Abstract: In some aspects, control circuitry receives and stores a user-specified time duration to associate with a skip-forward command. When the user later issues a skip-forward command to advance playback of a media asset to a desired location, the control circuitry retrieves the stored time duration, and determines an expected overshoot value associated with the skip-forward command. The control circuitry then compensates for the expected overshoot by calculating a new location in the media asset based on both the retrieved time duration and expected overshoot value. Upon advancing to the new location, the media asset is played back in a fast-forward mode, e.g., at a speed higher than normal speed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides user-interface methods and systems for submitting search requests to search engines and presenting search results therefrom customized using content preferences learned about a user, comprising sending query information to at least two search engines, including a query identifying desired content, and user information, including context information describing the environment in which the query information is being sent, and a user signature representing content preferences learned about the user; receiving at least one set of a search result and auxiliary information from the at least one search engine in response to sending the query information, including information describing attributes of the search result that led to the search result being chosen by the at least one search engine; ordering the at least one search result based at least in part on the auxiliary information; and presenting the ordered search results to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional media systems via a novel technique to prevent corruption of a user's viewing profile. In some aspects, a user of an interactive media guidance application may select a media asset for viewing on a user device. The interactive media guidance application may receive a user viewing profile for the user from a remote server. If the media asset is determined to not be consistent with the user viewing profile, the interactive media guidance application may retrieve another user viewing profile for another user of the user device. If the media asset is determined to be consistent with the other user viewing profile, the interactive media guidance application may update the other user viewing profile based on the media asset.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, a method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has one or more associated descriptors. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query is a prefix substring of each of at least two words relating to the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more descriptors matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system outputs identification of the one or more items of the identified group to be displayed on the device operated by the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for searching for a media asset are described. In some aspects, the system includes control circuitry that receives a first search query from a user. The control circuitry identifies media assets related to the first search query from a content database. The control circuitry receives a second search query following the first search query. The control circuitry determines whether a media asset from the media assets is related to the second search query. In response to determining that less than a threshold number of media assets from the media assets are related to the second search query, the control circuitry transmits an instruction requesting the user to repeat the second search query. The control circuitry receives a third search query related to the first search query. The control circuitry determines a media asset from the media assets that is related to the third search query.

Abstract: A method of disambiguating user intent in conversational interactions for information retrieval is disclosed. The method includes providing access to a set of content items with metadata describing the content items and providing access to structural knowledge showing semantic relationships and links among the content items. The method further includes providing a user preference signature, receiving a first input from the user that is intended by the user to identify at least one desired content item, and determining an ambiguity index of the first input. If the ambiguity index is high, the method determines a query input based on the first input and at least one of the structural knowledge, the user preference signature, a location of the user, and the time of the first input and selects a content item based on comparing the query input and the metadata associated with the content item.

Abstract: A method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has a name including one or more words. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query comprises a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system also orders the one or more items of the group in accordance with given criteria.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional media systems via a novel technique to prevent corruption of a user's viewing profile. In some aspects, a user of an interactive media guidance application may select a media asset for viewing on a user device. The interactive media guidance application may receive a user viewing profile for the user from a remote server. If the media asset is determined to not be consistent with the user viewing profile, the interactive media guidance application may retrieve another user viewing profile for another user of the user device. If the media asset is determined to be consistent with the other user viewing profile, the interactive media guidance application may update the other user viewing profile based on the media asset.

Abstract: A system and method of processing a search request is provided. Identification of a desired content item is based on comparing a topic of the search request to previous user input. The method includes providing access to a set of content items with metadata that describes the corresponding content items and providing information about previous searches. The method further includes receiving a present input from the user and determining a relatedness measure between the information about the previous searches and an element of the present input. If the relatedness measure is high, the method also includes selecting a subset of content items based on comparing the present input and information about the previous searches with the metadata that describes the subset of content items. Otherwise, the method includes selecting a subset of content items based on comparing the present input with the metadata that describes the subset of content items.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating a response to a natural language query. Specifically, the natural language query is received and a query template that corresponds to the natural language query is determined. One or more search results corresponding to the natural language query are retrieved. One or more attributes associated with a user are selected based on selection criteria. Based on those attributes, a response template previously assigned to the query template is identified. A response to the natural language query is generated based on the identified response template and the retrieved one or more search results.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for training a model to accurately determine whether two phrases are conversationally connected. A media guidance application may detect a first phrase and a second phrase, translate each phrase to a string of word types, append each string to the back of a prior string to create a combined string, determine a degree to which any of the individual strings matches any singleton template, and determine a degree to which the combined string matches any conversational template. Based on the degrees to which the individual and combination strings match the singleton and conversational templates, respectively, strengths of association are correspondingly updated.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional conversation systems by executing a customized supplemental function for a natural language query based on the user's profile. In some aspects, the systems and methods receive a user query for a media asset, determine a query template in the user's profile matching the user's query, and identify and execute a supplemental function corresponding to the query template in addition to responding to the user's query. The user's profile is customized on the user's usage patterns of an interactive media guidance application. By monitoring the user's usage patterns and learning from the user's actions in conjunction with the user's natural language queries on which supplemental functions to execute, the interactive media guidance application may provide a smarter and more efficient user experience.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed herein for accurately training a machine learning model with a reduced training data set. A large number of data records may be parsed. Each record may be reduced to a set of symbols representing the composition of each record. A user may assign a classification to each symbol within each record. Records with identical arrangements and classifications of symbols may be grouped together, and a representative sample of data records from each group may be fed into the model as the reduced training data set.

Abstract: A method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has a name including one or more words. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query comprises a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system also orders the one or more items of the group in accordance with given criteria.

Abstract: In some aspects, control circuitry receives and stores a user-specified time duration to associate with a skip-forward command. When the user later issues a skip-forward command to advance playback of a media asset to a desired location, the control circuitry retrieves the stored time duration, and determines an expected overshoot value associated with the skip-forward command. The control circuitry then compensates for the expected overshoot by calculating a new location in the media asset based on both the retrieved time duration and expected overshoot value. Upon advancing to the new location, the media asset is played back in a fast-forward mode, e.g., at a speed higher than normal speed.

Abstract: A user-interface method of selecting and presenting a collection of content items based on user navigation and selection actions associated with the content is provided. The method includes associating a relevance weight on a per user basis with content items to indicate a relative measure of likelihood that the user desires the content item. The method includes receiving a user's navigation and selections actions for identifying desired content items, and in response, adjusting the associated relevance weight of the selected content item and group of content items containing the selected item. The method includes, in response to subsequent user input, selecting and presenting a subset of content items and content groups to the user ordered by the adjusted associated relevance weights assigned to the content items and content groups.

Abstract: In some aspects, control circuitry receives and stores a user-specified time duration to associate with a skip-forward command. When the user later issues a skip-forward command to advance playback of a media asset to a desired location, the control circuitry retrieves the stored time duration, and determines an expected overshoot value associated with the skip-forward command. The control circuitry then compensates for the expected overshoot by calculating a new location in the media asset based on both the retrieved time duration and expected overshoot value. Upon advancing to the new location, the media asset is played back in a fast-forward mode, e.g., at a speed higher than normal speed.

Abstract: Methods of and systems for dynamically rearranging search results into hierarchically organized concept clusters are provided. A method of searching for and presenting content items as an arrangement of conceptual clusters to facilitate further search and navigation on a display-constrained device includes providing a set of content items and receiving incremental input to incrementally identify search terms for content items. Content items are selected and grouped into sets based on how the incremental input matches various metadata associated with the content items. The selected content items are grouped into explicit conceptual clusters and user-implied conceptual clusters based on metadata in common to the selected content items. The clustered content items are presented according to the conceptual clusters into which they are grouped.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described to address shortcomings in conventional conversation systems by executing a customized supplemental function for a natural language query based on the user's profile. In some aspects, the systems and methods receive a user query for a media asset, determine a query template in the user's profile matching the user's query, and identify and execute a supplemental function corresponding to the query template in addition to responding to the user's query. The user's profile is customized on the user's usage patterns of an interactive media guidance application. By monitoring the user's usage patterns and learning from the user's actions in conjunction with the user's natural language queries on which supplemental functions to execute, the interactive media guidance application may provide a smarter and more efficient user experience.

Abstract: In some aspects, control circuitry receives and stores a user-specified time duration to associate with a skip-forward command. When the user later issues a skip-forward command to advance playback of a media asset to a desired location, the control circuitry retrieves the stored time duration, and determines an expected overshoot value associated with the skip-forward command. The control circuitry then compensates for the expected overshoot by calculating a new location in the media asset based on both the retrieved time duration and expected overshoot value. Upon advancing to the new location, the media asset is played back in a fast-forward mode, e.g., at a speed higher than normal speed.