Communication device usage event profiling

• US 7,801,518 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Urbanek, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho; Un C
• Application Number:
  US11/449,078
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/405, 455/407, 455/408, 455/425, 455/343.5, 709/224
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/553 Data upload
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile

Abstract

The issues introduced above are addressed by, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention, a communication device that includes various hardware and software components. The communication device also comprises instrumentation logic that detects the occurrences of various user usage events and logs such events. The usage events impart information about how a user is actually using the communication device. The logged usage event information can be transmitted to a server (e.g., a data center) for subsequent storage and/or analysis. User behavior profiles can thus be analyzed to determine, for example, services that users seem to prefer.

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising:

a radio to facilitate two-way communications;

a processor coupled to said radio; and

instrumentation logic coupled to said processor, said instrumentation logic comprises a plurality of usage event detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of software layers of said communication device including a plurality selected from the group consisting of;

a presentation layer;

an application layer;

a middleware layer; and

an operating system, and each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects usage events associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of software layers of said communication device, each usage event pertaining to how a user uses said communication device, wherein the usage events associated with the presentation layer comprise one or more usage events selected from a group of usage events consisting of changing a font size, changing a display color, and changing a graphical user interface preference, and wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects at least one different usage event.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the usage events include usage of content downloaded from a first provider and usage of content downloaded from a second, different provider.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the usage event is in a set consisting of a user-initiated change to display preferences, a user-initiated change to alert settings, a user-initiated change to a ring tone, an execution of a downloaded application, and a user action taken within an application running on the communication device.

4. The communication device of claim 1 wherein said instrumentation logic logs said usage events.

5. The communication device of claim 4 wherein said instrumentation logic transfers the logged usage events to a system that is separate from said communication device.

6. The communication device of claim 5 wherein said instrumentation logic causes a first type of usage events to be transferred to the system within a defined time period following their occurrence and said instrumentation logic causes a second type of usage events to be transferred to the system at predefined time intervals.

7. The communication device of claim 1 wherein said instrumentation logic comprises a client executed by said processor to enable and disable at least portions of said instrumentation logic.

8. The communication device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of usage event detectors is associated with and detects usage events associated with said operating system.

9. The communication device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of usage event detectors is associated with and detects usage events associated with said application layer.

10. The communication device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of usage event detectors is associated with and detects usage events associated with said presentation layer.

11. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the usage events pertain to using downloaded content on said communication device, using a network-accessible service on said communication device, changing settings for said communication device, or changing an operational status of said communication device.

12. A system separate from, and adapted to, communicate with a communication device, comprising:

a provider configured to make content or a service accessible to the communication device; and

a device registry accessible to said provider to store usage event data collected by a plurality of usage event detectors on said communication device and transmitted to said system from said communication device, said usage event data associated with an operating system and a middleware layer of said communication device and said usage event data indicative of how a user of said communication device has used the content or the service made accessible by the provider to said communication device, the content or the service associated with the operating system or the middleware layer, wherein said usage event data associated with the operating system is collected by one of the plurality of usage event detectors and said usage event data associated with the middleware layer is collected by a different one of the plurality of usage event detectors, and wherein said usage event data associated with the operating system differs at least in part from said usage event data associated with the middleware layer.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said device registry also stores information pertaining to whether the provider has provided content or a service to the communication device.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second provider configured to make content or a service accessible to the communication device, wherein said device registry also stores usage event data pertaining to how a user of said communication device has used the content or the service made accessible by the second provider of said communication device.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting usage events with a plurality of usage event detectors, each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of software layers of a communication device including a plurality selected from the group consisting of;

an operating system;

a middleware layer;

an application layer; and

a presentation layer, and each detects at least one different usage event, said usage events comprising changing settings for the communication device and using downloaded content on the communication device, wherein the usage events associated with the middleware layer comprise one or more usage events selected from the group of usage events consisting of a count of a number of times an application is run, an indication of a first execution of an application, and an indication of a last execution of an application;

storing usage event data on said communication device, said usage event data indicative of said detected usage events; and

transferring said usage event data to a system separate from said communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage events include usage of content downloaded from a first provider and usage of content downloaded from a second, different provider.

17. A communication device, comprising:

a radio to facilitate two-way communications;

a processor coupled to said radio; and

instrumentation logic coupled to said processor, said instrumentation logic comprises a plurality of usage event detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of software layers of said communication device including a plurality selected from the group consisting of;

a presentation layer;

an application layer;

a middleware layer; and

an operating system, and each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects usage events associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of software layers of said communication device, each usage event pertaining to how a user uses said communication device, wherein the usage events associated with the application layer comprise one or more usage events selected from the group of usage events consisting of changing an alert setting, changing a selected ring tone, changing a selected background image, a count of a number of messages sent, a count of a number of messages received, and a count of a number of times a game is played, and wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects at least one different usage event.

18. A communication device, comprising:

a radio to facilitate two-way communications;

a processor coupled to said radio; and

instrumentation logic coupled to said processor, said instrumentation logic comprises a plurality of usage event detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of software layers of said communication device including a plurality selected from the group consisting of;

a presentation layer;

an application layer;

a middleware layer; and

an operating system, and each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects usage events associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of software layers of said communication device, each usage event pertaining to how a user uses said communication device, wherein the usage events associated with the middleware layer comprise one or more usage events selected from the group of usage events consisting of a count of a number of times an application is run, an indication of a first execution of an application, and an indication of a last execution of an application, and wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects at least one different usage event.

19. A communication device, comprising:

a radio to facilitate two-way communications;

a processor coupled to said radio; and

instrumentation logic coupled to said processor, said instrumentation logic comprises a plurality of usage event detectors, wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of software layers of said communication device including a plurality selected from the group consisting of;

a presentation layer;

an application layer;

a middleware layer; and

an operating system, and each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects usage events associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of software layers of said communication device, each usage event pertaining to how a user uses said communication device, wherein the usage events associated with the operating system comprise one or more usage events selected from the group of usage events consisting of turning said communication device on, turning said communication device off, a low battery warning, a recharge event, and running out of available memory, and wherein each of the plurality of the usage event detectors detects at least one different usage event.