Predicting the next application that you are going to use on aviate

• US 10,565,527 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Silvestri, Fabrizio, Baeza-Yates, Ricardo Alberto, Harrison, Beverly, Jiang, Di
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US15/947,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20180225594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 455418
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

In one embodiment, a current context of a mobile device may be ascertained, where the current context includes an indication of a last application opened via the mobile device, wherein the last application opened is one of a plurality of applications installed on the mobile device. A probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application under the current context may be determined, where the probability for at least a portion of the plurality of applications is determined by applying a computer-generated model to the current context. One or more of the plurality of the applications may be identified based, at least in part, upon the probability, for each one of the plurality of applications, that the user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

ascertaining a current context of a mobile device, the current context indicating a sequential pattern of two or more contexts, a first one of the two or more contexts including an indication of an action performed via the mobile device, the action being performed in relation to one of a plurality of applications installed on the mobile device, one or more additional contexts of the two or more contexts being at least one of prior to or subsequent to the action;

determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application under the current context, wherein the probability for at least a portion of the plurality of applications is determined by applying a computer-generated model to the current context; and

identifying one or more of the plurality of applications based, at least in part, upon the probability, for each one of the plurality of applications, that the user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

recommending the identified one or more of the plurality of applications, launching the identified one or more of the plurality of applications, or providing content pertaining to the identified one or more of the plurality of applications.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current context comprises a value associated with one or more of a Last Application Opened, Last Charge Cable, Last Audio Cable, Last Context Trigger, or a Last Context Pulled.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

collecting contextual information via the mobile device, the collected contextual information including a context pertaining to one or more actions detected via the mobile device, wherein at least one of the one or more actions pertains to usage of the at least a portion of the plurality of applications installed on the mobile device; and

training the computer-generated model using at least a portion of the collected contextual information.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of an application open action, a charge cable action, an audio cable action, a context trigger action, or a context pulled action.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the context indicates a specific sequential pattern of actions detected by the mobile device at least one of prior to one of the one or more actions or after the one of the one or more actions.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that a threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained; and

determining whether the newly installed application is a short-term application or a long-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon whether the newly installed application is a short-term application or a long-term application.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that a threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained; and

determining that the newly installed application is a short-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon historical data pertaining to a plurality of other mobile devices with respect to the particular one of the plurality of applications.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that a threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained; and

determining that the newly installed application is a long-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon historical data, the historical data pertaining to use of the plurality of applications on the mobile device and use of the particular one of the plurality of applications on other mobile devices.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, a second one of the two or more contexts indicating a second action detected by the mobile device at least one of prior to or subsequent to the detection of the action by the mobile device.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, the action being initiated by a user in relation to the one of the plurality of applications.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, the action being an application open event.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing thereon computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions being configured to;

ascertain whether a threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of at least a portion of a plurality of applications installed on a mobile device is available, the contextual information including a context pertaining to one or more actions detected via the mobile device;

determine a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application under a current context, based, at least in part, upon whether the threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of at least a portion of the plurality of applications installed on the mobile device is available; and

identify one or more of the plurality of applications based, at least in part, upon the corresponding probability, for each one of the plurality of applications, that the user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein ascertaining whether a threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of at least a portion of a plurality of applications installed on a mobile device is available comprises ascertaining that the threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of at least a portion of the plurality of applications installed on the mobile device is not available, and wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application, based, at least in part, upon whether the threshold amount of contextual information pertaining to usage of at least a portion of the plurality of applications installed on the mobile device is available comprises:

obtaining information associated with at least one other mobile device having applications installed thereon that include at least a portion of the plurality of applications; and

determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, based, at least in part, upon the information.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of an application open action, a location update action, a charge cable action, an audio cable action, a context trigger action, or a context pulled action.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the current context comprises one or more of a Last Application Opened, Last Charge Cable, Last Audio Cable, Last Context Trigger, Last Context Pulled, or a Last Application Open for each application installed on the mobile device.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, the computer-readable instructions being further configured to:

determine that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained or is limited; and

determine whether the newly installed application is a short-term application or a long-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon whether the newly installed application is a short-term application or a long-term application.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, the computer-readable instructions being further configured to:

determine that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained or is limited; and

determine that the newly installed application is a short-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon historical data pertaining to a plurality of other mobile devices with respect to the particular one of the plurality of applications.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, the computer-readable instructions being configured to:

determine that a particular one of the plurality of applications is a newly installed application such that contextual information pertaining to usage of the newly installed application on the mobile device cannot be ascertained or is limited; and

determine that the newly installed application is a long-term application;

wherein determining a probability, for each of the plurality of applications, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application includes ascertaining a probability that the user of the mobile device will use the newly installed application based, at least in part, upon historical data, wherein the historical data pertains to usage of the plurality of applications on the mobile device and usage of the particular one of the plurality of applications on other mobile devices.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, the computer-readable instructions being configured to:

recommend the identified one or more of the plurality of applications or provide content pertaining to the identified one or more of the plurality of applications.

18. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, the computer program instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more processors, the computer program instructions cause the one or more processors to:

ascertain a current context of a mobile device, the current context indicating a sequential pattern of two or more contexts, a first one of the two or more contexts including an indication of an action detected via the mobile device, one or more additional contexts of the two or more contexts being at least one of prior to or subsequent to the action;

determine a probability, for each of a plurality of applications installed on the mobile device, that a user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application under the current context, wherein the probability for at least a portion of the plurality of applications is determined by applying a computer-generated model to the current context; and

identify one or more of the plurality of applications based, at least in part, upon the probability, for each one of the plurality of applications, that the user of the mobile device will use the corresponding application.

19. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, the computer program instructions being further configured to:

recommend the identified one or more of the plurality of applications, launch the identified one or more of the plurality of applications, or provide content pertaining to the identified one or more of the plurality of applications.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the current context comprises a value associated with one or more of a Last Application Opened, Last Charge Cable, Last Audio Cable, Last Context Trigger, or Last Context Pulled.