IP Library Granted Patent US 12,470,778
Granted Patent B2
US 12,470,778 · App. 18/138,919 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

System and method for implicit item embedding within a simulated electronic environment

Inventors: Maharaj Mukherjee (Poughkeepsie, NY); Prashant Thakur (Gujarat, IN); George Anthony Albero (Charlotte, NC)
Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
H04N21/812H04N21/251H04N21/25891H04N21/4756
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,470,778
App. No.
18/138,919
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for implicit item embedding within a simulated electronic environment. In various embodiments, the invention includes utilizing a hybrid recommendation engine, the invention suggests product placements based on user data and preferences of a specific user. During the initial warm-up period, either user-based or product-based collaborative filtering is applied to assign the user to a collaborative user group until more information about the user becomes available. The hybrid recommendation engine is enhanced through a collaborative clustering component, which involves assigning the user to the collaborative user group via user-based collaborative filtering based on their similar user characteristics, product interests, or product preferences. The invention dynamically alters digital content streamed to the user's device. An implicit product placement module integrates recommended products within the entertainment content, providing a seamless and personalized experience for the user.

Claims (46)

1 . A system for implicit item embedding within a simulated electronic environment, the system comprising:

a processing device;

a non-transitory storage device containing instructions when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to perform the steps of:

utilizing a hybrid recommendation engine to suggest product placements based on user data and user preferences of a user, wherein the hybrid recommendation engine comprises a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix and a collaborative clustering component for user-based and product-based collaborative filtering, wherein the utility matrix is used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, and wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences;

initiating a warm-up period for the user, wherein either the user-based or the product-based collaborative filtering is applied to assign the user to a collaborative user group until more information about the user is available;

enhancing the hybrid recommendation engine via the collaborative clustering component comprising:

assigning the user to the collaborative user group via user-based collaborative filtering of users based on their similar user characteristics, the product interests, or the product preferences; and

product-based collaborative filtering for grouping products based on their similarity and relationships, further enhanced by analyzing complimentary and supplementary products as determined by one or more unsupervised machine learning engines;

receiving digital content interaction data for the user and reassigning the user to one or more alternate collaborative user groups when the content interaction data deviates from the collaborative user group;

execute object detection and localization using a you only look once convolutional neural network to identify a target object and a target object location for replacing pixels in digital content streamed to a user device of the user;

dynamically altering the digital content streamed to the user device of the user, wherein an implicit product placement module integrates recommended products within entertainment content with a replacement of at least one original product in the entertainment content with the recommended products by replacing pixels associated with the at least one original product with pixels associated with the recommended products; and

allowing third party access to the hybrid recommendation engine via an extension module with authorized application programming interface (API) access for digital file input.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein collaborative user groups are formed based on computed similarity scores, employing clustering techniques comprising k-means, hierarchical clustering, or density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a weighted average of preferences or ratings given by one or more users in the collaborative user group for an item, with the weights determined by a similarity between a specific user and other users in the collaborative user group.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each entry in the utility matrix corresponds to a user-item pair and contains a score or rating that indicates the user's preference for that particular item.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising creating one or more user categorizations based on the user's historical data, such as their browsing history, past purchases, or explicitly provided preferences.

7 . A computer program product for implicit item embedding within a simulated electronic environment, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code causing an apparatus to:

utilize a hybrid recommendation engine to suggest product placements based on user data and user preferences of a user, wherein the hybrid recommendation engine comprises a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix and a collaborative clustering component for user-based and product-based collaborative filtering, wherein the utility matrix is used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, and wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences;

initiate a warm-up period for the user, wherein the user-based and the product-based collaborative filtering is applied to assign the user to a collaborative user group until more information about the user is available;

enhance the hybrid recommendation engine via a collaborative clustering component, comprising:

assigning the user to the collaborative user group via the user-based collaborative filtering of users based on their similar user characteristics, the product interests, or the product preferences; and

product-based collaborative filtering for grouping products based on their similarity and relationships, further enhanced by analyzing complimentary and supplementary products as determined by one or more unsupervised machine learning engines;

receive digital content interaction data for the user and reassigning the user to one or more alternate collaborative user groups when the content interaction data deviates from the collaborative user group;

execute object detection and localization using a you only look once convolutional neural network to identify a target object and a target object location for replacing pixels in digital content streamed to a user device of the user

dynamically alter the digital content streamed to the user device of the user, wherein an implicit product placement module integrates recommended products within entertainment content with a replacement of at least one original product in the entertainment content with the recommended products by replacing pixels associated with the at least one original product with pixels associated with the recommended products; and

allow third party access to the hybrid recommendation engine via an extension module with authorized application programming interface (API) access for digital file input.

8 . The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein collaborative user groups are formed based on computed similarity scores, employing clustering techniques comprising k-means, hierarchical clustering, or density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise.

9 . The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising calculating a weighted average of preferences or ratings given by one or more users in the collaborative user group for an item, with the weights determined by a similarity between a specific user and other users in the collaborative user group.

10 . The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein each entry in the utility matrix corresponds to a user-item pair and contains a score or rating that indicates the user's preference for that particular item.

12 . The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising creating one or more user categorizations based on the user's historical data, such as their browsing history, past purchases, or explicitly provided preferences.

13 . A method for implicit item embedding within a simulated electronic environment, the method comprising:

utilizing a hybrid recommendation engine to suggest product placements based on user data and user preferences of a user, wherein the hybrid recommendation engine comprises a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix and a collaborative clustering component for user-based and product-based collaborative filtering, wherein the utility matrix is used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, and wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences;

initiating a warm-up period for the user, wherein the user-based and the product-based collaborative filtering is applied to assign the user to a collaborative user group until more information about the user is available;

enhancing the hybrid recommendation engine via the collaborative clustering component, comprising:

assigning the user to the collaborative user group via user-based collaborative filtering of users based on their similar user characteristics, the product interests, or the product preferences; and

product-based collaborative filtering for grouping products based on their similarity and relationships, further enhanced by analyzing complimentary and supplementary products as determined by one or more unsupervised machine learning engines;

receiving digital content interaction data for the user and reassigning the user to one or more alternate collaborative user groups when the content interaction data deviates from the collaborative user group;

executing object detection and localization using a you only look once convolutional neural network to identify a target object and a target object location for replacing pixels in digital content streamed to a user device of the user;

dynamically altering the digital content streamed to the user device of the user, wherein an implicit product placement module integrates recommended products within entertainment content with a replacement of at least one original product in the entertainment content with the recommended products by replacing pixels associated with the at least one original product with pixels associated with the recommended products; and

allowing third party access to the hybrid recommendation engine via an extension module with authorized application programming interface (API) access for digital file input.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein collaborative user groups are formed based on computed similarity scores, employing clustering techniques comprising k-means, hierarchical clustering, or density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises calculating a weighted average of preferences or ratings given by one or more users in the collaborative user group for an item, with the weights determined by a similarity between a specific user and other users in the collaborative user group.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises a content-based filtering component utilizing a utility matrix used to analyze the user data and the user preferences, wherein the utility matrix is updated as additional data is gathered as to the user's product interests or product preferences.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein each entry in the utility matrix corresponds to a user-item pair and contains a score or rating that indicates the user's preference for that particular item.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 25, 2023
From: MUKHERJEE, MAHARAJ; THAKUR, PRASHANT; ALBERO, GEORGE ANTHONY
To: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063431/0212 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240364977A1 · Oct 31, 2024
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