Systems and methods for acquiring, categorizing and delivering media in interactive media guidance applications

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed for providing guidance for Internet-delivered media. In some embodiments, information on available media on the Internet is gathered. The information is associated with existing media guidance data. The associations enable a media guidance application to identify relevant online media and to display listings in a user-friendly way. A user interface for an online media guidance application is also provided. The user interface allows a user to narrow down the large amount of Internet-delivered media in a systematic way according to criteria that interests a user.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for notifying a second user about media selected by a first user, to be shared with the second user, the method comprising:
 receiving a selection of the media from the first user at a first user device;   receiving a request from the first user at the first user device to notify a second user at a second user device about the selected media; and   based on receiving the request:
 retrieving, from a data structure that indexes known contacts of the first user, an address at which electronic communications may be directed to the second user; 
 retrieving, from a media guidance data source, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of an Internet source that provides the selected media; 
 generating an electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet source, wherein the electronic communication comprises the URL of the Internet source that provides the selected media and an identifier of the first user; 
 transmitting the electronic communication to the second user at the second user device; and 
 causing, based on transmitting the electronic communication, the selected media to be added to a menu of recommended media that will be generated for display to the second user based on the second user accessing an account of the second user. 
   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the electronic communication is a first electronic communication, and wherein causing the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media further comprises:
 generating a second electronic communication that is directed to the second user that notifies the second user that a new recommendation has been added to the menu of recommended media; and   transmitting the second electronic communication to the second user at the second user device.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein causing the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media further comprises:
 retrieving, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media;   comparing each media referenced by the menu of recommended media to the selected media;   determining whether the selected media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media;   based on the determining that the selected media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, adding the selected media to the menu of recommended media; and   based on the determining that the selected media is already referenced by menu of recommended media, refraining from adding the selected media to the menu of recommended media.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein receiving the selection of the media from the first user at the first user device comprises receiving a selection of a favorites list of the first user, and wherein generating the electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet Source comprises including within the electronic communication to the second user, the favorites list of the first user. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the electronic communication is a first electronic communication, and wherein causing the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media comprises:
 generating a second electronic communication to the second user comprising the media in the favorites list of the first user; and   transmitting the second electronic communication to the second user at the second user device.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein causing the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media comprises:
 retrieving, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media;   comparing each media in the favorites list of the first user to each media referenced by the menu of recommended media;   determining whether each media in the favorites list of the first user is already referenced by the menu of recommended media;   based on determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of first user, that the respective media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, adding the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media; and   based on determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of the first user, that the respective media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media, refraining from adding the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein retrieving, from the media guidance database, the URL of the Internet source that provides the selected media, comprises:
 accessing the media guidance database;   searching the media guidance database for an entry associated with the selected media;   retrieving, from the entry, metadata associated with the selected media; and   determining, from the metadata, the URL of the Internet source that provides the selected media.   
     
     
         38 . A system for notifying a second user about a media selected by a first user, to be shared with the second user, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:
 receive a selection of the media from a first user at a first user device;   receive a request from the first user at the first user device to notify a second user at a second user device about the selected media; and   based on receiving the request:
 retrieve, from a data structure that indexes known contacts of the first user, an address at which electronic communications may be directed to the second user; 
 retrieve, from a media guidance database, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a Internet Source that provides the selected media; 
 generate an electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet Source, wherein the electronic communication comprises the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media and an identifier of the first user; and 
 transmit the electronic communication to the second user at the second user device; and 
 cause, based on transmitting the electronic communication, the selected media to be added to a menu of recommended media that will be generated for display to the second user based on the second user accessing an account of the second user. 
   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the electronic communication is a first electronic communication, and wherein the control circuitry configured to cause the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media is further configured to:
 generate a second electronic communication that is directed to the second user that notifies the second user that a new recommendation has been added to the menu of recommended media; and   transmit the second electronic communication to the second user at the second user device.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the control circuitry configured to cause the selected media to be added to a menu of recommended media is further configured to:
 retrieve, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media;   compare each media referenced by the menu of recommended media to the selected media;   determine whether the selected media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media; based on the determining that the selected media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, add the selected media to the menu of recommended media; and   based on the determining that the selected media is already referenced by menu of recommended media, refrain from adding the selected media to the menu of recommended media.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 38 , the system wherein control circuitry configured to receive the selection of the media from the first user at the first user device is configured to receive a selection to add to a favorites list of the first user, and wherein control circuitry configured to generate the electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet Source is further configured to include within the electronic communication to the second user, the favorites list of the first user. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the electronic communication is a first electronic communication, and wherein the control circuitry configured to cause the selected media to be added of the menu of recommended media is further configured to:
 generate a second electronic communication to the second user comprising the media in the favorites list of the first user; and   transmit the second electronic communication to the second user and the second user device.   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein control circuitry configured to cause the selected media to be added of the menu of recommended media is further configured to:
 retrieve, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media;   compare each media in the favorites list of the first user to each media referenced by the menu of recommended media;   determine whether each media in the favorites list of the first user is already referenced by the menu of recommended media;   based on determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of first user, that the respective media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, add the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media; and   based on determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of the first user, that the respective media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media, refrain from adding the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein control circuitry configured to retrieve, from the media guidance database, the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media, is configured to:
 access the media guidance database;   search the media guidance database for an entry associated with the selected media;   retrieve from the entry, metadata associated with the selected media; and   determine from the metadata, the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media.   
     
     
         45 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon for notifying a second user about a media selected by a first user, to be shared with the second user, the instructions comprising:
 an instruction to receive a selection of the media from a first user at a first user device;   an instruction to receive a request from the first user at the first user device to notify a second user at a second user device about the selected media; and   based on receiving the request:
 an instruction to retrieve, from a data structure that indexes known contacts of the first user, an address at which electronic communications may be directed to the second user; 
 an instruction to retrieve, from a media guidance database, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a Internet Source that provides the selected media; 
 an instruction to generate an electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet Source, wherein the electronic communication comprises the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media and an identifier of the first user; and 
 an instruction to transmit the electronic communication to the second user at the second user device; and 
 an instruction to cause, based on transmitting the electronic communication, the selected media to be added to a menu of recommended media that will be generated for display to the second user based on the second user accessing an account of the second user. 
   
     
     
         46 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , wherein the electronic communication is a first electronic communication, and wherein the instruction to cause the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media further comprises:
 an instruction to generate a second electronic communication that is directed to the second user that notifies the second user that a new recommendation has been added to the menu of recommended media; and   an instruction to transmit the second electronic communication to the second user at the second user device.   
     
     
         47 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , wherein the instruction to cause the selected media to be added to the menu of recommended media comprises:
 an instruction to retrieve, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media;   an instruction to compare each media referenced by the menu of recommended media to the selected media;   an instruction to determine whether the selected media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media;   based on determining that the selected media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, an instruction to add the selected media to the menu of recommended media; and   based on determining that the selected media is already referenced by menu of recommended media, an instruction to refrain from adding the selected media to the menu of recommended media.   
     
     
         48 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , wherein the instruction to receive the selection of the media from the first user at the first user device comprises an instruction to receive a selection of the media to add to a favorites list of the first user, and wherein the instruction to generate the electronic communication that is directed to the second user based on the retrieved address and the URL of the Internet Source comprises an instruction to include within the electronic communication to the second user, the favorites list of the first user. 
     
     
         49 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 48  wherein the instruction to cause the selected media to be added of the menu of recommended media comprises:
 an instruction to retrieve, from the account of the second user, the menu of recommended media; 
 an instruction to compare each media in the favorites list of the first user to each media referenced by the menu of recommended media; 
 an instruction to determine whether each media in the favorites list of the first user is already referenced by the menu of recommended media; 
 based on the determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of first user, that the respective media is not already referenced by the menu of recommended media, an instruction to add the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media; and 
 based on determining, for each respective media in the favorites list of the first user, that the respective media is already referenced by the menu of recommended media, an instruction to refrain from adding the respective media in favorites list of the first user to the menu of recommended media. 
 
     
     
         50 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , wherein the instruction to retrieve, from the media guidance database, the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media, comprises:
 an instruction to access the media guidance database;   an instruction to search the media guidance database for an entry associated with the selected media;   an instruction to retrieve from the entry, metadata associated with the selected media; and   an instruction to determine from the metadata, the URL of the Internet Source that provides the selected media.