SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CONTEXT-BASED MOVIE INFORMATION

• US 20110137690A1
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ditchendorf, Todd, Louch, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for generating context-based movie information. For example, a movie application on an electronic device can obtain show times of a movie from multiple movie theaters. In some embodiments, the movie application can combine one or more show times into a single time slot in order to condense the number of show times that are displayed. Furthermore, the movie application can provide slot labels corresponding to each time slot based on one or more context-sensitive factors (e.g., current time of day, current location, one or more upcoming calendar events, and the like). As a result, the movie application can provide a user with a condensed view of the most accessible show times based on current context.

Claims

1. An electronic device for displaying movie show times, the electronic device comprising:

a display; and

control circuitry operative to;

receive a plurality of show times of at least one movie corresponding to a plurality of movie theaters;

create a plurality of time slots, wherein the plurality of time slots is based on a time interval of a first length of time;

assign each show time of the plurality of show times to an associated time slot of the plurality of time slots;

generate slot labels for each time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

direct the display to present at least one of the generated slot labels associated with at least one time slot of the plurality of time slots.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first length of time comprises an hourly time interval.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine a current time of day;

detect a particular show time of the plurality of received show times that is closest to the current time of day;

set the slot label of the time slot associated with the particular show time based on the particular show time; and

direct the display to present the set slot label.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine if the at least one of the generated slot labels comprises at least three slot labels; and

in response to the determining, direct the display to present a list of the at least three slot labels, wherein the set slot label is centrally positioned in the list.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine if the at least one of the generated slot labels comprises at least two slot labels; and

in response to the determining, direct the display to present a list of the at least two slot labels, wherein the set slot label is positioned first in the list.

6. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine if the at least one of the generated slot labels comprises at least two slot labels; and

in response to the determining, direct the display to present a list of the at least two slot labels, wherein the set slot label is highlighted in the list.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine if the at least one time slot is associated with multiple assigned show times; and

in response to determining that the at least one time slot is associated with multiple assigned show times, direct the display to present an indication that the at least one time slot is associated with the multiple assigned show times.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an input interface, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

provide an option to adjust the plurality of time slots;

receive, from the input interface, an instruction to adjust the time interval to a second length of time;

adjust the plurality of time slots based on the time interval having a second length of time; and

reassign each show time of the plurality of show times to an adjusted associated time slot of the plurality of adjusted time slots.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

receive, from the input interface, an instruction to purchase a ticket to a particular show time of the plurality of show times; and

transmit information associated with the purchase to another electronic device.

10. A method for generating show times of a movie, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of show times of the movie associated with a plurality of movie theaters;

obtaining information associated with at least one calendar event;

assigning each show time to an associated time slot of a plurality of time slots; and

generating a plurality of slot labels corresponding to the plurality of time slots, wherein at least one slot label is based on at least one of a show time of the plurality of show times and the information associated with the at least one calendar event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the at least one calendar event comprises at least one of an event start time, an event end time, an event time period, and an event location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining if at least one portion of a time period associated with at least one time slot overlaps with a time period of the calendar event; and

in response to determining that the at least one portion of the time period associated with the at least one time slot overlaps, displaying an indication that the at least one time slot is unavailable.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a particular time slot of the plurality of time slots is associated with only one assigned show time; and

setting the slot label of the particular time slot to be the assigned show time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a particular time slot of the plurality of time slots is associated with at least two assigned show times;

determining if the particular time slot is associated with the at least one calendar event; and

in response to determining that the particular time slot is associated with the at least one calendar event, setting the slot label of the particular time slot to be one of the at least two assigned show times.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining if the particular time slot is associated with the at least one calendar event further comprises determining if a time associated with the particular time slot is within a pre-determined range of at least one of the start time and the end time of the at least one calendar event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time associated with the particular time slot is an assigned show time of the at least two assigned show times.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the time associated with the particular time slot is an end time of the movie associated with an assigned show time of the at least two assigned show times.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the setting the slot label further comprises:

determining at least two movie theaters of the plurality of movie theaters associated with the at least two assigned show times;

obtaining at least two theater locations of the at least two movie theaters;

determining a theater location of the at least two theater locations that is closest to the location of the at least one calendar event; and

setting the slot label to the assigned show time of the movie theater corresponding to the theater location.

19. A system for sharing movie ticket purchases, the system comprising:

a first electronic device operative to display information associated with ticket purchases; and

a second electronic device comprising;

memory operative to store a calendar;

an input interface; and

control circuitry operative to;

receive, from the input interface, an instruction to purchase at least a first ticket for a movie;

determine at least one calendar event in the calendar occurring within a pre-determined range of at least one of a start time and an end time of the movie;

determine that a user of the first electronic device is associated with the at least one calendar event; and

transmit information associated with the purchase of the movie to the first electronic device.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising communications circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

receive, from the input interface, an instruction to transmit the information associated with the purchase; and

transmit the information associated with the purchase to the first electronic device using the communications circuitry.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to add the information associated with the purchase to the calendar.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the first electronic device is further configured to:

receive the information associated with the purchase; and

provide an option to purchase at least a second ticket for the movie.

23. Machine-readable media for generating movie show times, the machine-readable media comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

receiving a plurality of show times associated with a plurality of movie theaters;

obtaining information associated with at least one calendar event;

assigning each show time to an associated time slot of a plurality of time slots; and

generating a plurality of slot labels corresponding to the plurality of time slots, wherein at least one slot label is based on at least one of a show time of the plurality of show times and the information associated with the at least one calendar event.

24. The machine-readable media of claim 23, wherein the information associated with the at least one calendar event comprises at least one of an event start time, an event end time, an event time period, and an event location.

25. The machine-readable media of claim 24, the machine-readable media further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

determining if at least one portion of a time period associated with at least one time slot overlaps with a time period of the calendar event; and

in response to determining that the at least one portion of the time period associated with the at least one time slot overlaps, displaying an indication that the at least one time slot is unavailable.