Systems and methods for providing context-based movie information

• US 8,260,640 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2009
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John, Ditchendorf, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): JABR, FADEY S
• Application Number:
  US12/631,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 6, 705/1.1, 705/7.16, 705/7.18, 705/7.24
• 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. A method for generating show times of a movie, the method comprising:

receiving, by control circuitry of an electronic device, a plurality of show times of the movie associated with a plurality of movie theaters;

obtaining, by communications circuitry of the electronic device, information associated with at least one calendar event;

assigning, by the control circuitry, each show time of the plurality of show times to an associated time slot of a plurality of time slots, wherein a first show time of the plurality of show times that is associated with a first movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters and a second show time of the plurality of show times that is associated with a second movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters are assigned to a first time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

generating, by the control circuitry, a plurality of slot labels, wherein each slot label corresponds to one of the plurality of time slots, and wherein the generating comprises;

defining, by the control circuitry, a first slot label of the plurality of slot labels for the first time slot based on the first show time and the second show time; and

providing, by the control circuitry, an indication for the first time slot based on the information associated with the at least one calendar event.

2. The method of claim 1, 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.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the control circuitry, if at least one portion of a time period associated with the first time slot overlaps with a time period of the at least one calendar event; and

in response to determining that the at least one portion of the time period associated with the first time slot overlaps, displaying, by a display of the electronic device, the indication.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

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

setting, by the control circuitry, a second slot label of the particular time slot to be the assigned show time.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

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

determining, by the control circuitry, 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, by the control circuitry, a second slot label of the particular time slot to be one of the at least two assigned show times.

6. The method of claim 5, 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 event start time and the event end time of the at least one calendar event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the time associated with the particular time slot is an assigned show time of the at least two assigned show times.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the time associated with the particular time slot is an end time associated with an assigned show time of the at least two assigned show times.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the setting the second 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 theater locations of the at least two movie theaters;

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

setting the second slot label to one of the at least two assigned show times of the movie theater corresponding to the determined theater location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining the first slot label for the first time slot based on the first show time and the second show time comprises:

determining, by the control circuitry, a current time of day;

determining, by the control circuitry, the one of the first show time and the second show time that is closest to the current time of day; and

setting, by the control circuitry, the first slot label to the one of the first show time and the second show time that is closest to the current time of day.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the defining the first slot label for the first time slot based on the first show time and the second show time comprises:

determining, by the control circuitry, a current location of the electronic device;

determining, by the control circuitry, the one of the first movie theater location and the second movie theater that is closest to the current location of the electronic device; and

setting, by the control circuitry, the first slot label to the one of the first show time and the second show time corresponding to the one of the first movie theater and the second movie theater that is closest to the current location of the electronic device.

12. A non-transitory 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 of the plurality of show times to an associated time slot of a plurality of time slots, wherein a first show time of the plurality of show times that is associated with a first movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters and a second show time of the plurality of show times that is associated with a second movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters are assigned to a first time slot of the plurality of time slots; and

generating a plurality of slot labels, wherein each slot label of the plurality of slot labels corresponds to one of the plurality of time slots, and wherein the generating comprises;

defining a first slot label of the plurality of slot labels for the first time slot based on the first show time and the second show time; and

providing an indication for the first time slot based on the information associated with the at least one calendar event.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 12, 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.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 13, the machine-readable media further comprising machine-readable instructions recorded thereon for:

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

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