Monitoring user activity on a mobile device

• US 9,043,459 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Network LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Myles, Horner, Caroline Dinan, Husser, Benjamin Gerard, Yakemovic, John, Meyers, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US14/156,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 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 system for monitoring interruptions in relation to video content, the system comprising:

a mobile device, comprising;

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory in communication with the one or more processors, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

cause playback of the video content to be presented by the display;

detect an interruption of the video content being presented;

identify an event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content that was being presented;

store an indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory; and

in response to a trigger event, cause the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content from the memory to be transmitted to a server system; and

the server system, comprising one or more computer systems, the server system configured to;

receive, from the mobile device via a network connection, the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption; and

store the received indication of the identified event to a database stored by the server system.

2. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 1, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the trigger event has occurred, wherein the trigger event comprises a predefined amount of time elapsing since a previous transmission of one or more event indications to the server system by the mobile device.

3. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the mobile device to store the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content to the memory comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

store the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content to a log file stored by the mobile device, wherein the log file stores a plurality of indications of identified events.

4. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 3, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the trigger event has occurred, wherein the trigger event comprises the log file storing at least a predefined number of indications of identified events.

5. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 1, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

measure a signal strength of a received wireless signal, wherein the video content is received via the received wireless signal; and

store the measured signal strength measurement in association with the identified event that caused the interruption the playback of of the video content to the memory of the mobile device, wherein transmitting the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content from the memory to the server system further comprises transmitting the measured signal strength to the server.

6. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 1, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a location of the mobile device, wherein the location corresponds to the event; and

store an indication of the determined location in association with the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory of the mobile device, wherein transmitting the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content from the memory to the server system further comprises transmitting the indication of the determined location to the server.

7. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 1, wherein the event that caused the interruption is selected from the group consisting of:

user input stopping playback of the video content;

a selection of a different video channel;

launch of an application;

wireless communication failure, a change in power state; and

a battery failure of the mobile device.

8. A mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to viewing video content, the mobile device comprising:

a wireless communication module;

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory in communication with the one or more processors, the memory comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, via the wireless communication module, video content;

output playback of the received video content to be presented by the display;

detect an interruption of the received video content being presented;

identify an event that caused the interruption of the video content being displayed;

store an indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory; and

cause the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content from the memory to be transmitted to a remote server system.

9. The mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 8, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the trigger event has occurred, wherein the trigger event comprises a predefined amount of time elapsing since a previous transmission of one or more event indications to the server system by the mobile device.

10. The mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 8, wherein the processor-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the mobile device to store the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

store the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to a log file stored by the mobile device, wherein the log file stores a plurality of indications of identified events.

11. The mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 10, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the trigger event has occurred, wherein the trigger event comprises the log file storing at least a predefined number of indications of identified events.

12. The mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 8, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

measure a signal strength of a received wireless signal, wherein the video content is received via the received wireless signal; and

store the measured signal strength measurement in association with the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory of the mobile device, wherein transmitting the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content from the memory to the server system further comprises transmitting the measured signal strength to the server.

13. The mobile device for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 8, wherein the memory of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a location of the mobile device, wherein the location corresponds to the event; and

store an indication of the determined location in association with the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory of the mobile device, wherein transmitting the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content from the memory to the server system further comprises transmitting the indication of the determined location to the server.

14. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 8, wherein the event that caused the interruption is selected from the group consisting of:

user input stopping playback of the video content;

a selection of a different video channel;

launch of an application;

wireless communication failure, a change in power state; and

a battery failure of the mobile device.

15. A method for monitoring interruptions at a mobile device in relation to video content being output for presentation, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, streaming video content;

outputting, by the mobile device, the video content to a display of the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device an interruption of playback of the video content being presented;

identifying, by the mobile device, an event that caused the interruption of the video content being displayed;

storing, by the mobile device, the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, to a remote server system, the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content.

16. The method for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, that a trigger event has occurred, wherein;

the trigger event comprises a predefined amount of time elapsing since a previous transmission of one or more event indications to the server system by the mobile device; and

transmitting the indication of the identified event occurs in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

17. The method for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 15, wherein storing the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content comprises:

storing, by the mobile device, the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content to a log file stored by the mobile device, wherein the log file stores a plurality of indications of identified events.

18. The method for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, by the mobile device, that a trigger event has occurred, wherein;

the trigger event comprises the log file storing at least a predefined number of indications of identified events; and

transmitting the indication of the identified event occurs in response to determining that the trigger event has occurred.

19. The system for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content of claim 15, further comprising:

measuring, by the mobile device, a signal strength of a received wireless signal, wherein the video content is received via the received wireless signal; and

storing, by the mobile device, the measured signal strength measurement in association with the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content to the memory of the mobile device, wherein transmitting the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the playback of the video content from the memory to the server system further comprises transmitting the measured signal strength to the server.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for monitoring interruptions in relation to the video content, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive, via the wireless communication module, video content;

output playback of the received video content to be presented by the display;

detect an interruption of the received video content being presented;

identify an event that caused the interruption of the video content being displayed;

store an indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content to the memory; and

cause the indication of the identified event that caused the interruption of the video content from the memory to be transmitted to a remote server system.