Event attendance determinations

• US 9,202,233 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMDb.com, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IMDb.com, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siegel, Hilliard Bruce, Kane, Francis J., Edelman, Alexandre, Carlson, Adam, Gregov, Andrej, Rabatin, George E. III, Campbell, Justin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US12/895,650
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining the likelihood of a user'"'"'s attendance at an event. For example, the systems and methods can be used to determine that a particular user is attending, is planning to attend, has already attended, or is about to attend a particular event, such as a movie, concert, tour, etc. Further, upon determining that a user is attending, has already attended, or is about to attend an event, systems and methods can be used to serve to a device, associated with the user, content that is related to the event. For example, the content may include invites that invite the user to provide a review of the event and to join a discussion about the event. Further, for example, the content may include links to websites that provide reviews and other information about the event, provide information about related events, or that offer related items for sale.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions;

receiving, via a user interface, event data representative of a type of user action taken by a user with respect to electronic information associated with an event, the event being a scheduled performance with at least one time-of-occurrence and at least one location;

in response to receiving the event data, obtaining, by a processing apparatus, location data, indicating at least one location associated with the event, and timing data, indicating the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event at the at least one location;

obtaining, by the processing apparatus, global positioning system (GPS) data indicating a location of at least one device associated with the user within a specified time of the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event;

determining, by the processing apparatus, whether a current location of the at least one device of the user is within a specified distance of the at least one location of the event within the specified time of the at least one time-of-occurrence; and

serving to the user, via the user interface, content that relates to the event.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time difference between a time at which the user action taken by the user with respect to electronic information occurred and a time at which the location of the at least one device of the user is within the specified distance of the location of the event during the at least one time-of-occurrence.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a confidence value representative of a likelihood of the user'"'"'s attendance at the event based at least in part on the time difference and the type of user action.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the confidence value is indirectly proportional to the time difference.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the confidence value is based at least in part on profile information of the user.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions;

obtaining, via a user interface, data representative of a type of user action taken by a user with respect to electronic information associated with an event, the event being a scheduled performance with at least one time-of-occurrence and at least one location;

obtaining, by a processing apparatus, data that indicates at least one location of the event and the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event at the at least one location;

obtaining, by the processing apparatus, location data that indicates at least one location of the user within a specified time of the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event;

determining, by the processing apparatus, whether the at least one location of the user during the specified time is within a specified distance of the at least one location of the event; and

providing to the user, via the user interface, content that relates to the event.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the data that indicates the at least one location of the user is global positioning system (GPS) data that indicates at least one location of at least one device associated with the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a time difference between a time at which the user action taken by the user with respect to electronic information associated with the event occurred and a time at which the at least one location of the user is within the specified distance of the at least one location of the event; and

determining a confidence value representative of the likelihood of attendance of the user at the event based at least in part on the time difference and the type of user action.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the confidence value is indirectly related to the time difference.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the confidence value is based at least in part on profile information of the user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the confidence value is a high-confidence value if:

the event is a recorded or live performance;

the type of user action is accessing a webpage that presents at least a show time and corresponding location for the recorded or live performance; and

the time difference is less than a threshold.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the confidence value is a medium-confidence value if the time difference is greater than the threshold but less than a second, higher threshold.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the confidence value is a medium-confidence value if the type of user action is accessing a webpage that presents a review or synopsis of the event and the time difference is less than the threshold.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the confidence value is a high-confidence value if the type of user action is publishing a comment or review about the event and the time difference is less than a week.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the content is a prompt for the user to provide a rating or review of the event.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the content is a prompt for the user to access reviews provided by a plurality of other users who attended the event.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining, by a user interface, data related to types of user actions taken by a plurality of other users with respect to electronic information associated with the event;

for each of the other users, obtaining, by a processing apparatus, location data that indicates at least one location of the other user during the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event;

identifying, by the processing apparatus, ones of the other users for which the at least one location of the other user corresponds to the at least one location of the user during the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event; and

serving to the identified ones of the other users, by the user interface, the content that relates to the event.

18. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions;

obtaining, via a user interface, data representative of a type of user action taken by a user with respect to electronic information associated with an event, the event being a scheduled performance with at least one time-of-occurrence and at least one location;

obtaining, by a processing apparatus, data that indicates at least one location of the event and the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event at the at least one location;

determining, by the processing apparatus, at least one location of the user within a specified time including the at least one time-of-occurrence of the event;

determining, by the processing apparatus, a time difference between;

a time at which the user action taken by the user with respect to electronic information occurred; and

a time at which the at least one location of the user is within a specified distance of the at least one location of the event; and

determining, by the processing apparatus, a confidence value representative of a likelihood of attendance of the user at the event based at least in part on the time difference and the type of user action; and

causing content relating to the event to be provided, via the user interface, to the user.

19. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining the likelihood of a user'"'"'s attendance, comprising:

program code for obtaining data representative of a type of user action taken by a user with respect to electronic information associated with an event, the event being a scheduled performance with at least one starting time and at least one location;

program code for obtaining data that indicates at least one location of the event and the at least one starting time of the scheduled performance at the at least one location;

program code for obtaining location data that indicates at least one location of the user within a specified time of the at least one starting time of the scheduled performance;

program code for determining whether the at least one location of the user during the specified time is within a specified distance of the at least one location of the event; and

program code for providing to the user content that relates to the event.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, further comprising:

program code for determining a time difference between a time at which the user action taken by the user with respect to electronic information occurred and a time at which the at least one location of the user is within the specified distance of the at least one location of the event during the at least one time-of-occurrence.

21. The computer-program product of claim 20, further comprising:

program code for determining a confidence value representative of a likelihood attendance of the user at the event based at least in part on the time difference and the type of user action.

22. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

obtain, via a user interface, data representative of a type of user action taken by a user with respect to electronic information associated with an event, the event being a scheduled performance with at least one starting time and at least one location;

obtain, by a processing apparatus, data that indicates at least one location of the event and the at least starting time of the scheduled performance at the at least one location;

obtain, by the processing apparatus, location data that indicates at least one location of the user within a specified time of the at least one starting time of the scheduled performance;

determine, by the processing apparatus, whether the at least one location of the user within the specified time is within a specified distance of the at least one location of the event; and

provide to the user, via the user interface, content that relates to the event.