Dynamic Microcategory Weighting for Movie Browsing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing movie browsing systems rely on static collaborative filtering, often leading to bizarre or unwanted recommendations by focusing on long-term user preferences, failing to adapt to current interests and providing a diverse selection.

Innovation Solution

A movie browsing system that combines long-term and session-based preferences using microcategories, where microcategory weights are dynamically updated during a browsing session to reflect current interests, presenting both convergent and divergent categories to enhance user experience and refine preferences over time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If static collaborative filtering is used to present recommended selections based on long-term user preferences, then the system can maintain stable recommendations over time, but the recommendations become bizarre or unwanted and fail to adapt to current interests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of recommendationsVSAvoidadaptability to current interests
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by introducing two types of weights: long-term microcategory weights that change slowly to maintain stable recommendations, and session-based weights that change rapidly to adapt to current interests. The session-based weights are dynamically updated during each browsing session based on user interactions, allowing the system to transition between stability and adaptability as needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the recommendation system into multiple independent weight components: long-term microcategory weights and session-based weights. Each component serves a specific function - long-term weights provide stable baseline recommendations while session-based weights provide dynamic adaptation. This segmentation allows the system to handle both stability and adaptability requirements simultaneously without interference between the two functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system presents a diverse set of microcategories to diverge the search and learn user interest, then the system can discover new genres and expand user exposure, but the user interface complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediversity of movie selectionsVSAvoiduser interface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by having the system automatically learn user preferences through microcategory weights without requiring explicit user input controls. The system monitors user interactions (selections, views, ratings) and automatically updates both long-term and session-based weights, eliminating the need for complex manual preference configuration while still achieving personalized diverse recommendations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses microcategories as an intermediary layer between the vast movie database and the user interface. Instead of presenting users with complex filtering options or manual selection mechanisms, the system uses microcategories as implicit organizing principles that automatically structure the diverse movie selections. This intermediary abstraction reduces UI complexity while maintaining diversity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If session-based weights are updated frequently during a browsing session, then the system can quickly adapt to current user interests, but the computational overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse speed to user interestVSAvoidprocessing time for weight updates
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing long-term microcategory weights before the browsing session starts. These pre-computed weights serve as a foundation that reduces the computational burden during the session. The system only needs to update session-based weights during the session rather than recalculating everything from scratch, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining rapid adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9326033B2Movie discovery system
Publication Date: 2016.04.26 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US9326033B2 patent drawing
  • US9326033B2 patent drawing
  • US9326033B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A movie browsing system may use a combination of long term and session based preferences to help a user browse movies using microcategories. The user preferences may be stored as microcategory weights, where the session based weights may change during a session as the system learns the types of movies a user wishes to see at that time. The long term microcategory weights may change at a slower rate than the session weights. The system may present a diverse set of microcategories to a user in an effort to diverge the search and learn the user's current interest, and may refine the weights as the user browses to converge to a desired movie. A user interface may operate on a television screen with a minimum of user input controls to navigate the browsing system while still collecting user preferences.