# US 2020/0396189 A1 · Method and apparatus for improved electronic mail filtering using media viewing history > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0396189 A1 - Document ID: US20200396189A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/440,866 - Filed: 2019-06-13 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-13 - Applicants: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Inventors: Vikram Makam Gupta; Vijay Kumar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396189A1 ## CPC - H04L 51/212: using filtering or selective blocking - H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of modifying electronic mail filter criteria from a media entertainment system, the method comprising: determining, from electronic content being generated for display on a display device, a keyword characterizing the electronic content; specifying a period of time as a factor of a screen time during which a portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is generated for display; and transmitting, to an electronic mail application having a filter for categorizing received electronic mail into one of a plurality of categories, an instruction comprising the determined keyword and the specified period of time as a factor of a screen time, the instruction directing the filter to disregard the keyword for the specified period of time when performing the categorizing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of categories includes an inbox category and a spam category. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving, after the transmitting and from the electronic mail application, an indication that the received electronic mail was categorized as spam. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising, in response to receiving the indication, reducing the specified period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises retrieving the keyword from metadata of the electronic content being generated for display. ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying further comprises specifying the period of time according to a pause duration during which the portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is paused. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying further comprises specifying the period of time according to a like indicator corresponding to interest in a subject matter of the keyword. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the like indicator from a remote controller of the media entertainment system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the specifying is performed in response to detecting a threshold screen time during which a portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is generated for display for at least a predetermined threshold of time, a threshold pause duration during which the portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is paused for at least a predetermined time period, or a threshold number of like indicators each corresponding to interest in a subject matter of the keyword. ### Claim 11 A system for modifying electronic mail filter criteria from a media entertainment system, the system comprising: a storage device; and control circuitry configured to: determine, from electronic content being generated for display on a display device, a keyword characterizing the electronic content; specify a period of time as a factor of a screen time during which a portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is generated for display; and transmit, to an electronic mail application having a filter for categorizing received electronic mail into one of a plurality of categories, an instruction comprising the determined keyword and the specified period of time, the instruction directing the filter to disregard the keyword for the specified period of time as a factor of a screen time, when performing the categorizing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of categories includes an inbox category and a spam category. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive, after the transmitting and from the electronic mail application, an indication that the received electronic mail was categorized as spam. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to receiving the indication, reduce the specified period of time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the determining further comprises retrieving the keyword from metadata of the electronic content being generated for display. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the specifying further comprises specifying the period of time according to a pause duration during which the portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is paused. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the specifying further comprises specifying the period of time according to a like indicator corresponding to interest in a subject matter of the keyword. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive the like indicator from a remote controller of the media entertainment system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the specifying is performed in response to detecting a threshold screen time during which a portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is generated for display for at least a predetermined threshold of time, a threshold pause duration during which the portion of the electronic content characterized by the keyword is paused for at least a predetermined time period, or a threshold number of like indicators each corresponding to interest in a subject matter of the keyword. 21-30. (canceled)