Monitoring user activity on a mobile device

• US 8,667,125 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Myles, Horner, Caroline Dinan, Husser, Benjamin Gerard, Yakemovic, John, Meyers, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US12/823,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/221, 709/227, 709/245
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• 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: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Monitoring user activity on a mobile device is described. In one aspect, video content is received and played to a user of the mobile device. The monitoring activity detects an interruption of playback of the video content and determines an event associated with the interruption. The event is stored in the mobile device and communicated to a remote device.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving video content from a data source;

playing the received video content to a user of the mobile device;

detecting an interruption of playing the received video content;

determining an event associated with the interruption;

storing the event associated with the interruption, including a reason for the interruption, in a file in the mobile device; and

communicating the file including the event associated with the interruption to a remote device based upon a determined amount of data within the file.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the remote device is a server configured to store data associated with operation of the mobile device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the user selected different video content for viewing.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the mobile device was powered off.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the mobile device status was changed to standby.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the user activated a different application on the mobile device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the user activated a telephone service on the mobile device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the mobile device lost communication with the data source.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining an event associated with the interruption includes determining whether the user explicitly interrupted the playing of the received video content on the mobile device.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the event associated with the interruption in the mobile device includes storing information associated with the event in a log file contained in the mobile device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the event associated with the interruption to a remote device includes communicating information stored in a log file in the mobile device to the server via a wireless communication link.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the reason is selected from a group consisting of:

a user channel change command;

a change in power state;

an activation of a different application;

a loss of communication signal; and

a user stop command.

21. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the file is communicated to the remote device when it is determined that the file has a particular number of entries.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the file is communicated to the remote device when it is determined that the file has a particular percentage of used storage space.

12. A method comprising:

receiving video content from a data source;

communicating the received video content to a portable computing device, wherein the portable computing device plays the video content;

detecting an event associated with an interruption of the playing of the received video content on the portable computing device;

storing the event, including a reason for the interruption, in a log file; and

communicating the event to a remote device when it is determined that the file has a particular number of entries or that the file has a particular percentage of used storage space.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the event includes an action initiated by a user of the portable computing device.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the event includes a change in the power status of the portable computing device.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the event includes a loss of communication with the data source.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the event includes activating a different application on the portable computing device.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations including;

receiving video content from a data source;

rendering the received video content for display on the mobile device;

displaying the rendered video content on the mobile device;

detecting interruption of displaying the rendered video content on the mobile device;

determining an event associated with the interruption;

storing data associated with the event in a file in the mobile device; and

communicating the file including stored event data to a remote device based upon a determined amount of data within the file; and

a GPS module coupled to the processor and configured to identify location information associated with the mobile device in response to detecting the interruption.

18. A mobile device as recited in claim 17 further comprising a communication module coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with the remote device.

19. A mobile device as recited in claim 17 further comprising a data storage device coupled to the processor and configured to store data associated with a plurality of events.