Systems and methods for resolving ambiguous terms in social chatter based on a user profile

• US 10,341,447 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2017
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Kelly, Timothy Christensen, Maughan, Benjamin, Peterson, Brian, Yon, David, Klappert, Walter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US15/852,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20180139298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 709205, 707767, 726 27, 715841
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide information to a user based on a symbol with a plurality of interpretations. Each candidate interpretation for the symbol is identified and compared to an attribute of a user profile. The meaning of the symbol is determined and the user profile is updated with the meaning of the symbol. This meaning may be used to provide relevant information to the user.

Claims

1. A method for disambiguating a communication received from a user based on a relationship between media assets recently accessed by the user and content of the communication, the method comprising:

receiving, by control circuitry, the communication;

in response to receiving the communication, processing, by the control circuitry, the communication to identify a portion of the communication;

identifying a plurality of candidate interpretations for the portion;

determining based on a profile of the user that the user has accessed a first media asset that is associated with a first interpretation of the plurality of candidate interpretations more recently than a second media asset that is associated with a second interpretation of the plurality of candidate interpretations;

selecting the first interpretation as a determined meaning of the portion, based on the determining that the user has accessed the first media asset more recently than the second media asset; and

providing a media asset recommendation to the user based on the determined meaning.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the portion includes a name and an indication that the name refers to an actor; and

based on the determining that the portion includes the name and an indication that the name refers to an actor, identifying the plurality of candidate interpretations for the portion by identifying a plurality of actor names that match the name.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining for each particular actor name of the plurality of actor names, whether the particular actor name is associated with a media asset that was accessed by the user; and

in response to determining that the particular actor name is associated with a media asset that was accessed by the user, adding the particular actor name to the plurality of candidate interpretations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the media asset recommendation to the user comprises:

determining that the determined meaning of the portion comprises a title of a first book;

identifying a second book that has the same author as the first book; and

providing information indicative of the second book to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the media asset recommendation to the user comprises:

determining that the determined meaning of the portion comprises a title of a first movie;

identifying a second movie that has a title similar to the title of the first movie; and

providing information indicative of the second movie to the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the second movie was accessed by the user;

providing information indicative of the second movie to the user only in response to determining that the second movie was not accessed by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the user;

identifying a vendor within a threshold distance of the user;

determining whether the vendor has inventory related to the media asset recommendation; and

providing information about the vendor to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

identifying a plurality vendors within a threshold distance of the user;

determining for each vendor of the plurality vendors its respective distance to the user; and

providing information about the plurality of vendors to the user in an order based on their respective distances to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a list of interests as part of the profile of the user; and

updating the list of interest to include the determined meaning of the portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the media asset recommendation to the user comprises:

replacing default content that would otherwise be provided to the user with targeted content that is based on the determined meaning of the portion.

11. A system for disambiguating a communication received from a user based on a relationship between media assets recently accessed by the user and content of the communication, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive the communication;

in response to receiving the communication, process the communication to identify a portion of the communication;

identify a plurality of candidate interpretations for the portion;

determine based on a profile of the user that the user has accessed a first media asset that is associated with a first interpretation of the plurality of candidate interpretations more recently than a second media asset that is associated with a second interpretation of the plurality of candidate interpretations;

select the first interpretation as a determined meaning of the portion, based on the determining that the user has accessed the first media asset more recently than the second media asset; and

provide a media asset recommendation to the user based on the determined meaning.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the portion includes a name and an indication that the name refers to an actor; and

based on the determining that the portion includes the name and an indication that the name refers to an actor, identify the plurality of candidate interpretations for the portion by identifying a plurality of actor names that match the name.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine for each particular actor name of the plurality of actor names, whether the particular actor name is associated with a media asset that was accessed by the user; and

in response to determining that the particular actor name is associated with a media asset that was accessed by the user, add the particular actor name to the plurality of candidate interpretations.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the media asset recommendation to the user by:

determining that the determined meaning of the portion comprises a title of a first book;

identifying a second book that has the same author as the first book; and

providing information indicative of the second book to the user.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the media asset recommendation to the user by:

determining that the determined meaning of the portion comprises a title of a first movie;

identifying a second movie that has a title similar to the title of the first movie; and

providing information indicative of the second movie to the user.

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

determine whether the second movie was accessed by the user;

provide information indicative of the second movie to the user only in response to determining that the second movie was not accessed by the user.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine a location of the user;

identify a vendor within a threshold distance of the user;

determine whether the vendor has inventory related to the media asset recommendation; and

provide information about the vendor to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify plurality vendors within a threshold distance of the user;

determine for each vendor of the plurality vendors its respective distance to the user; and

provide information about the plurality of vendors to the user in an order based on their respective distances to the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

maintain a list of interests as part of the profile of the user; and

update the list of interest to include the determined meaning of the portion.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the media asset recommendation to the user by:

replacing default content that would otherwise be provided to the user with targeted content that is based on the determined meaning of the portion.