Information processor, information processing method and computer program

• US 9,066,149 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Narahara, Tatsuya, Fujiwara, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): FLYNN, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US14/091,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Disclosed is a content-view supporting system to recommend to a user a clear result of searched contents, based on a group of similar users'"'"' favorite programs, through a user-basis collaborative filtering process. The system selects similar users whose program view history is similar to that of a recommended user, maps the program view history in a collaborative filtering matrix registers, in the collaborative filtering matrix, a virtual user whose program view history includes a group of hit programs obtained based on a search condition served for realizing a predetermined search topic. The system also counts the numbers of reservations or views achieved by each user according to program content based on the program view history, in the collaborative filtering matrix, which counted numbers are set as matching numbers, and outputs a search result representing a recommendation list of the contents arrayed in the descending order of matching number.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for supporting content processing for a recommended user having a known viewing history, based on a viewing history of each of a plurality of users and a virtual user, the information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to;

count the viewing history of each of the plurality of users;

retrieve user information representing at least one similar user, whose viewing history includes selections similar to the viewing history of the recommended user, and count the viewing history of the at least one similar user;

register the virtual user based on a search condition and retrieve the viewing history of the virtual user;

register the viewing history of the recommended user, the at least one similar user, and the virtual user in a collaborative filtering matrix, in which the viewing history is mapped in association with each content per user, thereby executing a collaborative filtering process; and

create content recommendation information to be provided to the recommended user, based on a result of the collaborative filtering process,

wherein the content recommendation information is sorted in groups of contents, one group of which satisfies the search condition and another group of which does not satisfy the search condition.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the circuitry counts a number of times the at least one similar user, the recommended user, and the virtual user have viewed or reserved each content based on the viewing history, in the collaborative filtering matrix, thereby obtaining a matching number for each content, and

sorts the groups of contents based on the matching number.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search condition is set in accordance with an input by the recommended user or is set before the virtual user is registered.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry affixes additional information of each content in the content recommendation information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry affixes information relating to the sorted groups of contents in the content recommendation information.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the content recommendation information for each of the groups of contents is arrayed in descending order of matching number.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the viewing history of the virtual user represents a group of hit contents obtained based on the search condition.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the another group of contents represents contents that the recommended user has not viewed or reserved based on the known viewing history.

9. An information processing method of an information processing device, supporting content processing for a recommended user having a known viewing history, based on a viewing history of each of a plurality of users and a virtual user, the method comprising:

counting the viewing history of each of the plurality of users at the information processing device;

retrieving user information representing at least one similar user, whose viewing history includes selections similar to the viewing history of the recommended user, and counting the viewing history of the at least one similar user;

registering the virtual user based on a search condition and retrieving the viewing history of the virtual user;

registering the viewing history of the recommended user, the at least one similar user, and the virtual user in a collaborative filtering matrix, in which the viewing history is mapped in association with each content per user, thereby executing a collaborative filtering process; and

creating, via a processor, content recommendation information to be provided to the recommended user, based on a result of the collaborative filtering process,

wherein the content recommendation information is sorted in groups of contents, one group of which satisfies the search condition and another group of which does not satisfy the search condition.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein:

the information creating includes counting a number of times the at least one similar user, the recommended user, and the virtual user have viewed or reserved each content based on the viewing history, in the collaborative filtering matrix, thereby obtaining a matching number for each content, and

the groups of contents based on the matching number.

11. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the search condition is set in accordance with an input by the recommended user or is set before the virtual user is registered.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information creating includes affixing additional information of each content in the content recommendation information.

13. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the information creating includes affixing information relating to the sorted groups of contents in the content recommendation information.

14. The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the content recommendation information for each of the groups of contents is arrayed in descending order of matching number.

15. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the viewing history of the virtual user represents a group of hit contents obtained based on the search condition.

16. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the another group of contents represent contents that the recommended user has not viewed or reserved based on the known viewing history.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for supporting content processing for a recommended user having a known viewing history, based on a viewing history of each of a plurality of users and a virtual user, the method comprising:

counting the viewing history of each of the plurality of users;

retrieving user information representing at least one similar user, whose viewing history includes selections similar to the viewing history of the recommended user, and counting the viewing history of the at least one similar user;

registering the virtual user based on a search condition and retrieving the viewing history of the virtual user;

registering the viewing history of the recommended user, the at least one similar user, and the virtual user in a collaborative filtering matrix, in which the viewing history is mapped in association with each content per user, thereby executing a collaborative filtering process; and

creating content recommendation information to be provided to the recommended user, based on a result of the collaborative filtering process,

wherein the content recommendation information is sorted in groups of contents, one group of which satisfies the search condition and another group of which does not satisfy the search condition.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein:

the information creating includes counting a number of times the at least one similar user, the recommended user, and the virtual user have viewed or reserved each content based on the viewing history, in the collaborative filtering matrix, thereby obtaining a matching number for each content, and

sorting the groups of contents based on the matching number.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the content recommendation information for each of the groups of contents is arrayed in descending order of matching number.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the viewing history of the virtual user represents a group of hit contents obtained based on the search condition.