Symantic framework for dynamically creating a program guide

• US 8,620,917 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gavita, Edoardo, Georgescu, Sorin Marian
• Primary Examiner(s): GORTAYO, DANGELINO N
• Application Number:
  US13/335,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 707/737, 707/602, 707/705, 707/708, 707/739, 707/752, 707/780, 707/790, 707/802, 707/811, 707/741, 707/748
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/685 using automatically derived transcript of audio data, e.g. lyrics speech recognition G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

An application server includes a Semantic Analysis Core Service (SACS) function that communicates with a Semantic Analysis Client (SAC) in a Set Top Box (STB). The SACS groups programs available for rendering to a subscriber into program clusters. The SACS generates the program clusters based on a determined semantic similarity between the programs, and on parameters that indicate a subscriber'"'"'s preference for certain program content. The program that are semantically similar to existing clusters within a predetermined viewing window are provided to the STB and output to the subscriber on a display as a program preference list or channel line-up. The STB also monitors the subscriber'"'"'s interaction with the programs and calculates a preference score for each program indicating the subscriber'"'"'s continuing, or waning, interest in a given program. The preference score is used to update the score of the program cluster to which the program belongs.

Claims

1. A method of clustering programs having similar content, the method comprising:

extracting terms from a description associated with a program that match attributes defined in a content ontology;

compiling a set of semantic features associated with the program based on the extracted terms;

for each of a plurality of program clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of programs having similar content, calculating a semantic similarity value representing the semantic similarity between the set of semantic features associated with the program and a semantic feature set of the program cluster, the semantic similarity value being calculated as

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a new program cluster and adding the program to the new program cluster if the highest semantic similarity value does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, for each term in the program description that does not match one or more attributes in the content ontology, retrieving a synonymous term from a network server based on the one or more attributes.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

calculating an intermediate semantic similarity value indicating a similarity between the terms extracted from the description and the synonymous terms retrieved from the network server; and

discarding a synonymous term if the corresponding intermediate semantic similarity value is less than the predefined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a preference score indicating subscriber interest in the program; and

updating a preference score for the program and the corresponding program cluster based on the received preference score.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving one or more parameters indicating subscriber interest in the program; and

estimating the subscriber interest in the program based on the one or more parameters.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more parameters comprise audible sounds uttered by the subscriber.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more parameters comprise visual features expressed by the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more parameters comprise an expected reaction expressed by the subscriber while the program is being rendered, and wherein the expected reaction is based on the program content.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more viewing parameters associated with the program.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewing parameters comprise an elapsed time that the program is rendered to the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a date and/or time at which the program is rendered to the subscriber relative to one or more subscriber-defined temporal ranges.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a number of devices associated with the subscriber that renders the program.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a number of times the program was considered, but not selected, for rendering by the subscriber.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the semantic feature set of the program cluster comprises an amalgamation of the set of semantic features associated with each of the constituent programs in the program cluster.

16. An application server configured to cluster programs having similar content, the server comprising:

memory configured to store a program description associated with a program;

a semantic analysis module communicatively connected to the memory and a content ontology database; and

a programmable controller configured to;

extract terms from the program description that match attributes defined in the content ontology;

compile a set of semantic features associated with the program based on the extracted terms;

for each of a plurality of program clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of programs having similar content, calculate a semantic similarity value representing the semantic similarity between the set of semantic features associated with the program and a semantic feature set of the program cluster, the semantic similarity value being calculated as

17. The application server of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to form a new program cluster and add the program to the new program cluster if the highest semantic similarity value does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

18. The application server of claim 16 wherein, for each term in the program description that does not match one or more attributes in the content ontology, the controller is further configured to retrieve a synonymous term from a network server based on the one or more attributes.

19. The application server of claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured to:

calculate an intermediate semantic similarity value indicating a similarity between the terms extracted from the program description and the synonymous terms retrieved from the network server; and

discard a synonymous term if the corresponding intermediate semantic similarity value is less than a predefined threshold value.

20. The application server of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a preference score indicating subscriber interest in the program; and

update a preference score for the program and the corresponding program cluster based on the received preference score.

21. The application server of claim 16 wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive one or more parameters indicating subscriber interest in the program; and

estimate the subscriber interest in the program based on the one or more parameters.

22. The application server of claim 21 wherein the one or more parameters comprise audible sounds uttered by the subscriber.

23. The application server of claim 21 wherein the one or more parameters comprise visual features expressed by the subscriber.

24. The application server of claim 21 wherein the one or more parameters comprise an expected reaction expressed by the subscriber while the program is being rendered, and wherein the expected reaction is based on the program content.

25. The application server of claim 21 wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more viewing parameters associated with the program.

26. The application server of claim 25 wherein the viewing parameters comprise an elapsed time that the program is rendered to the subscriber.

27. The application server of claim 25 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a date and/or time at which the program is rendered to the subscriber relative to one or more subscriber-defined temporal ranges.

28. The application server of claim 25 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a number of devices associated with the subscriber that render the program.

29. The application server of claim 25 wherein the viewing parameters comprise a number of times the program was considered, but not selected, for rendering by the subscriber.