Abstract: Systems and methods provided herein for a determining a meaning of an ambiguous term in a text segment based on a context term, a static knowledge graph and a temporal knowledge graph. These systems and methods access a first knowledge graph associated with the context term to determine a potential term that is the meaning of the unknown term. Upon determining that there are multiple potential terms in the first knowledge graph that could be the meaning of the unknown term, the systems and methods take into account the temporal dimension of relationships between entities for disambiguating the meaning of the unknown term. The systems and methods achieve this by determining a time stamp of the text segment and accessing a second knowledge graph associated with the first context term and related to the time stamp to determine the potential term that is the meaning of the first unknown term.

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: 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 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: Methods and systems for identifying a meaning of an ambiguous term in a natural language query. The media guidance application isolates first and second terms from a query received from a user and identifies, in a knowledge graph, first and second pluralities of candidate components associated with the first and second terms. The first and second terms each having multiple candidate components indicates the first and second terms have ambiguous meanings. The media guidance application matches each candidate component of the first and second pluralities of candidate components to form a plurality of pairs and determines strength of association for each pair in the plurality of pairs. The media guidance application filters the plurality of pairs by strength of association for each pair and determines a plurality of possible meanings based on the filtered plurality of pairs. The media guidance application selects a meaning from the plurality of possible meanings.

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: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for selecting and presenting content items based on user input. The method includes receiving first input intended to identify a desired content item among content items associated with metadata, determining that an input portion has an importance measure exceeding a threshold, and providing feedback identifying the input portion. The method further includes receiving second input, and inferring user intent to alter or supplement the first input with the second input. The method further includes, upon inferring intent to alter the first input, determining an alternative query by modifying the first input based on the second input, and, upon inferring intent to supplement the first input, determining an alternative query by combining the first input and the second input. The method further includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the alternative query and metadata associated with the subset.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for processing a search request received from a user. A method includes providing access to content items associated with metadata. The method includes providing information about at least one search previously performed for a user, and providing access to information describing relationships between at least one of the content items and the metadata. The method includes receiving a present input from the user intended to identify a desired content item. Upon determining that results from the previous search did not satisfy the search request from the user, the method includes determining an intent shared by the previous search and the present input based on comparing (i) the relationship information, (ii) the previous search, and (iii) the present input. The method also includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the shared intent and the metadata.

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: Methods and systems are described herein to recommend media assets to a user based on user location. A media guidance application may identify, using control circuitry, a user location. The media guidance application may generate a list of a plurality of media assets that match a user profile. The media guidance application may determine whether subject matter of a first media asset of the plurality of media assets is inconsistent with the user location. The media guidance application may remove the first media asset from the list in response to determining that the subject matter of the first media asset is inconsistent with the user location.

Abstract: A method for using speech disfluencies detected in speech input to assist in interpreting the input is provided. The method includes providing access to a set of content items with metadata describing the content items, and receiving a speech input intended to identify a desired content item. The method further includes detecting a speech disfluency in the speech input and determining a measure of confidence of a user in a portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency. If the confidence measure is lower than a threshold value, the method includes determining an alternative query input based on replacing the portion of the speech input following the speech disfluency with another word or phrase. The method further includes selecting content items based on comparing the speech input, the alternative query input (when the confidence measure is low), and the metadata associated with the content items.

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 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: Methods and systems for identifying a meaning of an ambiguous term in a natural language query. The media guidance application isolates first and second terms from a query received from a user and identifies, in a knowledge graph, first and second pluralities of candidate components associated with the first and second terms. The first and second terms each having multiple candidate components indicates the first and second terms have ambiguous meanings. The media guidance application matches each candidate component of the first and second pluralities of candidate components to form a plurality of pairs and determines strength of association for each pair in the plurality of pairs. The media guidance application filters the plurality of pairs by strength of association for each pair and determines a plurality of possible meanings based on the filtered plurality of pairs. The media guidance application selects a meaning from the plurality of possible meanings.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for selecting and presenting content items based on user input. The method includes receiving first input intended to identify a desired content item among content items associated with metadata, determining that an input portion has an importance measure exceeding a threshold, and providing feedback identifying the input portion. The method further includes receiving second input, and inferring user intent to alter or supplement the first input with the second input. The method further includes, upon inferring intent to alter the first input, determining an alternative query by modifying the first input based on the second input, and, upon inferring intent to supplement the first input, determining an alternative query by combining the first input and the second input. The method further includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the alternative query and metadata associated with the subset.

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 described for responding to natural language queries. Specifically a 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 the user equipment device are identified and based on those attributes a first response template associated with an audio-only response to the natural language query, a second response template associated with a visual-only response to the natural language query, or a third response template associated with an audio-visual response to the natural language query is selected. A response to the natural language query is generated based on the selected response template and the retrieved one or more search results.

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: 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: The present invention provides a method for determining real-time location of a vehicle using a mobile device without GPS for the user travelling inside the vehicle. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the location of the vehicle is determined using the locations of the cell-towers to which a mobile phone of a user is connected, and projects these cell tower locations onto the selected route of the user journey to obtain a closest point and thereby determining the user location. The invention also provides the real-time location of the vehicle over internet to users outside the vehicle by crowd-sourcing the cell-tower data of the passengers inside the vehicle.