Character based search and discovery of media content

• US 9,552,124 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hinman, John, DeRenzo, Ray, Chan, Timothy, Billings, Allen, Coney, Stephen, Brubeck, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Sang H
• Application Number:
  US13/457,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 715/704, 715/838, 715/716, 715/723, 382/118
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/22 Means responsive to presence or absence of recorded information signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for character-based and image-based media content search and discovery. Character images or entity images are mapped to corresponding media content. Selection of an image or a portion of an image may trigger or search for corresponding media content or begin playback of relevant media content. Character images or entity images need not correspond to a primary program character or object but may correspond to minor characters or tangential entities depicted periodically on particular programs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a plurality of character images simultaneously on a display;

receiving, from a viewer, a viewer selection of a first character image from the plurality of character images;

identifying a plurality of media segments, including a first media segment, wherein the plurality of media segments are delineated, tagged, and linked to corresponding character images in the plurality of character images, the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image based on a relevance score, the relevance score indicating how relevant a media segment is to the viewer, the relevance score indicating how much the first media segment corresponds to the first character image;

beginning playback of the first media segment on the display upon identifying the first media segment, wherein playback begins automatically in response to receiving the viewer selection of the first character image;

monitoring a duration that the viewer watches the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image, wherein the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment is one factor for adjusting the relevance score;

increasing the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment exceeding a threshold amount of time such that increased relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a higher correspondence to the first character image; and

decreasing the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment being less than the threshold amount of time such that relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a lower correspondence to the first character image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of entity images are presented with the plurality of character images simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a viewer selects the first character image and a second character image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first media segment has the highest relevance with both the first character image and the second character image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a viewer selects the first character image and a first entity image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first media segment has the highest relevance with both the first character image and the first entity image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media segment is a portion of a media program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media segment is a full media program.

9. A system comprising:

a display operable to present a plurality of character images simultaneously on a display;

an interface operable to receive, from a viewer, a viewer selection of a first character image from the plurality of character images; and

a processor operable to;

identify a plurality of media segments, including a first media segment, wherein the plurality of media segments are delineated, tagged, and linked to corresponding character images in the plurality of character images, the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image based on a relevance score, the relevance score indicating how relevant a media segment is to the viewer, the relevance score indicating how much the first media segment corresponds to the first character image;

begin playback of the first media segment on the display upon identifying the first media segment, wherein playback begins automatically in response to receiving the viewer selection of the first character image;

monitor a duration that the viewer watches the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image, wherein the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment is one factor for adjusting the relevance score;

increase the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment exceeding a threshold amount of time such that increased relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a higher correspondence to the first character image; and

decrease the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment being less than the threshold amount of time such that relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a lower correspondence to the first character image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of entity images are presented with the plurality of character images simultaneously.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a viewer selects the first character image and a second character image.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first media segment has the highest relevance with both the first character image and the second character image.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a viewer selects the first character image and a first entity image.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first media segment has the highest relevance with both the first character image and the first entity image.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the media segment is a portion of a media program.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the media segment is a full media program.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for presenting a plurality of character images simultaneously on a display;

computer code for receiving, from a viewer, a viewer selection of a first character image from the plurality of character images;

computer code for identifying a plurality of media segments, including a first media segment, wherein the plurality of media segments are delineated, tagged, and linked to corresponding character images in the plurality of character images, the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image based on a relevance score, the relevance score indicating how relevant a media segment is to the viewer, the relevance score indicating how much the first media segment corresponds to the first character image;

computer code for beginning playback of the first media segment on the display upon identifying the first media segment, wherein playback begins automatically in response to receiving the viewer selection of the first character image;

computer code for monitoring a duration that the viewer watches the first media segment having the highest relevance with the first character image, wherein the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment is one factor for adjusting the relevance score;

computer code for increasing the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment exceeding a threshold amount of time such that increased relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a higher correspondence to the first character image; and

computer code for decreasing the relevance score based on the duration that the viewer watches the first media segment being less than the threshold amount of time such that relevance score indicates that the first media segment has a lower correspondence to the first character image.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a plurality of entity images are presented with the plurality of character images simultaneously.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein a viewer selects the first character image and a second character image.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first media segment has the highest relevance with both the first character image and the second character image.