# US 12,720,129 B2 · Systems and methods for altering a progress bar to prevent spoilers in a media asset > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,720,129 B2 - Document ID: US12720129B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/377,514 - Filed: 2023-10-06 - Published: 2024-02-01 - Granted: 2026-08-25 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-29 - Assignees: Adeia Guides Inc. - Applicants: Adeia Guides Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Kang-Po Yan; Hong-Qi Jia; Peter Boonstra; Kerui Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12720129B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/234345: {the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment} - H04N 21/4312: {involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations} - H04N 21/47217: {for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312)} - H04N 21/4821: {using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time} - H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for altering or otherwise obscuring a progress bar to prevent spoilers in a media asset. A media asset is generated for display and an input is detected from a user during playback of the media asset. A determination is made whether the input comprises a command to display a progress bar. In the affirmative, a determination regarding a current point of playback of the media asset and the type of segment is made. An entry is retrieved from a database that maps the type of segment to a range of time. A determination is made whether the remaining time of the media asset is within the range of time. In the affirmative, a determination whether displaying the progress bar would spoil the media asset is made. In response to determining that displaying the progress bar would spoil the media asset, the progress bar is refrained from generating display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: in response to detecting a first user interface input during play of a first media asset: generating for display a first progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the first media asset; in response to detecting a second user interface input, during play of a second media asset, that causes a request to display a second progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the second media asset: determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset; and in response to the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is the spoiler for the second media asset, generating for display the second progress bar such that an appearance of the second progress bar is altered from the appearance of the first progress bar to omit at least one of: (a) an elapsed time indicator, (b) progress bar time information indicating a length of play time remaining in the second media asset, or (c) all time indications from the display of the second progress bar. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second media asset comprises video of a sports game. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset is based on a fingerprint determined from the second media asset and with reference to information stored in a database. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving a third user interface input, generating a display of the second progress bar unaltered. ### Claim 5 A method comprising: in response to detecting a first user interface input during play of a first media asset: generating for display a first progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the first media asset; in response to detecting a second user interface input, during play of a second media asset, that causes a request to display a second progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the second media asset: determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset; and in response to the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is the spoiler for the second media asset, generating for display the second progress bar such that an appearance of the second progress bar is altered from the appearance of the first progress bar to omit the progress information of the second media asset, wherein the second media asset comprises video of a game, and wherein the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset comprises determining that the progress information of the second media asset indicates that the game includes an overtime portion for the game. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the determining that the second progress bar indicates that the game includes the overtime portion comprises: determining a first time length for the game, wherein the first time length is a predefined regulation time; and determining that the second progress bar indicates that a duration of the game includes a second time length longer than the first time length. ### Claim 7 A system comprising: processing circuitry configured: in response to detecting a first user interface input during play of a first media asset: to generate for display a first progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the first media asset; and in response to detecting a second user interface input, during play of a second media asset, that causes a request to display a second progress bar indicating progress information for the play of the second media asset: to determine that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset; and communication circuitry configured in response to the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is the spoiler for the second media asset, to generate for display the second progress bar such that an appearance of the second progress bar is altered from the appearance of the first progress bar to omit at least one of: (a) an elapsed time indicator, (b) progress bar time information indicating a length of play time remaining in the second media asset, or (c) all time indications from the display of the second progress bar. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the second media asset comprises video of a sports game. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the second media asset comprises video of a game, and wherein the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset comprises determining that the progress information of the second media asset indicates that the game includes an overtime portion for the game. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the determining that the second progress bar indicates that the game includes the overtime portion comprises: determining a first time length for the game, wherein the first time length is a predefined regulation time; and determining that the second progress bar indicates that a duration of the game includes a second time length longer than the first time length. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the determining that the progress information of the second media asset is a spoiler for the second media asset is based on a fingerprint determined from the second media asset and with reference to information stored in a database. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the system is configured, in response to receiving a third user interface input, to generate a display of the second progress bar unaltered.