Methods and systems of recommending media assets to users based on content of other media assets

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for a media guidance application that provides recommendations to a user viewing a media asset. For example, the media guidance application may provide a recommendation of a media asset based on a user's profile and may modify the user's profile based on the user's actions and keywords in the content of the media asset. For example, the media guidance application may determine whether the media asset is of interest to a user and in response may update the user's profile based on keywords in the media asset. If the media guidance application determines that the media asset is of interest to the user, it may add keywords in the content of the media asset to the user's profile and increase their corresponding weights. Otherwise, the media guidance application may decrease the weights in the user's profile corresponding to keywords in the media asset.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A method for recommending media assets, the method comprising:
 generating for display a first media asset;   determining a first plurality of keywords that occur in the first media asset and a first plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the first plurality of keywords occurs in the first media asset;   modifying a user profile associated with the user, based on both the first plurality of keywords and the first plurality of weights associated with the first media asset;   playing a second media asset that was recommended to the user based on the user profile;   determining, after a period of time, that the user has stopped accessing the second media asset;   determining whether the period of time is greater than a threshold time; and   in response to determining that the period of time is greater than the threshold time, increasing, in the user profile, a second plurality of weights that correspond to keywords that occur in the second media asset; and   in response to determining that the period of time is not greater than the threshold time, decreasing, in the user profile, the second plurality of weights that correspond to the keywords in the second media asset.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  further comprising:
 adding, to the user profile, keywords and respective weights of the keywords, which occur in the second media asset and are not in the user profile. 
 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein generating for display the first media asset further comprises:
 receiving, from a user input device, a first user selection of the first media asset, wherein the first media asset is associated with a data structure that includes both the first plurality of keywords and the first plurality of weights;   in response to receiving the first user selection of the first media asset, generating for display the first media asset.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the data structure is created by analyzing, for keywords, a transcript of the first media asset, wherein the transcript is text created by applying speech recognition to both audio associated with the first media asset and closed captions associated with the first media asset. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein each weight of the first plurality of weights corresponds to a respective frequency at which a respective keyword occurs, and wherein each frequency is an average number of times the respective keyword occurs per a unit time. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein playing the second media asset recommended to the user based on the user profile comprises:
 retrieving a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the second media asset;   determining a plurality of differences between the second plurality of weights in the user profile and the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, wherein determining the plurality of differences comprises determining, for each keyword that is present in both the user profile and the second data structure, a difference between a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile and a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, wherein both the first weight and the second weight correspond to a same keyword;   determining a plurality of values from the second data structure or the user profile, wherein determining the plurality of values comprises determining, for each keyword that is present in one of the user profile and the second data structure and not present in both the user profile and the second data structure, a value of a third weight corresponding to a third keyword, of the second plurality of weights in the user profile or the second data structure;   determining a total difference between the plurality of differences and the plurality values;   determining whether the total difference is greater than a threshold difference;   in response to determining that the total difference is not greater than the threshold difference, recommending the second media asset to the user; and   in response to recommending the second media asset to the user, receiving a second user selection of the second media asset.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the threshold time is one of a fixed amount of time, and a time relative to a play length of the second media asset. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein increasing the second plurality of weights in the user profile comprises:
 retrieving a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the second media asset;   adding, for a first keyword that is present in both the second data structure and the user profile, a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure to a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile; and   adding, to the user profile, both a second keyword that is present in the second data structure and is not present in the user profile, and a third weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, corresponding to the second keyword.   
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein decreasing the second plurality of weights in the user profile comprises:
 retrieving a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the content of the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the content of the second media asset; and   subtracting, for a first keyword that is present in both the second data structure and the user profile, a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, from a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile; and   adding, to the user profile, both a second keyword that is present in the second data structure and is not present in the user profile, and a negative of a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, corresponding to the second keyword.   
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the second media asset is a live video stream. 
     
     
         61 . A system for recommending media assets, the system comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 generate for display a first media asset; 
 determine a first plurality of keywords that occur in the first media asset and a first plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the first plurality of keywords occurs in the first media asset; 
 modify a user profile associated with the user, based on both the first plurality of keywords and the first plurality of weights associated with the first media asset; 
 play a second media asset that was recommended to the user based on the user profile; 
 determine, after a period of time, that the user has stopped accessing the second media asset; 
 determine whether the period of time is greater than a threshold time; and 
 in response to determining that the period of time is greater than the threshold time, increase, in the user profile, a second plurality of weights that correspond to keywords that occur in the second media asset; and 
 in response to determining that the period of time is not greater than the threshold time, decrease, in the user profile, the second plurality of weights that correspond to the keywords in the second media asset. 
   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 add, to the user profile, keywords and respective weights of the keywords, which occur in the second media asset and are not in the user profile.   
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when generating for display the first media asset, to:
 receive, from a user input device, a first user selection of the first media asset, wherein the first media asset is associated with a data structure that includes both the first plurality of keywords and the first plurality of weights;   in response to receiving the first user selection of the first media asset, generate for display the first media asset.   
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to create the data structure by analyzing, for keywords, a transcript of the first media asset, wherein the transcript is text created by applying speech recognition to both audio associated with the first media asset and closed captions associated with the first media asset. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 63 , wherein each weight of the first plurality of weights corresponds to a respective frequency at which a respective keyword occurs, and wherein each frequency is an average number of times the respective keyword occurs per a unit time. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when playing the second media asset recommended to the user based on the user profile, to:
 retrieve a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the second media asset;   determine a plurality of differences between the second plurality of weights in the user profile and the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, wherein determining the plurality of differences comprises determining, for each keyword that is present in both the user profile and the second data structure, a difference between a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile and a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, wherein both the first weight and the second weight correspond to a same keyword;   determine a plurality of values from the second data structure or the user profile, wherein determining the plurality of values comprises determining, for each keyword that is present in one of the user profile and the second data structure and not present in both the user profile and the second data structure, a value of a third weight corresponding to a third keyword, of the second plurality of weights in the user profile or the second data structure;   determine a total difference between the plurality of differences and the plurality values;   determine whether the total difference is greater than a threshold difference;   in response to determining that the total difference is not greater than the threshold difference, recommend the second media asset to the user; and   in response to recommending the second media asset to the user, receive a second user selection of the second media asset.   
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the threshold time is one of a fixed amount of time, and a time relative to a play length of the second media asset. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when increasing the second plurality of weights in the user profile, to:
 retrieve a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the second media asset;   add, for a first keyword that is present in both the second data structure and the user profile, a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure to a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile; and   add, to the user profile, both a second keyword that is present in the second data structure and is not present in the user profile, and a third weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, corresponding to the second keyword.   
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when decreasing the second plurality of weights in the user profile, to:
 retrieve a second data structure that includes (1) the second plurality of keywords that is present in the content of the second media asset and (2) the second plurality of weights that reflect a number of times each respective keyword of the second plurality of keywords occurs in the content of the second media asset; and   subtract, for a first keyword that is present in both the second data structure and the user profile, a first weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, from a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the user profile; and   add, to the user profile, both a second keyword that is present in the second data structure and is not present in the user profile, and a negative of a second weight of the second plurality of weights in the second data structure, corresponding to the second keyword.   
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the second media asset is a live video stream.