IP Library Granted Patent US 11,270,738
Granted Patent B2
US 11,270,738 · App. 16/688,615 · Granted Mar 8, 2022

Systems and methods for determining playback points in media assets

Inventor: Arun Sreedhara (Karnataka, IN)
Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
G11B27/102G06F16/73G06F16/74G11B27/34H04N21/435H04N21/44008H04N21/4532H04N21/47217H04N21/4828H04N21/8405H04N21/858H04N21/8547
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,270,738
App. No.
16/688,615
Granted
Mar 8, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are described for determining playback points in media assets based on both a keyword and a context of a current playback point in a media asset. For example, in response to user input of a keyword (e.g., “Matt Damon”) while the user is consuming a media asset, a current playback point in the media asset is determined. Context of the media asset at the current playback point is then determined (e.g., the current playback point involves a car chase). Playback points in the media asset are determined that match both the context and the keyword and are presented to the user (e.g., playback points with Matt Damon in a car chase).

Claims (94)

1. A method for determining playback points in media assets, the method comprising:

receiving, while generating for display of a media asset, an indicator of the media asset;

in response to receiving the indicator of the media asset:

retrieving metadata associated with a current playback point in the media asset; and

assigning a context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point;

in response to determining that more than one context is assigned based on the retrieved metadata:

searching user viewing history to select a context based on context of a threshold number of media assets consumed by the user; and

comparing the indicator and the selected context with a plurality of keywords and contexts associated with playback points in one or more media assets;

determining, based on the comparing, that a keyword, from the plurality of keywords, and the selected context correspond to a playback point in at least one matching media asset of the one or more media assets; and

generating, for the matching media asset, an indication for selection that the indicator and the selected context correspond to the playback point.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising media guidance data, wherein the media guidance data comprises a respective content source for a second media asset from the one or more media assets.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to receiving a keyword from a user:

comparing attributes of the keyword with attributes of each of a plurality of keywords related to the first media asset;

determining a subset of the plurality of keywords that have an attribute that matches an attribute of the keyword; and

generating for display the subset of the plurality of keywords.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the keyword is a first keyword, and wherein assigning the context comprises:

receiving, while generating for display the first media asset, a second keyword from the user;

determining, based on characteristics of the first keyword and characteristics of the second keyword, a keyword context linking the first keyword with the second keyword; and

assigning the context based on both (1) the keyword context and (2) the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point comprises:

determining, based on the retrieved metadata, that a plurality of contexts correspond to the current playback point;

retrieving, from a user profile, a context preference;

determining that the context preference matches a first context of the plurality of contexts; and

assigning the first context as the context.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point comprises:

determining, based on the retrieved metadata, that a plurality of contexts correspond to the current playback point;

retrieving, from a server, an indication of popularity for each of the plurality of contexts;

determining, based on the retrieved indication of popularity for each of the plurality of contexts, a most popular context; and

assigning the most popular context as the context.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, based on the comparing, that the keyword, from the plurality of keywords, and the selected context correspond to the playback point in at least one matching media asset of the plurality of other media assets comprises:

determining a number of the at least one playback point that correspond to the keyword and the context;

comparing the number to a threshold number;

determining that the number exceeds the threshold number; and

in response to determining that the number exceeds the threshold number, =generating for display a subset of the at least one playback point, wherein the subset includes only playback points within a threshold amount of time from the current playback point.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, for the matching media asset, the indication for selection that the indicator and the selected context correspond to the playback point comprises:

generating for display a progress bar overlaid on one or more of the other media assets;

determining locations on the progress bar corresponding to each of the at least one playback point; and

generating for display, at each of the locations on the progress bar, the indication.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising media guidance data, wherein the media guidance data is generated for display on a first device, and wherein generating for display the media guidance data comprises:

determining that a number of the at least one playback point that correspond to the keyword and the context exceed a threshold number to display on the first device;

in response to determining that the number exceeds the threshold number to display on the first device, determining a second device associated with the user; and

transmitting data associated with one or more of the at least one playback points to the second device to be displayed by the second device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising media guidance data, wherein the media guidance data comprises parental controls for the second media asset.

11. A system for determining playback points in media assets, the system comprising:

user input circuitry; and

control circuitry configured to:

generate for display a first media asset;

receive, while generating for display the first media asset, a keyword from a user;

in response to receiving the keyword from the user:

determine a current playback point in the first media asset;

retrieve metadata associated with the current playback point; and

assign a context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point;

in response to determining that more than one context is assigned based on the retrieved metadata:

search user viewing history to select a context based on context of a threshold number of media assets consumed by the user; and

compare both (1) the keyword and (2) the selected context with a plurality of keywords and contexts associated with playback points in each of a plurality of other media assets;

determine, based on the comparison, that the keyword and the selected context correspond to at least one playback point in each of the plurality of other media assets;

generate, for each of the other media assets, an indication that the keyword and the selected context correspond to at least one playback point;

detect a selection of a first indication of the indications, wherein the first indication is associated with a second media asset of the plurality of other media assets; and

in response to the detection of the selection of the first indication, generate for display media guidance data for the second media asset.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media guidance data comprises a respective content source for the second media asset.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to receiving the keyword from the user:

compare attributes of the keyword with attributes of each of a plurality of keywords related to the first media asset;

determine a subset of the plurality of keywords that have an attribute that matches an attribute of the keyword; and

generate for display the subset of the plurality of keywords.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the keyword is a first keyword, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when assigning the context, to:

receive, while generating for display the first media asset, a second keyword from the user;

determine, based on characteristics of the first keyword and characteristics of the second keyword, a keyword context linking the first keyword with the second keyword; and

assign the context based on both (1) the keyword context and (2) the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when assigning the context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point, to:

determine, based on the retrieved metadata, that a plurality of contexts correspond to the current playback point;

retrieve, from a user profile, a context preference;

determine that the context preference matches a first context of the plurality of contexts; and

assign the first context as the context.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when assigning the context based on the retrieved metadata associated with the current playback point, to:

determine, based on the retrieved metadata, that a plurality of contexts correspond to the current playback point;

retrieve, from a server, an indication of popularity for each of the plurality of contexts;

determine, based on the retrieved indication of popularity for each of the plurality of contexts, a most popular context; and

assign the most popular context as the context.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining that the keyword and the context correspond to the at least one playback point in each of the plurality of media asset, to:

determine a number of the at least one playback point that correspond to the keyword and the context;

compare the number to a threshold number;

determine that the number exceeds the threshold number; and

in response to determining that the number exceeds the threshold number, generate for display a subset of the at least one playback point, wherein the subset includes only playback points within a threshold amount of time from the current playback point.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when generating for display the indication of the at least one playback point, to:

generate for display a progress bar overlaid on one or more of the other media assets;

determine locations on the progress bar corresponding to each of the at least one playback point; and

generate for display, at each of the locations on the progress bar, the indication.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media guidance data is generated for display on a first device, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when generating for display the media guidance data, to:

determine that a number of the at least one playback point that correspond to the keyword and the context exceed a threshold number to display on the first device;

in response to determining that the number exceeds the threshold number to display on the first device, determine a second device associated with the user; and

transmit data associated with one or more of the at least one playback points to the second device to be displayed by the second device.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the media guidance data comprises parental controls for the second media asset.

Assignments (5)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Oct 27, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ROVI PRODUCT CORPORATION (AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ROVI GUIDES, INC.)
Reel/Frame 061786/0768 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 23, 2022
From: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 061746/0981 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2022
From: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
To: ROVI PRODUCT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061747/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2020
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.; VEVEO, INC.; INVENSAS CORPORATION; INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TESSERA, INC.; TESSERA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DTS, INC.; PHORUS, INC.; IBIQUITY DIGITAL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053468/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2019
From: SREEDHARA, ARUN
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 051055/0095 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16198053 · Nov 21, 2018
Continuation 15655219 · Jul 20, 2017
Related Publication 20200312373A1 · Oct 1, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 1,096,839