Systems and methods for causing a user to view secondary content that relates to a media asset from which a user has switched away

1. A method for causing a user to view secondary content that relates to a media asset from which a user has switched away, the method comprising:

determining that a user is engaged in viewing a media asset;

in response to determining that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset, monitoring, during each break in the media asset, whether the user switches away from a source of the media asset;

determining, based on the monitoring, that the user has switched away from the source of the media asset during a break in the media asset;

in response to determining that the user has switched away from the source during the break, monitoring secondary content transmitted by the source during the break for an indication that the secondary content is related to the media asset;

determining, based on detecting the indication during the monitoring, that the secondary content is related to the media asset;

in response to determining that the secondary content is related to the media asset, determining a unique identifier corresponding to the secondary content;

accessing an identifier reference data structure;

determining, based on information of the identifier reference data structure, whether the unique identifier for the secondary content corresponds to an identifier of the media asset; and

in response to determining that the unique identifier for the segment of the secondary content corresponds to the identifier of the media asset, automatically switching back to the source to cause a generation for display of the secondary content to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset comprises:

monitoring, using a biometric instrument, a level of attention that the user is paying to the media asset;

determining that the level of attention exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of attention exceeds the threshold, determining that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the secondary content transmitted by the source during the break for an indication that the secondary content is related to the media asset comprises:

identifying characteristics of the media asset;

fingerprinting a video frame of the secondary content to create a fingerprint;

comparing characteristics of the fingerprint to each of the characteristics of the media asset; and

determining whether, based on the comparing, a match exists between a characteristic of the characteristics of the fingerprint and a characteristic of the characteristics of the media asset.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the unique identifier corresponding to the secondary content comprises:

accessing auxiliary information corresponding to the secondary content;

determining a subject of the secondary content from the auxiliary information; and

assigning the subject of the secondary content to be the unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, further in response to determining that the secondary content is related to the media asset, buffering the secondary content into a buffer, wherein automatically switching back to the source to cause a generation for display of the secondary content to the user comprises switching to a beginning of the buffer.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining, based on detecting the indication during the monitoring, that the secondary content is related to the media asset comprises determining that, based on the comparing, the match exists between the characteristic of the characteristics of the fingerprint and the characteristic of the characteristics of the media asset.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining, based on information of the identifier reference data structure, whether the unique identifier for the secondary content corresponds to an identifier of the media asset comprises:

comparing the subject to the identifier of the media asset; and

determining, based on the comparing of the subject to the identifier of the media asset, whether the subject of the secondary content describes the identifier of the media asset.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining whether the subject of the secondary content describes the identifier of the media asset comprises:

identifying a title of the media asset; and

determining whether the subject of the secondary content is the title of the media asset.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the media asset is a single component of a larger collection of media assets; and, wherein

determining whether the subject of the secondary content is the title of the media asset comprises determining that the subject of the media asset specifically identifies the complete title of the media asset, as opposed to a portion of the title shared among the larger collection of media assets.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining, during playback of the secondary content from the buffer, that transmission of the media asset has resumed from the source;

in response to determining, during playback of the secondary content from the buffer, that transmission of the media asset has resumed from the source, buffering the media asset in the buffer;

detecting the conclusion of playback of the secondary content; and

in response to detecting the conclusion of playback of the secondary content, playing back the media asset from the buffer.

11. A system for causing a user to view secondary content that relates to a media asset from which a user has switched away, the system comprising:

communications circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to:

determine that a user is engaged in viewing a media asset;

in response to determining that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset, monitor, during each break in the media asset, whether the user switches away from a source of the media asset;

determine, based on the monitoring, that the user has switched away from the source of the media asset during a break in the media asset;

in response to determining that the user has switched away from the source during the break, monitor secondary content transmitted by the source during the break for an indication that the secondary content is related to the media asset;

determine, based on detecting the indication during the monitoring, that the secondary content is related to the media asset;

in response to determining that the secondary content is related to the media asset, determine a unique identifier corresponding to the secondary content;

access, using the communications circuitry, an identifier reference data structure;

determine, based on information of the identifier reference data structure, whether the unique identifier for the secondary content corresponds to an identifier of the media asset; and

in response to determining that the unique identifier for the segment of the secondary content corresponds to the identifier of the media asset, automatically switch back to the source to cause a generation for display of the secondary content to the user.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset, to:

monitor, using a biometric instrument, a level of attention that the user is paying to the media asset;

determine that the level of attention exceeds a threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of attention exceeds the threshold, determine that the user is engaged in viewing the media asset.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when monitoring the secondary content transmitted by the source during the break for an indication that the secondary content is related to the media asset, to:

identify characteristics of the media asset;

fingerprint a video frame of the secondary content to create a fingerprint;

compare characteristics of the fingerprint to each of the characteristics of the media asset; and

determine whether, based on the comparing, a match exists between a characteristic of the characteristics of the fingerprint and a characteristic of the characteristics of the media asset.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the unique identifier corresponding to the secondary content, to:

access auxiliary information corresponding to the secondary content;

determine a subject of the secondary content from the auxiliary information; and

assign the subject of the secondary content to be the unique identifier.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, further in response to determining that the secondary content is related to the media asset, buffer the secondary content into a buffer, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when automatically switching back to the source to cause a generation for display of the secondary content to the user, to switch to a beginning of the buffer.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining, based on detecting the indication during the monitoring, that the secondary content is related to the media asset, to determine that, based on the comparing, the match exists between the characteristic of the characteristics of the fingerprint and the characteristic of the characteristics of the media asset.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining, based on information of the identifier reference data structure, whether the unique identifier for the secondary content corresponds to an identifier of the media asset, to:

compare the subject to the identifier of the media asset; and

determine, based on the comparing of the subject to the identifier of the media asset, whether the subject of the secondary content describes the identifier of the media asset.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining whether the subject of the secondary content describes the identifier of the media asset, to:

identify a title of the media asset; and

determine whether the subject of the secondary content is the title of the media asset.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the media asset is a single component of a larger collection of media assets; and, wherein

the control circuitry is further configured, when determining whether the subject of the secondary content is the title of the media asset, to determine that the subject of the media asset specifically identifies the complete title of the media asset, as opposed to a portion of the title shared among the larger collection of media assets.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine, during playback of the secondary content from the buffer, that transmission of the media asset has resumed from the source;

in response to determining, during playback of the secondary content from the buffer, that transmission of the media asset has resumed from the source, buffer the media asset in the buffer;

detect the conclusion of playback of the secondary content; and

in response to detecting the conclusion of playback of the secondary content, play back the media asset from the buffer.