Spoiler alert scheme

• US 10,091,149 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crave Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Yang-Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cousins, Joseph M
• Application Number:
  US13/996,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709206, 709219, 709204, 709205, 709217, 709248, 705 145, 705 1461, 705 718, 725 58
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

Technologies are generally described for a spoiler alert scheme. In some examples, a spoiler alert system may include an event determination unit configured to determine an event of interest to a user for which a spoiler alert is to be provided, a spoiler identification unit configured to identify one or more posts in an online forum that include spoiler information regarding the determined event of interest, and a spoiler control unit configured to hide the one or more identified posts from the online forum, as displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A spoiler alert system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, the memory having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause the at least one processor to perform or control performance of operations, comprising;

determine an event based at least in part on content analysis of posts of a user in an online forum;

determine whether to provide a spoiler alert for the event based at least in part on properties of the event, wherein the properties of the event include a time at which the event is to occur and whether the event is a public event;

provide a spoiler alert for the event after a determination that the event is yet to occur within a first time frame or has already occurred within a second time frame, wherein the first time frame and the second time frame are related to the event based on a determination that the event is a public event, and wherein the operations to provide the spoiler alert;

identify one or more posts in the online forum that include spoiler information regarding the event; and

prevent the identified one or more posts in the online forum from being displayed to the user for a time limit, wherein the time limit to prevent the identified one or more posts in the online forum from being displayed to the user varies in duration according to an amount of previous activity, by the user in the online forum, that pertains to the event, wherein the amount of previous activity by the user in the online forum includes a number of times that the user has posted in the online forum regarding the event and a number of articles that the user has read regarding the event; and

in response to expiration of the time limit, display the identified one or more posts in the online forum to the user.

2. The spoiler alert system of claim 1, wherein the determination whether to provide the spoiler alert is further based on a request made by the user.

3. The spoiler alert system of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more posts include at least one keyword associated with the event.

4. The spoiler alert system of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more posts are posted by a representative associated with the event.

5. The spoiler alert system of claim 1, wherein the identified one or more posts are reported as being a spoiler.

6. A spoiler alert system, comprising:

a server that comprises at least one processor configured to perform or control performance of;

determine an event based on content analysis of posts of a user in an at least one online forum;

determine whether to provide a spoiler alert for the event based at least in part on properties of the event, wherein the properties of the event include a time at which the event is to occur and whether the event is a public event; and

identify one or more posts, in the at least one online forum, that include spoiler information regarding the event; and

a communication interface operatively coupled to the server, wherein the interface is configured to;

in response to a determination that the spoiler alert is to be provided, provide a spoiler alert for the identified one or more posts; and

provide the user with a list of other hidden posts when the identified one or more posts are displayed on a device associated with the user,

wherein to control the communication interface to provide the spoiler alert, the server is configured to perform or control performance of;

prevent the one or more identified posts, in the at least one online forum, from being displayed on the device associated with the user for a time limit, wherein the time limit to prevent the one or more identified posts from being displayed on the device associated with the user varies in duration according to an amount of previous activity, by the user in the at least one online forum, that pertains to the event, wherein the amount of previous activity by the user in the online forum includes a number of times that the user has posted in the online forum regarding the event and a number of articles that the user has read regarding the event; and

in response to expiration of the time limit, enable display of the identified one or more posts, in the at least one online forum, on the device associated with the user.