Visual hot watch spots in content item playback

• US 9,979,995 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tobin, Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Amresh
• Application Number:
  US14/042,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,695 Days
• Field of Search: 709231, 715723, 725 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method for providing visual hot watch spots in content item playback on a content sharing platform is disclosed. The method includes separating, by a processing device of a content sharing platform, a duration of a content item into time interval segments. The method further includes, for each of the time interval segments, determining a score for the time interval segment in view of one or more signals indicating a popularity of the time interval segment to users viewing the content item on the content sharing platform, and providing a visual indication of the score for the time interval segment of the content item in a user interface presenting the content item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a processing device of a content sharing platform, time interval segments of a content item of the content sharing platform;

determining a score, for a time interval segment of the time interval segments, using signals as input to a score calculation function, the signals comprising at least a viewing weight assigned to the time interval segment, an editorial weight assigned to the time interval segment, and viewer feedback comprising votes associated with the time interval segment from users of the content sharing platform, wherein the viewing weight corresponds to views by the users of the content sharing platform of the time interval segment, and wherein the editorial weight comprises an owner-assigned weight to apply to the time interval segment;

providing a visual indication of the score for the time interval segment of the content item on a portion of a scrub bar user interface element of a media player in a user interface presenting the content item, wherein the portion spans a representation of the time interval segment on the scrub bar user interface element and wherein the visual indication changes based on the score, wherein the visual indication is part of a color schema where each grade of the color schema correlates to a different score;

providing a gradual transition between colors at boundaries of consecutive time interval segments having different visual indications, wherein the gradual transition indicates an escalation from at least one of a lowest score to a highest score of the consecutive time interval segments or a de-escalation from the highest score to the lowest score of the consecutive time interval segments;

updating the score for the time interval segment based on new views by the users of the content sharing platform, the new views to alter the viewing weight; and

responsive to updating the score, updating the visual indication of the score for the time interval segment within the scrub bar user interface element of the media player during playback of the content item without updating the content item or other portions of the user interface presenting the content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion corresponding to the time interval segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each time interval segment comprises a predetermined number of video frames.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of video frames in a time interval segment is determined by a duration of the content item divided by a predetermined number of time interval segments.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval segments comprising a score above a highest score threshold are shown as white on the scrub bar user interface element and the time interval segments comprising a score below a lowest score threshold are shown with no color on the scrub bar user interface element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals further comprise a frequency of discussion regarding content of the time interval segment on one or more social networks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a user of the content sharing platform that curates the content item determines a number of time interval segments for the content item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining and providing are performed during real-time playback of the content item when the content item is a live event.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device communicably coupled to the memory, the processing device to execute instructions to;

identify time interval segments of a content item;

determine a score, for a time interval segment of the time interval segments, based on signals comprising at least a viewing weight assigned to the time interval segment, an editorial weight assigned to the time interval segment, and viewer feedback comprising votes associated with the time interval segment from users of the content sharing platform, wherein the viewing weight corresponds to views by users of the content sharing platform of the time interval segment, and wherein the editorial weight comprises an owner-assigned weight to apply to the time interval segment;

provide a visual indication of the score for the time interval segment of the content item on a portion of a scrub bar user interface element of a media player in a user interface presenting the content item, wherein the portion spans a representation of the time interval segment on the scrub bar user interface element and wherein the visual indication changes based on the score, wherein the visual indication is part of a color schema where each grade of the color schema correlates to a different score;

provide a gradual transition between colors at boundaries of consecutive time interval segments having different visual indications, wherein the gradual transition indicates an escalation from at least one of a lowest score to a highest score of the consecutive time interval segments or a de-escalation from the highest score to the lowest score of the consecutive time interval segments;

update the score for the time interval segment based on new views by the users of the content sharing platform, the new views to alter the viewing weight; and

responsive to updating the score, update the visual indication of the score for the time interval segment within the scrub bar user interface element of the media player during playback of the content item without updating the content item or other portions of the user interface presenting the content item.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the portion corresponding to the time interval segment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each time interval segment comprises a predetermined number of video frames, and wherein the number of video frames in a time interval segment is determined by a duration of the content item divided by a predetermined number of time interval segments.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the time interval segments comprising a score above a highest score threshold are shown as white on the scrub bar user interface element and the time interval segments comprising a score below a lowest score threshold are shown with no color on the scrub bar user interface element.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the signals further comprise at least one of a frequency of discussion regarding content of the time interval segment on one or more social networks or indications of votes from users of the content sharing platform for the time interval segment.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a user of the content sharing platform that curates the content item determines a number of time interval segments for the content item.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a content item requested by a user of a user device from a content sharing platform;

presenting the content item in a user interface (UI) on a display device of the user device, the UI comprising a scrub bar user interface element of a media player, the scrub bar user interface element displaying different visual indications at different time interval segments of the content item, respective ones of the visual indications are correlated to a score determined for the corresponding time interval segment based on multiple signals related to the corresponding time interval segment, the multiple signals comprising at least a viewing weight assigned to the time interval segment, an editorial weight assigned to the time interval segment, and viewer feedback comprising votes associated with the time interval segment from users of the content sharing platform, wherein the viewing weight corresponds to views by users of the content sharing platform of the time interval segment, and wherein the editorial weight comprises an owner-assigned weight to apply to the time interval segment, wherein the portion spans a representation of the time interval segment on the scrub bar user interface element and wherein the visual indication changes based on the score, wherein the visual indication is part of a color schema where each grade of the color schema correlates to a different score;

providing a gradual transition between colors at boundaries of consecutive time interval segments having different visual indications, wherein the gradual transition indicates an escalation from at least one of a lowest score to a highest score of the consecutive time interval segments or a de-escalation from the highest score to the lowest score of the consecutive time interval segments;

updating the score for the time interval segment based on new views by the users of the content sharing platform, the new views to alter the viewing weight; and

responsive to updating the score, updating the visual indication of the score for the time interval segment within the scrub bar user interface element of the media player during playback of the content item without updating the content item or other portions of the user interface presenting the content item.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each time interval segment comprises a predetermined number of video frames, and wherein a user of the content sharing platform that curates the content item determines a number of time interval segments for the content item.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the time interval segments comprising a score above a highest score threshold are shown as white on the scrub bar user interface element and the time interval segments comprising a score below a lowest score threshold are shown with no color on the scrub bar user interface element.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the multiple signals further comprise at least one of a frequency of discussion regarding content of the time interval segment on one or more social networks or indications of votes from users of the content sharing platform for the time interval segment.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the portion corresponding to the time interval segment.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the presenting the content item in the UI is performed during real-time playback of the content item when the content item is a live event.