IP Library Granted Patent US 12701297
Granted Patent B2
US 12701297 · App. 18/933,726 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Content viewing tracking

Inventors: Jonathan Alan Leech (Denver, CO); Mehul Patel (Downingtown, PA); Edward David Monnerat (Parker, CO); George Thomas Des Jardins (Washington, DC); Erik M. Schwartz (Kensington, MD)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
H04N21/4668H04N21/4312H04N21/4334H04N21/4335H04N21/44204H04N21/44226H04N21/4667H04N21/472H04N21/6582H04N21/812
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701297
App. No.
18/933,726
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

This application describes methods, systems, and apparatus for allowing a user to easily determine whether the user and/or other user(s) have viewed content. For example, a program guide may display one or more graphics associated with the content (e.g., a movie poster), and in response to determining whether the user has viewed the content, the program guide may include an indication of whether the user has viewed the content. The program guide may include indications associated with multiple users (e.g., different colors, icons, graphics, or text). The program guide may filter the content based on whether the user has viewed the content (e.g., only display content the user has not viewed). A computing device storing the content may manage recording of the content based on whether the user has viewed the content (e.g., delete the recording if the user has viewed the content). A viewing history of the user may be maintained.

Claims (64)

1 . A method comprising:

monitoring, by a computing device, content interaction activity of a plurality of users;

generating, based on the content interaction activity, content interaction activity data;

determining, using the content interaction activity data and for each of the plurality of users, a corresponding progress of playback through content;

causing display of a program guide that comprises:

a user-selectable indication of the content; and

for at least one of the plurality of users, an indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content;

receiving information indicating a selection of the user-selectable indication; and

causing playback of the content beginning at a least progress of playback of the plurality of users, wherein the causing playback occurs based on the information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content comprises an indication of a percentage of the corresponding progress of playback through the content.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content comprises an indication that a user of the plurality of users has completed playback of only a portion of the content.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring the content interaction activity comprises:

monitoring data indicative of playback of the content by the plurality of users.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content comprises an episode of a series of episodes.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content comprises a series of episodes.

7 . The method of claim 1 , the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the first-content item-is overlaid on the indication of the content.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

for the at least one of the plurality of users, the progress of playback through the content is a partial progress of playback through less than an entirety of the content, and

the indication, of the corresponding progress of playback through the content, indicates that the partial progress of playback is through less than the entirety of the content.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content; and

deleting a recording of the content, wherein the deleting is based on the determining that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content.

10 . A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computing device to:

monitor content interaction activity of a plurality of users;

generate, based on the content interaction activity, content interaction activity data;

determine, using the interaction activity data and for each of the plurality of users, a corresponding progress of playback through content;

cause display of a program guide that comprises:

a user-selectable indication of the content; and

for at least one of the plurality of users, an indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content;

receive information indicating a selection of the user-selectable indication; and

cause playback of the content beginning at a least progress of playback of the plurality of users, wherein the playback is caused based on the information.

11 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content comprises an indication of a percentage of the corresponding progress of playback through the content.

12 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the first-content comprises an indication that a user of the plurality of users has completed playback of only a portion of the content.

13 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to monitor the content interaction activity by:

monitoring data indicative of playback of the content by the plurality of users.

14 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the content comprises an episode of a series of episodes.

15 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the content comprises a series of episodes.

16 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein for the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the first-content is overlaid on the indication of the content.

17 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein:

for the at least one of the plurality of users, the progress of playback through the content is a partial progress of playback through less than an entirety of the content, and

the indication, of the corresponding progress of playback through the content, indicates that the partial progress of playback is through less than the entirety of the content.

18 . The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:

determine that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content; and

delete a recording of the content, wherein the deleting is based on the determining that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, configure a computing device to:

monitor content interaction activity of a plurality of users;

generate, based on the content interaction activity, content interaction activity data;

determine, using the content interaction activity data and for each of the plurality of users, a corresponding progress of playback through content;

cause display of a program guide that comprises:

a user-selectable indication of the content; and

for at least one of the plurality of users, an indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content;

receive information indicating a selection of the user-selectable indication; and

cause playback of the content beginning at a least progress of playback of the plurality of users, wherein the playback is caused based on the information.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the indication of the corresponding progress of playback through the content comprises an indication of a percentage of the corresponding progress of playback through the content.

21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing device to monitor the content interaction activity by:

monitoring data indicative of playback of the content by the plurality of users.

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein:

for the at least one of the plurality of users, the progress of playback through the content is a partial progress of playback through less than an entirety of the content, and

the indication, of the corresponding progress of playback through the content, indicates that the partial progress of playback is through less than the entirety of the content.

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure the computing device to:

determine that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content; and

delete a recording of the content, wherein the deleting is based on the determining that all of the plurality of users have completed playback through the content.