	US 12,114,047 B1
	Skipping to playback positions in media content using seek guides
Erik Johan Curcio Lindström, Stockholm (SE)
Assigned to Spotify AB, Stockholm (SE)
Filed by Spotify AB, Stockholm (SE)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/456,157.
Int. Cl. H04N 21/845 (2011.01); H04N 21/472 (2011.01)

CPC H04N 21/47217 (2013.01) [H04N 21/8456 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A method for determining skip positions in media content items, the method comprising:

associating one or more seek guides with a media content item, each of the one or more seek guides including a position;

defining two or more regions within the media content item;

receiving a request from a user to skip within the media content item, the request including a direction to skip; and

setting a new playback position based on an initial playback position and the two or more regions, wherein when the initial playback position is within a first region of the two or more regions, the new playback position is set by:

calculating a probability for at least one of the one or more seek guides using a probabilistic distribution positioned based on a reference position, wherein the reference position is a predetermined time away from the initial playback position in the direction to skip;

ranking the at least one of the one or more seek guides based on the calculated probabilities;

selecting a seek guide from the one or more seek guides based on the ranking; and

setting the new playback position based on the position of the selected seek guide.