Cloud-Based Custom Metric/Timer Definitions and Real-Time Analytics of Mobile Applications

• US 20150067527A1
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Soasta Incorporated (Akamai Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gardner, Kenneth C., Broda, Tal, Solnit, Matthew, Sharma, Mukul, Cosby, Kendall, Jackson, Tana C., Bubenheim, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A method for real-time capture of analytics from real users of a native mobile application (app) includes storing a custom metric/timer definition for a native mobile application (app) in a configuration file on a server. The custom metric/timer definition includes one or more identifiers of an element or object of the native mobile app selected by touch gesture input via a user interface on a mobile device running the native mobile app in a special mode. The configuration file is downloaded from the server to real users running the native mobile app on associated mobile devices. Immediately thereafter, one or more collector servers receive data beaconed in real-time from the associated mobile devices of the real users. The beaconed data includes custom metric/timer data obtained from the custom metric/timer definition.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for real-time capture of analytics from real users of a native mobile application (app) comprising:

storing a custom metric/timer definition for the native mobile app in a configuration file on a server, the custom metric/timer definition including one or more identifiers of an element or object of the native mobile app selected by touch gesture input via a user interface on a mobile device running the native mobile app in a special mode;

downloading the configuration file to real users running the native mobile app on associated mobile devices, and, immediately thereafter,

receiving, at one or more collector servers, data beaconed in real-time from the associated mobile devices of the real users, the beaconed data including custom metric/timer data obtained from the custom metric/timer definition, the downloading and receiving occurring without any change to the native mobile app.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the downloading comprises:

sending the configuration file from the server to the one or more collector servers; and

downloading the configuration file from the one or more collector servers to the associated mobile devices in response to polling requests received from the associated mobile devices.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein each polling request is sent on a periodic basis.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising launching a configuration user interface (UI) for the native mobile app on a computing device, the configuration UI allowing a business user to select a session for defining the custom metric/timer definition via the touch gesture input.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the mobile device is associated with a business user, and further comprising launching, responsive to the session selection, a device agent which runs the native mobile app in the special mode on the mobile device, the device agent allowing the business user to use the touch gesture input to select the one or more identifiers of the element or object in the native mobile app which appears on a touch screen of the mobile device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the custom metric/timer data comprises metric data obtained responsive to an action input received on the associated mobile device of the real user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the custom metric/timer data comprises metric data obtained responsive to a conditional change in an application state of the native mobile app.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the custom metric/timer data comprises timer data obtained responsive to start timer and stop timer criteria.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising aggregating the data received at one or more collector servers in a database accessible to a computer that generates a real-time analytic dashboard that includes one or more visual indicators representative of the custom metric/timer data obtained.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the one or more visual indicators comprises an intersection of a business metric and a performance metric collected in real-time from all of the real users currently running the native mobile app.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein the intersection includes a graphical chart of bounce rate as a function of load time.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, operable to:

store a custom metric/timer definition for a native mobile application (app) in a configuration file on a server, the custom metric/timer definition including one or more identifiers of an element or object of the native mobile app selected by touch gesture input via a user interface on a mobile device running the native mobile app in a special mode;

download the configuration file from the server to real users running the native mobile app on associated mobile devices, and, immediately thereafter,

receive, at one or more collector servers, data beaconed in real-time from the associated mobile devices of the real users, the beaconed data including custom metric/timer data obtained from the custom metric/timer definition, the downloading and receiving occurring without any change to the native mobile app.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein execution of the computer instructions is further operable to:

send the configuration file from the server to the one or more collector servers; and

download the configuration file from the one or more collector servers to the associated mobile devices in response to polling requests received from the associated mobile devices.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein each polling request is sent on a periodic basis.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein execution of the computer instructions is further operable to launch a configuration user interface (UI) for the native mobile app on a computing device, the configuration UI allowing a business user to select a session for defining the custom metric/timer definition via the touch gesture input.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein execution of the computer instructions is further operable to launch, responsive to the session selection, a device agent which runs the native mobile app in the special mode on the mobile device, the device agent allowing the business user to use the touch gesture input to select the one or more identifiers of the element or object in the native mobile app which appears on a touch screen of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the custom metric/timer data is obtained responsive to an action input received on the associated mobile device of the real user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the custom metric/timer data is obtained responsive to a conditional change in an application state of the native mobile app.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the custom metric/timer data comprises timer data obtained responsive to start timer and stop timer criteria.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein execution of the computer instructions is further operable to aggregate the data received at one or more collector servers in a database accessible to a computer that generates a real-time analytic dashboard that includes one or more visual indicators representative of the custom metric/timer data obtained.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the one or more visual indicators comprises an intersection of a business metric and a performance metric collected in real-time from all of the real users currently running the native mobile app.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21 wherein the intersection includes a graphical chart of bounce rate as a function of load time.