Automatic tracking of user progress in a software application

• US 7,032,229 B1
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Bostwick, Ben, Flores, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARESH N
• Application Number:
  US09/874,578
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 709/328, 709/322, 709/317, 709/318, 709/314, 709/312, 709224-228, 719/310, 719/328, 719330-332, 719312-317, 714/39, 714/38, 714/22, 455/404.2, 455/405, 455/406, 700/91, 702/63, 705/22, 705/10, 710 15- 18, 712/216, 713/340, 715/736, 715/826, 717/120, 717/127, 717128-130, 717/103, 717/108, 717/131
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

A method for automatically tracking application and content usage is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method first recites the step of accessing an application interface (API) call with a parameter specifying a first portion of content to be measured. For example, the amount of time for which the portion of content is used is measured. Next the method recites, in response to the accessed call, measuring usage for the first portion of content. Then, the method recites continuing to access API calls specifying additional portions of content to be measured until the program making the calls finishes execution. In this fashion, content usage is tracked. Application developers may determine, from the content usage, where users are getting stuck in a game or what segments of an electronic document are being viewed.

Claims

1. A method of tracking user progress in a software application, said method comprising:

a monitor program accessing a first application program interface (API) call from said software application;

wherein, said first API call providing a first content descriptor and a request to start measuring an amount of usage of the software application, and said user progress identifies the amount of usage of the software application by said user;

said monitor program incrementing a usage measure until receiving a second API call from said software application requesting to stop said measuring;

storing said usage measure and said first content descriptor in a computer readable medium, wherein said user progress is measured by said monitor program as directed by said software application;

said monitor program accessing a third API call from said software application, said third API call providing a second content descriptor and a provided measure of said user progress; and

storing said provided measure of said user progress and said second content descriptor in the computer readable medium, wherein said software application provides said provided measure of said user progress.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second content descriptors identify information selected from a group consisting of levels of a game, segments in an electronic document, and web pages.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said provided measure of user progress describes percent usage of content identified by said second content descriptor.

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

associating a unique identifier with said software application that identifies a program version.

5. A method of tracking user interaction with portions of a software application, said method comprising:

a monitor program accessing a first application program interface (API) from said software application;

wherein said first API call providing a first content descriptor identifying a first portion of the software application and a request to start measuring an amount of usage of said first portion, said tracking tracks progress in the software application by said user, and said progress identifies an amount of usage of the software application by said user;

said monitor program determining a first usage value for said first portion of content in response to said first API call;

said monitor program accessing a second API call from said software application comprising a second descriptor identifying a second portion of the software application and a request from the software application to start measuring an amount of usage of said second portion;

said monitor program determining a second usage value for said second portion of content in response to said second API call; and

storing, in a computer readable medium said first usage value and said second usage value associated respectively with said first descriptor and said second descriptor, wherein said first usage value and said second usage value define said user interaction with said first portion and said second portions of said software application.

6. The method as described in claim 5, further comprising:

accessing a third program call comprising a third descriptor identifying a third portion of the calling program and a third usage value for said third portion; and

storing said third usage value corresponding to said third descriptor.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein said third usage value is percent utilization of said third portion.

8. The method as described in claim 6, wherein said third descriptor identifies a level of a game.

9. The method as described in claim 6, wherein said third descriptor identifies a segment in an electronic document.

10. The method as described in claim 5, wherein said first and second descriptors identify levels of a game.

11. The method as described in claim 5, wherein said first and second descriptors identify segments in an electronic document.

12. The method as described in claim 5, further comprising:

transferring said first and second usage values to a repository; and

tabulating and reporting said first and second usage values.

13. The method as described in claim 5, further comprising:

associating a unique identifier with said software application that identifies a program version.

14. A method of tracking user progress in a software application executing on an electronic device, said method comprising:

an operating system running on said electronic device accessing a first application program interface (API) call from said software application;

wherein, said first API call providing a first content descriptor and a request to start measuring an amount of usage of the software application, and said user progress identifies the amount of usage of the software application by said user;

said first API call contains said request to measure said user progress;

said operating system incrementing a usage measure until receiving a second API call from said software application requesting to stop said measuring;

said operating system storing, in a computer readable medium on said electronic device, said usage measure and said first content descriptor, wherein said user progress in said software application is measured by said operating system as directed by said software application;

said operating system accessing a third API call from said software applicaition, said third API call providing a second content descriptor and a provided measure of said user progress; and

said operating system storing, in the computer readable medium on said electronic device, said measure of said user progress and said second content descriptor, wherein said provided measure of said user progress in said software application is provided by said software application.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein said measure of user progress describes percent usage of content identified by said content descriptor.

16. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said first and second descriptors identify levels of a game.

17. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said first and second descriptors identify segments in an electronic document.