Method and system for providing viewing notifications for a set-top box

A set-top box comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium operable to store a set of instructions, wherein the processor executes the set of instructions to perform operations comprising:
• storing usage information associated with a media content received by the set-top box, the usage information containing information, obtained without user input, regarding one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by a particular user and containing viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user;
• determining whether the particular user has missed viewing at least one of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content based on an analysis of the information regarding the one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by the particular user and based on the viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user;
• based on a determination, obtained without user input, that the particular user has missed viewing at least one of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that is based on the analysis of the information, obtained without user input, regarding the one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by the particular user and based on the viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user, storing revised usage information associated with the media content, the revised usage information, obtained without user input, containing information regarding at least one of missed episodes, missed movies, or missed series associated with the media that the particular user has not viewed;
• determining, using the processor, whether a viewing notification about the media content is to be sent to the particular user based on user preferences, based on the usage information, and based on the revised usage information;
• responsive to a determination that the viewing notification is to be sent to the particular user, retrieving a notification identifier associated with the particular user and sending the viewing notification regarding the usage information;
• receiving a response to the viewing notification from the particular user, wherein the response includes a partial command that is interpreted based on the viewing notification as a requested command to be performed by the set-top box;
• and
• performing, using the processor, the requested command.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code includes instructions that when executed causes one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

• storing usage information associated with a media content received by the set-top box, the usage information containing information, obtained without user input, regarding one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by a particular user and containing viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user;
• determining whether the particular user has missed viewing at least one of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content based on an analysis of the information regarding the one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by the particular user and based on the viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user;
• based on a determination, obtained without user input, that the particular user has missed viewing at least one of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that is based on the analysis of the information regarding the one or more of episodes, movies, or series associated with the media content that have been viewed by the particular user and based on the viewing information associated with one or more friends associated with the particular user, storing revised usage information, obtained without user input, associated with the media content, the revised usage information, obtained without user input, containing information regarding at least one of missed episodes, missed movies, or missed series associated with the media that the particular user has not viewed;
• determining, using a processor, whether a viewing notification about the media content is to be sent to the particular user based on user preferences, based on the usage information, and based on the revised usage information;
• responsive to a determination that the viewing notification is to be sent to the particular user, retrieving a notification identifier associated with the particular user and sending the viewing notification regarding the usage information;
• receiving a response to the viewing notification from the particular user, wherein the response includes a partial command that is interpreted based on the viewing notification as a requested command to be performed by the set-top box;
• and
• performing, using the processor, the requested command.