Context-based media program presentation methods and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9544637-B2
Application number	US-201514675513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An exemplary computer-implemented media service system detects an input command provided by a user to initiate a viewing session by way of a display screen in communication with a media content processing device that operates in accordance with a media service, identifies a context within which the input command is provided by the user, selects, based on the identified context, a media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the user, and directs the media content processing device to present the media program by way of the display screen when the viewing session begins in response to the input command. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
detecting, by a computer-implemented media service system, an input command provided by a user to initiate a viewing session by way of a display screen in communication with a media content processing device that operates in accordance with a media service;
identifying, by the computer-implemented media service system, a context within which the input command is provided by the user;
selecting, by the computer-implemented media service system based on the identified context, a media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the user;
directing, by the computer-implemented media service system, the media content processing device to present the media program by way of the display screen when the viewing session begins in response to the input command;
detecting, by the computer-implemented media service system while the media content processing device is presenting the media program by way of the display screen, that an additional user enters a vicinity of the display screen;
determining, by the computer-implemented media service system in response to the detecting that the additional user enters the vicinity of the display screen, whether the user has left the vicinity of the display screen; and
if the determining indicates that the user has left the vicinity of the display screen
selecting, by the computer-implemented media service system, an additional media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the additional user, and
automatically directing, by the computer-implemented media service system without receiving input from the additional user, the media content processing device to switch from presenting the media program by way of the display screen to presenting the additional media program by way of the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context within which the input command is provided by the user comprises a temporal context that indicates at least one of a time of day that the input command is provided by the user, a week day during which the input command is provided by the user, and a calendar date during which the input command is provided by the user.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selecting, based on the identified context, of the media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the user comprises:
using the temporal context to identify a particular media program available by way of the media service and that is related to one or more media programs that the media content processing device historically presents by way of the display device during at least one of the time of day, the week day, and the calendar date; and
designating the particular media program as the media program that is selected as being potentially of interest to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context within which the input command is provided by the user comprises a user context that indicates an identity of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the selecting, based on the identified context, of the media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the user comprises:
using the identity of the user to identify a user profile linked to the user and associated with at least one of the media content processing device and the media service;
identifying a particular media program available by way of the media service and that has one or more attributes that the user profile indicates are of interest to the user; and
designating the particular media program as the media program that is selected as being potentially of interest to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context within which the input command is provided by the user comprises a user context that indicates a user account that is currently logged in to at least one of the media content processing device and the media service when the input command is provided by the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the directing of the media content processing device to present the media program comprises directing the media content processing device to tune to a content channel carrying the media program; and
the media content processing device is initially tuned to a different content channel when the input command is provided by the user to initiate the viewing session.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising directing, by the computer-implemented media service system, the media content processing device to present, by way of the display screen and concurrently with the media program, a set of selectable graphical objects representative of a set of features associated with the media service.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of features comprises a set of recommended media programs available by way of the media service, and wherein each graphical object included in the set of selectable graphical objects represents a particular recommended media program included in the set of recommended media programs.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, by the computer-implemented media service system, a relative position of each graphical object included in the set of selectable graphical objects based on a degree of relatedness of each recommended media program included in the set of recommended media programs to the media program.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising identifying, by the computer-implemented media service system prior to directing the media content processing device to present the set of selectable graphical objects, the recommended media programs based on a context within which the set of graphical objects is to be presented.

12. The method of claim 1 , embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:
detecting, by a computer-implemented media service system, an input command provided by a user to initiate a viewing session by way of a display screen in communication with a media content processing device that operates in accordance with a media service;
identifying, by the computer-implemented media service system, a context within which the input command is provided by the user;
selecting, by the computer-implemented media service system based on the identified context, a media program available by way of the media service and that is potentially of interest to the user;
identifying, by the computer-implemented media service system based on the identified context, a set of recommended media programs available by way of the media service and related to the media program;
directing, by the computer-implemented media service system, the media content processing device to concurrently present the media program and a set of selectable graphical objects representative of the set of recommended media programs by way of the display screen when the viewing session begins in response to the input command;
detecting, by the computer-implemented media service system while the media content processing device is presenting the media program by way of the display screen, that an additional user enters a vicinity of the display screen;
determining, by the computer-implemented media service system in response to the detecting that the additional user enters the vicinity of the display screen, whether the user has left the vicinity of the display screen; and
if the determining indicates that the user has left the vicinity of the display screen
selecting, by the computer-implemented media service system, an additiona

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Roberts Brian F
• Higa George M
• Lemus Anthony

Classifications

• H04N21/44218

  Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45) · CPC title

• H04N21/4667

  Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections · CPC title

• H04N21/4661

  Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home (user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306) · CPC title

• H04N21/47205

  for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally · CPC title

• H04N21/4826

  using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score · CPC title