Media affinity management system

A method, system, and computer program product for managing media. The method comprises a computer system. The computer system identifies a configurable media item in a media for a user. The computer system searches for a corresponding media item in a collection of media items for the user. The computer system replaces the configurable media item with the corresponding media item in the collection of media items.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure relates generally to an improved computer system and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for managing media content in a computer system. In particular, the disclosure relates to a method and apparatus of managing affinity in media content for a computer system.

2. Description of the Related Art

The Internet is a system of interconnected computer networks that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to devices connected to the Internet. The different networks include closed, public, academic, business, and government works on a global scale. The connections may be wired, wireless, optical, or other suitable types of connections.

Users may access information on websites, communicate using email, voice, and exchange or obtain information through the Internet. For example, a user may view movies, web pages, or other content over the Internet. This content may be customized for the user. Web pages may include advertisements customized for a user based on websites visited by a user, or products viewed or purchased by a user. For example, a social media site may include content that shows products or services liked, purchased, or endorsed by friends of a user on the social media site.

Further, the content may be customized based on interests of the user. For example, advertisements for cars may be included in web pages for a user who views webpages from car sites. As another example, endorsements for a product from friends of a user may be included in a webpage for the user.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides for a method for managing media. The method comprises a computer system. The computer system identifies a configurable media item in a media for a user. The computer system searches for a corresponding media item in a collection of media items for the user. The computer system replaces the configurable media item with the corresponding media item in the collection of media items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium or media, having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention.

The illustrative embodiments recognize and take into account that it would be desirable to elicit different types of emotional responses from users viewing media. These emotional responses may be desirable to increase affinity to media. This increasing affinity for media may be desirable for various purposes, such as marketing or selling products and services. Further, the increase in affinity also may be desirable for increasing the positive view of an entity, such as a business or government agency.

With reference now to the figures and, in particular, with reference toFIG. 1, a block diagram of a content management environment is depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. In this illustrative example, content management environment100is an example of an environment where user102may view media104using device106.

As depicted, media104may take different forms. For example, media104may be a group of media types108that are selected from at least one of a video, an audio segment, a multimedia, an image, an animation, interactive content, or other suitable types of media. As used herein, the phrase “at least one of”, when used with a list of items, means different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one of each item in the list may be needed. In other words, “at least one of” means any combination of items and number of items may be used from the list, but not all of the items in the list are required. The item may be a particular object, a thing, or a category.

As depicted in this example, media104is stored, generated, or stored and generated in computer system110. Computer system110is a physical hardware system and includes one or more data processing systems. When more than one data processing system is present, those data processing systems are in communication with each other using a communications medium. The communications medium may be a network. The data processing systems may be selected from at least one of a computer, a server computer, a tablet, or some other suitable data processing system.

Media104is sent to device106via network112. Both computer system110and device106are connected to network112. Network112may be comprised of at least one of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), an intranet, the Internet, of some other type of network. The connection to network112may be made using at least one of a wired connection, a wireless connection, an optical fiber, or some other suitable connection system.

Affinity management system114is located in computer system110. In this illustrative example, affinity management system114operates to manage the affinity user102has to media104through managing the emotional response of user102to media104. For example, affinity management system114operates to improve the emotional response that user102has to media104.

In this illustrative example, content manager116is a component in affinity management system114. Content manager116may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware or a combination thereof. When software is used, the operations performed by content manager116may be implemented in program code configured to run on hardware, such as a processor unit. When firmware is used, the operations performed by content manager116may be implemented in program code and data and stored in persistent memory to run on a processor unit. When hardware is employed, the hardware may include circuits that operate to perform the operations for content manager116.

As depicted, content manager116is configured to manage media104. For example, content manager116identifies configurable media item120in media104for user102. Content manager116searches for corresponding media item122in collection of media items124for user102. In the illustrative example, content manager116identifies media item matches for configurable media item120in collection of media items124. As depicted, content manager116selects a media item match in a group of media items that most closely matches the desired emotional connection as corresponding media item122.

Content manager116replaces configurable media item120with the corresponding item in collection of media items124. In this illustrative example, configurable media item120has a media type selected from one of an image, a video, a sound, and some other type of media.

Content manager116may then send media104with corresponding media item122to device106for user102. Device106presents media104using corresponding media item122. In this manner, the affinity to media104by user102may be increased.

As depicted, collection of media items124is generated by content manager116. For example, content manager116searches a group of media sources126for a group of user media items128with emotional connection130to user102. As used herein, “a group of,” when used with reference to items, means one or more items. For example, a group of media sources126is one or more of media sources126. Content manager116stores the group of user media items128in collection of media items124.

In one illustrative example, collection of media items124is stored in records132in database134. For example, media item136in a group of user media items128is stored in record138in records132in database134. As depicted, record138comprises media item136, emotional response142, type143, and score144for emotional response142.

Emotional response142is the emotional response that occurs when media item136is presented to user102. This presentation may be, for example, at least one of visual, audio, or some other type of presentation. Emotional response142has type143. For example, type143of emotional response142may be positive, neutral, happy, sad, annoyed, scared, or some other type of emotional response. Score144indicates the level of emotional response142.

In one illustrative example, one or more technical solutions are present that overcome a technical problem with obtaining a desired affinity to media. As a result, one or more technical solutions may provide a technical effect in which the affinity to media is increased through using media items that elicit a desired emotional response to increase the affinity to the media.

As a result, content manager116in computer system110operates as a special purpose computer system in which content manager116in computer system110enables a listing of an emotional response based on selecting media items that are for a particular user. Content manager116does not select general media items but uses media items that have meaning to the user. In particular, content manager116transforms computer system110into a special purpose computer system, as compared to currently available general computer systems that do not have content manager116.

In this manner, a movie, commercial, advertisement or other media have objects such as people, animals, and locations. A media item may be a particular portion of the video, an image, an audio segment, or other part of the media. With content manager116, the actors and locations may be configurable media items that may be enhanced or replaced with corresponding media items for a user. The selection may be made to increase the affinity of the user to the media. For example, with content manager116, an object in an immediate item may be replaced with another object that provides a desired emotional response.

In this manner, the media item may be customized for a particular user when presented to the user on a device for the user. For example, a movie may have media items that are replaced with those for which the user has an emotional connection. Images and sounds of people in the movie may be replaced with images and sounds of people that the user knows from real life. For example, a dog in a movie may be replaced with a dog that the offspring of a user has. As another example, the laughter of a young person in the movie may be replaced with the laughter of the offspring of the user. In yet another illustrative example, a car in an advertisement on a webpage may be replaced with a car owned by the user.

For example, media104may have one or more configurable media items in addition to or in place of configurable media item120that may be replaced with a corresponding media item. Further, user102may have one or more devices in addition to device106for which media104may be sent for presentation. In another illustrative example, record138may include other fields in addition to or in place of the ones depicted inFIG. 1. For example, score144may be omitted. In other illustrative examples, more than one emotional response may be present, in place of or in addition, to emotional response142. In yet another illustrative example, a categorization or identification of the type of media item may be included in record138.

Turning next toFIG. 2, a high-level flowchart of a process for managing media is depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. The process illustrated inFIG. 2is implemented in content manager116inFIG. 1in this illustrative example. This process may be using at least one of hardware or program code. When program code is present, the program code may be used to provide instructions for a processor unit.

The process begins by identifying a configurable media item in the media for a user (step200). The process searches for a corresponding media item in a collection of media items for the user (step202).

The process replaces the configurable media item with the corresponding media item in the collection of media items (step204). The replacement may occur in a number different ways. For example, the replacement may be performed using image replacement, or image replacement in a video. The original media item may be modified or edited to create the corresponding media item that replaces the media item originally present in the media. In other words, modifying or editing the media item results in the replacement of the media item with a corresponding media item in this example. The editing or modifying may include replacing faces in a video, images in a video, facial feature replacement, or other suitable types of editing.

The process sends the media with the corresponding media item to a device for the user (step206). The process terminates thereafter. The device receiving the media presents the media using the corresponding item. The presentation may include at least one of display media, playing the media on an audio system, providing a tactile response, or some other suitable type of presentation.

With reference next toFIG. 3, a high-level flowchart of a process for identifying emotional connections to media items for a user is depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. The process illustrated inFIG. 3is implemented in content manager116inFIG. 1in this illustrative example. This process may be using at least one of hardware or program code. When program code is present, the program code may be used to provide instructions for a processor unit.

The process begins by searching a group of media sources for a group of user media items for a user having an emotional connection (step300). The group of media sources may be selected from at least one of a social media site, a device for the user, a cloud storage, or some other suitable type of source of media for the user. The media for the user is media that may include media items for which the user has an emotional connection. For example, the media may be photographs taken by the user, images for the user on a social network site, media including people, animals, or other objects for which the user has an emotional connection, or some other type of media.

The process identifies a corresponding media item in a collection of media items for the user; and a group of objects in a media item in the group of media items. The process stores the group of user media items in the collection of media items (step302). The process terminates thereafter.

With reference now toFIG. 4, a flowchart of a process for replacing a configurable media item with a corresponding media item for a user is depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. The process illustrated inFIG. 4is implemented in content manager116inFIG. 1in this illustrative example. This process may be using at least one of hardware or program code. When program code is present, the program code may be used to provide instructions for a processor unit.

The process begins by identifying a group of configurable items in the media (step400). The process selects an unprocessed configurable media item from the group of configurable media items (step402). The process searches a collection of media items in a database for a group of media items that match the configurable media selected for processing (step404). In step404, the match may be identified in a number of different ways. For example, the match may be based on objects. For example, the search may be for an object such as a dog, a police officer, a soldier, a cat, a tree, a house, a field, or some other type of object.

The process then prioritizes the group of media items matching the configurable media (step406). The priority may be based on the level of emotional connection that the user has with an object. For example, the priority may be based on a desired emotional connection. For example, if the object search is for a dog and the media includes the dog in a movie, the search may find Lassie, Sandy, and Frisky as objects in media items. These objects may be prioritized based on a level of emotional response. For example, each of the dogs may be assigned a score indicating the level of emotional response. The prioritization may be used to rank the dogs from highest to lowest in emotional response.

The process selects the most appropriate media item (step408). In this example, the most appropriate media item may be the one having the highest level of emotional response when using the example of the three dogs. In other illustrative examples, the most appropriate media item may be based on the type of emotional response. For example, the type of emotional response may be selected from one of happy, sad, ambivalent, scared, angry, annoyed, or some other type of emotional response. For example, if the movie is looking for a happy emotional response, then the media item is selected from one that elicits a happy emotional response. Further, the same object in different media items may elicit different types of emotional responses.

The process replaces the media item with the selected media item (step410).

The process then determines whether another unprocessed configurable media item is present (step412). If another unprocessed configurable media item is present, the process returns to step402as described above. Otherwise, the process terminates.

Turning toFIG. 5, a flowchart of a process for identifying media items for a user is depicted in accordance with illustrative embodiment. The process illustrated inFIG. 5is implemented in content manager116inFIG. 1in this illustrative example. This process may be using at least one of hardware or program code. When program code is present, the program code may be used to provide instructions for a processor unit.

The process begins by searching repositories for a group of media for a user (step500). The process identifies a group of media items in the media (step502). The process selects an unprocessed media item in the group of media items for processing (step504). The process locates objects in the media item (step506). The process then identifies the objects in the media item. An object may be, for example, a person, an animal, a dog, a location, a mouse, a building, a field or some other type of object. The process then identifies an emotional response to the objects in the media item. The emotional response may be, for example, a positive response, a negative response, or a neutral response. The positive response may be an emotional response in which the user has happy feelings when seeing the object in the media item. Additionally, the same object may elicit different responses in different media items. Additionally, the level of the emotional response may be identified, in addition to the type of emotional response.

For example, the dog in a media item may elicit a happy response when a media item shows that the dog is behaving. In another example, the same dog may elicit an unhappy response if the dog is shown in the media item as having destroyed a pair of shoes belonging to the user. In another example, the same dog may elicit a happy response in three different media items with different levels of emotional response. In other examples, different dogs in the media items may elicit different levels of emotional response from the user.

The process then generates records for the objects (step508). In this illustrative example, a record may be created for each object and each record includes an identification of the object, the media item, the emotional response, and a value for the emotional response. The process then stores the records in a database containing a collection of media items for the user (step510). A determination is made as to whether additional unprocessed media items are present (step512). If additional unprocessed media items are present, the process returns to step504. Otherwise, the process terminates.

Turning now toFIG. 6, a block diagram of a data processing system is depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Data processing system600may be used to implement computer system110and device106ofFIG. 1. In this illustrative example, data processing system600includes communications framework602, which provides communications between processor unit604, memory606, persistent storage608, communications unit610, input/output unit612, and display614. In this example, communication framework602may take the form of a bus system.

Processor unit604serves to process instructions for software that may be loaded into memory606. Processor unit604may be a number of processors, a multi-processor core, or some other type of processor, depending on the particular implementation.

Memory606and persistent storage608are examples of storage devices616. A storage device is any piece of hardware that is capable of storing information, such as, for example, without limitation, at least one of data, program code in functional form, or other suitable information either on a temporary basis, a permanent basis, or both on a temporary basis and a permanent basis. Storage devices616may also be referred to as computer-readable storage devices in these illustrative examples. Memory606, in these examples, may be, for example, a random access memory or any other suitable volatile or non-volatile storage device. Persistent storage608may take various forms, depending on the particular implementation.

For example, persistent storage608may contain one or more components or devices. For example, persistent storage608may be a hard drive, a solid state hard drive, a flash memory, a rewritable optical disk, a rewritable magnetic tape, or some combination of the above. The media used by persistent storage608also may be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage608.

Communications unit610, in these illustrative examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices. In these illustrative examples, communications unit610is a network interface card.

Input/output unit612allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to data processing system600. For example, input/output unit612may provide a connection for user input through at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, or some other suitable input device. Further, input/output unit612may send output to a printer. Display614provides a mechanism to display information to a user.

Instructions for at least one of the operating system, applications, or programs may be located in storage devices616, which are in communication with processor unit604through communications framework602. The processes of the different embodiments may be performed by processor unit604using computer-implemented instructions, which may be located in a memory, such as memory606.

These instructions are referred to as program code, computer-usable program code, or computer-readable program code that may be read and processed by a processor in processor unit604. The program code in the different embodiments may be embodied on different physical or computer-readable storage media, such as memory606or persistent storage608.

Program code618is located in a functional form on computer-readable media620that is selectively removable and may be loaded onto or transferred to data processing system600for processing by processor unit604. Program code618and computer-readable media620form computer program product622in these illustrative examples. In one example, computer-readable media620may be computer-readable storage media624or computer-readable signal media626.

In these illustrative examples, computer-readable storage media624is a physical or tangible storage device used to store program code618rather than a medium that propagates or transmits program code618. Alternatively, program code618may be transferred to data processing system600using computer-readable signal media626. Computer-readable signal media626may be, for example, a propagated data signal containing program code618. For example, computer-readable signal media626may be at least one of an electromagnetic signal, an optical signal, or any other suitable type of signal. These signals may be transmitted over at least one of communications links, such as wireless communications links, optical fiber cable, coaxial cable, a wire, or any other suitable type of communications link.

The different components illustrated for data processing system600are not meant to provide architectural limitations to the manner in which different embodiments may be implemented. The different illustrative embodiments may be implemented in a data processing system including components in addition to or in place of those illustrated for data processing system600. Other components shown inFIG. 6can be varied from the illustrative examples shown. The different embodiments may be implemented using any hardware device or system capable of running program code618.

Thus, the illustrative embodiments of the present invention provide a computer implemented method, computer system, and computer program product for managing media. A process identifies a configurable media item in the media for a user. A corresponding media item is searched for in a collection of media items for the user. The configurable media item is replaced with the corresponding media item in the collection of media items.

The content manager in one or more illustrative examples may be used to provide affinity for entertainment, such as movies. In another illustrative example, a content manager may be used to enhance affinity to other types of media, such as educational media used for teaching children to help them more effectively learn. In yet another example, the content manager may be used to increase affinity to do-it-yourself training videos.