Detecting and extending engagement with stream content

• US 8,903,909 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Marra, Gregory Matthew, Terleski, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/234,008
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/204, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system for detecting and extending user engagement with stream content includes an engagement extension module that comprises a context identification module, an abandonment detection module, an engaging post generator and an injection module. The context identification module determines the interactions of the user with content stream and provides the user interaction signals to the abandonment detection module. The abandonment detection module analyzes these signals to determine whether there is a risk that the user may abandon or disengage from interacting with the content stream. The engaging post generator generates messages or other information likely to be interesting to the user and keep them engaged. If the abandonment detection module determines that there is a risk that the user may abandon or disengage from interacting with the content stream, the injection module adds a message or post generated by the engaging post generator into the content stream for the user.

Claims

1. A method for detecting and extending user engagement with a stream of content, the method comprising:

determining a context of user interaction with the stream of content from a social network;

determining a likelihood of abandonment from the user interaction with the stream of content, the likelihood of abandonment indicating a likelihood that a user may disengage from interacting with the stream of content by ending a user session with the social network, the user session having been previously initiated;

creating engaging content; and

providing for display the engaging content to the user if the likelihood of abandonment satisfies a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the context of user interaction includes receiving a user interaction signal from a social network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interaction signal from the social network includes one or more from the group of:

whether messages in the stream of content are read, whether messages in the stream of content are unread, a quality level of a message in the stream of content, a number of messages read, a number of messages read by a typical user, a number of messages read by a particular user, a duration of a session, and a loading time of a web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining a number of unread messages, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the number of unread messages is a few or none.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining a number of read messages, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the number of read messages is greater than a global threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining a number of read messages, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the number of read messages is greater than a local threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining a number of high quality messages, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the number of high quality messages is a few or none.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining a duration of a user session, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the duration of the user session is greater than a predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the likelihood of abandonment includes:

determining whether to present an engaging message before a pagination boundary, and

sending a risk of abandonment signal if the engaging message should be presented before a pagination boundary.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the engaging content is one from the group of:

a request to share information, a message that is fun or whimsical, a message that is informational, a message that is promotional, a message that introduces new functionality of a social network, an action a user can take on the social network, a message that transitions to another web page, game or other system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein creating engaging content includes one from the group of:

identifying engaging content;

identifying content that has a score over a predefined threshold for likelihood of user engagement;

identifying content that has frequent views;

identifying content that has frequent shares, and identifying content that is spreading on a network virally.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for display the engaging content includes adding the engaging content to the stream of content.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

determine a context of user interaction with the stream of content from a social network;

determine a likelihood of abandonment from the user interaction with the stream of content, the likelihood of abandonment indicating a likelihood that a user may disengage from interacting with the stream of content by ending a user session with the social network, the user session having been previously initiated;

create engaging content; and

provide for display the engaging content to the user if the likelihood of abandonment satisfies a threshold;

determine a duration of a user session, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the duration of the user session is greater than a predetermined amount of time.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the determination of the context of user interaction includes receiving a user interaction signal from a social network.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the user interaction signal from the social network includes one or more from the group of:

whether messages in the stream of content are read, whether messages in the stream of content are unread, a quality level of a message in the stream of content, a number of messages read, a number of messages read by a typical user, a number of messages read by a particular user, a duration of a session, and a loading time of a web page.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine a number of unread messages, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the number of unread messages is a few or none.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine a number of read messages, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the number of read messages is greater than a global threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine a number of read messages, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the number of read messages is greater than a local threshold.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine a number of high quality messages, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the number of high quality messages is a few or none.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine a duration of a user session, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the duration of the user session is greater than a predetermined amount of time.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to also:

determine whether to present an engaging message before a pagination boundary, and

send a risk of abandonment signal if the engaging message should be presented before a pagination boundary.

22. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the engaging content is one from the group of:

a request to share information, a message that is fun or whimsical, a message that is informational, a message that is promotional, a message that introduces new functionality of a social network, an action a user can take on the social network, a message that transitions to another web page, game or other system.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, the creation of engaging content includes one from the group of:

identifying engaging content;

identifying content that has a score over a predefined threshold for likelihood of user engagement;

identifying content that has frequent views;

identifying content that has frequent shares, and identifying content that is spreading on a network virally.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein provision for display includes adding the engaging content to the stream of content.

25. A system for detecting and extending user engagement with stream content comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the memory comprising;

a context identification module having an input and an output, the context identification module determining interaction of a user with a stream of content from a social network and generating an interaction signal for a context of the user, the input of the context identification module coupled to receive signals from a social network;

an abandonment detection module having an input and an output, the abandonment detection module analyzing the interaction signal to determine whether there is a likelihood that the user may abandon the stream of content by ending a user session with the social network, the user session having been previously established, the likelihood of abandonment being determined based on the user interaction with the stream of content, the input of the abandonment detection module coupled to the output of the context identification module;

an engaging post generator having an input and an output, the engaging post generator producing an engaging message to the keep the user engaged, the input of the engaging post generator coupled to the output of the abandonment detection module to receive a the risk signal indicating that the likelihood of abandonment satisfies a threshold; and

an injection module having an input and an output, the injection module for providing for display the engaging message in response to the risk signal indicating that the user may abandon the stream of content from the abandonment detection module, the input of the injection module coupled to the output of the abandonment detection module to receive the risk signal and to the output of the engaging post generator to receive the engaging message.

26. The system of claim 25 the interaction signal from the social network includes one or more from the group of:

a signal whether messages in the stream of content are read, a signal whether messages in the stream of content are unread, a signal indicating a quality level of a message in the stream of content, a signal representing a number of messages read, a signal representing a number of messages read by a typical user, a signal representing a number of messages read by a particular user, a signal representing a duration of a session, and a signal representing a loading time of a web page.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining a number of unread messages, and sends the risk signal if the number of unread messages is a few or none.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining a number of read messages and sends the risk signal if the number of read messages is greater than a global threshold.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining a number of read messages and sends the risk signal if the number of read messages is greater than a local threshold.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining a number of high quality messages and sends the risk signal if the number of high quality messages is a few or none.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining a duration of a user session and sends the risk signal if the duration of the user session is greater than a predetermined amount of time.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the abandonment detection module determines the likelihood of abandonment by determining whether to present an engaging message before a pagination boundary and sends the risk signal if the engaging message should be presented before a pagination boundary.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the engaging content is one from the group of:

a request to share information, a message that is fun or whimsical, a message that is informational, a message that is promotional, a message that introduces new functionality of a social network, an action a user can take on the social network, a message that transitions to another web page, game or other system.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the engaging post generator producing the engaging message by performing one from the group of:

identifying engaging content;

identifying content that has a score over a predefined threshold for likelihood of user engagement;

identifying content that has frequent views;

identifying content that has frequent shares, and identifying content that is spreading on a network virally.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the injection module adds the engaging content to the stream of content.