IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,586,373
Granted Patent B2
US 12,586,373 · App. 18/210,303 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Processing content based on natural language queries

Inventors: Nishant Doshi (Norristown, PA); Daniel Grady (Audubon, NJ); Glenn Wesley (Macungie, PA); John Schmerge (Newton, PA); Scott Laubach (Harleysville, PA); Yan Sperling (Holland, PA); Arvind Mundra (Malvern, PA)
Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
G06V20/41G06F3/167G06F16/243G06F16/7837G06F16/784G06F16/7844G06F16/7867H04N21/431
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,586,373
App. No.
18/210,303
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for summarizing content or preparing missed portions of content based on natural language queries. A natural language query can be received. One or more portions of summarized or missed content can be determined based on the natural language query, and transmitted to a user device.

Claims (58)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a query associated with output of content by a computing device;

determining, based on the query and numerical significance ratings for each of a plurality of portions of the content, a summary comprising one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content; and

sending, to the computing device, the summary.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting, based on metadata associated with the content, the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content included in the summary.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein metadata associated with the content indicates the numerical significance ratings for each of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content and wherein each respective numerical significance rating satisfies a threshold, indicating that the respective portion of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content is significant.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the query is associated with the content being output by the computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the query being indicative of a character or an event, a start time of a first portion of the content.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the query is a natural language query.

7 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive a query associated with output of content by a computing device;

determine, based on the query and numerical significance ratings for each of a plurality of portions of the content, a summary comprising one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content; and

send, to the computing device, the summary.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to select, based on metadata associated with the content, the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content included in the summary.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein metadata associated with the content indicates the numerical significance ratings for each of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content and wherein each respective numerical significance rating satisfies a threshold, indicating that the respective portion of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content is significant.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the query is associated with the content being output by the computing device.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to determine, based on the query being indicative of a character or an event, a start time of a first portion of the content.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the query is a natural language query.

13 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a query associated with output of content by a computing device;

determine, based on the query and numerical significance ratings for each of a plurality of portions of the content, a summary comprising one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content; and

send, to the computing device, the summary.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to select, based on metadata associated with the content, the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content included in the summary.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein metadata associated with the content indicates the numerical significance ratings for each of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content and wherein each respective numerical significance rating satisfies a threshold, indicating that the respective portion of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content is significant.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the query is associated with the content being output by the computing device.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the query being indicative of a character or an event, a start time of a first portion of the content.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13 , wherein the query is a natural language query.

19 . A system comprising:

a first computing device configured to:

receive a query associated with output of content by a second computing device;

determine, based on the query and numerical significance ratings for each of a plurality of portions of the content, a summary comprising one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content; and

send, to the second computing device, the summary; and

the second computing device configured to:

receive the summary.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to select, based on metadata associated with the content, the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content included in the summary.

21 . The system of claim 19 , wherein metadata associated with the content indicates the numerical significance ratings for each of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content and wherein each respective numerical significance rating satisfies a threshold, indicating that the respective portion of the one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the content is significant.

22 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the query is associated with the content being output by the second computing device.

23 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the first computing device is further configured to determine, based on the query being indicative of a character or an event, a start time of a first portion of the content.

24 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the query is a natural language query.

25 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive a natural language query associated with output of content by a computing device;

determine, based on the natural language query, a portion of the content responsive to the natural language query;

determine, based on metadata satisfying a threshold, a summary of the portion of the content, wherein the metadata is associated with the portion of the content; and

send, to the computing device, the summary of the portion of the content.

26 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to select, based on the metadata associated with the content, the summary of the portion of the content from a plurality of summaries.

27 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the metadata associated with the content comprises an indicator of a significance of the summary and wherein the indicator of the significance of the summary satisfies the threshold.

28 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the metadata associated with the content comprises an indicator of a relevance of the summary to the content based on the natural language query and wherein the indicator of the relevance of the summary satisfies the threshold.

29 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to receive the natural language query, cause the at least one processor to receive the natural language query while the content is being output by the computing device.

30 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the natural language query being indicative of a character or an event, a start time of the portion of the content.

31 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to send the summary of the portion of the content, cause the at least one processor to:

cause playback of the content on the computing device to stop;

send, to the computing device, the summary of the portion of the content; and

cause the playback of the content on the computing device to resume.

32 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the summary is based on a time code associated with the natural language query.

33 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the natural language query, a duration for the summary of the portion of the content.

34 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein the natural language query is based on audio data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2023
From: DOSHI, NISHANT; GRADY, DANIEL; SCHMERGE, JOHN; LAUBACH, SCOTT; SPERLING, YAN; MUNDRA, ARVIND
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063966/0580 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17701296 · Mar 22, 2022
Continuation 17127391 · Dec 18, 2020
Continuation 15806057 · Nov 7, 2017
Related Publication 20240054781A1 · Feb 15, 2024
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