# US 12,118,029 B2 · Systems and methods for executing a supplemental function for a natural language query > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,029 B2 - Document ID: US12118029B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/206,223 - Filed: 2023-06-06 - Published: 2023-10-19 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29 - Assignees: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Applicants: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Inventors: Sashikumar Venkataraman; Ahmed Nizam Mohaideen P. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118029B2 ## CPC - G06F 16/438: Presentation of query results - G06F 16/435: Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles - G06F 16/74: Browsing; Visualisation therefor (end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic programme guides, H04N21/472) - H04N 21/42204: {User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205)} - H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)} - H04N 21/466: Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies {(services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61)} - H04N 21/472: End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} - H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)} - H04N 5/50: Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control - H04N 21/42206: {characterized by hardware details} - H04N 21/47: End-user applications - H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a query related to a first attribute of content; based on receiving the query, generating, based on an intermediate function, a reply to the query about the first attribute of the content; identifying a supplemental function previously performed for a similar query, wherein the supplemental function comprises identifying a second attribute of the content, and the second attribute differs from the first attribute of the content related to the received query; and providing an output based on the supplemental function before receiving a request to access the content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating for display an interactive media guidance screen comprising an identifier of the content and the output associated with the supplemental function. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental function comprises a search function for identifying a content source where the content is available. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental function further comprises a search function for identifying a guidance feature relating to the content. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to access the content comprises receiving a response to the output of the supplemental function. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the content comprises a channel provided by a content provider; the query related to the first attribute of the content is a query regarding an identity of a media asset that is currently being provided on the channel; and the supplemental function is a query regarding whether to tune to the channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental function is identified based on usage patterns of a plurality of users. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein identifying, based on the usage patterns, the supplemental function previously performed for the similar query further comprises: retrieving a generic profile indicating generalized usage patterns of the plurality of users; and determining the generic profile comprises the similar query matching the query. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the query is received from a user associated with a user profile, the user profile indicating usage patterns includes a plurality of query templates and a corresponding plurality of supplemental functions, and identifying the supplemental function comprises identifying a supplemental function corresponding to the query template from the user profile. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the user profile comprises the query template matching the query comprises: identifying one or more tokens in the query; and determining that the user profile includes the query template matching at least a portion of the one or more tokens. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the query is received via a user interface; and each of identifying the supplemental function previously performed for the similar query, and providing the output based on the supplemental function, is performed without the user interface receiving further user input after the query. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: input/output circuitry configured to: receive a query related to a first attribute of content; control circuitry configured to: based on receiving the query, generate a reply to the query about the first attribute of the content; identify a supplemental function previously performed for a similar query, wherein the supplemental function comprises identifying a second attribute of the content, and the second attribute differs from the first attribute of the content related to the received query; and provide an output based on the supplemental function before receiving, by the input/output circuitry, a request to access the content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: generate for display an interactive media guidance screen comprising an identifier of the content and the output associated with the supplemental function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the supplemental function comprises a search function for identifying a content source where the content is available. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the supplemental function further comprises a search function for identifying a guidance feature relating to the content. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the input/output circuitry is configured to receive the request to access the content by receiving a response to the output of the supplemental function. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein: the content comprises a channel provided by a content provider; the query related to the first attribute of the content is a query regarding an identity of a media asset that is currently being provided on the channel; and the supplemental function is a query regarding whether to tune to the channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify the supplemental function based on usage patterns of a plurality of users. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is configured to identify, based on the usage patterns, the supplemental function previously performed for the similar query further by: retrieving a generic profile indicating generalized usage patterns of the plurality of users; and determining the generic profile comprises the similar query matching the query. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: receive the query from a user associated with a user profile, the user profile indicating usage patterns includes a plurality of query templates and a corresponding plurality of supplemental functions; and identify the supplemental function by identifying a supplemental function corresponding to the query template from the user profile.