable media content for display on the display device in response to receiving the indication.

15. A system comprising:

one or more memory devices; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more memory devices, the processor operable to;

access a list of media subscriptions offered by a content source;

provide one or more first questions for display on a display device of a user;

receive one or more answers to the one or more first questions;

in response to one of the one or more answers to the one or more first questions comprising an indication that the user is unable to view a particular channel;

provide one or more additional questions for display on the display device, the one or more additional questions comprising an inquiry about whether the user is able to view one or more other particular channels not included in the one or more first questions; and

receive one or more additional answers to the one or more additional questions;

determine a media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers and the one or more additional answers; and

provide a programming guide for display on the display device of the user, the programming guide comprising a plurality of entries, each particular entry associated with respective available media content according to the determined media subscription of the user, each particular entry comprising;

social content posted to the social-networking system by other users about the media content of the particular entry, the social content determined by analyzing a social graph of the social-networking system, the social content of each particular entry of the programming guide comprising an indication of how many other users have chosen to like the media content of the particular entry, the social graph comprising;

a plurality of the user nodes that are each associated with a respective user of the social-networking system; and

a plurality of concept nodes that are each associated with respective media content; and

a user-selectable option that permits the user to indicate to the social-networking system that they like the particular media content associated with the particular entry of the programming guide.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to determine the media subscription of the user based on the one or more answers by:

determining a list of other media content that the user does not subscribe to based on an indication that the user does not subscribe to a particular channel; and

providing an interactive prompt for display on the display device operable to confirm that the user does not subscribe to the list of other media content.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine unavailable media content based on the media subscription; and

provide at least a portion of the unavailable media content for display in the programming guide on the display device, wherein at least one of the entries is associated with the portion of the unavailable media content.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further operable to:

provide an interactive feature associated with the unavailable media content for display on the display device;

receive an indication that the user has selected the interactive feature; and

provide an option to purchase a subscription to the unavailable media content for display on the display device in response to receiving the indication.