User device providing electronic publications with reading timer

• US 9,069,332 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gayles, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIVERA VARGAS, MANUEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/115,861
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 702/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 10/00 Apparatus for measuring unknown time intervals by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/205 Education administration or guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting

Abstract

A user device determines a rate of consumption value for each of a plurality of measurable units of an electronic publication. The user device calculates a running average of the rate of consumption values and provides a feature based on the running average.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:

determining a rate of consumption value for each of a plurality of measurable units of an electronic publication being viewed on a user device, wherein determining the rate of consumption value for a measurable unit comprises at least one of starting a timer when the measurable unit is initially displayed on the user device and stopping the timer when a change page command is received, or starting the timer when a sensor determines that the user begins viewing the measurable unit on the user device and stopping the timer when the sensor determines that the user finishes viewing the measurable unit;

calculating, by the processing device, a running average of the rate of consumption values, wherein the running average is updated based at least in part on a first rate of consumption value for a first measurable unit of the plurality of measurable units, and wherein a second rate of consumption value for a second measurable unit of the plurality of measurable units is excluded from the running average when the second rate of consumption value exceeds a threshold value; and

providing a feature based on the running average.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining a rate of consumption value for each of the plurality of measurable units comprises:

tracking an amount of time each of the plurality of measurable units is displayed on a display of the user device;

determining a number of measurable units displayed on the display; and

calculating the rate of consumption value based on the number of measurable units and the amount of time.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the running average is calculated based on a determined number of reading speeds.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein providing the feature comprises estimating an amount of time remaining for the user to complete consumption of at least a portion of the electronic publication.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein estimating the amount of time remaining comprises:

determining a number of measurable units remaining in at least the portion of the electronic publication; and

multiplying the number of measurable units remaining by the running average of the rate of consumption values.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein calculating the running average comprises:

determining a new rate of consumption value for a subsequent measurable unit of the electronic publication; and

updating the running average each time the new rate of consumption value is determined.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein providing the feature comprises estimating a portion of the electronic publication which the user will consume in a pre-determined period of time.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein providing the feature comprises automatically turning a page of the electronic publication after a period of time corresponding to a target rate of consumption value.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the running average is calculated using rate of consumption values from a plurality of electronic publications, and wherein the running average is weighted based on a level of difficulty of each of the plurality of electronic publications.

10. A system, comprising:

a processing device;

a display device coupled to the processing device; and

a memory coupled to the processing device, the memory storing a consumption rate monitoring module, executed from the processing device and the memory, the consumption rate monitoring module configured to;

determine a rate of consumption value for each of a plurality of measurable units of an electronic publication being viewed on a user device, wherein to determine the rate of consumption value for a measurable unit, the consumption rate monitoring module is configure to at least one of start a timer when the measurable unit is initially displayed on the user device and stop the timer when a change page command is received, or start the timer when a sensor determines that the user begins viewing the measurable unit on the user device and stop the timer when the sensor determines that the user finishes viewing the measurable unit;

calculate a running average of the rate of consumption values, wherein the running average is updated based at least in part on a first rate of consumption value for a first measurable unit of the plurality of measurable units, and wherein a second rate of consumption value for a second measurable unit of the plurality of measurable units is excluded from the running average when the second rate of consumption value exceeds a threshold value;

provide a feature based on the running average; and

display an indication of the feature on the display device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein to calculate the running average, the consumption rate monitoring module is configured to:

determine a new rate of consumption value for a subsequent measurable unit of the electronic publication; and

update the running average each time the new rate of consumption value is determined.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the running average is calculated based on a determined number of rate of consumption values.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the feature comprises an estimate of an amount of time remaining for the user to complete consumption of at least a portion of the electronic publication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein to estimate the amount of time remaining, the consumption rate monitoring module is configured to:

determine a number of measurable units remaining in at least the portion of the electronic publication; and

multiply the number of measurable units remaining by the running average of the rate of consumption values.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein to determine the rate of consumption value for each of the plurality of measurable units, the consumption rate monitoring module is configured to:

track an amount of time each of the plurality of measurable units is displayed on the display device;

determine a number of measurable units displayed on the display device; and

calculate the rate of consumption value based on the number of measurable units and the amount of time.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the running average is calculated using rate of consumption values from a plurality of electronic publications, and wherein the running average is weighted based on a level of difficulty of each of the plurality of electronic publications.

17. A method, implemented by a user device, comprising:

determining a reading speed of a user for each of a plurality of pages of an electronic publication being viewed on the user device, wherein determining the reading speed for a page comprises at least one of starting a timer when the page is initially displayed on the user device and stopping the timer when a change page command is received, or starting the timer when a sensor determines that the user begins viewing the page on the user device and stopping the timer when the sensor determines that the user finishes viewing the page;

calculating, by a processing device, a running average of the reading speeds, wherein the running average is updated based at least in part on a first reading speed for a first page of the plurality of pages, and wherein a second reading speed for a second page of the plurality of pages is excluded from the running average when the second reading speed exceeds a threshold value; and

estimating, based on the running average, an amount of time remaining for the user to finish reading at least a portion of the electronic publication.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein calculating the running average comprises:

determining a new reading speed for a subsequent page of the electronic publication; and

updating the running average each time the new reading speed is determined.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the running average is calculated based on a determined number of reading speeds.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the reading speed for each of the plurality of pages comprises:

tracking an amount of time each of the pages is displayed on a display of the user device;

determining a number of words displayed on the display for each of the pages; and

calculating the reading speed based on the number of words per page and the amount of time.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein estimating the amount of time remaining comprises:

determining a number of pages remaining in at least the portion of the electronic publication; and

multiplying the number of pages remaining by the running average of the reading speeds.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the running average is calculated using reading speeds from a plurality of electronic publications, and wherein the running average is weighted based on a level of difficulty of each of the plurality of electronic publications.