Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for determining personalized timing for generating for display advertisements to users. Rather than an expert determining time segments of a media asset most suitable for presenting advertisements to users, the most suitable time segments in a media asset for presenting advertisements to users may be customized based on a user's profile information and/or the user's level of engagement in a media asset. The media guidance application may parse a media asset into multiple time segments and determine one or more time segments associated with metadata that matches content characteristics preferred by the user. One or more advertisements may be presented to the user in these time segments determined by the media guidance application instead of the time segments determined by the expert.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing subjective queries are described. A query is received from a user. The method involves determining whether the query is subjective. In response to determining that the query is subjective, a plurality of people qualified to answer the query are identified. Moreover, a subset of the plurality of people who are available to answer the query are identified, and the query is transmitted to the subset of people available to answer the query. The received responses to the transmitted query from each of the people in the subset are then generated for display.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to provide one or more content summaries for one or more media assets, wherein it is determined that consumption associated with a profile of a media asset will begin at a first time and at a second time that is a period of time prior to the first time, it is caused to be provided one or more content summaries for the one or more media assets, wherein the one or more content summaries are selected based at least on a duration of the content summary, such that a duration of the content summary is not greater than the period of time.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for minimizing obstruction of a media asset by an overlay by predicting a path of movement of an object of interest of the media asset and avoiding placement of the overlay in the path of movement. To this end, a media guidance application may detect an object of interest in a first frame of a media asset, and may determine a determining a first location of the object in the first frame and a second location of the object of interest in a second frame. The media guidance application may calculate, based on the first location and the second location, a projected location of the object of interest in a third frame of the media asset, and may generate for display an overlay in a location that does not overlap with any of the first location, the second location, and the projected location.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a size of a buffer based on a probability that a rewind request will be received during a currently playing segment of media. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is likely, the system will increase the size of a buffer such that the rewind request can be accommodated using data from the buffer. When the system determines that receiving a rewind request is unlikely, the system will decrease the size of the buffer to free resources for other system components.

Abstract: Methods and systems that provide an interactive media guidance application having a locked mode for viewing media assets. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may provide media assets suited to a certain audience. The interactive media guidance application may determine suitable media assets for the locked mode based on media assets viewed by other users having characteristics similar to the user of the interactive media guidance application. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may allow access to only certain media assets and/or limit the time period for which the media assets are presented.

Abstract: A computer implemented method that includes receiving first user usage data and second user usage data indicative of user usage during consumption of a first content and of a second content, respectively. The method includes determining a first user usage pattern for the first content and a second user usage pattern for the second content based on the first user usage data and on the second user usage data, respectively. The method determines potential content overlap between the first content and the second content based on a comparison of the first usage pattern and the second usage pattern and performs an optimization operation based on the potential content overlap.

Abstract: Systems and methods for addressing a corrupted segment in a media asset. The media guidance application determines that a segment of a media asset is corrupted. The media guidance application determines whether a retrieval period to retrieve an uncorrupted copy of the segment exceeds a threshold period. If the retrieval period does not exceed the threshold period, the media guidance application retrieves and generates for display the uncorrupted copy of the segment. If the retrieval period exceeds the threshold period, the media guidance application determines whether an importance level of the corrupted segment exceeds a threshold level. If the importance level exceeds the threshold level, the media guidance application generates for display a summary for the corrupted segment. If the importance level does not exceed the threshold level, the media guidance application generates for display the subsequent segment and the summary for the corrupted segment in an overlay.

Abstract: Systems and methods are presented herein for selectively preventing display of brand and business identifiers in content that is considered offensive, objectionable, disturbing, and/or unsettling, to prevent an unintended association by viewers of the content between the content and the brand or business. A request to display media content, comprising at least one frame with objectionable subject matter, is received. In response to determining the at least one frame comprises objectionable subject matter, a determination is made as to whether an entity identifier is visible in the at least one frame. In response to determining at least one entity identifier is visible in the at least one frame, a first context of the objectionable subject matter and a second context of the entity identifier are determined. The first context is compared to the second context and, based on the comparing, a masking action is determined to be required for the entity identifier.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a media guidance application that provides advanced parental control features such as allowing parents to establish parental controls in a dynamic and individualized manner and allowing parents to track and/or limit the amount of time that a child views media content of a particular type.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enhancing user experience in accessing media of a certain content type by outputting the media on a nearby device that is better suited for access. For example, a media guidance application may determine that a user is accessing, on his/her smartphone, a digital page (e.g., a website, a newsfeed, etc.) that features embedded content (e.g., photos, movies, music, etc.). In response to determining that the user has navigated to an embedded content, such as a video clip, the media guidance application may determine a device in the vicinity of the user that is better suited than the user's smartphone for playback of the video clip. For example, a nearby smart television may have a larger screen, better sound output, and a better display resolution than the smartphone. As a result, the media guidance application may cause the smart television to output the video clip.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in the conventional network storage systems via novel techniques to store offsets of a recorded program in a network digital video recorder (DVR). Storing offsets of a recorded program may be beneficial to users that would like to record media content that is broadcast either prior to a start time of a program, or media content that is broadcast after an end time of a program. This feature may be useful when start times and end times of a program are variable (e.g., in the case of sporting events, or other real-time events). This feature may also be useful for recording content of interest that is scheduled for broadcast prior to a start time of or after an end time of the program.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for generating a customized media asset to incentivize a first user to subscribe to a subscription service. A first user provides their subscription access information to a media provider. In response to receiving the subscription access information, the media provider determines whether the subscription access information is from an account subscribed for a trial period. If the account is subscribed for the trial period, the media provider presents a plurality of media assets for selection to the first user, receives a selection of a media asset available from the subscription service, generates a customized media asset based on a media asset consumption profile of the first user, wherein the customized media asset includes a segment from an additional media asset different from the selected media asset, and presents to the first user the customized media asset instead of the selected media asset.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating, monitoring, and managing a breakout conference for a conference call are disclosed. The methods determine topics for breakout rooms and their complexity scores. A breakout room is created for the topics, including separate breakout rooms for complex topics. An expertise score based on a plurality of factors for each device associated with a participant is also calculated. Devices are assigned to separate breakout rooms based on either just the expertise score or if the expertise score meets the threshold of the complexity score. Performance within the breakout rooms is displayed in real-time, such as in a graph. A moderator schedule is generated based the performance within the breakout rooms, where priority is given to a breakout room that has a negative performance over a breakout room with a positive performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating, monitoring, and managing a breakout conference for a conference call are disclosed. The methods determine topics for breakout rooms and their complexity scores. A breakout room is created for the topics, including separate breakout rooms for complex topics. An expertise score based on a plurality of factors for each device associated with a participant is also calculated. Devices are assigned to separate breakout rooms based on either just the expertise score or if the expertise score meets the threshold of the complexity score. Performance within the breakout rooms is displayed in real-time, such as in a graph. A moderator schedule is generated based the performance within the breakout rooms, where priority is given to a breakout room that has a negative performance over a breakout room with a positive performance.

Abstract: A method of modifying playing of media content in a group watch session comprises receiving a command to modify play; determining respective preferences of respective users in the session; and, if it is determined that execution of the command is consistent with the preferences, causing modifying of the playing of at least a portion of the media content based on the received command, e.g., by skipping the portion, jumping to another play position, or rewinding or fast-forwarding through the portion. In this manner, the command is executed, or not executed, based on the preferences of multiple users. The method may include estimating a satisfaction score for the command for the respective users, and comparing the estimated satisfaction scores with a reference score. The portion(s) of the media content for which play is modified may be determined based on the estimated satisfaction scores.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for displaying personalized preview images during trick-play operations of a media asset based on user profile data and an importance of frames of the media asset. A request from a user to move a slider of a progress bar associated with a media asset is received while the media asset is being generated for display. A scene from the media asset that contains a play position indicated by the slider is identified and a frame that best matches user profile data of the user and importance data for the scene is identified. The identified frame is generated for display as an overlay over the displayed media asset.

Abstract: The methods and systems described herein reorder feed items. In one example, the methods and systems store in a memory feed items in a defined sequential order for display in a feed. The methods and systems monitoring a speed of scrolling the feed items (scroll speed) on a user device. The methods and systems also determine that the scroll speed is equal or greater than a scroll threshold and in response to the determination reorder one or more of the feed items in a new order for display in the feed. The methods and systems also generate for display the one or more feed items in the feed in the new order.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving audio playback at a playback device are described herein. In some embodiments, a system transitions between causing playback of a radio broadcast stream to causing playback of device music, such as in response to determining that a quality of the radio broadcast stream is below a threshold value. In some embodiments, a system selects songs to play based on device preferences of a plurality of different media devices. In some embodiments, a system selects a device from which to retrieve songs for playback based on one or more rules.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving audio playback at a playback device are described herein. In some embodiments, a system transitions between causing playback of a radio broadcast stream to causing playback of device music, such as in response to determining that a quality of the radio broadcast stream is below a threshold value. In some embodiments, a system selects songs to play based on device preferences of a plurality of different media devices. In some embodiments, a system selects a device from which to retrieve songs for playback based on one or more rules.