US-12620415-B2 - Systems and methods for modifying a playlist of media assets based on user interactions with a playlist menu

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided herein for modifying playlists of media assets. In some aspects, these methods and systems are provided by way of receiving a user input that causes a media asset in a playlist to cease from being played back and to be removed from the playlist. User interactions associated with the playlist may subsequently be monitored, where, in response to detecting a user interaction while monitoring, a number of user interactions that have been received subsequent to the user input may be determined. The number of user interactions may be compared to a threshold number, and, when the number of user interactions corresponds to the threshold number, the media asset may be inserted into the playlist.

Inventors

• Michael Shane Losey
• Maeve Kathleen Sullivan

Assignees

• ADEIA GUIDES INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20210119

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method comprising: associating, in storage circuitry, a numerical value with a selectable option, wherein the numerical value is added to a composite value, wherein the composite value is a score associated with a current playlist each time the selectable option is selected; receiving a user selection, via user input interface circuitry, of the selectable option corresponding to a first media asset; in response to receiving the user selection: retrieving the composite value from the storage circuitry; and computing an updated composite value by adding the numerical value to the composite value; comparing the updated composite value to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value relates to a number of selections of the selectable option prior to playback of a second media asset that is contextually related to the first media asset, and wherein the threshold value is determined based on a user subscription status and based on a number of media assets in the current playlist; based on the comparison, scheduling, for playback, the second media asset that is not indicated for playback by the current playlist, wherein the scheduling is based on the updated composite value; and causing the second media asset to be displayed on a display screen based on the scheduling.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: generating for display a notification that the first media asset has been liked when the user selection is received.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second media asset related to the first media asset appears with greater frequency in the current playlist.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first media asset appears with greater frequency in the current playlist.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adding the second media asset to the current playlist.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second media asset is further contextually related to user profile information retrieved from the storage circuitry.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving a user selection of a selectable option requesting additional information of the first media asset; and wherein the second media asset is further selected based on receiving the user selection of the selectable option requesting additional information of the first media asset.
8. 8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising: resetting a counter associated with the composite value to a default value.
9. 9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the composite value is reset when the current playlist is exited by a user.
10. 10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of selections of the selectable option is a number of user interactions that is indicative of user interest in the first media asset.
11. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable option comprises one of: skip, like, dislike, delay, fast forward, and delete.
12. 12 . A system comprising: control circuitry configured to: associate, in storage circuitry, a numerical value with a selectable option, wherein the numerical value is added to a composite value, wherein the composite value is a score associated with a current playlist each time the selectable option is selected; receive a user selection, via user input interface circuitry, of the selectable option corresponding to a first media asset; in response to receiving the user selection: retrieve the composite value from the storage circuitry; and compute an updated composite value by adding the numerical value to the composite value; compare the updated composite value to a threshold value, wherein the threshold value relates to a number of selections of the selectable option prior to playback of a second media asset that is contextually related to the first media asset, and wherein the threshold value is determined based on a user subscription status and based on a number of media assets in the current playlist; based on the comparison, schedule, for playback, the second media asset that is not indicated for playback by the current playlist, wherein the scheduling is based on the updated composite value; and cause the second media asset to be displayed on a display screen based on the scheduling.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: generate for display a notification that the first media asset has been liked when the user selection is received.
14. 14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the second media asset related to the first media asset appears with greater frequency in the current playlist.
15. 15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first media asset appears with greater frequency in the current playlist.
16. 16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: add the second media asset to the current playlist.
17. 17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the second media asset is further contextually related to user profile information retrieved from the storage circuitry.
18. 18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: receive a user selection of a selectable option requesting additional information of the first media asset; and wherein the second media asset is further selected based on receiving the user selection of the selectable option requesting additional information of the first media asset.
19. 19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: reset a counter associated with the composite value to a default value.
20. 20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the selectable option comprises one of: skip, like, dislike, delay, fast forward, and delete.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/011,441, filed Jun. 18, 2018, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/192,799, filed Feb. 27, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,032,477. The contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein their entireties. BACKGROUND Playlist-based media consumption is becoming more popular with each passing day. For example, Internet radio stations are becoming widely used. Playlist-based media consumption providers face a problem of monetizing their products through advertising in a manner that considers and appropriately weighs various user interactions to determine when advertisements should be utilized. Playlist-based media consumption providers also face a problem of providing content that a user desires to consume, and deciding whether and when media content that a user does not presently desire to consume should be again presented to the user. SUMMARY Methods and systems are provided herein for determining a dynamic advertisement schedule. For example, in an effort to better monetize playlist services, a playlist-based media consumption provider may monitor user activity and base the timing or content of an advertisement on the user activity. As one example, a playlist provider may determine when to play advertisements as a function of how often a user skips or delays a media asset of a playlist. Furthermore, different user activities (e.g., skips or delays) may cause different effects to the advertisement schedule. The effects of the different user activities on the advertisement schedule may be reflective of the costs incurred by the advertiser and/or content provider when generating playlists, the loss of attention and/or interest of the user if advertisements are played too often, etc. In some aspects, control circuitry associates a first value with a selectable delay option on a playlist menu (e.g., a “thumbs down” button), and associates a second value with a selectable skip option on the playlist menu (e.g., a “skip” or “fast forward” button). Each time the control circuitry receives a selection of selectable delay option, the control circuitry may add the first value to a composite value, and each time the control circuitry receives a selection of the selectable skip option, the control circuitry may add the second value to the composite value. The first value and the second value may differ from one another, such that a selectable delay option has a higher weight than the selectable skip option, or vice versa. When a user selection of either the selectable delay option or the selectable skip option is received by the control circuitry, the control circuitry may retrieve the composite value. The user selection may be detected by the control circuitry when the control circuitry receives user input of a selection of either the selectable skip or delay option via a mouse or pointer device, one's finger, a stylus, or any other method of user input. The retrieved composite value may be compared to a threshold value by the control circuitry, and when the control circuitry determines that the composite value corresponds to the threshold value, an advertisement may be generated for display on a display screen by the control circuitry and the composite value may be reset by the control circuitry. In some embodiments, in response to control circuitry receiving a user selection of the selectable delay option, a media asset is removed from a playlist for a period of time by the control circuitry. For example, if a user presses a “thumbs down” button while a song is playing on an Internet radio station, the song may be removed from a playlist that the Internet radio station is based on for, e.g., a month. In some embodiments, the period of time may be specified by a user. For example, the user may select how long a song is to be delayed on a menu. As another example, the user may input a custom amount of time the user desires a song be delayed. In some embodiments, when control circuitry detects a user selection of a skip option, a media asset may be caused to cease playing back by the control circuitry, and the next media asset of a playlist may be played back. The skipped media asset may not be played back again until the playlist cycles back to the skipped media asset. For example, if a skip button is pressed while a song is playing, the system may skip to the next song, and the song that was skipped may be reserved to be played again several hours later when the rest of the playlist has been played back and the skipped song is reached again. In some embodiments, when control circuitry determines that the selectable skip option is selected, a notification may be generated for display that a media asset has been skipped. For example, if the song “Winter Wonderland” by Ray Charles is playing when the selectable skip option is selected, a notice may be di