Systems and methods for accessing media program options based on program segment interest

• US 20070154168A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Cordray, Charles, Armaly, Samir
• Application Number:
  US11/323,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154168A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for maintaining a user'"'"'s interest level in a media program by providing different media program options for a media program. The media programs can have logical segments, and the disclosed technology can monitor a user'"'"'s interest in particular media program segments. In one aspect of the invention, the disclosed technology can determine that there is interest in particular segments of a media program and can communicate those particular segments to a user. In one aspect of the invention, the disclosed technology can determine that there is interest in particular media program options based on knowing the user'"'"'s interest in particular media program segments. The user can be provided with an opportunity to select one of the particular media program options of interest.

Claims

1. A system for communicating at least one segment of interest from a media program, the system comprising:

a communication circuit that communicates a media program having segments, wherein the segments are logical segments;

a memory comprising information on interest in the segments of a media program, wherein the information is based on monitored interest; and

a processor that is in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the information on interest in the segments of the media program, particular segments of interest from the segments of the media program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of previous episodes of the media program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of media programs other than previous episodes of the media program.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information on interest in the segments corresponds to at least one of:

a single user'"'"'s monitored interest, a community'"'"'s monitored interest, a shorter-term monitored interest, and a longer-term monitored interest.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the community corresponds to at least one of:

a science fiction community, a family-oriented community, and a sports community.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recording device that stores media programs, wherein the processor is configured to instruct the recording device to record the particular segments of interest.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to automatically instruct the recording device to record the particular segments of interest upon determining that the media program is not being watched.

8. A method for communicating at least one segment of interest from a media program, wherein the communication is performed through an interactive program guide, the method comprising:

accessing, through an interactive program guide, a media program having segments, wherein the segments are logical segments;

based on information on interest in the segments, determining particular segments of interest from the media program'"'"'s segments, wherein the information is based on monitored interest; and

communicating the particular segments of interest.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of previous episodes of the media program.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of media programs other than previous episodes of the media program.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the information on interest in the segments corresponds to at least one of:

a single user'"'"'s monitored interest, a community'"'"'s monitored interest, a shorter-term monitored interest, and a longer-term monitored interest.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the community corresponds to at least one of:

a science fiction community, a family-oriented community, and a sports community.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising recording the particular segments of interest.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein recording the particular segments of interest includes automatically recording the particular segments of interest upon determining that the media program is not being watched.

15. A method for providing media program options of interest through an interactive program guide, wherein the media program options are related to a media program, the method comprising:

based on information on interest in the segments of a media program, determining particular media program options of interest, wherein the information is based on monitored interest; and

providing an opportunity to select one of the particular media program options through the interactive program guide.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of previous episodes of the media program.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of media programs other than previous episodes of the media program.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular media program options of interest include an option to access at least one of:

an extended version of the media program and a condensed version of the media program.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining particular media program options of interest includes determining that there is interest in the extended version of the media program if the information on interest indicates that there is substantially the same amount of interest in each of the segments of the media program.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining particular media program options of interest includes determining that there is interest in the condensed version if the information on interest indicates that there is more interest in some segments of the media program and less interest in the remaining segments of the media program.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the particular media program options of interest include an option to access at least one of:

a version of the media program with commercials, and a version of the media program without commercials.

22. A system for providing media program options of interest, wherein the media program options are related to a media program, the system comprising:

a memory comprising information on interest in the segments of a media program, where the information is based on monitored interest;

a processor that is in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the information on interest in the segments of the media program, particular media program options of interest; and

a display screen that is configured to display an opportunity to select one of the particular media program options.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of previous episodes of the media program.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the information on interest in the segments of the media program is based on monitored interest in analogous segments of media programs other than previous episodes of the media program.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the particular media program options of interest include an option to access at least one of:

an extended version of the media program and a condensed version of the media program.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to determine that there is interest in the extended version of the media program if the information on interest indicates that there is substantially the same amount of interest in each of the segments of the media program.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to determine that there is interest in the condensed version if the information on interest indicates that there is more interest in some segments of the media program and less interest in the remaining segments of the media program.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the particular media program options of interest include an option to access at least one of:

a version of the media program with commercials, and a version of the media program without commercials.

29. A method for providing media program options of interest though a networked interactive program guide, wherein the media program options are related to a media program, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user device in communication with the networked interactive program guide, a request for a media program having segments, where the segments are logical segments;

accessing information on interest in the segments of the media program, wherein the information is based on interest monitored for the user device; and

determining, based on the information on interest in the segments of the media program, particular media program options of interest.