APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REPRESENTING A LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AN AVAILABLE ITEM

• US 20120078684A1
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: MACIOCCI, Giuliano, MABBUTT, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/216,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A method and apparatus for representing a level of interest in at least one available item includes determining a release date for one or more applications and calculating a level of interest for each of the one or more applications. Calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications. The method and apparatus further include generating a user interface configured to represent the level of interest in the one or more applications based on the determined release date, and providing the user interface to a mobile device. Additionally, in optional aspects, a personalized level of interest may be calculated based on access to user information for one or more available items.

Claims

1. A method for representing a level of interest in an available item, the method comprising:

determining a release date for one or more applications;

calculating a level of interest for each of the one or more applications, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications;

generating a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in each of the one or more applications based on the determined release date; and

providing the user interface to a mobile device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein media includes social media, and wherein searching the media for discussion of each of the one or more applications includes determining a number of times that each of the one or more applications is named in the media.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the level of interest further includes determining at least one of a number of downloads or a number of purchases for each of the one or more applications.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving personal information from the mobile device; and

calculating a personalized level of interest for one or more available items based on the received personal information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein receiving personal information from the mobile device includes receiving at least one of login credentials for a social network, contact list information, or location information.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein receiving personal information from the mobile device includes receiving login credentials for a social network of a user of the mobile device, the method further comprising:

searching the social network of the user to determine the level of interest in the one or more available items based on the social network of the user.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein receiving personal information from the mobile device includes receiving contact list information identifying one or more contacts, the method further comprising:

searching for purchases of any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts; and

searching for comments regarding any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein calculating the level of interest for the one or more available items includes:

determining a number of overall downloads, A, for each of the one or more available items;

determining a number of downloads made by one or more contacts of a user, B; and

calculating the level of interest for each of the one or more available items by calculating A−

B+x(B), wherein x is a numerical multiplier to weight the level of interest based on the one or more contacts of the user.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising configuring the user interface to display an icon for each of the one or more available items at a level corresponding to the level of interest for the content.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising configuring the user interface to display a stack of minimized icons for available items having overlapping levels of interest.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising configuring the user interface to zoom to enlarge the stack of minimized icons, including increasing a vertical scale of a display without increasing a horizontal scale of the display.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising configuring the user interface to:

display detailed information regarding a first available item, upon receiving a selection of a first available item; and

download the first available item, upon receiving an instruction to download the first available item via the display of detailed information.

13. At least one processor configured to represent a level of interest in an available item, the processor comprising:

a first module for determining a release date for one or more applications;

a second module for calculating a level of interest for each of the one or more applications, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications;

a third module for generating a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in each of the one or more applications based on the determined release date; and

a fourth module for providing the user interface to a mobile device.

14. A computer program product to represent a level of interest in an available item, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to determine a release date for one or more applications;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to calculate a level of interest for each of the one or more applications, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications;

at least one instruction for causing the computer to generate a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in each of the one or more applications based on the determined release date; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to provide the user interface to a mobile device.

15. An apparatus to represent a level of interest in an available item, comprising:

means for determining a release date for one or more applications;

means for calculating a level of interest for each of one or more applications, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications;

means for generating a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in each of the one or more applications based on the determined release date; and

means for providing the user interface to a mobile device.

16. An apparatus to represent a level of interest in an available item, comprising:

an application interest level generation component configured to determine a release date for one or more applications, calculate a level of interest for each of the one or more applications, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching media for discussion of each of the one or more applications, and generate a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in each of the one or more applications based on the determined release date; and

a transmitter configured to provide the user interface to a mobile device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein media includes social media, and wherein searching the media for discussion of each of the one or more applications includes determining a number of times that each of the one or more applications is named in the media.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein calculating the level of interest further includes determining at least one of a number of downloads or a number of purchases for each of the one or more applications.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the application interest level generation component is further configured to receive personal information from the mobile device and to calculate a personalized level of interest for one or more available items based on the received personal information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the personal information includes at least one of login credentials for a social network, contact list information, or location information.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the personal information from the mobile device includes login credentials for a social network of a user of the mobile device, and wherein the application interest level generation component is further configured to search the social network of the user to determine the level of interest in the one or more available items based on the social network of the user.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the personal information includes contact list information identifying one or more contacts, and wherein the application interest level generation component is further configured to search for purchases of any of the one or more available items by any of the one of more contacts and search for comments regarding any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein calculating the level of interest for the one or more available items includes:

determining a number of overall downloads, A, for each of the one or more available items;

determining a number of downloads made by the one or more contacts of a user, B; and

calculating the level of interest by calculating A−

B+x(B), wherein x is a numerical multiplier to weight the level of interest based on the one or more contacts of the user.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the user interface is configured to display an icon for each of the one or more available items at a level corresponding to the level of interest for the content.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a stack of minimized icons for available items having overlapping levels of interest.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the user interface is further configured to zoom to enlarge the stack of minimized icons, including increasing a vertical scale of a display without increasing a horizontal scale of the display.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the user interface is further configured to display detailed information regarding a first available item, upon receiving a selection of a first available item and to download the first available item, upon receiving an instruction to download the first available item via the display of detailed information.

28. A method for obtaining a level of interest in an available item, the method comprising:

receiving a user interface configured to represent the level of interest in one or more applications based on a release date, wherein the level of interest for each of the one or more applications is calculated based on a media search for discussion of each of the one or more applications; and

presenting the received user interface on a display.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the media search identifies media that includes social media, and wherein searching the media for discussion of each of the one or more applications includes determining a number of times that each of the one or more applications is named in the media.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the level of interest is further calculated based on a determination of at least one of a number of downloads or a number of purchases for each of the one or more applications.

31. The method according to claim 28, wherein the user interface is further configured to illustrate the level of interest in content, the method further comprising:

providing access to personal information, wherein the user interface is further configured to illustrate a personalized level of interest in one or more available items based on the received personal information.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein providing access to personal information includes providing access to at least one of login credentials for a social network, contact list information, or location information.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein providing access to personal information includes providing access to login credentials for a social network of a user of a mobile device, wherein calculating the level of interest includes searching the social network of the user to determine the level of interest in the one or more available items based on the social network of the user.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein providing access to personal information includes providing access to contact list information identifying one or more contacts, wherein the level of interest is further calculated based on a search for purchases of any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts;

and a search for comments regarding any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts.

35. The method according to claim 31, wherein the level of interest is calculated based on:

determining a number of overall downloads, A, for each of the one or more available items;

determining a number of downloads made by one or more contacts of a user, B; and

calculating the level of interest by calculating A−

B+x(B), wherein x is a numerical multiplier to weight the level of interest based on the one or more contacts of the user.

36. The method according to claim 31, further comprising:

displaying an icon for each of the one or more available items at a level corresponding to the level of interest for the content.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

displaying a stack of minimized icons for available items having overlapping levels of interest.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising zooming to enlarge the stack of minimized icons, including increasing a vertical scale of the display without increasing a horizontal scale of the display.

39. The method according to claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a first available item;

displaying detailed information regarding the first available item;

receiving an instruction to download the first available item via the detailed display of information; and

downloading the first available item.

40. At least one processor configured to obtain a level of interest in at least one available item, the processor comprising:

a first module for receiving a user interface configured to represent the level of interest in one or more applications based on a release date, wherein the level of interest for each of the one or more applications is calculated based on a media search for discussion of each of the one or more applications; and

a second module for presenting the received user interface on a display.

41. A computer program product to obtain a level of interest in at least one available item, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

at least one instruction for causing a computer to receive a user interface configured to represent the level of interest in one or more applications based on a release date, wherein the level of interest for each of the one or more application is calculated based on a media search for discussion of each of the one or more applications; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to present the received user interface on a display.

42. An apparatus to obtain a level of interest in at least one available item, comprising:

means for receiving a user interface configured to represent the level of interest in one or more applications based on a release date, wherein the level of interest for each of the one or more applications is calculated based on a media search for discussion of each of the one or more applications; and

means for presenting the received user interface on a display.

43. An apparatus to obtain a level of interest in at least one available item, comprising:

a communications component configured to receive a user interface configured to illustrate the level of interest in one or more applications based on a release date, wherein the level of interest for each of the one or more applications is calculated based on a media search for discussion of each of the one or more applications; and

a display configured to present the received user interface.

44. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein media includes social media, and wherein the media search includes searching the media for discussion of each of the one or more applications including determining a number of times that each of the one or more applications is named in the media.

45. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the level of interest is further calculated based on a determination of at least one of a number of downloads or a number of purchases for each of the one or more applications.

46. The apparatus according to claim 43, wherein the user interface is further configured to illustrate the level of interest in content, the apparatus further comprising:

a user information component configured to provide access to personal information, wherein the user interface is further configured to illustrate a personalized level of interest in one or more available items based on the received personal information.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the personal information includes at least one of login credentials for a social network, contact list information, or location information.

48. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the personal information includes login credentials for a social network of a user of a mobile device, and wherein the level of interest is further based on a search of the social network of the user to determine the level of interest in the one or more available items based on the social network of the user.

49. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the personal information includes contact list information identifying one or more contacts, wherein the level of interest is further based on a search for purchases of any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts and a search for comments regarding any of the one or more available items by any of the one or more contacts.

50. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the level of interest is calculated based on:

determining a number of overall downloads, A, for each of the one or more available items;

determining a number of downloads made by one or more contacts of a user, B; and

calculating the level of interest by calculating A−

B+x(B), wherein x is a numerical multiplier to weight the level of interest based on the one or more contacts of the user.

51. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the user interface is configured to display an icon for each of the one or more available items at a level corresponding to the level of interest for the content.

52. The apparatus according to claim 51, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a stack of minimized icons for available items having overlapping levels of interest.

53. The apparatus according to claim 52, wherein the user interface is further configured to zoom to enlarge the stack of minimized icons, including increasing a vertical scale of the display without increasing a horizontal scale of the display.

54. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the user interface is further configured to:

receive a selection of a first available item;

display detailed information regarding the first available item;

receive an instruction to download the first available item via the detailed display of information; and

download the first available item.