METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AN ONLINE PERFORMANCE SERVICE WITH RECOMMENDATION MODULE

• US 20110212756A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STATS LLC (Stats Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thuuz LLC
• Inventors: Barcklay, Robert J., Lythcott-Haims, Dan, Packard, Warren
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A method and system to recommend performances based on the performances'"'"' excitement-level as determined from events and characteristics associated with the performance and a subscriber'"'"'s preference is described herein. A subscriber'"'"'s preference influences the performance type and performance characteristics that are exciting to the subscriber. Recommendations for performances can be sent to the subscriber as a link or direct connection to a location of the online performance. Recommendations of a performance preserve the excitement of the performance by not revealing the score, outcome, or any statistics or commentary that would spoil the natural buildup of excitement from watching the live performance. Performance recommendations may include a start-time and end-time for watching only the exciting portions of the performance. Recommended portions of performances can be ranked to fit within a subscriber'"'"'s customizable viewing-time, so that a subscriber can view only the most exciting portions of performances that fit within a limited time-frame.

Claims

1. An online recommendation system, the system comprising:

a recommendation engine, the recommendation engine is structured to generate;

a ranked list of performances each having a performance score to measure an excitement level of the performance, the performance score determined as a function of a plurality of event scores,

wherein each event score is based on one or more sets of characteristic scores generated from data associated with an event of a plurality of events related to the performance; and

a storage device to store a portion of the data associated with the plurality of events related to the performance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a performance of the ranked list of performances is associated with one or more exciting events.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is structured game data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data is game data selected from a group consisting of game clock time data, field position data, play type data, players involved data, player statistic data, and current team score data, and wherein the ranked list of performances is a list of sporting performances ranked based on the performance scores.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the game data is gathered from a remote source via a network coupled to the recommendation engine.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein a sporting performance on the ranked list of sporting performances is an organized, competitive, and physical activity.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sporting performance is chosen from a group consisting of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, rugby, wrestling, motor sports, board sports, bowling, cycling, cricket, golf, Olympic sports, volleyball, and combat sports.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sets of characteristic scores generated from the data are at least based on:

a pacing score associated with an event of the plurality of events, wherein the pacing score determined based on one or more pace values,

a closeness score associated with the event of the plurality of events, wherein the closeness score is determined based on one or more closeness values, and

a novelty score associated with the event of the plurality of events, wherein the novelty score is determined based on one or more novelty values,

wherein a pace value of the one or more pace values is a measure of a tempo or a relative rate of change associated with the event of the plurality of events, wherein a closeness value of the one or more closeness values is a measure of a score margin between two or more scores of the event of the plurality of events, and wherein a novelty value of the one or more novelty values is a measure of uniqueness associated with the performance.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein an event score of a plurality of event scores is determined as a function of a portion of the one or more sets of characteristic scores.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a portion of the one or more sets of characteristic scores is weighted by weight values.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a sum of the weight values that is used to weight the portion of the one or more sets of characteristic scores is approximately equal to 1.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the sets of characteristic scores are normalized.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the pacing score and the closeness score are normalized such that the performance score associated with the normalized pacing score and the normalized closeness score has a maximum value of approximately 100 or less.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a content directory, the content directory is structured to receive media content and provide a reference to a storage location on the storage device to provide access to the performance.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a programming engine to automatically configure a recording device to record a performance according to a subscriber'"'"'s preference.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising an advertisement engine to allow advertisers to customize and display ads to a subscriber of the online recommendation system, wherein the displayed ad is based on a subscriber'"'"'s preference.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a personalization engine to manage preference criteria of a subscriber of the online recommendation system, wherein the preference criteria has one or more preference elements.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining for the subscriber a start time that indicates a time during the performance when the subscriber will begin to view the performance, based on a subscriber'"'"'s preference.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the personalization engine displays a portion of one or more performances of the ranked list of performances starting from the start time of a performance of the one or more performances and ending after a watch time of the subscriber has ended, the watch time being selectable by the subscriber or recommended by the personalization engine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein portions of a plurality of performances of the ranked list of performances are displayed during the duration of the watch time.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication engine used to send recommended performances of the ranked list of performances to one or more of a plurality of subscribers based on the performance score and preference criteria of the one or more of the plurality of subscribers.

22. A method for recommending online media performances, comprising:

time-stamping the online media performances to indicate a series of discrete events related to a respective performance of the online media performances;

scoring a portion of the discrete events of one or more of the online media performances;

scoring the one or more online media performances at least based on the scoring of the portion of discrete events; and

sending to a user a recommendation for the one or more online media performances, wherein the recommendation is at least based on the scoring of the portion of discrete events.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the sending of the recommendation is further based on one or more user preferences.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the online media performances are professional sports activities.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the professional sports activities are selected from a group consisting of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, tennis, rugby, wrestling, motor sports, board sports, bowling, cycling, cricket, golf, Olympic sports, volleyball, and combat sports.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the sending of the recommendation to the user includes sending a watch-from-time to indicate a time for the user to begin viewing or recording a discrete event of the one or more discrete events related to the recommended online media performance, wherein the watch-from-time proceeds a peak excitement time of the discrete event.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the sending of the recommendation to the user includes sending a watch-to-time to indicate a time for the user to stop viewing the one or more discrete events related to the recommended online media performance, the watch-to-time to succeed the peak excitement time of the discrete event.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the scoring of the portion of the discrete events is determined at least based on:

a pacing score, the pacing score determined based on one or more pace values,

a closeness score, the closeness score determined based on one or more closeness values, and

a novelty score, the novelty score determined based on one or more novelty values.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one pace value and one closeness value are selected from performance data gathered from a remote source.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the remote source is a remote server connected to a network.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein a pace value of the one or more pace values is a measure of a tempo or relative rate of change associated with the portion of the discrete events, wherein a closeness value of the one or more closeness values is at least based on a measure of a score margin between two or more scores of the portion of the discrete events, and wherein a novelty value of the one or more novelty values is a measure of uniqueness associated with a portion of the discrete events.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more subscriber preferences effect whether an online media performance is recommended to the subscriber.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more subscriber preferences adjusts a weight applied to a performance datum of the performance data, wherein the weight effects the scoring of the one or more online media performances.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein an interval spacing of the time stamps varies based on the selected professional sports activity of the group of professional sports activities.

35. A method for recommending one or more online sports presentations of a plurality of online sports presentations to one or more subscribers of an online sports recommendation service, the method comprising:

time-stamping the online sports presentations to indicate a series of discrete events for each respective one of the plurality of online sports presentations;

scoring a portion of the discrete events of the plurality of online sports presentations based on game characteristics determined from game data associated with the plurality of online sports presentations;

scoring the plurality of online sports presentations at least based on discrete event scores associated with a respective sports presentation of the plurality of online sports presentations; and

sending one or more recommendations for online sports presentations of the plurality of online sports presentations to a subscriber of the one or more subscribers without revealing any statistics or highlights of any recommended performance, wherein

the recommendation is at least based on;

the scoring of the portion of discrete events, and one or more subscriber preferences, wherein a portion of the one or more recommended online sports presentations is displayed to the one or more subscribers based on a viewing-time selectable by the subscriber of the one or more subscribers, a watch-from-time, and a watch-to-time, wherein the watch-from-time and the watch-to-time are based on a peak excitement level associated with one or more of the portions of discrete events.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the game data is statistical data associated with details of the one or more online sports presentations.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the game data is selected from at least a group consisting of game clock time data, field position data, play type data, player statistic data, and current team score data.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the discrete event scores associated with an online sports presentation of the one or more online sports presentations are normalized such that a score of the sports presentation is equal to or less than 100.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the game characteristics are at least based on a pacing score, with the pacing score based on one or more pace values, wherein a pace value of the one or more pace values is a measure of a tempo or relative rate of change associated with the portion of the discrete events.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the game characteristics are at least based on a closeness score, with the closeness score based on one or more closeness values, and wherein a closeness value of the one or more closeness values is a measure of a score margin between two or more scores of the portion of discrete events.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the game characteristics are at least based on a novelty score, with the novelty score based on one or more novelty values, and wherein a novelty value of the one or more novelty values is a measure of uniqueness associated with an online sports presentation of the one or more online sports presentations.