Method and apparatus for content channels using user feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10225610-B2
Application number	US-201213433811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2012
Priority date	Mar 29, 2012
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and method of generating a content channel that includes accessing a list of content assets, utilizing one or more content assets as settings for the content channel, and selecting additional content assets. The selection is based on the settings. The content channel is generated based on the additional content assets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a content channel comprising:
accessing a pool of content assets stored on non-transient storage media;
utilizing one or more content assets from the pool of content assets as settings for the content channel;
generating a first content list of the content channel based on the settings and providing thereof to a user, wherein the content channel has a plurality of content lists, each content list being assigned a weight indicating an influence of that content list on a selection of content assets for the content channel;
generating a history list for the content channel that includes content assets that have been accessed by the user, selectively excluding content assets in the history list from being included in the first content list according to a repetition criteria, and randomizing a sequence of content assets in the history list when that sequence of content assets is available again to be selected in the first content list;
wherein the step of generating the first content list further includes selecting additional content assets to be included in the first content list based on at least characteristics of content assets of content channels which have been accessed previously by the user;
assigning a black-out period to a specific content based on a selection of the user, wherein the black-out period prevents the specific content from being played to the user during a pre-determined period of time;
wherein each time a user makes a selection of a content asset to be played back in the content channel, the step of selecting the additional content assets selects more additional content assets to be included in the first content list and makes the content channel endless by continuously adding the more additional contents to the first content list; and
updating the first content list of the content channel based on the settings and the additional content assets,
wherein the step of selecting the additional content assets further includes using unavailable content assets as seeds to seek a plurality of additional content assets for the user, an unavailable content asset representing one that is unavailable to the user due to a rating of the content exceeding a permitted rating for the user.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
modifying the settings based on user input.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
navigating through a list of available content assets; and
providing an indication of additional content assets.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an indication of an access status of a content asset.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an indication of one or more content assets that are not available to the user.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
providing meta-data of content assets that are not available to the user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a sequential order of the content assets; and
providing the content assets as a function of the identified sequential order.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the identifying step further comprises:
identifying precedential content for the content assets, wherein precedential content being content necessary to understand other content; and
providing the content assets based on the precedential content.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the precedential content includes one of chronological precedence and information precedence.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying meta-data related to a content channel seed; and
utilizing the meta-data in the selecting step;
wherein the meta-data includes information from the context in which the content channel seed was selected.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a listing of content that is associated with a particular content channel; and
sorting the listing of content based on user input.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
generating one or more seeds; and
identifying the additional content assets based on the seeds.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
providing the additional content assets in a sequence that is based on the degree of matching between the additional content and the seeds and/or settings.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the additional content assets in a sequence that is based on user input.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the content selections in a random sequence.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning a reproduction status identifier to each one or more content assets.

17. A method of creating a content channel comprising:
generating, on a processor, one or more seeds, for the content channel, the seeds being a function of desired content and desired functionality;
selecting one or more content assets, from a pool of content assets having at least characteristics of content assets of content channels which have been accessed previously, based on the content assets of the pool and the one or more seeds;
presenting a first content list of the selected one or more content assets to a user, wherein the content channel has a plurality of content lists, each content list being assigned a weight indicating an influence of that content list on a selection of content assets for the content channel;
selecting additional content assets based on user input after presentation of the content assets; and
generating a history list for the content channel that includes content assets that have been accessed by the user, selectively excluding content assets in the history list from the selecting steps according to a repetition criteria, and randomizing a sequence of content assets in the history list when that sequence of content assets is available again to be selected in the first content list;
assigning a black-out period to a specific content based on a selection of the user, wherein the black-out period prevents the specific content from being played to the user during a pre-determined period of time; and
updating the content channel based on the selected additional content assets,
wherein each time a user makes a selection of a content asset to be played back in the content channel, the step of selecting the additional content assets selects more additional content assets for the content channel and makes the content channel endless by continuously adding the more additional contents to the content channel, and
wherein the step of selecting the additional content assets further includes using unavailable content assets as seeds to seek a plurality of additional content assets for the user, an unavailable content asset representing one that is unavailable to the user due to a rating of the content exceeding a permitted rating for the user.

18. The content channel claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:
providing content assets to a user device based on user input.

19. The content channel claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:
navigating the first content list of the selected one or more content assets based on user input.

20. The content channel as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising:
utilizing content assets that have been accessed by a user to generate additional s

Assignees

• Mccoy Charles
• Xiong True
• Wong Ling Jun
• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Inventors

• Mccoy Charles
• Xiong True
• Wong Ling Jun

Classifications

• H04N21/472

  End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04N21/458 Primary

  Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules {; time-related management operations (arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10)} · CPC title

• G06F16/683

  using metadata automatically derived from the content · CPC title

• H04N21/4825

  using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists · CPC title