Content Volume Throttling in Feed Aggregators

• US 20130191740A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Denise A., Grigsby, Travis M., Jenkins, Jana H., Livingston, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Methods and systems of managing feed items may involve receiving a feed item and determining an estimate of an amount of time to read the feed item. In addition, the feed item can be prioritized in a feed aggregator based at least in part on the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving a feed item;

determining a number of words in the feed item;

determining a content attribute associated with the feed item, wherein the content attribute includes at least one of a topic and a source of the feed item;

determine a feed usage pattern;

determining an estimate of an amount of time to read the feed item based on at least one of the number of words, the content attribute and the feed usage pattern;

determining a user availability threshold based on at least one of a user calendar and a first user input;

determining a content balance threshold based on at least one of the feed usage pattern and a second user input;

displaying the feed item in a feed aggregator if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item does not exceed the user availability threshold and the content attribute does not exceed the content balance threshold; and

modify a display characteristic of the feed item if either the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold or the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the display characteristic includes delaying a display time of the feed item.

3. The method of claim 2, further including determining whether the feed item is associated with a cyclical feed source, wherein the display time is delayed if the feed item is associated with the cyclical feed source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the display characteristic includes canceling a display time of the feed item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the display characteristic includes:

generating a summary of the feed item;

incorporating the summary of the feed item into a digest;

displaying the digest in the feed aggregator; and

preventing display of the feed item.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium, where, if executed by a processor, the computer usable code causes a computer to;

receive a feed item;

determine a number of words in the feed item;

determine a content attribute associated with the feed item, wherein the content attribute is to include at least one of a topic and a source of the feed item;

determine a feed usage pattern;

determine an estimate of an amount of time to read the feed item based on at least one of the number of words, the content attribute and the feed usage pattern;

determine a user availability threshold based on at least one of a user calendar and a first user input;

determine a content balance threshold based on at least one of the feed usage pattern and a second user input;

display the feed item in a feed aggregator if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item does not exceed the user availability threshold and the content attribute does not exceed the content balance threshold; and

modify a display characteristic of the feed item if either the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold or the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to delay a display time of the feed item if either the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold or the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to determine whether the feed item is associated with a cyclical feed source, wherein the display time is to be delayed if the feed item is associated with the cyclical feed source.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to cancel a display time of the feed item if either the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold or the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to:

generate a summary of the feed item if either the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold or the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold;

incorporate the summary of the feed item into a digest;

display the digest in the feed aggregator; and

prevent display of the feed item.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium; and

computer usable code stored on the computer readable storage medium, where, if executed by a processor, the computer usable code causes a computer to;

receive a feed item;

determine an estimate of an amount of time to read the feed item; and

prioritize the feed item in a feed aggregator based at least in part on the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to determine at least one of a feed usage pattern, a number of words in the feed item, and a content attribute, wherein the estimate is to be determined based on at least one of the feed usage pattern, the number of words, and the content attribute.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the content attribute is to include at least one of a topic and a source of the feed item.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to:

determine a user availability threshold;

display the feed item in the feed aggregator if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item does not exceed the user availability threshold; and

modify a display characteristic of the feed item if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to determine the user availability threshold based on at least one of a user calendar and a user input.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to delay a display time of the feed item if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to determine whether the feed item is associated with a cyclical feed source, wherein the display time is to be delayed if the feed item is associated with the cyclical feed source.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to cancel a display time of the feed item if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable code, if executed, causes a computer to:

generate a summary of the feed item if the estimate of the amount of time to read the feed item exceeds the user availability threshold;

incorporate the summary of the feed item into a digest;

display the digest in the feed aggregator; and

prevent display of the feed item.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer user code, if executed, causes a computer to:

determine a content balance threshold based on at least one of a feed usage pattern and a user input; and

identify a content attribute associated with the feed item, wherein the content attribute is to include at least one of a topic and a source of the feed item, wherein the feed item is to be displayed in the feed aggregator if the content attribute does not exceed the content balance threshold, and wherein the display characteristic of the feed item is to be modified if the content attribute exceeds the content balance threshold.