System and Method for Enhancing User Search Results by Determining a Streaming Media Program Currently Being Displayed in Proximity to an Electronic Device

• US 20140351234A1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Maddison, Kyle, Kirillov, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 10,114,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739

Abstract

A method receives a search query from a user device during a time window and accesses a repository of streaming media related information to determine one or more streaming media programs available to the user device during the time window. The method identifies a first set of categories associated with the received search query and identifies a respective program-specific set of categories associated with each of the respective available streaming media programs. The method compares the first set of categories to each respective program-specific set of categories to infer that a first streaming media program is being displayed in proximity to the user device. The method modifies the search query based on adding search terms from the streaming media related information corresponding to the first streaming media program. The method identifies search results corresponding to the modified search query and returns the search results to the user device.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing search queries related to streaming media, the method comprising:

at a server with one or more processors and memory storing programs configured for execution by the one or more processors;

receiving a search query from a user device during a time window;

accessing a repository of streaming media related information to determine one or more streaming media programs available to the user device during the time window;

identifying a first set of categories associated with the received search query;

identifying a respective program-specific set of categories associated with each of the respective available streaming media programs;

comparing the first set of categories to each respective program-specific set of categories to infer that a first streaming media program of the available streaming media programs is being displayed in proximity to the user device;

modifying the search query based on adding search terms from the streaming media related information corresponding to the first streaming media program;

identifying search results corresponding to the modified search query; and

returning the search results to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein inferring the first streaming media program includes, for streaming media programs available to the user device, generating scores based on comparing the first set of categories to the respective program-specific set of categories.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein inferring the first streaming media program further includes ordering the available streaming media programs in accordance with the generated score.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein inferring the first streaming media program further includes selecting a first streaming media program with a highest generated score as the first streaming media program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media program related information includes information related to program show times, channel information, program title, program description, program series information, cast information, and genre information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a supplemental set top box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a smart phone.

8. A server system for enhancing search queries related to streaming media, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

receiving a search query from a user device during a time window;

accessing a repository of streaming media related information to determine one or more streaming media programs available to the user device during the time window;

identifying a first set of categories associated with the received search query;

identifying a respective program-specific set of categories associated with each of the respective available streaming media programs;

comparing the first set of categories to each respective program-specific set of categories to infer that a first streaming media program of the available streaming media programs is being displayed in proximity to the user device;

modifying the search query based on adding search terms from the streaming media related information corresponding to the first streaming media program;

identifying search results corresponding to the modified search query; and

returning the search results to the user device.

9. The server system of claim 8, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program include instructions for generating scores for streaming media programs available to the user device based on comparing the first set of categories to the respective program-specific set of categories.

10. The server system of claim 9, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program include instructions for ordering the available streaming media programs in accordance with the generated score.

11. The server system of claim 10, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program further include instructions for selecting a first streaming media program with a highest generated score as the first streaming media program.

12. The server system of claim 8, wherein the streaming media program related information includes information related to program show times, channel information, program title, program description, program series information, cast information, and genre information.

13. The server system of claim 8, wherein the user device is a supplemental set top box.

14. The server system of claim 8, wherein the user device is a smart phone.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a server system having one or more processors and memory, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving a search query from a user device during a time window;

accessing a repository of streaming media related information to determine one or more streaming media programs available to the user device during the time window;

identifying a first set of categories associated with the received search query;

identifying a respective program-specific set of categories associated with each of the respective available streaming media programs;

comparing the first set of categories to each respective program-specific set of categories to infer that a first streaming media program of the available streaming media programs is being displayed in proximity to the user device;

modifying the search query based on adding search terms from the streaming media related information corresponding to the first streaming media program;

identifying search results corresponding to the modified search query; and

returning the search results to the user device.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program include instructions for generating scores for streaming media programs available to the user device based on comparing the first set of categories to the respective program-specific set of categories.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program include instructions for ordering the available streaming media programs in accordance with the generated score.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions for inferring the first streaming media program further include instructions for selecting a first streaming media program with a highest generated score as the first streaming media program.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the streaming media program related information includes information related to program show times, channel information, program title, program description, program series information, cast information, and genre information.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the user device is a supplemental set top box.