Device Context-Based Methods and Systems for Providing a Personalized Interaction Experience with a Media Service

• US 20150121214A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Maskatia, Imran Arif, Lemus, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup

Abstract

An exemplary method includes 1) detecting a first activity performed by a first user with respect to a media service while the first user is logged in to the media service with a particular user account and a second activity performed by a second user with respect to the media service while the second user is logged in to the media service with the particular user account, 2) determining that the first activity is performed within a first device context and that the second activity is performed within a second device context, 3) including, based on the determination, the first activity in a local activity set associated with the first device context, 4) excluding, based on the determination, the second activity from the local activity set, and 5) using the local activity set to provide a personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a media service provider system, a first activity performed by a first user with respect to a media service while the first user is logged in to the media service with a particular user account and a second activity performed by a second user with respect to the media service while the second user is logged in to the media service with the particular user account;

determining, by the media service provider system, that the first activity is performed within a first device context and that the second activity is performed within a second device context;

including, by the media service provider system based on the determining, the first activity in a local activity set associated with the first device context, the local activity set including one or more activities performed with respect to the media service exclusively in the first device context;

excluding, by the media service provider system based on the determining, the second activity from the local activity set; and

using, by the media service provider system, the local activity set to provide a personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including, by the media service provider system, the first activity and the second activity in a shared activity set, the shared activity set including activities performed by one or more users with respect to the media service in a plurality of different device contexts while the one or more users are logged in to the media service with the particular user account; and

using, by the media service provider system, the shared activity set to provide an additional personalized interaction experience with the media service within any of the plurality of different device contexts.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the media service provider system, user input representative of a request for the media service to operate in a shared mode within the first device context; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the additional personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the media service provider system, user input representative of a request for the media service to switch to operating in a local mode within the first device context; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request to switch and in place of the additional personalized interaction experience, the personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the using of the shared activity set to provide the additional personalized interaction experience comprises using the activities included in the shared activity set to:

generate one or more recommendations associated with content provided by the media service; and

present the one or more recommendations within an interface associated with the media service to a user while the user interacts with the media service within any of the plurality of different device contexts using the particular user account.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting, by the media service provider system, an option to a user to select one or more device contexts included in the plurality of different device contexts while the user interacts with the media service within the second device context using the particular user account;

detecting, by the media service provider system, a selection by the user of the one or more device contexts; and

using, by the media service provider system in response to the selection, one or more local activity sets associated with the one or more device contexts to provide the user with a third personalized interaction experience with the media service within the second device context.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the media service provider system, user input representative of a request for the media service to operate in a local mode within the first device context; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the request, the personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining that the first activity is performed within the first device context comprises determining that the first activity is performed by the first user with a first user device; and

the determining that the second activity is performed within the second device context comprises determining that the second activity is performed by the second user with a second user device that is physically distinct from the first user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining that the first activity is performed within the first device context comprises determining that the first activity is performed by the first user with a user device while the first user is logged in to the user device with a first device-specific user account; and

the determining that the second activity is performed within the second device context comprises determining that the second activity is performed by the second user with the user device while the second user is logged in to the user device with a second device-specific user account that is different than the first device-specific user account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the local activity set to provide the personalized interaction experience comprises using the one or more activities included in the local activity set to:

generate one or more recommendations associated with content provided by the media service; and

present the one or more recommendations within an interface associated with the media service to a user while the user interacts with the media service within the first device context using the particular user account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the local activity set to provide the personalized interaction experience comprises using the one or more activities included in the local activity set to:

generate an access history representative of one or more media programs included in the media programs and accessed by way of the media service within the first device context; and

present the access history within an interface associated with the media service to a user while the user interacts with the media service within the first device context using the particular user account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity comprises a creation of a channel within the media service, and wherein the using of the local activity set to provide the personalized interaction experience comprises providing a user with access to the channel while the user interacts with the media service within the first device context using the particular user account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the media service provider system, that a user is interacting with the media service within the second device context using the particular user account; and

providing, by the media service provider system in response to the detecting that the user is interacting with the media service within the second device context using the particular user account, an option for the user to access one or more features of the personalized interaction experience.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting, by the media service provider system, a selection by the user of the option; and

providing, in response to the selection of the option, the user with access to the one or more features of the personalized interaction experience.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular user account is linked to a social network account provided by a social network service and associated with the second user, and wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by the media service provider system, that the first user is interacting with the media service within the first device context using the particular user account;

determining, by the media content service provider system in response to the detecting that the first user is interacting with the media service within the first device context, that the first device context is linked to a social network account provided by the social network service and associated with the first user;

detecting, by the media content service provider, a request provided by the first user to share information with the social network service, the information representative of an activity performed with respect to the media service while the first user is interacting with the media service within the first device context; and

overriding, by the media content service provider system in response to the request and based on the determination that the first device context is linked to the social network account associated with the first user, the link between the particular user account and the social network account associated with the second user to share the information with the social network service using the social network account associated with the first user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity comprises at least one of an accessing of a media program distributed by the media service, a creation of a playlist within the media service, a creation of a channel within the media service, and a rating of a media program distributed by the media service.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user is the first user.

18. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

19. A method comprising:

logging, by a media service provider system, a first set of activities performed by a first group of one or more users with respect to a media service within a first device context while the first group of one or more users are logged in to the media service with a particular user account;

logging, by the media service provider system, a second set of activities performed by a second group of one or more users with respect to the media service within a second device context while the second group of one or more users are logged in to the media service with the particular user account; and

using, by the media service provider system, only the first set of activities to provide a first personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising using, by the media service provider system, only the second set of activities to provide a second personalized interaction experience with the media service within the second device context.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising using, by the media service provider system, both the first and second sets of activities to provide a second personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context and within the second device context.

22. The method of claim 19, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

23. A system comprising:

at least one physical computing device that includes;

a detection facility that detects a first activity performed by a first user with respect to a media service while the first user is logged in to the media service with a particular user account and a second activity performed by a second user with respect to the media service while the second user is logged in to the media service with the particular user account, and

an personalization facility that

determines that the first activity is performed within a first device context and that the second activity is performed within a second device context,

includes, based on the determination, the first activity in a local activity set associated with the first device context, the local activity set including one or more activities performed with respect to the media service exclusively in the first device context,

excludes, based on the determination, the second activity from the local activity set, and

uses the local activity set to provide a personalized interaction experience with the media service within the first device context.