System and Method for Capturing Interaction Data Relating to a Host Application

• US 20140280517A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ForeSee Results Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: White, Alexei R., Han, Michael, Leung, Ho Yan, Cohen, Mitchell A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,961,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Systems and methods for capturing interaction data relating to a host application (app) implemented on a mobile device are disclosed. A tracking module is embedded in the host application. Interaction data relating to the host application is captured on the mobile device with the tracking module. The captured interaction data is transmitted from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

embedding a tracking module in a host application that is implemented on a mobile device;

capturing with the tracking module interaction data relating to the host application; and

transmitting the captured interaction data from the mobile device to a tracking server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the interaction data includes capturing visual interaction data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein capturing the visual interaction data includes capturing an image presented on a display of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein capturing the image includes capturing a change to the image wherein the change is initiated by a user.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein capturing the image includes capturing a change to the image wherein the change is initiated by the host application independent of a user.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein capturing the visual interaction data includes referencing user interface objects of the host application.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein capturing the visual interaction data includes capturing the visual interaction data according to a swizzling technique.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the interaction data includes capturing non-visual interaction data and visual interaction data.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the interaction data includes capturing non-visual interaction data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein capturing the non-visual interaction data includes capturing meta-data comprising at least one of touch-event data, gesture data, GPS coordinate data, audio data, accelerometer data, orientation data, camera data, barometer data, and compass data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the interaction data includes capturing a time associated with the interaction data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the interaction data includes accessing a user interface (UI) thread during a predetermined period of time with the tracking module.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein capturing the interaction data includes utilizing a second thread that is independent of the UI thread.

14. The method of claim 1 further including measuring with the tracking module a period of time required to capture the interaction data.

15. The method of claim 14 further including utilizing the tracking module to dynamically alter a frequency at which the interaction data is captured based on the measured period of time required to the capture interaction data.

16. The method of claim 1 further including capturing with the tracking module data representing the availability of resources of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16 further including utilizing the tracking module to dynamically alter a frequency at which the interaction data is captured based on the captured data representing the availability of resources of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1 further including storing the captured interaction data to a buffer.

19. The method of claim 18 further including retrieving with the tracking module the captured interaction data from the buffer.

20. The method of claim 1 further including processing the captured interaction data with the tracking module in preparation for transmission.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein processing the captured interaction data includes encoding captured interaction data.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein encoding the captured interaction data includes compressing the captured interaction data into a video.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein encoding the captured interaction data includes applying an image differencing process to capture visual differences between sequential interaction data.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the captured interaction data includes transmitting the captured interaction data upon occurrence of a predetermined event including at least one of a lapse of a predetermined threshold of time, a detection of a predetermined network connection, a detection of a command or status of the mobile device, an acceptance of an invitation to complete a survey, and a completion of a survey.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the captured interaction data is initiated by the tracking module.

26. The method of claim 1 further including utilizing the tracking module to mask portions of the captured interaction data before transmission.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the captured interaction data on the tracking server;

converting the captured interaction data received on the tracking server into a visual representation;

requesting with an analysis computer the visual representation from the tracking server; and

presenting the requested visual representation on the analysis computer.

28. A system comprising:

a host application implemented on a mobile device; and

a tracking module embedded in said host application and configured to capture interaction data relating to said host application.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said tracking module is an application programming interface (API).

30. The system of claim 28 wherein said tracking module is dependent upon said host application such that said tracking module is not a stand-alone application.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein said interaction data includes a change to an image presented on a display of the mobile device.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said change is initiated by a user.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein said change is initiated by said host application independent of a user.

34. The system of claim 28 wherein said interaction data includes non-visual interaction data including at least one of a touch-event, gesture data, GPS coordinate data, audio data, accelerometer data, orientation data, camera data, barometer data, and compass data.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein said tracking module includes an encoder configured to encode said interaction data.

36. The system of claim 28 including a transmitter configured to transmit said captured interaction data from the mobile device.

37. The system of claim 31 further including:

a tracking server configured to receive said captured interaction data from the mobile device and convert said captured interaction data into a visual representation; and

an analysis computer configured to request said visual representation from said tracking server and present said requested visual representation.