System and method for determining an interest in promotional content displayed at a mobile communication device

• US 9,170,705 B1
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakhimovsky, Yelena, Yu, Jonathan, Kelm, Jim, Gawley, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Durkin, James T
• Application Number:
  US12/883,479
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 705 144- 1473, 715/744, 715/763, 715/817, 715/864, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Determining interest in promotional content to be displayed at a mobile communication device is described. The promotional content, including a first portion that is visible and a second portion that is hidden in a first state, may be received. The first and second portions are each selectable only when visible. A promotional display that includes the promotional content in the first state is generated. Upon receipt of a first input from the user in relation to the first portion, the promotional content may be transitioned from the first state to a second state such the first portion becomes hidden and the second portion becomes visible. Upon failing to receive a second input from the user in relation to the second portion, the promotional content may be transitioned from the second state to the first state. Upon receipt of the second input, an interest in the promotional content may be indicated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving promotional content to be displayed at a mobile communication device, wherein the promotional content includes a first portion of promotional content and a second portion of promotional content, the first portion visible and the second portion hidden in a first state during an unlocked operational mode of the device, the second portion visible and the first portion hidden in a second state during an unlocked operational mode of the device, and wherein each of the first portion and the second portion selectable by a user only when visible and not selectable when hidden;

generating a promotional display that includes the promotional content in the first state, wherein the first portion is visible within the promotional display and the second portion is hidden within the promotional display;

upon receipt of a first input from the user within the first portion of the promotional content itself, transitioning from the first state to the second state, wherein the first portion becomes hidden and the second portion becomes visible;

transitioning from the second state to the first state upon failing to receive a second input from the user within the second portion of the promotional content itself during an elapsed predefined timeout period; and

upon receipt of the second input from the user within the second portion of the promotional content itself and during the elapsed predefined timeout period, indicating an interest in the promotional content to the mobile communication device,

in response to the indication of interest at the mobile communication device, transitioning the promotional display from the second state to a third state,

wherein the third state includes displaying one or more of;

a webview, a landing page, and a third portion of the promotional content

wherein the said transitioning from the second state to the first state occurs without user intervention while the mobile communication device is in an unlocked operational mode,

wherein said transitioning from the first state to the second state includes a first sliding action along a first direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion includes information that indicates content that is to be displayed after the first input is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the promotional display occupies a fixed area within a screen space of the mobile communication device, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are the same size and each occupy substantially the same fixed area when each portion is visible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the said transitioning from the second state to the first state occurs when a user interaction with the mobile communication device is made that is unrelated to the promotional display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transitioning from the second state to the first state includes a second sliding action along a second direction opposite the first direction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is an inadvertent input.

7. The method of claim 1, said transitioning from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state including transitioning instructions that cause said transition without launching or causing an application or process to be altered or interrupted apart from the process implemented by the transitioning instructions.

8. A method comprising:

receiving promotional content to be displayed at a mobile communication device, wherein the promotional content includes a first state and a second state;

generating a first promotional display that includes the promotional content in the first state, the first promotional display having an amount of space on a screen of the device;

upon receipt of a first input from a user within an area of the promotional content in the first state, transitioning from the promotional content in the first state to the promotional content in the second state to provide a second promotional display on the screen having the same amount of space as the first promotional display, wherein the first promotional display and the second promotional display each occupy the same amount of space within substantially a fixed area of space on the screen;

upon receipt of a second input from the user within a predefined timeout period and within the area of the promotional content in the second state, indicating an interest in the promotional display at the mobile communication device;

in response to the indication of interest in the promotional display, transitioning the promotional display to a third state, wherein the third state includes displaying one or more of;

a webview, a landing page, and a third promotional display;

upon a failure to receive the second input from the user within the predefined time period and within the area of the promotional content in the second state, transitioning from the second promotional display back to the first promotional display; and

upon receipt of the second input from the user within a content area other than the promotional content area in the second state, transitioning from the second promotional display back to the first promotional display

wherein the said transitioning from the second state to the first state occurs without user intervention while the mobile communication device is in an unlocked operational mode,

wherein said transitioning from the first state to the second state includes a first sliding action along a first direction.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining interest in promotional content displayed at a mobile communication device, the instructions when executed at the mobile communication device configuring the mobile communication device to:

receive promotional content to be displayed at the mobile communication device, wherein the promotional content includes a first portion of promotional content and a second portion of promotional content both configured for display on the mobile communication device while said device is in an unlocked, operational mode, the first portion visible and the second portion hidden in a first state, the second portion visible and the first portion hidden in a second state, and wherein each of the first portion and the second portion occupying a common area on a screen of the device and respectively selectable by a user only when said first portion or second portion is visible to the user on the screen and not selectable when hidden;

generate a promotional display that includes the promotional content in the first state, wherein the first portion is visible within the promotional display and the second portion is hidden within the promotional display;

upon receipt of a first input from the user within the first portion of the promotional content itself, transition from the first state to the second state, wherein the first portion becomes hidden and the second portion becomes visible;

upon failing to receive a second input from the user within the second portion of the promotional content itself, transition from the second state to the first state; and

upon receipt of the second input from the user in relation to the second portion, indicate an interest in the promotional content to the mobile communication device;

wherein the instructions further configure the mobile communication device to initiate a timer responsive to receipt of the first input and subsequently transition from the second state to the first state responsive to failure to receive the second input from the user during a predefined timeout period measured by the timer;

the instructions when executed further cause the mobile communication device to;

in response to the indication of interest at the mobile communication device, transition the promotional display from the second state to a third state;

wherein the third state includes display of one or more of;

a webview, a landing page, and a third portion of the promotional content,

wherein the said transition from the second state to the first state occurs without user intervention while the mobile communication device is an unlocked operational mode

wherein said transition from the first state to the second state includes a first sliding action along a first direction.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first portion includes information that indicates content that is to be displayed after the first input is received.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the said transition from the second state to the first state occurs when a user interaction with the mobile communication device is made that is unrelated to the promotional display.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein said transition from the second state to the first state includes a second sliding action along a second direction opposite the first direction.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first input is an inadvertent input.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed further cause the mobile communication device to:

transition from the first state to the second state and from the second state to the first state including transitioning instructions that cause said transition without launching or causing an application or process to be altered or interrupted apart from the process implemented by the transitioning instructions.

15. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for reducing false positive selections of promotional content displayed at a mobile communication device, the instructions when executed at a mobile communication device cause the mobile communication device to:

receive promotional content to be displayed at the mobile communication device in an unlocked operational state, wherein the promotional content includes a first unlocked operational state and a second unlocked operational state;

generate a promotional display that includes the promotional content in the first state;

upon receipt of a first input from a user within an area of the promotional content in the first state, transition from the promotional content in the first state to the promotional content in the second state;

upon receipt of a second input from the user within a predefined timeout period and within the area of the promotional content in the second state, indicate an interest in the promotional display at the mobile communication device;

in response to the indication of interest in the promotional display, transition the promotional display to a third state, wherein the third state includes displaying one or more of;

a webview, a landing page, and a third promotional display;

upon a failure to receive a second input from the user within the predefined time period and within the area of the promotional content in the second state, transition from the promotion content in the second state back to the first state; and

upon receipt of a second input from the user within a content area other than the promotional content area in the second state, transition from the second state to the first state,

wherein the said transitioning from the second state to the first state occurs without user intervention while the mobile communication device is in an unlocked operational mode,

wherein said transitioning from the first state to the second state includes a first sliding action along a first direction.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a first portion of promotional content and a second portion of promotional content to be displayed at a mobile communication device while the device is in an unlocked operational mode;

determining a first state of promotional content and a second state of promotional content each having a common size when displayed on the mobile communication device, the first portion visible and the second portion hidden in the first state, the second portion visible and the first portion hidden in the second state, and each of the first portion and the second portion selectable by a user only when visible and not selectable when hidden;

generating promotional content that includes display content for the first state, display content for the second state, and a landing page link associated with the display content for the second state;

communicating the promotional content to the mobile communication device;

generating a first promotional display on a screen of the mobile communication device that displays the first state of the promotional content;

generating a second promotional display on the screen that displays the second state of the promotional content responsive to a first user input within an area of the first promotional display; and

transitioning back to the first promotional display on the screen upon a failure to receive the second input from the user within the predefined time period and within the area of the second promotional display; and

transitioning from the second promotional display to a third state when receiving a user input within the predefined time period and within the area of the second promotional display;

wherein the third state includes displaying one or more of;

a webview, a landing page, and a third portion of the promotional content,

wherein the said transitioning from the second state to the first state occurs without user intervention while the mobile communication device is in an unlocked operational mode,

wherein the one or more transition instructions cause transition from the first state to the second state in a first sliding action along a first direction.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first portion includes information that indicates content that is to be displayed after the first input is received.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the promotional content further includes one or more transition instructions that cause transition of the promotional content from one state to another state.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more transition instructions cause transition from the second state to the first state in a second sliding action along a second direction opposite the first direction.