Monitoring and replaying user consumption of content

• US 8,725,571 B1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: McAllister, Ian A., Blakey, Sean W., Lifson, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/072,242
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.43
• US Class Current: 705/14.68
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure

Abstract

Activity monitoring and replay techniques monitor and replay user consumption of content. To perform one of the techniques, event data from users that reflects the consumption of content is collected. The collected event data is used to infer one or more features in the content that are consumed by the user. The consumption of the one or more features by the user is replayed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting event data at a computing device as a user interacts with content of a web page at a user device;

inferring, at the computing device, that a feature within the content is viewed by the user from the event data by;

determining a length of time that the user remained on the feature in the content;

comparing the length of time that the user remained on the feature in the content to a predetermined duration threshold, wherein the predetermined duration threshold is at least set in proportion to a relative size of the feature; and

determining that the user viewed the feature based at least in part on the length of time being equal to or more than the predetermined duration threshold; and

replaying a viewing of the feature by the user by providing an animation that mimics interaction by the user with the content of the web page in response to determining that the user has viewed the feature.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising inferring that an additional feature within the content is viewed by the user from the event data, wherein the replaying further includes at least one of:

providing an animation that mimics a viewing of the feature and the additional feature;

displaying information regarding the viewing of the feature and the additional feature in a chronological list;

representing the viewing of the feature and the additional feature in a timeline; and

providing a transition time between the viewing of the feature and the additional feature.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the event data comprises at least one of:

scrolling event data that reflects scrolling activity performed by the user;

dimension-modifying event data that reflects modification to dimensions of one or more user interface panels that presents the content to the user;

graphical position-modifying event data that reflects movement of at least one graphical positioning device by the user;

focus-modifying event data that reflects changes in focus away from a content portion or back to the content portion by the user; and

click-event data that reflects webpage link activation activity performed by the user.

4. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting event data as a user interacts with content of a web page at a user device;

inferring, at a computing device, that one or more features within the content are consumed by the user from the event data, wherein the inferring includes;

determining a length of time that the user interacted with a feature in the content;

comparing the length of time that the user interacted with the feature in the content to a predetermined duration threshold, wherein the predetermined duration threshold is set based at least in part on a characteristic of the feature; and

determining that the user consumed the feature based at least in part on the length of time being equal to or more than the predetermined duration threshold; and

replaying consumption of the one or more features at least partly in response to the inferring independent of additional interaction with the web page from the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the replaying includes providing an animation that mimics the consumption of the one or more features.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the replaying includes displaying information regarding the consumption of a plurality of features in a chronological list.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the replaying includes representing the consumption of a plurality of features in a timeline.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the replaying includes providing a transition time between consumption of two features.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the event data comprises at least one of:

scrolling event data that reflects scrolling activity performed by the user;

dimension-modifying event data that reflects modification to dimensions of one or more user interface panels that presents the content to the user;

graphical position-modifying event data that reflects movement of at least one graphical positioning device by the user;

focus-modifying event data that reflects changes in focus away from a content portion or back to the content portion by the user; and

click-event data that reflects webpage link activation activity performed by the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the event data comprises the scrolling event data, the dimension-modifying event data, the graphical position-modifying event data, the focus-modifying event data, and the click-event data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more features are components of a webpage pertaining to an item.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein at least two features are components of a webpage.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein each feature is a component of a corresponding webpage.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the one or more features include an advertisement.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

collecting additional event data for an additional user that reflect consumption of content by the additional user;

inferring that the one or more features within the content that are consumed by the additional user from the additional event data; and

determining an estimated actual impression measurement that reflects aggregate consumption of the one or more features within the content by the user and the additional user.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

an event store that stores event data; and

memory storing modules executable by the one or more processors, the modules comprising;

a data logging module that receives the event data as a user interacts with content, the event data comprising at least one of;

scrolling event data that reflects scrolling activity performed by the user on a feature in the content;

dimension-modifying event data that reflects modification to dimensions of one or more user interface panels that presents the feature in the content to the user;

graphical position-modifying event data that reflects movement of at least one graphical positioning device by the user to the feature in the content;

focus-modifying event data that reflects changes in focus away from the feature in the content or back to the feature by the user; and

click-event data that reflects webpage link activation activity performed on the feature in the content by the user; and

a data analysis module that infers that the feature in the content have been consumed by the user based at least in part on the event data by;

determining a length of time that the user interacted with the feature;

comparing the length of time that the user interacted with the feature to a predetermined duration threshold, wherein the predetermined duration threshold is at least set in proportion to a relative size of the feature; and

determining that the user consumed the feature based at least in part on the length of time being equal to or more than the predetermined duration threshold,

wherein the data analysis module further provides a replay of consumption of the feature independent of additional interaction with the content from the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data analysis module replays the consumption by at least one of:

providing an animation that mimics the consumption of the feature;

displaying information regarding the consumption of the feature in a chronological list of consumed features; and

representing the consumption of the features in a timeline of the consumed features.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the data analysis module further provides a transition time between consumption of the feature and consumption of another feature.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the feature includes components of a webpage.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the feature is an advertisement, a picture, or a customer review section.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein a length of the predetermined duration threshold is set in proportion to a relative size of the feature and an additional characteristic the feature.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the data analysis module further infers that the feature in the content is consumed by an additional user based on additional event data, and further determines an estimated actual impression measurement for the feature by aggregating the event data and the additional event data.

23. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to at least:

collect event data for a user that reflects consumption of content by the user as the user interacts with the content;

collect layout data that indicates a layout of the content;

infer that a feature within the content is consumed by the user from the event data and the layout data by;

determining a length of time that the user interacted with a location in the content;

determining a feature of the content that corresponds to the location from the layout data;

comparing the length of time that the user interacted with the location in the content to a predetermined duration threshold, wherein the predetermined duration threshold is set at least in proportion to a characteristic of the feature; and

determining that the user consumed the feature based at least in part on the length of time being equal to or more than the predetermined duration threshold; and

provide a replay of consumption of the feature by at least providing an animation that mimics user interaction with the content in response to an inference that the feature within the content is consumed by the user.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, further comprising at least one of:

display information regarding the consumption of the feature in a chronological list of consumed features; and

represent the consumption of the features in a timeline of consumed features.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the event data comprises at least one of:

scrolling event data that reflects scrolling activity performed by the user;

dimension-modifying event data that reflects modification to dimensions of one or more user interface panels that presents the content to the user;

graphical position-modifying event data that reflects movement of at least one graphical positioning device by the user;

focus-modifying event data that reflects changes in focus away from a content portion or back to the content portion by the user; and

click-event data that reflects webpage link activation activity performed by the user.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 24, wherein the layout data indicates that the feature includes components of a webpage.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the feature is an advertisement, a picture, or a customer review section.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein a length of the predetermined duration threshold is set in proportion to the characteristic of the feature and an additional characteristic of the feature.