Determining user engagement

• US 10,055,756 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Greenzeiger, Michael Froimowitz, Bredenberg, Steven C., Bullen, Christopher John Foster, Lay, Mark C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US14/057,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for determining user engagement levels during a presentation of content. The system first collects data associated with a user session at a client device. Next, the system predicts a user engagement level during the user session by applying an engagement predicting rule to the data. The system can predicts respective user engagement levels for various segments of the presentation by applying one or more engagement predicting rules to the data. The system then presents invitational content based on the user engagement level.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying, using a processor device, content for presentation at a mobile device, the content stored at one or more content servers included in a network;

initiating, using the processor device, transmission of the content to the mobile device;

determining, based on data collected during a user session at the mobile device, a type of the content presented at the mobile device during the user session and an amount or type of user inputs with the content at the mobile device during the user session, wherein the type of the content either solicits or does not solicit user input;

determining, via the processor device , a user engagement level during the user session based on one or more engagement predicting rules which define user engagement levels based on the type of content presented at the mobile device during the user session and the amount or type of user inputs with the content at the mobile device during the user session; and

determining, using the processor device, whether to present a specific media content item selected from the one or more content servers, the specific media item selected based on a content triggering rule, the content triggering rule comprising;

a first instruction to present the specific media content item at the mobile device during the user session when the user engagement level exceeds a threshold engagement level; and

a second instruction to forego presenting the specific media content item at the mobile device during the user session when the user engagement level does not exceed the threshold engagement level.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises sensor data, and wherein calculating the user engagement level comprises:

comparing the sensor data with at least one predetermined threshold value to identify a mobile device movement status.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the mobile device movement status indicates that the mobile device is at least one of stationary, being held, in user propelled motion, or traveling in a vehicle.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein calculating the user engagement level further comprises:

determining engagement with content at the mobile device during at least a portion of the user session when the mobile device movement status indicates that the mobile device is being held.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein calculating the user engagement level further comprises:

determining engagement with content at the mobile device during at least a portion of the user session when the mobile device movement status indicates that the mobile device is stationary and the type of content presented at the mobile device during the user session comprises video content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein calculating the user engagement level further comprises:

determining engagement with content at the mobile device during at least a portion of the user session when the mobile device movement status indicates that the mobile device is stationary and the amount or type of user inputs indicates a user input within a threshold period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of accelerometer data, gyroscope data, and global positioning system (GPS) data.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

identifying content for presentation at a mobile device, the content stored at one or more content servers deployed in a network;

initiating transmission of the content to the mobile device;

collecting data associated with a presentation of content at a mobile device, the data comprising at least one of sensor data indicating a motion status of the mobile device, data indicating an amount or type of user inputs during the presentation and data indicating a content type being an active content type to solicit user input or an inactive content type to not solicit user input;

determining a user engagement level with the content during the presentation based on one or more engagement level predicting rules which define user engagement levels based on the motion status of the mobile device, the amount or type of user inputs during the presentation, and the content type;

determining whether to present a selected media content item during the presentation based on a content triggering rule, the content triggering rule comprising;

a first instruction to present the selected media content item at the mobile device during the presentation when the user engagement level exceeds a threshold engagement level; and

a second instruction to forego presenting the selected media content item at the mobile device during the presentation when the user engagement level does not exceed the threshold engagement level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more engagement level predicting rules indicate active engagement with the presentation during a period when no user inputs interacting with the content are received at the mobile device when the content type is the active content type and video content.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data is collected at periodic intervals during the presentation of content.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more engagement level predicting rules indicate active engagement with the presentation of content when the data indicates that the amount or type of user inputs during the presentation comprise at least one touch gesture.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, result in an operation further comprising:

pausing the presentation of content in response to determining, based on the user engagement level, no engagement with the presentation of content; and

resuming the presentation of content when a subsequent user engagement level calculated at a later period of time during the presentation indicates interaction or engagement with the presentation of content.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the user engagement level exceeds the threshold engagement level when the motion status indicates that the mobile device is being held.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion status indicates that the mobile device is being held when the sensor data identifies that the mobile device is moving below a threshold amount.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, result in an operation further comprising identifying the selected media content item for the presentation of content based on the user engagement level.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying content for presentation at a mobile device, the content stored at one or more content servers included in a network;

initiating transmission of the content to the mobile device;

receiving data associated with the presentation of the content at the mobile device, the data comprising at least one of sensor data indicating a motion status of the mobile device, data indicating an amount or type of user inputs during the presentation, and data indicating a content type being an active content type to solicit user input or an inactive content type to not solicit user input; and

determining a user engagement level during the presentation based on one or more engagement level predicting rules which define user engagement levels based on the motion status of the mobile device, the amount or type of user inputs during the presentation, and the content type; and

determining whether to present a selected media content item during the presentation based on a content triggering rule, the content triggering rule comprising;

a first instruction to present the selected media content item at the mobile device during the presentation when the user engagement level exceeds a threshold engagement level; and

a second instruction to forego presenting the selected media content item at the mobile device during the presentation when the user engagement level does not exceed the threshold engagement level.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in an operation further comprising updating a user profile associated with the mobile device to reflect the user engagement level for the presentation of the content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in an operation further comprising blacklisting a content item when the user profile includes a user engagement level of inactive associated with the content item.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, result in an operation further comprising prioritizing a plurality of content items based on the user engagement level.