Dynamic item highlighting system
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.
1. A method comprising:
receiving selection criteria from a service provider, wherein the selection criteria comprises a contracted content item listing;
receiving a user request from a user to view a recorded list comprising one or more content items recorded for the user;
in response to receiving the user request:
identifying a content item last viewed by the user; and
determining a set of first content item listings, the set of first content item listings comprising a subset of the recorded list including a listing for the content item last viewed by the user;
generating for display the set of first content item listings in a first page view displayed at a client device, the first page view displaying all items of the set of first content item listings in a single instance;
after determining the set of first content item listings including the listing for the content item last viewed by the user, applying the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings;
in response to the application of the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings, determining that a specific content item listing in the set of first content item listings satisfies the selection criteria;
while causing the set of first content item listings in the first page view to be displayed at the client device, automatically positioning a content selector object over the specific content item listing to cause the specific content item listing to be highlighted in the first page view by being visually distinguishable from other first content item listings in the set of first content item listings in the first page view;
receiving, from the client device, user selection data of the content selector object that indicates a user selection of the specific content item listing while the specific content item listing is highlighted;
based on the user selection data, updating selection statistical data that indicates a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a first plurality of users including the user while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of a first plurality of client devices;
calculating a difference between (1) the total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by the first plurality of users while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of the first plurality of client devices, and (2) a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a second plurality of users while the specific content item listing was not highlighted on displays of a second plurality of client devices; and
causing to be transmitted the calculated difference to a broadcaster,
wherein the method is performed on one or more computing devices.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of first content item listings that includes the specific content item listing includes a second content item listing that is different than the specific content item listing; the method further comprising: updating, based on the user selection data, the selection statistical data to indicate a total number of times the second content item listing was selected by the plurality of users while the second content item listing was highlighted on the displays of the plurality of client devices.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: sending, to a provider of the program indicated by the specific content item listing, a report that is based on the selection statistical data.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving highlight criteria that are used to select one or more programs that includes the first program for being highlighted.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client devices includes one or more of: digital video recorders, personal computers, handheld devices, or display devices.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing a selection ratio to be generated, the selection ratio being generated by determining how often a content item listing was selected when the content item listing was highlighted based at least in part on the selection statistical data.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of selection criteria comprises a content provider listing of one or more content items which have been contracted for with a service provider.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to a determination that the specific content item listing in the set of first content item listings does not satisfy the selection criteria:
applying a second selection criteria, distinct from the first selection criteria, to the set of first content item listings;
determining that a specific content item listing in the set of first content item listings satisfies the second selection criteria;
while causing the set of first content item listings in the first page view to be displayed at the client device, automatically positioning a content selector object over the specific content item listing to cause the specific content item listing to be highlighted in the first page view by being visually distinguishable from other first content item listings in the set of first content item listings in the first page view;
receiving, from the client device, user selection data of the content selector object that indicates a user selection of the specific content item listing while the specific content item listing is highlighted; and
based on the user selection data, updating selection statistical data that indicates a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a plurality of users including the user while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of a plurality of client devices.
9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
receiving selection criteria from a service provider, wherein the selection criteria comprises a contracted content item listing with a highest contract value;
receiving a user request from a user to view a recorded list comprising one or more content items recorded for the user;
in response to receiving the user request:
identifying a content item last viewed by the user; and
determining a set of first content item listings, the set of first content item listings comprising a subset of the recorded list including a listing for the content item last viewed by the user;
generating for display the set of first content item listings in a first page view displayed at a client device, the first page view displaying all items of the set of first content item listings in a single instance;
after determining the set of first content item listings including the listing for the content item last viewed by the user, applying the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings;
in response to the application of the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings, determining that a specific content item listing in the set of first content item listings satisfies the selection criteria;
while causing the set of first content item listings in the first page view to be displayed at the client device, automatically positioning a content selector object over the specific content item listing to cause the specific content item listing to be highlighted in the first page view by being visually distinguishable from other first content item listings in the set of first content item listings in the first page view;
receiving, from the client device, user selection data of the content selector object that indicates a user selection of the specific content item listing while the specific content item listing is highlighted;
based on the user selection data, updating selection statistical data that indicates a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a plurality of users including the user while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of a plurality of client devices;
calculating a difference between (1) the total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by the first plurality of users while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of the first plurality of client devices, and (2) a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a second plurality of users while the specific content item listing was not highlighted on displays of a second plurality of client devices; and
causing to be transmitted the calculated difference to a broadcaster.
10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the set of first content item listings that includes the specific content item listing includes a second content item listing that is different than the specific content item listing; wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to update, based on the user selection data, the selection statistical data to indicate a total number of times the second content item listing was selected by the plurality of users while the second content item listing was highlighted on the displays of the plurality of client devices.
11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to send, to a provider of the program indicated by the specific content item listing, a report that is based on the selection statistical data.
12. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to receive highlight criteria that are used to select one or more programs that includes the first program for being highlighted.
13. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of client devices includes one or more of: digital video recorders, personal computers, handheld devices, or display devices.
14. The medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to cause a selection ratio to be generated, the selection ratio being generated by determining how often a content item listing was selected when the content item listing was highlighted based at least in part on the selection statistical data.
15. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
receiving selection criteria from a service provider, wherein the selection criteria comprises a contracted content item listing with a highest contract value;
receiving a user request from a user to view a recorded list comprising one or more content items recorded for the user;
in response to receiving the user request:
identifying a content item last viewed by the user; and
determining a set of first content item listings, the set of first content item listings comprising a subset of the recorded list including a listing for the content item last viewed by the user;
generating for display the set of first content item listings in a first page view displayed at a client device, the first page view displaying all items of the set of first content item listings in a single instance;
after determining the set of first content item listings including the listing for the content item last viewed by the user, applying the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings;
in response to the application of the selection criteria to the set of first content item listings, determining that a specific content item listing in the set of first content item listings satisfies the selection criteria;
while causing the set of first content item listings in the first page view to be displayed at the client device, automatically positioning a content selector object over the specific content item listing to cause the specific content item listing to be highlighted in the first page view by being visually distinguishable from other first content item listings in the set of first content item listings in the first page view;
receiving, from the client device, user selection data of the content selector object that indicates a user selection of the specific content item listing while the specific content item listing is highlighted;
based on the user selection data, updating selection statistical data that indicates a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a plurality of users including the user while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of a plurality of client devices;
calculating a difference between (1) the total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by the first plurality of users while the specific content item listing was highlighted on displays of the first plurality of client devices, and (2) a total number of times the specific content item listing was selected by a second plurality of users while the specific content item listing was not highlighted on displays of a second plurality of client devices; and
causing to be transmitted the calculated difference to a broadcaster.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the set of first content item listings that includes the specific content item listing includes a second content item listing that is different than the specific content item listing; wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to update, based on the user selection data, the selection statistical data to indicate a total number of times the second content item listing was selected by the plurality of users while the second content item listing was highlighted on the displays of the plurality of client devices.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to send, to a provider of the program indicated by the specific content item listing, a report that is based on the selection statistical data.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to receive highlight criteria that are used to select one or more programs that includes the first program for being highlighted.
19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of client devices includes one or more of: digital video recorders, personal computers, handheld devices, or display devices.
20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sets of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to cause a selection ratio to be generated, the selection ratio being generated by determining how often a content item listing was selected when the content item listing was highlighted based at least in part on the selection statistical data.