Content recommendation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11580568-B2
Application number	US-202017015735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2020
Priority date	May 21, 2010
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A social network content recommendation system allows users to identify friends, recommend content to friends, and receive awards for influencing friends. Internet pages can be used to display rankings of recommended programs, user profiles and their awards, and dynamic chats relating to specific programs, such as television shows.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
send, to a second user device, information comprising:
an indication that a first user device is outputting a content item; and
a recommendation, from the first user device, for the content item;

determine a time remaining within the content item at a time of the recommendation;
receive, from the second user device, an indication that the second user device is outputting, based on the recommendation, the content item;
grant, based on determining that a time associated with the indication that the second user device is outputting the content item is within the time remaining, a recommendation credit for a first user associated with the first user device; and
store information indicating the recommendation credit for the first user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
send, to the first user device for display, profile information indicating a level of influence that the first user has over content consumers and a graphic identifying an award received by the first user for influencing the content consumers to watch one or more content items.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
store award profile information indicating content recommendation criteria for granting a corresponding award to a recommending user who recommends the content item, wherein the content recommendation criteria comprises one or more of a quantity of recommendations made by the recommending user or a quantity of other users who viewed the recommended content item based on the recommending user's recommendation; and
grant, based on the recommendation satisfying the content recommendation criteria, the corresponding award to the first user.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to grant the recommendation credit for the first user by causing granting the recommendation credit for the first user further based on a geographic proximity of the first user to a second user associated with the second user device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to grant a user-defined award by causing processing a user-defined award profile that identifies one or more user-defined awards and at least one criterion for granting the one or more user-defined awards.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one criterion indicates a plurality of programs to be viewed for the user-defined award to be granted.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
send, to the first user device for display, a graphic identifying an award received by the first user for influencing content consumers to watch one or more content items;
receive, from a third user device, an indication that the third user device is outputting, based on interacting with the graphic identifying an award received by the first user, one of the one or more content items associated with the award;
grant, based on the indication that the third user device is outputting the one of the one or more content items, another recommendation credit for the first user; and
store information indicating the another recommendation credit for the first user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
store award profile information indicating content recommendation criteria for granting an award to a recommending user who recommends the content item, wherein the content recommendation criteria comprises a quantity of other users who viewed the content item, based on the recommending user's recommendation, and within a specified time range; and
grant, based on the recommendation satisfying the content recommendation criteria, the award to the first user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
store award profile information indicating content recommendation criteria for granting an award to a recommending user who recommends the content item, wherein the content recommendation criteria comprises one or more keywords included in one or more of data or metadata associated with the content item; and
grant, based on the recommendation satisfying the content recommendation criteria, the award to the first user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recommendation is by the first user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the time remaining within the content item at a time of the recommendation by causing determining the time remaining based on the information comprising the recommendation.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to receive the indication that the second user device is outputting the content item by causing receiving an indication that the second user device is outputting, in response to the recommendation, the content item.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to grant the recommendation credit for the first user by causing increasing the recommendation credit for the first user.

14. A system comprising:
a computing device; and
a second user device configured to output a content item;
wherein the computing device comprises:
one or more processors; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:
send, to the second user device, information comprising:
an indication that a first user device is outputting the content item; and
a recommendation, from the first user device, for the content item;

determine a time remaining within the content item at a time of the recommendation;
receive, from the second user device, an indication that the second user device is outputting, based on the recommendation, the content item;
grant, based on determining that a time associated with the indication that the second user device is outputting the content item is within the time remaining, a recommendation credit for a first user associated with the first user device; and
store information indicating the recommendation credit for the first user.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:
send, to the first user device for display, profile information indicating a level of influence that the first user has over content consumers and a graphic identifying an award received by the first user for influencing the content consumers to watch one or more content items.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:
store award profile information indicating content recommendation criteria for granting a corresponding award to a recommending user who recommends the content item, wherein the content recommendation criteria comprises one or more of a quantity of recommendations made by the recommending use

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Lester Peter
• Zada Nida
• King Ryan
• Li Jason
• Connolly Christopher
• Kennedy Christopher
• Mccrea John

Classifications

• H04L12/1827 Primary

  Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation · CPC title

• H04L51/52

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G06Q30/0217 Primary

  involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards · CPC title

• G06Q30/0218

  based on score · CPC title