IMPLICIT MECHANISM FOR DETERMINING USER RESPONSE TO MEDIA

• US 20110072448A1
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Stiers, Todd, Ghoreichi, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for implicitly determining user response to media content. User response may include satisfaction, interest, and engagement levels. User response is determined implicitly by measuring channel switching, channel switching frequency, duration of viewing time, content duration, etc. in a linear or non-linear manner. In one example, the viewing duration evaluated with the media content duration to generate an interest factor. A relative interest factor for the media content is generated by referencing interest factors for the user for other pieces of media content for the user. User responses can be analyzed to determine user attention span, make content recommendations, deliver selected versions of content, customize advertising for a user, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a user initiated viewing event associated with a user viewing media content;

detecting a user viewing termination event associated with the media content;

determining a viewing duration for the media content and a total duration for the media content;

calculating an emotional response factor using the viewing duration and the total duration, wherein the emotional response factor is calculated using different functions depending on total duration;

maintaining the emotional response factor with an identifier associated with the media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is associated with a plurality of tags.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of tags include type and rating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the emotional response factor for the media content is compared to a plurality of emotional response factors for a plurality of pieces of media content for the user in order to determine a relative emotional response factor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the emotional response factor is used to generate media content recommendations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein content similar to media content having high emotional response ratings is presented in media content recommendations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the emotional response factor is used to select user specific advertising.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein advertising associated with media content having high emotional response ratings is presented to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an attention span indicator is generated for the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a short attention span determination is used to provide shortened clips and commercials to the user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a long attention span determination is used to provide more in depth clips and commercials to the user.

12. A system, comprising:

an interface configured to detect a user initiated viewing event associated with a user viewing media content as well as a user viewing termination event associated with the media content;

a processor configured to determine a viewing duration for the media content and a total duration for the media content and calculate an emotional response factor using the viewing duration and the total duration, wherein the emotional response factor is calculated using different functions depending on total duration;

data storage configured to maintain the emotional response factor with an identifier associated with the media content.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the media content is associated with a plurality of tags.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tags include type and rating.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the emotional response factor for the media content is compared to a plurality of emotional response factors for a plurality of pieces of media content for the user in order to determine a relative emotional response factor.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the emotional response factor is used to generate media content recommendations.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein content similar to media content having high emotional response ratings is presented in media content recommendations.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the emotional response factor is used to select user specific advertising.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein advertising associated with media content having high emotional response ratings is presented to the user.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting a user initiated viewing event associated with a user viewing media content;

means for detecting a user viewing termination event associated with the media content;

means for determining a viewing duration for the media content and a total duration for the media content;

means for calculating an emotional response factor using the viewing duration and the total duration, wherein the emotional response factor is calculated using different functions depending on total duration;

means for maintaining the emotional response factor with an identifier associated with the media content.