Abstract: Systems and methods for transforming a similarity matrix used to generate content item recommendation lists are described. The system may determine a weight (used to transform the similarity matrix) sufficient to place one or more content items on the content item recommendation list or at a particular position on the recommendation list. The transformed similarity matrix may further be reduced in size, and content recommendations may be generated using the transformed or reduced similarity matrix.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying media items relevant to a selected subject matter, the method comprising determining the subject matter of a first media item, the first media item comprising at least one of audio content and video content, determining the classification within an ontology of the subject matter of the first media item, analyzing the ontology to identify other subject matter related to the subject matter of the first media item, and performing a search for other media items relevant to the subject matter of the first media item as a function of at least the other related subject matter according to the ontology.

Abstract: According to some aspects described herein, content and service providers in a media delivery network may provide improved recommendations and/or personalize a user's experience based on the real-time activity of that user as well as other users. In this way, ever increasing amounts of content may be optimally managed in a way that provides users with the improved and/or personalized experience.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying segments within a media item, the media segment including at least one of audio content and video content, comprising segmenting the media item into a plurality of segments as a function of subject matter, storing data identifying each segment and its subject matter, and organizing each segment within an ontology based on its subject matter.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to recognizing data such as items or entities in content. In some aspects, content may be received and feature information, such as face recognition data and voice recognition data may be generated. Scene segmentation may also be performed on the content, grouping the various shots of the video content into one or more shot collections, such as scenes. For example, a decision lattice representative of possible scene segmentations may be determined and the most probable path through the decision lattice may be selected as the scene segmentation. Upon generating the feature information and performing the scene segmentation, one or more items or entities that are present in the scene may be identified.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for generating personalized menus and a media content interface are provided. In one example, different device specific media asset lists are generated at different user devices for the same user based on the media consumption history at each device. In another example, media asset listings are displayed for multicast and on-demand media assets determined to be of interest to the user. An on-demand media asset is listed at a time when no other multicast media assets are listed. In another example, media asset listings for successive episodes of a media series are displayed in sequential order in response to an input to view successive episodes of a media series. In another example, a text search for media content is performed in which the search priority of media provider results is decreased relative to the search priority of media asset results as additional characters are added to a search string.

Abstract: Detecting the start of a credit roll within video program may allow for the automatic extension of video recordings among other functions. The start of the credit roll may be detected by determining the number of text blocks within a sequence of frames and identifying a point in the sequence of frames where a difference between the number of text blocks in frames occurring before the point and the number of text blocks in frames occurring after the point is greatest and exceeds a specified threshold. Text blocks may be identified within each frame by partitioning the frame into one or more segments and recording the segments having a pixel of a sufficiently high contrast. Contiguous segments may be merged or combined into single blocks, which may then be filtered to remove noise and false positives. Additional content may be inserted into the credit roll frames.

Abstract: Detecting the start of a credit roll within video program may allow for the automatic extension of video recordings among other functions. The start of the credit roll may be detected by determining the number of text blocks within a sequence of frames and identifying a point in the sequence of frames where a difference between the number of text blocks in frames occurring before the point and the number of text blocks in frames occurring after the point is greatest and exceeds a specified threshold. Text blocks may be identified within each frame by partitioning the frame into one or more segments and recording the segments having a pixel of a sufficiently high contrast. Contiguous segments may be merged or combined into single blocks, which may then be filtered to remove noise and false positives. Additional content may be inserted into the credit roll frames.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to recognizing data such as items or entities in content. In some aspects, content may be received and feature information, such as face recognition data and voice recognition data may be generated. Scene segmentation may also be performed on the content, grouping the various shots of the video content into one or more shot collections, such as scenes. For example, a decision lattice representative of possible scene segmentations may be determined and the most probable path through the decision lattice may be selected as the scene segmentation. Upon generating the feature information and performing the scene segmentation, one or more items or entities that are present in the scene may be identified.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to recognizing data such as items or entities in content. In some aspects, content may be received and feature information, such as face recognition data and voice recognition data may be generated. Scene segmentation may also be performed on the content, grouping the various shots of the video content into one or more shot collections, such as scenes. For example, a decision lattice representative of possible scene segmentations may be determined and the most probable path through the decision lattice may be selected as the scene segmentation. Upon generating the feature information and performing the scene segmentation, one or more items or entities that are present in the scene may be identified.

Abstract: In one aspect, a recommendation system offers item recommendations to users based on one or more items known to be liked by the users. An item may be recommended to a user if a similarity indicator for the item, established by determining how much more likely than expected the user will like the item based on the user liking another item, exceeds a predetermined threshold. Multiple items may be recommended to a user based on relative similarity indicators.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying media items relevant to a selected subject matter, the method comprising determining the subject matter of a first media item, the first media item comprising at least one of audio content and video content, determining the classification within an ontology of the subject matter of the first media item, analyzing the ontology to identify other subject matter related to the subject matter of the first media item, and performing a search for other media items relevant to the subject matter of the first media item as a function of at least the other related subject matter according to the ontology.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying media items relevant to a selected subject matter, the method comprising determining the subject matter of a first media item, the first media item comprising at least one of audio content and video content, determining the classification within an ontology of the subject matter of the first media item, analyzing the ontology to identify other subject matter related to the subject matter of the first media item, and performing a search for other media items relevant to the subject matter of the first media item as a function of at least the other related subject matter according to the ontology.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to recognizing data such as items or entities in content. In some aspects, content may be received and feature information, such as face recognition data and voice recognition data may be generated. Scene segmentation may also be performed on the content, grouping the various shots of the video content into one or more shot collections, such as scenes. For example, a decision lattice representative of possible scene segmentations may be determined and the most probable path through the decision lattice may be selected as the scene segmentation. Upon generating the feature information and performing the scene segmentation, one or more items or entities that are present in the scene may be identified.

Abstract: A recommendation system is disclosed that in one aspect offers item recommendations to users based on one or more items known to be liked by the users. An item may be recommended to a user if a similarity indicator for the item, established by determining how much more likely than expected the user will like the item based on the user liking another item, exceeds a predetermined threshold. Multiple items may be recommended to a user based on relative similarity indicators.

Abstract: Detecting the start of a credit roll within video program may allow for the automatic extension of video recordings among other functions. The start of the credit roll may be detected by determining the number of text blocks within a sequence of frames and identifying a point in the sequence of frames where a difference between the number of text blocks in frames occurring before the point and the number of text blocks in frames occurring after the point is greatest and exceeds a specified threshold. Text blocks may be identified within each frame by partitioning the frame into one or more segments and recording the segments having a pixel of a sufficiently high contrast. Contiguous segments may be merged or combined into single blocks, which may then be filtered to remove noise and false positives. Additional content may be inserted into the credit roll frames.

Abstract: Content streams may be segmented to provide automatic extraction and storage of content items without intervening commercials or other unrelated content. These content items may then be stored in a database and made accessible to subscribers through, for example, an on-demand service. Automatic segmentation may include the identification of program boundaries, segmentation of a content stream based on the boundaries and the subsequent classification of the segments into content types. For example, audio and video duplication detection may be used to identify commercials since commercials tend to repeat frequently over a relatively short amount of time. A system may further identify an end of program indicator in a video stream to determine when a program ends. Accordingly, if a program ends after a scheduled end time, a recording device (e.g., the program is being recorded) may automatically extend the recording time to capture the entire program.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying segments within a media item, the media segment including at least one of audio content and video content, comprising segmenting the media item into a plurality of segments as a function of subject matter, storing data identifying each segment and its subject matter, and organizing each segment within an ontology based on its subject matter.

Abstract: The invention pertains to methods, systems, and apparatus for identifying media items relevant to a selected subject matter, the method comprising determining the subject matter of a first media item, the first media item comprising at least one of audio content and video content, determining the classification within an ontology of the subject matter of the first media item, analyzing the ontology to identify other subject matter related to the subject matter of the first media item, and performing a search for other media items relevant to the subject matter of the first media item as a function of at least the other related subject matter according to the ontology.