# US 12,120,394 B2 · Maintaining a user profile based on dynamic data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,394 B2 - Document ID: US12120394B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/217,023 - Filed: 2021-03-30 - Published: 2021-07-15 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-21 - Assignees: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Applicants: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Inventors: Royce Matsusei Hamano; Gevorg Gevorgyan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120394B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/4661: {Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home (user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306)} - G06F 21/6218: {to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database} - H04N 21/4667: {Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections} - H04N 21/4668: {for recommending content, e.g. movies} - 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 21/4826: {using recommendation lists, e.g. of programmes or channels sorted out according to their score} - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04N 21/6543: for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording {(remote booting in general G06F9/4416)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The present invention allows users to interact with people, who have interacted with other people, and obtain media files and recommendations from those having common interests, thereby creating interactive media communities and spawning electronic social networks based on media and other types of electronic entertainment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating for display an identification of a first set of recommended media content based on a user profile, wherein the first set of recommended media content was generated by a recommendation system for a first user associated with the user profile; generating for display a friends list, wherein the friends list identifies a plurality of friend users with whom the first user has exchanged friend requests; receiving a selection of a friend user among the plurality of friend users from the friends list, wherein the user profile remains unmodified in response to receiving the selection; retrieving from the recommendation system an identification of a second set of recommended media content based on a profile of the selected friend user, wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated by the recommendation system for the selected friend user and wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated for display on a display of a device associated with the selected friend user; and responsive to receiving the selection of the friend user, modifying the display of the identification of the first set of recommended media content to simultaneously include both: (a) the identification of the first set of recommended media content based on the unmodified user profile, wherein the first set of recommended media content was generated by the recommendation system for the first user associated with the user profile, and (b) the identification of the second set of recommended media content based on the profile of the selected friend user, wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated by the recommendation system for the selected friend user and wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated for display on the display of the device associated with the selected friend user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the friends list is displayed on an overlay interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising generating for display a group of identifications of media content for recommendation based on mood, theme, genre, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising generating for display an identification of recommended media content provided by a data service provider. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the user profile with a profile of each of the plurality of friend users. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 further comprising: retrieving an identification of recommended media content based on a match of the user profile with the profile of one of the plurality of friend users; and generating for display the identification of recommended media content of the matched friend profile. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile comprises historical viewing data of the first user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising updating the historical viewing data of the first user in response to determining that the first user has viewed at least a portion of the first set of recommended media content based on the user profile. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising updating the historical viewing data of the first user in response to determining that the first user has viewed at least a portion of the second set of recommended media content based on the profile of the selected friend user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of friend users are at least one of a personal friend user of the first user, a friend user on a social networking website that the first user subscribes to, a person in a chat room with the first user, a person on the first user's address book, a person on the first user's instant messaging buddy list, and a person who has provided the first user a preconfigured login credential. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the modified display of the identification of the first set of recommended media content is displayed on a dashboard of a user device associated with the first user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving from the recommendation system the identification the second set of recommended media content based on the profile of the selected friend user is performed without any selection of topics from the profile of the selected friend user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the display of the identification of the first set of recommended media content further comprises simultaneously including: (a) a viewing history associated with the user profile, (b) scheduled recordings associated with the user profile, (c) a viewing history associated with the profile of the selected friend user, and (d) scheduled recordings associated with the profile of the selected friend user. ### Claim 14 A system comprising: a control circuitry configured to: generate for display an identification of a first set of recommended media content based on a user profile, wherein the first set of recommended media content was generated by a recommendation system for a first user associated with the user profile; generate for display a friends list, wherein the friend list identifies a plurality of friend users with whom the first user has exchanged friend requests; receive a selection of a friend user among the plurality of friend users from the friends list, wherein the user profile remains unmodified in response to receiving the selection; retrieve from the recommendation system an identification of a second set of recommended media content based on a profile of the selected friend user, wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated by the recommendation system for the selected friend user and wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated for display on a display of a device associated with the selected friend user; and responsive to receiving the selection of the friend user, modify the display of the identification of the first set of recommended media content to simultaneously include both: (a) the identification of the first set of recommended media content based on the unmodified user profile, wherein the first set of recommended media content was generated by the recommendation system for the first user associated with the user profile, and (b) the identification of the second set of recommended media content based on the profile of the selected friend user, wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated by the recommendation system for the selected friend user and wherein the second set of recommended media content was previously generated for display on the display of the device associated with the selected friend user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display a group of identifications of media content for recommendation based on mood, theme, genre, or combinations thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an identification of recommended media content provided by a data service provider. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: compare the user profile with a profile of each of the plurality of friend users; retrieve an identification of recommended media content based on a match of the user profile with the profile of one of the plurality of friend users; and generate for display the identification of recommended media content of the matched friend profile. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the user profile comprises historical viewing data of the first user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to update the historical viewing data of the first user in response to determining that the first user has viewed at least a portion of the first set of recommended media content based on the user profile. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to update the historical viewing data of the first user in response to determining that the first user has viewed at least a portion of the second set of recommended media content based on the profile of the selected friend user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of friend users are at least one of a personal friend user of the first user, a friend user on a social networking website that the first user subscribes to, a person in a chat room with the first user, a person on the first user's address book, a person on the first user's instant messaging buddy list, and a person who has provided the first user a preconfigured login credential.