Estimating social interest in time-based media

Abstract

Social media content items are mapped to relevant time-based media events. These mappings may be used as the basis for multiple applications, such as ranking of search results for time-based media, automatic recommendations for time-based media, prediction of audience interest for media purchasing/planning, and estimating social interest in the time-based media. Social interest in time-based media (e.g., video and audio streams and recordings) segments is estimated through a process of data ingestion and integration. The estimation process determines social interest in specific events represented as segments in time-based media, such as particular plays in a sporting event, scenes in a television show, or advertisements in an advertising block. The resulting estimates of social interest also can be graphically displayed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing system, a plurality of content items authored by respective users of a social networking system;   receiving, by the computing system and from a user computing device, information identifying multiple media events;   calculating a respective event-specific confidence score for each content item in the plurality of content items and for each media event in the one or more media events, the event-specific confidence score calculated for a content item and a media event indicating a probability that the content item is relevant to the media event;   computing a respective interest level of social interest in each media event as a weighted aggregation of the event-specific confidence scores of the plurality of content items calculated for the media event;   generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element that includes a set of indicators, each indicator being associated with a different media event and visually depicting the interest level computed for the associated media event,
 wherein a first indicator in the set of indicators has a visual feature that makes the first indicator visually distinct from a second indicator in the set of indicators, the first indicator being associated with a first media event, and the second indicator being associated with a second media event different from the first media event; and 
   transmitting the GUI element to the user computing device for display.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the media events are categorized based on types of events, and
 wherein the first indicator is categorized into a first event type of events, and the second indicator is categorized into a second type of events.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the types of events include one or more of sport events, advertisements, television shows, news reports, movies, concert performances, live event shows, serials, or audio recordings. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the visual feature includes at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern that is used to depict the first indicator. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each media event in the multiple media events is associated with a respective time segment, wherein a time segment associated with a media event indicates that the media event was broadcasted over the time segment or that the media event represents an event that happened during the time segment. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the GUI element presents the set of indicators chronologically across a timeline, each indicator presenting a beginning of the time segment of a respective media event associated with the indicator. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a level of social interest in a media event is presented by a height of a respective indicator associated with the media event, or by at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern scale depicted by the respective indicator. 
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a plurality of content items authored by respective users of a social networking system;   receiving, from a user computing device, information identifying multiple media events;   calculating a respective event-specific confidence score for each content item in the plurality of content items and for each media event in the one or more media events, the event-specific confidence score calculated for a content item and a media event indicating a probability that the content item is relevant to the media event;   computing a respective interest level of social interest in each media event as a weighted aggregation of the event-specific confidence scores of the plurality of content items calculated for the media event;   generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element that includes a set of indicators, each indicator being associated with a different media event and visually depicting the interest level computed for the associated media event,
 wherein a first indicator in the set of indicators has a visual feature that makes the first indicator visually distinct from a second indicator in the set of indicators, the first indicator being associated with a first media event, and the second indicator being associated with a second media event different from the first media event; and 
   transmitting the GUI element to the user computing device for display.   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the media events are categorized based on types of events, and
 wherein the first indicator is categorized into a first event type of events, and the second indicator is categorized into a second type of events.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the types of events include one or more of sport events, advertisements, television shows, news reports, movies, concert performances, live event shows, serials, or audio recordings. 
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the visual feature includes at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern that is used to depict the first indicator. 
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein each media event in the multiple media events is associated with a respective time segment, wherein a time segment associated with a media event indicates that the media event was broadcasted over the time segment or that the media event represents an event that happened during the time segment. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the GUI element presents the set of indicators chronologically across a timeline, each indicator presenting a beginning of the time segment of a respective media event associated with the indicator. 
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein a level of social interest in a media event is presented by a height of a respective indicator associated with the media event, or by at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern scale depicted by the respective indicator. 
     
     
         35 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a plurality of content items authored by respective users of a social networking system; 
 receiving, from a user computing device, information identifying multiple media events; 
 calculating a respective event-specific confidence score for each content item in the plurality of content items and for each media event in the one or more media events, the event-specific confidence score calculated for a content item and a media event indicating a probability that the content item is relevant to the media event; 
 computing a respective interest level of social interest in each media event as a weighted aggregation of the event-specific confidence scores of the plurality of content items calculated for the media event; 
 generating a graphical user interface (GUI) element that includes a set of indicators, each indicator being associated with a different media event and visually depicting the interest level computed for the associated media event,
 wherein a first indicator in the set of indicators has a visual feature that makes the first indicator visually distinct from a second indicator in the set of indicators, the first indicator being associated with a first media event, and the second indicator being associated with a second media event different from the first media event; and 
 
 transmitting the GUI element to the user computing device for display. 
   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the media events are categorized based on types of events, and
 wherein the first indicator is categorized into a first event type of events, and the second indicator is categorized into a second type of events.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the types of events include one or more of sport events, advertisements, television shows, news reports, movies, concert performances, live event shows, serials, or audio recordings. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the visual feature includes at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern that is used to depict the first indicator. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein each media event in the multiple media events is associated with a respective time segment, wherein a time segment associated with a media event indicates that the media event was broadcasted over the time segment or that the media event represents an event that happened during the time segment. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the GUI element presents the set of indicators chronologically across a timeline, each indicator presenting a beginning of the time segment of a respective media event associated with the indicator. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein a level of social interest in a media event is presented by a height of a respective indicator associated with the media event, or by at least one of a color, an intensity, a texture, or a pattern scale depicted by the respective indicator.