Media content search results ranked by popularity

• US 9,326,025 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Pradhan S., Sloo, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/915,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20130283306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 707/722, 707/723, 707/727, 707/728, 707/748, 707/732, 707/749, 707751-753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: D01B 1/08 Saw gins
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Media content search results ranked by popularity is described. In embodiment(s), a search request for television media content can be initiated by a viewer, and television media content that is relevant to the search request can be identified. The relevant television media content can then be ranked based on a popularity rating and the relevant television media content can be displayed in an ordered list that is ordered by popularity rankings.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a search request for television media content;

identifying relevant television media content that is associated with at least one search term of the search request;

tracking viewer interactions of a plurality of viewers with television programming to develop a popularity rating, the viewer interactions including television programming choices of a viewer who initiates the search request; and

ranking the relevant television media content based on the popularity rating, the popularity rating based at least in part on the television programming choices of the viewer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the viewer interactions further includes television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the viewer interactions further includes television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the television programming choices of the viewer and on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, and wherein ranking the relevant television media content comprises assigning a higher weight to the television choices of the viewer than to the television choices of the plurality of viewers.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the viewer interactions further includes search requests associated with the television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the search requests associated with the television programming.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the viewer interactions further includes information requests for the television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the information requests for the television programming.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the relevant television media content comprises identifying the relevant television media content based on a partial match to the at least one search term of the search request.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying the relevant television media content comprises identifying the relevant television media content when the search request includes at least one incorrect search term.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions thereon for generating for display popular media content, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a search request for television media content;

instructions for identifying relevant television media content that is relevant to the search request;

instructions for tracking viewer interactions of a plurality of viewers with the relevant television media content to develop a popularity rating; and

instructions for generating for display, in a user interface, paid placement of particular media content and an ordered list of the relevant television media content that is ordered based on the popularity rating.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the paid placement is displayed at a position in the user interface that is more prominent than the relevant television media content in the ordered list.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the paid placement of the particular media content comprises on-demand media content.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for generating for display the ordered list of the relevant television media content includes instructions for generating for display a likely viewer choice based on television programming choices of a viewer at a first position in the list, and at least an additional likely viewer choice based on television programming choices of multiple viewers at a second position in the list.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for tracking the viewer interactions of the plurality of viewers comprises instructions for tracking television programming choices of a viewer who initiates the search request, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the television programming choices of the viewer.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions for tracking the viewer interactions of the plurality of viewers comprises instructions for tracking requests of a viewer who initiates the search request for information about the relevant television media content, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the requests of the viewer for information about the relevant television media content.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on television programming choices of the plurality of viewers.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising instructions for tracking other search requests for television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the other search requests for television programming.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising instructions for tracking television programming that is recorded, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the television programming that is recorded.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, further comprising instructions for tracking information requests for television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the information requests for the television programming.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the relevant television media content is identified based on an incorrect search term of the search request.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the relevant television media content includes new television media content, and wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on a projected popularity of the new television media content.

20. A method comprising:

generating popularity metadata associated with tracked television media content, wherein the popularity metadata includes at least one of searches for media content, information requests, programming choices, recordings, or new media content from a plurality of viewers;

determining popular media content relevant to at least one search term of a search request based on a popularity rating generated from the popularity metadata; and

generating for display a user interface that includes a list of the popular media content ranked according to the popularity ranking and paid placement of particular media content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein generating for display the user interface that includes the list of the popular media content ranked according to the popularity ranking comprises assigning a higher weight to television choices of a first viewer than to television choices of the plurality of viewers when ranking the relevant television media content.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the searches for media content included in the popularity metadata.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein popularity rating is further based at least in part on the information requests included in the popularity metadata.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein determining popular media content relevant to at least one search term of a search request comprises searching the popularity metadata for the at least one search term.

26. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein determining popular media content comprises identifying the popular media content based on a partial match to the at least one search term of the search request.

27. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

generate popularity metadata associated with tracked television media content, wherein the popularity metadata includes at least one of searches for media content, information requests, programming choices, recordings, or new media content from a plurality of viewers;

determine popular media content relevant to at least one search term of a search request based on a popularity rating generated from the popularity metadata; and

generate for display a user interface that includes a list of the popular media content ranked according to the popularity ranking and paid placement of particular media content.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers.

29. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to assign a higher weight to television choices of a first viewer than to television choices of the plurality of viewers when ranking the relevant television media content.

30. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the searches for media content included in the popularity metadata.

31. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein popularity rating is further based at least in part on the information requests included in the popularity metadata.

32. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to determine the popular media content relevant to at least one search term of a search request by searching the popularity metadata for the at least one search term.

33. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to determine the popular media content by identifying the popular media content based on a partial match to the at least one search term of the search request.

34. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a search request for television media content;

identify relevant television media content that is associated with at least one search term of the search request;

track viewer interactions of a plurality of viewers with television programming to develop a popularity rating, the viewer interactions including television programming choices of a viewer who initiates the search request; and

rank the relevant television media content based on the popularity rating, the popularity rating based at least in part on the television programming choices of the viewer.

35. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the viewer interactions further includes television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers.

36. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the viewer interactions further includes television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, wherein the popularity rating is based at least in part on the television programming choices of the viewer and on the television programming choices of the plurality of viewers, and wherein the processor is configured to rank the relevant television media content by assigning a higher weight to the television choices of the viewer than to the television choices of the plurality of viewers.

37. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the viewer interactions further includes search requests associated with the television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the search requests associated with the television programming.

38. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the viewer interactions further includes information requests for the television programming, and wherein the popularity rating is further based at least in part on the information requests for the television programming.

39. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the processor is configured to identify the relevant television media content by identifying the relevant television media content based on a partial match to the at least one search term of the search request.

40. The system as recited in claim 34, wherein the processor is configured to identify the relevant television media content by identifying the relevant television media content when the search request includes at least one incorrect search term.