# US 12,604,071 B2 · System and method for generating a custom summary of unconsumed portions of a series of media assets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,071 B2 - Document ID: US12604071B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/970,400 - Filed: 2024-12-05 - Published: 2025-07-24 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-08 - Assignees: Adeia Guides Inc. - Applicants: Adeia Guides Inc. - Inventors: Ankur Anil Aher; Harish Ashok Kumar; Bhavna Jindal; Anjali Gulati - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604071B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/8549: Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer {(retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739)} - G11B 27/034: on discs (G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence) - H04N 21/2387: Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play - H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)} - H04N 21/2668: Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)} - H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists} - H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments} - G06F 16/739: {in form of a video summary, e.g. the video summary being a video sequence, a composite still image or having synthesized frames} - H04N 21/6587: Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Systems and methods are provided herein for generating summaries of unconsumed portions of an ordered series of media assets, customized for multiple users. A media guidance application may determine that a given media asset of an ordered series is to be collectively consumed by a first user and a second user. A first portion of an ordered series, that both the first user and the second user have not yet consumed, is identified together with a second portion of the ordered series that the first user has consumed but the second user has not yet consumed. A custom summary including a detailed summary of the first portion (e.g., a two minute summary) and less detailed summary of the second portion (e.g., a one minute summary) is generated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating a customized summary for media assets in a series, the method comprising: receiving an input on a user device indicating that a first user associated with a first user profile and a second user associated with a second user profile will collectively be consuming a media asset from an ordered series of media assets; accessing a first consumption history corresponding to the first user profile and a second consumption history corresponding to the second user profile; based on the first consumption history and the second consumption history, identifying: a first portion of the ordered series that both the first user associated with the first profile and the second user associated with the second user profile have not consumed yet; and a second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet; and generating a custom summary that includes a first summary of the first portion of the ordered series and a second summary of the second portion of the ordered series, wherein a media asset from the ordered series is included in the custom summary only if a priority value associated with the media asset exceeds a minimum threshold priority value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet further comprises comparing a first plurality of media assets from the first consumption history with a second plurality of media assets from the second consumption history. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on the first user profile, an interest of the first user for a first set of characteristics; and determining, based on the second user profile, an interest of the second user for a second set of characteristics. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: based on determining that a segment included in the first summary is associated with a characteristic that is not part of the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics, removing the segment from the first summary. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the determining that the segment included in the first summary is associated with the characteristic that is not part of the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics further comprises: accessing metadata associated with the segment of the custom summary; identifying, based on the metadata associated with the segment, a plurality of characteristics corresponding to the segment of the custom summary; and comparing the plurality of characteristics to the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: removing a segment from the second summary based on determining that the segment does not correspond to a characteristic from the second set of characteristics. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the custom summary further comprises: determining whether the custom summary includes any spoiler segments; and based on determining that the custom summary does include spoiler segments: generating for display on the user device a notification that indicates that the custom summary includes spoiler segments. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: calculating a maximum length of the custom summary based on a length of the ordered series; and generating the custom summary such that the length of the custom summary does not exceed the maximum length of the custom summary. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the custom summary is generated such that the first summary is more detailed than the second summary. ### Claim 10 A system for generating a customized summary for media assets in a series, the system comprising: a memory; input/output circuitry configured to: receive an input on a user device indicating that a first user associated with a first user profile and a second user associated with a second user profile will collectively be consuming a media asset from an ordered series of media assets; control circuitry configured to: access a first consumption history corresponding to the first user profile and a second consumption history corresponding to the second user profile; based on the first consumption history and the second consumption history, identify: a first portion of the ordered series that both the first user associated with the first user profile and the second user associated with the second user profile have not consumed yet; and a second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet; and generate a custom summary that includes a first summary of the first portion of the ordered series and a second summary of the second portion of the ordered series, wherein a media asset from the ordered series is included in the custom summary only if a priority value associated with the media asset exceeds a minimum threshold priority value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein control circuitry is configured to identify the second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet by comparing a first plurality of media assets from the first consumption history with a second plurality of media assets from the second consumption history. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine, based on the first user profile, an interest of the first user for a first set of characteristics; and determine, based on the second user profile, an interest of the second user for a second set of characteristics. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: based on determining that a segment included in the first summary is associated with a characteristic that is not part of the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics, remove the segment from the first summary. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine that the segment included in the first summary is associated with the characteristic that is not part of the first set of characteristics or the second set of characteristics by: accessing metadata associated with the segment of the custom summary; identifying, based on the metadata associated with the segment, a plurality of characteristics corresponding to the segment of the custom summary; and comparing the plurality of characteristics to the first set of characteristics and the second set of characteristics. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: remove a segment from the second summary based on determining that the segment does not correspond to a characteristic from the second set of characteristics. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the custom summary by: determining whether the custom summary includes any spoiler segments; and based on determining that the custom summary does include spoiler segments: generating for display on the user device a notification that indicates that the custom summary includes spoiler segments. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: calculate a maximum length of the custom summary based on a length of the ordered series; and generate the custom summary such that the length of the custom summary does not exceed the maximum length of the custom summary. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the custom summary is generated such that the first summary is more detailed than the second summary. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to: receive an input on a user device indicating that a first user associated with a first user profile and a second user associated with a second user profile will collectively be consuming a media asset from an ordered series of media assets; access a first consumption history corresponding to the first user profile and a second consumption history corresponding to the second user profile; based on the first consumption history and the second consumption history, identify: a first portion of the ordered series that both the first user associated with the first user profile and the second user associated with the second user profile have not consumed yet; and a second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet; and generate a custom summary that includes a first summary of the first portion of the ordered series and a second summary of the second portion of the ordered series, wherein a media asset from the ordered series is included in the custom summary only if a priority value associated with the media asset exceeds a minimum threshold priority value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein execution of the instructions to identify the second portion of the ordered series that the first user associated with the first user profile has consumed but the second user associated with the second user profile has not consumed yet further causes control circuitry to: compare a first plurality of media assets from the first consumption history with a second plurality of media assets from the second consumption history.