Systems and methods for providing program suggestions in an interactive television program guide

• US 10,880,607 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2019
• Issued: 12/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Westberg, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengesha, Mulugeta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles N
• Application Number:
  US16/598,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20200045373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive television program guide application is provided that queries a user regarding the user'"'"'s interest in television programs and suggests television programs to the user based on the user'"'"'s responses. The interactive television program guide application identifies a television program that is potentially of interest to the user. The interactive television program guide application then queries the user regarding the user'"'"'s interest using questions that are formulated based on attributes associated with the identified television program. Using the user'"'"'s responses to the questions, the interactive television program guide application identifies and suggests one or more television programs to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing content items, the method comprising:

generating for display a first graphical control element comprising a first plurality of content identifiers of a first plurality of content items on a display;

identifying a time frame;

determining a second plurality of content items available for consumption within the identified time frame that are on a user-defined favorites list, wherein the second plurality of content items is a subset of the first plurality of content items; and

generating for display a second graphical control element overlaying a portion of the first graphical control element on the display, wherein the second graphical control element comprises identifiers of each of the second plurality of content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the time frame comprises receiving a user selection of the time frame.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating for display a selectable-option to configure the time frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the time frame comprises:

determining the time frame in which the first plurality of content items are available for consumption; and

determining a predefined time window including the time frame in which the first plurality of content items are available for consumption.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second graphical control element is a pop-up window.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on a plurality of user responses to formulated questions, a third plurality of content items available for consumption within the identified time frame; and

wherein the second geographical control element further comprises identifiers of each of the third plurality of content items.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating for display the second graphical control element overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display is in response to determining that the plurality of content items and a plurality of suggested content items are available for consumption within the time frame.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user input to prevent displaying graphical control elements overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display; and

in response to receiving the user input, preventing a display of the graphical control elements overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first time, wherein a content item of the second plurality of content items is available at the first time;

determining a second time, wherein none of the second plurality of content items is available at the second time; and

wherein the second graphical control element further comprises;

an identifier of the first time,

an identifier of the content item of the second plurality of content items, and

an identifier of the second time.

10. A system for providing content items, the system comprising:

output circuitry configured to generate for display a first graphical control element comprising a first plurality of content identifiers of a first plurality of content items on a display;

control circuitry configured to;

identify a time frame; and

determine a second plurality of content items available for consumption within the identified time frame that are on a user-defined favorites list, wherein the second plurality of content items is a subset of the first plurality of content items; and

the output circuitry further configured to generate for display a second graphical control element overlaying a portion of the first graphical control element on the display, wherein the second graphical control element comprises identifiers of each of the second plurality of content items.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify the time frame by receiving a user selection of the time frame.

12. The system of claim 11, the output circuitry further configured to generate for display a selectable-option to configure the time frame.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify the time frame by:

determining the time frame in which the first plurality of content items are available for consumption; and

determining a predefined time window including the time frame in which the first plurality of content items are available for consumption.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the second graphical control element is a pop-up window.

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

determine, based on a plurality of user responses to formulated questions, a third plurality of content items available for consumption within the identified time frame; and

wherein the second geographical control element further comprises identifiers of each of the third plurality of content items.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the output circuitry is configured to generate for display the second graphical control element overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display in response to determining that the plurality of content items and a plurality of suggested content items are available for consumption within the time frame.

17. The system of claim 10, the control circuitry further configured to:

receive a user input to prevent displaying graphical control elements overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display; and

in response to receiving the user input, prevent a display of the graphical control elements overlaying the portion of the first graphical control element on the display.

18. The system of claim 10, the control circuitry further configured to:

determine a first time, wherein a content item of the second plurality of content items is available at the first time;

determine a second time, wherein none of the second plurality of content items is available at the second time; and

wherein the second graphical control element further comprises;

an identifier of the first time,

an identifier of the content item of the second plurality of content items, and

an identifier of the second time.