Method and apparatus for improved electronic mail filtering using media viewing history

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing a media entertainment system that communicates with a viewer's email application, to suppress email filters for email related to content that the system determines is of interest to the viewer. The media entertainment system determines interest in a particular topic from content that it plays for the viewer. The system also estimates the degree to which the viewer is interested in this topic and determines a time period corresponding to the viewer's degree of interest. The system then instructs the viewer's email application to avoid filtering emails related to the topic, for an amount of time corresponding to the time period. In this manner, the system allows viewers to receive emails that might ordinarily be filtered, but which relate to a topic that the viewer has developed recent interest in.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.