Recommendations from Social Networks

• US 20090100469A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Vivienne C., Conradt, Jonathan L.
• Application Number:
  US11/872,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Recommendations from social networks is described. In embodiment(s), communications data that is representative of communications between users of client devices can be collected. The communications data can then be evaluated to associate the users that communicate with each other, and a social network can be created that includes the associated users. Media content data that is representative of media content utilized by the associated users in the social network can be complied. A media content recommendation for a user can then be generated based on the compiled media content data for the associated users in the social network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting communications data that is representative of communications between users via respective client devices;

creating a social network of the users based on the collected communications data;

compiling media content data that is representative of media content utilized by the users in the social network; and

generating a media content recommendation for a user in the social network based on the compiled media content data associated with the users in the social network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the media content recommendation from a television client device when initiated by the user; and

communicating the media content recommendation to the television client device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the communications data from the respective client devices;

evaluating the communications data to create the social network; and

including the user in the social network based on the communications data received from the respective client devices.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective client devices are television set-top boxes, and wherein the users are associated in the social network based on telephone communications data that is received by the television set-top boxes.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the telephone communications data includes session initiation protocol data that is received by the television set-top boxes.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective client devices include mobile phones that are utilized by the users for the communications.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein creating the social network includes a threshold for a minimum number of the communications between the users that are included in the social network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating user accounts corresponding to the users, and wherein the social network is further created based on associated user accounts corresponding to the users that are included in the social network.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications between the users are selected from a group comprising:

telephone communications;

message communications;

or gaming sessions.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the respective client devices that facilitate the communications between the users are selected from a group comprising:

a television set-top box;

a mobile phone;

a computing device;

or a gaming console.

11. A content distributor, comprising:

an analytics module configured to;

collect communications data that is representative of communications between users of client devices;

evaluate the communications data to associate the users that communicate with each other;

create a social network of the associated users that communicate with each other; and

a recommendation module configured to;

compile media content data that is representative of media content utilized by the associated users in the social network; and

generate a media content recommendation based on the compiled media content data for the associated users.

12. A content distributor as recited in claim 11, wherein the analytics module is further configured to associate the users based on a threshold for a minimum number of the communications between the users that are included in the social network.

13. A content distributor as recited in claim 11, wherein the analytics module is further configured to receive the communications data from the client devices.

14. A content distributor as recited in claim 11, wherein the client devices are television set-top boxes, and wherein the analytics module is further configured to associate the users in the social network based on telephone communications data that is received by the television set-top boxes.

15. A content distributor as recited in claim 11, wherein the analytics module is further configured to associate user accounts corresponding to the users, and create the social network based on associated user accounts corresponding to the users that are included in the social network.

16. A content distributor as recited in claim 11, wherein the recommendation module is further configured to:

receive a request for the media content recommendation from a television client device when initiated by a user;

determine one or more social networks associated with the user; and

generate the media content recommendation to include a plurality of recommendations for media content based on the determined one or more social networks associated with the user.

17. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a content distributor to:

form social networks of users based on an evaluation of communications data that is representative of communications between the users that are included in a social network;

compile media content data that is representative of media content utilized by the users in the social network; and

generate a media content recommendation based on the compiled media content data associated with the users in the social network.

18. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content distributor to receive the communications data from client devices that are associated with the users.

19. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content distributor to include the users in the social network based on telephone communications data that is received by television set-top boxes that are associated with the users.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the content distributor to include the users in the social network based on a threshold for a minimum number of the communications between the users that are included in the social network.