Automatic video service actions based on social networking affinity relationships

• US 9,277,257 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nijim, Yousef Wasef, Strothmann, James Alan, Langa, Jay Paul, Roberts, Eric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, William J
• Application Number:
  US14/531,660
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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

Abstract

An affinity mapping service system allowing a video service provider to perform one or more automatic actions related to a video content item (e.g., automatically recording the video content item, recommending similar video content, automatically tuning to a channel airing the video content item, providing a notification when the video content item is airing, etc.) based on an affinity selection made by a user for a content object related to the video content item is provided. The user is enabled to selectively pair a social networking service identifier (e.g., username, handle, etc.) with a video service account. An affinity selection made by the user via a social networking service in association with a video content item is communicated to the video service provider and mapped to an automatic action for the video service provider to take based on action preferences selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via one or more computer hardware components, a social networking service identifier of a video service user for a social networking service;

receiving, via the one or more computer hardware components, affinity relationship information from the social networking service, wherein the affinity relationship information corresponds to the video service user and a content object related to a video content item;

mapping, via the one or more computer hardware components, an affinity relationship based in part on the social networking service identifier of the video service user and the video content item;

storing, via the one or more computer hardware components, the affinity relationship corresponding to the social networking service identifier and the video content item;

retrieving, via the one or more computer hardware components and according to the affinity relationship, user profile data associated with a video service provider account of a video service provider system for the video service user including a video service provider account identifier, a recording preference, a recommendation preference, and a notification preference for video content items with which the video service user has the affinity relationship;

querying, via the one or more computer hardware components, an inventory of the video content items available to the video service user for the video content item related to the content object according to the affinity relationship; and

performing, via the one or more computer hardware components, automatic video service actions including sending a request to automatically record the video content item related to the content object to a digital video recorder associated with the video service user, sending a request to automatically tune to a channel airing the video content item related to the content object, automatically notifying the video service user when the video content item related to the content object is airing, and sending a request to provide one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object within the video provider system based on the user profile data when the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship is found in the inventory of the video content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to querying the inventory of the video content items available to the video service user:

indexing the social networking service identifier for the social networking service with the video content item related to the content object with which the video service user has the affinity relationship; and

associating the social networking service identifier for the social networking service with the video service provider account identifier of the video service user for ascertaining the inventory of the video content items available to the video service user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein ascertaining the inventory of the video content items available to the video service user comprises ascertaining on demand content items and a video programming lineup available to the video service user based on at least one of:

a video service subscription;

a geographic location;

permissions associated with the video service provider account; and

restrictions associated with the video service provider account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving permission to retrieve the affinity relationship information from the social networking service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the affinity relationship between the video service user and the content object comprises a relationship created via a selection by the video service user of an affinity UI component linked to the content object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the affinity relationship information from the social networking service comprises receiving a listing of content objects for which the video service user has made an affinity selection.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising parsing the listing of content objects for content objects related to the video content items available in a video service provider'"'"'s network and included in an affinity mapping service offered by the video service provider system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving affinity relationship information from the social networking service comprises receiving a listing of users who have made an affinity selection for the content object related to the video content item.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising parsing the listing of users for users who are subscribers of the video service provider system and who are enrolled in an affinity mapping service offered by the video service provider system.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the affinity UI component is a dedicated UI component provided by the video service provider system and linked to the content object related to the video content item available in a video service provider'"'"'s network and included in an affinity mapping service offered by the video service provider system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user preference selections of the automatic video service actions for the video service provider system to perform when the affinity relationship is identified.

12. A system comprising:

one or more computer hardware components including processor and computer storage, wherein the one or more computer hardware components of the system are configured to;

receive a social networking service identifier of a video service user for a social networking service;

receive affinity relationship information from the social networking service, wherein the affinity relationship information corresponds to the video service user and a content object related to a video content item;

map an affinity relationship based in part on the social networking service identifier of the video service user and the video content item;

store the affinity relationship corresponding to the social networking service identifier and the video content item;

retrieve, according to the affinity relationship, user profile data associated with a video service provider account of a video service provider system for the video service user including a video service provider account identifier, a recording preference, a recommendation preference, and a notification preference for video content items with which the video service user has the affinity relationship;

query an inventory of the video content items available to the video service user for the video content item related to the content object according to the affinity relationship; and

perform automatic video service actions that operate to send a request to automatically record the video content item related to the content object to a digital video recorder associated with the video service user, send a request to automatically tune to a channel airing the video content item related to the content object, automatically notify the video service user when the video content item related to the content object is airing, and send a request to provide one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object within the video provider system based on the user profile data when the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship is found in the inventory of the video content items.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an index data memory unit operable to store the social networking service identifier for the social networking service with the video content item related to the content object with which the video service user has the affinity relationship; and

an affinity mapping manager operable to associate the social networking service identifier for the social networking service with the video service provider account identifier of the video service user for ascertaining the inventory of the video content items available to the video service user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the inventory of the video content items available to the video service user comprises on demand content items and a video programming lineup available to the video service user based on at least one of:

a video service subscription;

a geographic location;

permissions associated with the video service provider account; and

restrictions associated with the video service provider account.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the affinity relationship comprises a relationship created between the video service user and the content object via a selection by the video service user of an affinity UI component linked to the content object.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more computer hardware components are further operable to:

receive a listing of content objects for which the video service user has made an affinity selection; and

parse the listing of content objects for content objects related to the video content items available in a video service provider'"'"'s network and included in an affinity mapping service offered by the video service provider system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more computer hardware components are further operable to:

receive a listing of users who have made an affinity selection for the content object related to the video content item; and

parse the listing of users for users who are subscribers of the video service provider system and who are enrolled in an affinity mapping service offered by the video service provider system.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more computer hardware components are further operable to:

send the request to automatically tune to the channel airing the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship to an endpoint device;

send a notification to the video service user when the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship is airing;

send the request for the one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship to a recommendation engine;

receive the one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship from the recommendation engine; and

provide the one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship to the endpoint device for display to the video service user.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which, when executed, use one or more computer hardware components to perform a method comprising:

receiving, via the one or more computer hardware components, a social networking service identifier of a video service user for a social networking service;

receiving, via the one or more computer hardware components, affinity relationship information from the social networking service, wherein the affinity relationship information corresponds to the video service user and a content object related to a video content item;

mapping, via the one or more computer hardware components, an affinity relationship based in part on the social networking service identifier of the video service user and the video content item;

storing, via the one or more computer hardware components, the affinity relationship corresponding to the social networking service identifier and the video content item;

retrieving, via the one or more computer hardware components and according to the affinity relationship, user profile data associated with a video service provider account of a video service provider system for the video service user including a video service provider account identifier, a recording preference, a recommendation preference, and a notification preference for video content items with which the video service user has the affinity relationship;

querying, via the one or more computer hardware components, an inventory of the video content items available to the video service user for the video content item related to the content object according to the affinity relationship; and

performing, via the one or more computer hardware components, automatic video service actions including sending a request to automatically record the video content item related to the content object to a digital video recorder associated with the video service user, sending a request to automatically tune to a channel airing the video content item related to the content object, automatically notifying the video service user when the video content item related to the content object is airing, and sending a request to provide one or more recommended video content items similar to the video content item related to the content object within the video provider system based on the user profile data when the video content item related to the content object with which the user has the affinity relationship is found in the inventory of the video content items.