Patents by Inventor John Hoctor

John Hoctor has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220232271
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for preventing a user from terminating a service. Specifically, the media guidance application may generate for display content aimed at preventing the user from terminating a service in response to determining that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a particular media asset preferred by a user is accessible through another service, the media guidance application generates the content associated with preventing the user from terminating his or her current service (e.g., discounts to the cost of the current service, promotion or lists of media content available through the current service, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 11330314
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for preventing a user from terminating a service. Specifically, the media guidance application may generate for display content aimed at preventing the user from terminating a service in response to determining that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a particular media asset preferred by a user is accessible through another service, the media guidance application generates the content associated with preventing the user from terminating his or her current service (e.g., discounts to the cost of the current service, promotion or lists of media content available through the current service, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20200068239
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for preventing a user from terminating a service. Specifically, the media guidance application may generate for display content aimed at preventing the user from terminating a service in response to determining that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a particular media asset preferred by a user is accessible through another service, the media guidance application generates the content associated with preventing the user from terminating his or her current service (e.g., discounts to the cost of the current service, promotion or lists of media content available through the current service, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 10327019
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for preventing a user from terminating a service. Specifically, the media guidance application may generate for display content aimed at preventing the user from terminating a service in response to determining that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a particular media asset preferred by a user is accessible through another service, the media guidance application generates the content associated with preventing the user from terminating his or her current service (e.g., discounts to the cost of the current service, promotion or lists of media content available through the current service, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 9525899
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that prevents a user from terminating a service by broadening criteria used for user recommendations in response to determining that a user is getting bored of the media content already consumed through the service. For example, the media guidance application may determine that the rate at which a user consumes media assets (e.g., through a service) is declining (e.g., indicating the user is losing interest). In response, the media guidance application recommends new media assets with characteristics (e.g., genre, subject matter, media asset series affiliation) that differs from the media assets previously consumed by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 9485528
    Abstract: Methods and systems are also described herein for a media guidance application that generates for display content associated with preventing a user from terminating a service based on whether or not the user has purchased a particular number of media assets that are available only through the service. For example, in response to determining that a user, currently subscribed to a first service, has purchased a threshold number of media assets from the first service, the media guidance application may determine that it is unlikely that the user will terminate the use of the first service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 9344749
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that generates for display content associated with preventing a user from terminating a service in response to determining, based on a biometric state of the user, that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a user is unhappy, not attentive, or bored when accessing content provided by the service, the media guidance application may generate for display discounts or other promotions for the service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312605
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for determining a likelihood that a user will change a service. A media guidance application may identify a first service to which a user is subscribed. The media guidance application may receive information from a third-party data source corresponding to the user and identify, based on the information from the third-party data source, data indicating a negative interest in the first service. Based on the identified data, the media guidance application may calculate a likelihood that the user will change the first service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312630
    Abstract: Methods and systems are also described herein for a media guidance application that generates for display content associated with preventing a user from terminating a service based on whether or not the user has purchased a particular number of media assets that are available only through the service. For example, in response to determining that a user, currently subscribed to a first service, has purchased a threshold number of media assets from the first service, the media guidance application may determine that it is unlikely that the user will terminate the use of the first service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312604
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that prevents a user from terminating a service by broadening criteria used for user recommendations in response to determining that a user is getting bored of the media content already consumed through the service. For example, the media guidance application may determine that the rate at which a user consumes media assets (e.g., through a service) is declining (e.g., indicating the user is losing interest). In response, the media guidance application recommends new media assets with characteristics (e.g., genre, subject matter, media asset series affiliation) that differs from the media assets previously consumed by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312626
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that generates for display content associated with preventing a user from terminating a service in response to determining, based on a biometric state of the user, that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a user is unhappy, not attentive, or bored when accessing content provided by the service, the media guidance application may generate for display discounts or other promotions for the service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312632
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for generating a model to determine a likelihood that a user will change a service. A media guidance application may identify a first service to which a plurality of users are subscribed, receive information from a third-party data source for each of the plurality of users, identify, based on the respective information from the third-party data source, a user action performed by each of the plurality of users in relation to the first service, and identify for at least one of the plurality of users, based on the respective information from the third-party data source, a request to change the first service. Based on the identified user action and the identified request to change the first service, the media guidance application may generate a model to determine a likelihood that a user will change the first service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312609
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for preventing a user from terminating a service. Specifically, the media guidance application may generate for display content aimed at preventing the user from terminating a service in response to determining that a user is likely to terminate the service. For example, in response to determining that a particular media asset preferred by a user is accessible through another service, the media guidance application generates the content associated with preventing the user from terminating his or her current service (e.g., discounts to the cost of the current service, promotion or lists of media content available through the current service, etc.).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Publication number: 20150312639
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that generates for display content associated with preventing a user from terminating. For example, in response to determining that a user, currently subscribed to a first service, has subscribed to a second service, the media guidance application may compare the content accessible from each service. In response to determining that the services offer similar content, the media guidance application may generate for display discounts or other promotions for the first service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: John Hoctor, Matthew Emans
  • Patent number: 9147198
    Abstract: System and methods are presented for providing an interface to select advertising slots in an advertising campaign. In some embodiments, a user equipment device generates for display a plurality of cells in a grid arrangement. Each cell is associated with an advertising slot corresponding to a content source and a time period, and each cell includes a representation of an audience of the associated advertising slot. The user equipment device receives a user selection of a first cell of the plurality of cells, a function is executed with respect to a first advertising slot associated with the first cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Emans, John Hoctor, Jonathan Turner
  • Publication number: 20140196081
    Abstract: System and methods are presented for providing an interface to select advertising slots in an advertising campaign. In some embodiments, a user equipment device generates for display a plurality of cells in a grid arrangement. Each cell is associated with an advertising slot corresponding to a content source and a time period, and each cell includes a representation of an audience of the associated advertising slot. The user equipment device receives a user selection of a first cell of the plurality of cells, a function is executed with respect to a first advertising slot associated with the first cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Emans, John Hoctor, Jonathan Turner
  • Publication number: 20140195334
    Abstract: System and methods are presented for selecting advertising slots in an advertising campaign with an audience management system. In some embodiments, a user selects a budget value, which is partitioned into a first and second partition value. The audience management module stores a plurality of data structures in a memory, and defines a plurality of groups such that each of the plurality of data structures is associated with one of the plurality of groups. A portion of the first partition value is allocated to each of the plurality of groups, and the audience management module flags, for each group, at least one data structure based on the portion of the first partition value allocated to the group. The audience management module identifies a subset of unflagged data structures, and flags at least one data structure based on the second partition value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Emans, John Hoctor, Jonathan Turner
  • Publication number: 20140196062
    Abstract: System and methods are presented for setting pricing in an advertising campaign with an audience management module. In some embodiments, a plurality of data structures is stored in a memory, each data structure representing one of a plurality of advertising slots. The audience management module stores in each of the plurality of data structures a price value associated with a respective advertising slot. A user input of a fixed value is received and stored as the price value of a first data structure of the plurality of data structures. The audience management module automatically updates the price value of each of the plurality of data structures without changing the price value of the first data structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: United Video Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Emans, John Hoctor, Jonathan Turner