Systems and methods for providing context-based movie information

• US 8,818,827 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• 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): JOSEPH, TONYA S
• Application Number:
  US13/561,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 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 causing movie information to be displayed, the electronic device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media including a set of instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to;

receive a plurality of show times of the movie associated with a plurality of movie theaters, wherein a first show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a first movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters, and wherein a second show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a second movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters;

assign the first show time and the second show time to a time slot of a plurality of time slots, wherein the time slot corresponds to a time interval, and wherein the first show time and the second show time are assigned to the time slot based on the first show time and the second show time being within the time interval;

generate a selectable slot label for the time slot, the selectable slot label representing the time slot and corresponding to the time interval that includes the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater;

direct a display to present at least the first generated selectable slot label;

determine that the selectable slot label has been selected; and

direct the display to present the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine a current time of day;

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

set, based on the particular show time, a particular slot label representing a particular time slot of the plurality of time slots, the particular time slot being associated with the particular show time; and

direct the display to present the set slot label.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the at least the selectable slot label comprises at least three slot labels; and

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

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the at least the selectable slot label comprises at least two slot labels; and

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

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the at least the selectable slot label comprises at least two slot labels; and

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

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

obtain information associated with at least one calendar event; and

direct the display to present an indication for the selectable slot label based on the information associated with the at least one calendar event.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, 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.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

obtain information associated with at least one calendar event;

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

in response to the determination, direct the display to present an indication for the selectable slot label based on the determination.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine that another time slot of the plurality of time slots is associated with only one show time of the plurality of show times, wherein another slot label corresponds to the other time slot, wherein the other slot label is set as the show time of the one show time based on the determination, and wherein the at least the selectable slot label comprises the other slot label.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a plurality of show times of the movie associated with a plurality of movie theaters, wherein a first show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a first movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters, and wherein a second show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a second movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters;

assigning, by the one or more processors, the first show time and the second show time to a time slot of a plurality of time slots, wherein the time slot corresponds to a time interval, and wherein the first show time and the second show time are assigned to the time slot based on the first show time and the second show time being within the time interval;

generating, by the one or more processors, a selectable slot label for the time slot, the selectable slot label representing the time slot and corresponding to the time interval that includes the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater;

directing a display to present at least the selectable slot label;

determining that the selectable slot label has been selected; and

directing the display to present the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the time slot is associated with at least two show times of the plurality of show times; and

in response to the determination, directing the display to present an indication for the selectable slot label based on the determination.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each time slot of the plurality of time slots is based on a time interval of a first length of time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing an option to adjust the plurality of time slots;

receiving an instruction to adjust the time interval from the first length of time to a second length of time;

adjusting the plurality of time slots based on the time interval of the 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.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a current time of day;

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

setting, based on the particular show time, a particular slot label representing a particular time slot of the plurality of time slots, the particular time slot being associated with the particular show time; and

directing the display to present the set slot label.

15. A computer-program product for modifying an audio or visual output, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a plurality of show times of the movie associated with a plurality of movie theaters, wherein a first show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a first movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters, and wherein a second show time of the plurality of show times is associated with a second movie theater of the plurality of movie theaters;

assign the first show time and the second show time to a time slot of a plurality of time slots, wherein the time slot corresponds to a time interval, and wherein the first show time and the second show time are assigned to the time slot based on the first show time and the second show time being within the time interval;

generate a selectable slot label for the time slot, the selectable slot label representing the time slot and corresponding to the time interval that includes the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater;

plurality of slot labels,

direct a display to present at least the selectable slot label;

determine that the selectable slot label has been selected; and

direct the display to present the first show time of the movie associated with the first movie theater and the second show time of the movie associated with the second movie theater.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, further including instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to:

obtain information associated with at least one calendar event;

determine that the time slot is associated with the at least one calendar event; and

in response to the determination, set the selectable slot label to be the show time of at least one of the first show time and the second show time.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein determining that the time slot is associated with the at least one calendar event includes determining if a time associated with the time slot is within a predetermined range of at least one of an event start time of the at least one calendar event and an event end time of the at least one calendar event.

18. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein setting the selectable slot label to be the show time of the at least one of the first show time and the second show time includes:

obtaining a theater location of the first movie theater;

obtaining a theater location of the second movie theater;

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

setting the selectable slot label to be the show time of the one of the first show time and the second show time that is associated with movie theater of the first movie theater and the second movie theater that has the determined theater location.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the time associated with the time slot is the start time of one of the first show time and the second show time.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the time associated with the time slot is the end time of one of the first show time and the second show time.