FAVORITE MEDIA PROGRAM SCENES SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140245336A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon and Redbox Digital Entertainment Services, LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Lewis, Kirk M. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25 Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/4755 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a media program distribution service system 1) receiving data representative of a plurality of scene tags specifying one or more media program scenes tagged by a plurality of end users of a media program distribution service, 2) aggregating the plurality of scene tags, 3) determining, based on a favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, a set of one or more favorite scenes that are most popular among the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service, and 4) providing, based on the determined set of one or more favorite scenes, a favorite scene based feature of the media program distribution service. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a media program distribution service system that provides a media program distribution service to a plurality of end users, data representative of a plurality of scene tags specifying media program scenes tagged by the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service;

aggregating, by the media program distribution service system, the plurality of scene tags;

determining, by the media program distribution service system based on a favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, a set of favorite scenes that are most popular among the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service, the favorite scenes determination heuristic specifying a maximum collective duration condition for the set of favorite scenes; and

providing, by the media program distribution service system based on the determined set of favorite scenes, a favorite scene based feature of the media program distribution service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the favorite scenes in the set of favorite scenes are a subset of scenes included in a single media program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises determining, based on the favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, that the favorite scenes included in the set of favorite scenes are more popular among the plurality of users than are one or more other scenes included in the single media program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the favorite scenes in the set of favorite scenes are included in a plurality of media programs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining comprises determining, based on the favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, that the favorite scenes included in the set of favorite scenes are more popular among the plurality of users than are one or more other scenes included in the plurality of media programs.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of media programs are included in a single category of media programs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the favorite scenes determination heuristic further specifies at least one of a quantity of favorite scenes condition, a minimum number of votes condition, and a time window condition; and

the determining of the set of favorite scenes is based on the maximum duration condition and the at least one of the quantity of favorite scenes condition, the minimum number of votes condition, and the time window condition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the favorite scenes based feature of the media program distribution service comprises providing a graphical user interface for display, the graphical user interface including a list of the favorite scenes included in the set of favorite scenes and one or more options configured to be selected to initiate playback of the favorite scenes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the favorite scenes based feature of the media program distribution service comprises promoting at least one of the favorite scenes within the media program distribution service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the promoting comprises providing, for display in a graphical user interface, promotional content configured to promote the at least one of the favorite scenes, the promotional content comprising at least one user selectable option configured to facilitate access to the at least one of the favorite scenes.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one user selectable option comprises a playlist playback option configured to be selected to initiate playback of the at least one of the favorite scenes as a playlist.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the providing of the promotional content for display in the graphical user interface comprises providing the promotional content for display within a top-level menu page of the graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the favorite scenes based feature of the media program distribution service comprises promoting, within the media program distribution service, at least one media program that contains at least one of the favorite scenes.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the promoting comprises providing, for display in a graphical user interface, promotional content configured to promote the at least one media program, the promotional content comprising at least one user selectable option configured to facilitate access to the at least one media program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the providing of the promotional content for display in the graphical user interface comprises providing the promotional content for display within a top-level menu page of the graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the favorite scenes based feature of the media program distribution service comprises:

analyzing one or more attributes of the favorite scenes included in the set of favorite scenes;

determining a media program recommendation based on the one or more attributes of the favorite scenes; and

providing the media program recommendation to recommend a media program.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing data representative of the set of favorite scenes for syndicated use by a service that is separate from the media program distribution service.

18. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

19. A method comprising:

accessing, by a media program distribution service system that provides a media program distribution service to a plurality of end users, data representative of a plurality of scene tags specifying one or more media program scenes tagged by one or more of the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service;

analyzing, by the media program distribution service system, one or more attributes of the one or more media program scenes, the one or more attributes comprising one or more user defined labels describing content provided for display during the one or more media program scenes;

determining, by the media program distribution service system, based at least in part on the analyzing of the one or more attributes, a media program recommendation; and

providing, by the media program distribution service system, the media program recommendation to recommend a media program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of scene tags specifying the one or more media program scenes tagged by the one or more of the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service comprises a set of favorite scenes that are most popular among the one or more of the plurality of end users.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of scene tags specifying the one or more media program scenes tagged by the one or more of the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service comprises a first set of scene tags provided by a first user included in the plurality of end users and a second set of scene tags provided by a second user included in the plurality of users;

the analyzing comprises determining that the one or more attributes of the one or more media program scenes are shared across the first set of scene tags and the a second set of scene tags; and

the determining of the media program recommendation comprises identifying a media program that includes a scene having the one or more attributes and that has been accessed by the first user but not by the second user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the identifying of the media program comprises:

searching, based on the one or more attributes, a first access history of the first user;

searching, based on the one or more attributes, a second access history of the second user; and

determining, based on search results from the searching of the first access history and the searching of the second access history, that the media program is included in the first access history but not in the second access history.

23. The method of claim 19, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

24. A system comprising:

at least one computing device;

a scene tags facility configured to direct the at least one computing device to

receive data representative of a plurality of scene tags specifying media program scenes tagged by a plurality of end users of a media program distribution service, and

aggregate the plurality of scene tags;

a favorite scenes management facility configured to direct the at least one computing device to determine, based on a favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, a set of favorite scenes that are most popular among the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service, the favorite scenes determination heuristic specifying a maximum collective duration condition for the set of favorite scenes; and

a feature facility configured to direct the at least one computing device to provide, based on the determined set of favorite scenes, a favorite scene based feature of the media program distribution service.