Systems and methods for providing media asset recommendations for a group

• US 9,807,436 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Wickenkamp, Vanessa
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON-CALDERON, FRANK J
• Application Number:
  US14/338,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for providing media recommendations for a group. A media guidance application may identify a group comprising at least a first user and a second user and select a media asset of which the first and second users have previously accessed less than a duration of the media asset. For example, each of the first and the second users may have watched only a respective portion of the media asset. The media guidance application may determine a first amount of the media asset duration that the first user has accessed the media asset and a second amount of the media asset duration that the second user has accessed the media asset. Based on the first and second amounts of the media asset duration, the media guidance application may provide a recommendation for the media asset to the group.

Claims

1. A method for providing media recommendations for a group, the method comprising:

identifying a group comprising at least a first user and a second user;

retrieving, using control circuitry, from a database a list of media assets which the first and second users have previously accessed;

searching the list of media assets, using the control circuitry, for a media asset of which the first and second users have previously accessed less than a duration of the media asset, the first and second users having previously accessed the media asset at different times;

retrieving from storage, using the control circuitry, a first amount of the media asset duration that the first user has accessed the media asset, wherein the first amount is calculated based on a time that the first user stopped accessing the media asset;

retrieving from storage, using the control circuitry, a second amount of the media asset duration that the second user has accessed the media asset, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount, wherein the second amount is calculated based on a time that the second user stopped accessing the media asset; and

applying, using the control circuitry, a criterion to the first and second amounts of the media asset duration to determine whether to generate a recommendation for the media asset to the group, wherein applying the criterion comprises determining whether a difference between the first amount of the media asset duration and the second amount of the media asset duration is below a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the criterion further comprises at least one of:

determining a difference between a stop time of the first amount of the media asset duration and a stop time of the second amount of the media asset duration, and determining a difference between a start time of the first amount of the media asset duration and a start time of the second amount of the media asset duration.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating for display the first amount of the media asset duration and the second amount of the media asset duration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an overlap time period in the media asset where both the first user and the second user have accessed the media asset based on the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration;

determining a non-overlap time period in the media asset where at least one of the first user and the second user have not accessed the media asset; and

visually distinguishing the overlap time period from the non-overlap time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration are displayed in a bar graph.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, for each media asset in a plurality of media assets, an amount of time that the first user has accessed of each media asset and an amount of time that the second user has accessed of each media asset; and

ranking the plurality of media assets based on the amount of time that the first user has accessed each media asset and the amount of time that the second user has accessed each media asset.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration is less than the entire media asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the group comprises receiving an indication of interest in the media asset from at least one of the first user and the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the criterion comprises determining whether at least one of the first user or the second user has accessed a critical portion of the media asset.

10. A system for providing media recommendations for a group, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

identify a group comprising at least a first user and a second user;

retrieve

from a database a list of media assets which the first and second users have previously accessed;

search the list of media assets for a media asset of which the first and second users have previously accessed less than a duration of the media asset, the first and second users having previously accessed the media asset at different times;

retrieve from storage a first amount of the media asset duration that the first user has accessed the media asset, wherein the first amount is calculated based on a time that the first user stopped accessing the media asset;

retrieve from storage a second amount of the media asset duration that the second user has accessed the media asset, wherein the second amount is different from the first amount, wherein the second amount is calculated based on a time that the second user stopped accessing the media asset; and

applying a criterion to the first and second amounts of the media asset duration to determine whether to generate a recommendation for the media asset to the group, wherein applying the criterion comprises determining whether a difference between the first amount of the media asset duration and the second amount of the media asset duration is below a threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to apply the criterion by performing at least one of:

determining a difference between a stop time of the first amount of the media asset duration and a stop time of the second amount of the media asset duration, and determining a difference between a start time of the first amount of the media asset duration and a start time of the second amount of the media asset duration.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display the first amount of the media asset duration and the second amount of the media asset duration.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an overlap time period in the media asset where both the first user and the second user have accessed the media asset based on the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration;

determine a non-overlap time period in the media asset where at least one of the first user and the second user have not accessed the media asset; and

visually distinguish the overlap time period from the non-overlap time period.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration are displayed in a bar graph.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine, for each media asset in a plurality of media assets, an amount of time that the first user has accessed of each media asset and an amount of time that the second user has accessed of each media asset; and

rank the plurality of media assets based on the amount of time that the first user has accessed each media asset and the amount of time that the second user has accessed each media asset.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and the second amounts of the media asset duration is less than the entire media asset.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify the group by receiving an indication of interest in the media asset from at least one of the first user and the second user.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the criterion by determining whether at least one of the first user or the second user has accessed a critical portion of the media asset.