VIDEO ON DEMAND (VOD) RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON USER VIEWING HISTORY

• US 20110061069A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: RAJU, Mukunda P., ARTE, Laxmi A., RUIZ-VELASCO, Enrique
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system collects a user'"'"'s television (TV) program viewing activity and uses the collected TV program viewing activity to make video on demand (VOD) recommendations to other users via a VOD recommendation service. The system receives an indication that the user wishes to turn on a VOD recommendation service and deletes previously collected TV program viewing activity for the user based on the received indication. The system collects the user'"'"'s recent TV program viewing activity, which occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the previously collected TV program viewing activity, and uses the user'"'"'s collected recent TV program activity to make other VOD program recommendations to the user via the VOD recommendation service.

Claims

1. A computing device-implemented method, comprising:

collecting, by the computing device, television (TV) program viewing activity of a user to produce a first viewing activity collection;

using, by the computing device, the first viewing activity collection to make TV program recommendations to other users via a TV program recommendation service;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication that the user wishes to turn on the TV program recommendation service;

deleting, by the computing device, the first viewing activity collection based on the received indication;

collecting, by the computing device, TV program viewing activity of the user, that occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the first viewing activity collection, to produce a second viewing activity collection; and

using, by the computing device, the second viewing activity collection to provide second TV program recommendations to the user via the TV program recommendation service.

2. The method of claim 1, where the second TV program recommendations are provided to the user via a set-top box and a television associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the second viewing activity collection to make third TV program recommendations to one or more of the other users via the TV program recommendation service.

4. The method of claim 1, where the second TV program recommendations comprise Video on Demand (VOD) program recommendations and where the TV program recommendation service comprises a VOD program recommendation service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting TV program viewing activities of the other users to produce a third viewing activity collection; and

creating one or more clusters of users based on the first viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where using the first viewing activity collection to make TV program recommendations to other users comprises;

making the TV program recommendations to the other users based on the created one or more clusters.

6. The method of claim 5, where, when the indication that the user wishes to turn on the TV program recommendation service is received, the method further comprises:

deleting the user from the one or more clusters.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

creating the one or more clusters of users based on the second viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where using the second viewing activity collection to provide second TV program recommendations to the user comprises;

making the second TV program recommendations to the user based on the one or more clusters.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processing units to;

collect television (TV) program viewing activity of a user to produce a first viewing activity collection,

use the first viewing activity collection to make Video On Demand (VOD) program recommendations to other users via a VOD program recommendation service,

receive an indication that the user wishes to turn on the VOD program recommendation service,

delete the first viewing activity collection based on the received indication,

collect TV program viewing activity of the user, that occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the first viewing activity collection, to produce a second viewing activity collection, and

use the second viewing activity collection to provide second VOD program recommendations to the user via the VOD program recommendation service.

9. The system of claim 8, where the second VOD program recommendations are provided to the user via a set-top box and a television associated with the user.

10. The system of claim 8, where the one or more processing units are further to:

use the second viewing activity collection to make third VOD program recommendations to one or more of the other users via the VOD program recommendation service.

11. The system of claim 8, where the one or more processing units are further to:

collect TV program viewing activities of the other users to produce a third viewing activity collection, and

create one or more clusters of users based on the first viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where, when using the first viewing activity collection to make VOD program recommendations to other users, the one or more processing units are further to;

make the VOD program recommendations to the other users based on the created one or more clusters.

12. The system of claim 11, where, when the indication that the user wishes to turn on the VOD program recommendation service is received, the one or more processing units are further to:

delete the user from the one or more clusters.

13. The system of claim 11, where the one or more processing units are further to:

create the one or more clusters of users based on the second viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where, when using the second viewing activity collection to provide second VOD program recommendations to the user, the one or more processing units are further to;

make the second VOD program recommendations to the user based on the one or more clusters.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for collecting television (TV) program viewing activity of a user to produce a first viewing activity collection;

one or more instructions for using the first viewing activity collection to make TV program recommendations to other users via a TV program recommendation service;

one or more instructions for receiving an indication that the user wishes to turn on the TV program recommendation service;

one or more instructions for deleting the first viewing activity collection based on the received indication;

one or more instructions for collecting TV program viewing activity of the user, that occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the first viewing activity collection, to produce a second viewing activity collection; and

one or more instructions for using the second viewing activity collection to provide second TV program recommendations to the user via the TV program recommendation service.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the second TV program recommendations are provided to the user via a set-top box and a television associated with the user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

using the second viewing activity collection to make third TV program recommendations to one or more of the other users via the TV program recommendation service.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the second TV program recommendations comprise Video on Demand (VOD) program recommendations and where the TV program recommendation service comprises a VOD program recommendation service.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more instructions for collecting TV program viewing activities of the other users to produce a third viewing activity collection;

one or more instructions for creating one or more clusters of users based on the first viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where the one or more instructions for using the first viewing activity collection to make TV program recommendations to other users comprises;

one or more instructions for making the TV program recommendations to the other users based on the created one or more clusters.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, where the one or more instructions for receiving an indication that the user wishes to turn on the TV program recommendation service further comprises:

one or more instructions for deleting the user from the one or more clusters.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more instructions for creating one or more clusters of users based on the second viewing activity collection and the third viewing activity collection,

where the one or more instructions for using the second viewing activity collection to provide second TV program recommendations to the user further comprises;

one or more instructions for making the second TV program recommendations to the user based on the one or more clusters.

21. A method, comprising:

collecting, by one or more computing devices, television (TV) program viewing activity of a user to produce a first viewing activity collection;

collecting, by the one or more computing devices, TV program viewing activity of other users to produce a second viewing activity collection;

creating, by the one or more computing devices, one or more first clusters of users based on the first viewing activity collection and the second viewing activity collection;

using, by the one or more computing devices, the one or more first clusters to make TV program recommendations to the other users via a TV program recommendation service;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, an indication that the user wishes to turn on the TV program recommendation service;

deleting, by the one or more computing devices, the first viewing activity collection for the user based on the received indication;

deleting, by the one or more computing devices, the user from the one or more first clusters,

collecting, by the one or more computing devices, TV program viewing activity of the user, that occurs subsequent to the received indication and the deletion of the first viewing activity collection, to produce a third viewing activity collection;

creating, by the one or more computing devices, one or more second clusters of users based on the third viewing activity collection; and

using, by the one or more computing devices, the third viewing activity collection to provide second TV program recommendations to the user via the TV program recommendation service.