Incentivizing user generated content creation

• US 9,325,798 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Buisman, Hylke Niekele, Sanz, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/937,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 707/724
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for incentivizing user generated content creation are provided. One or more points of interest for including in a notification to a user may be identified based on a location of a client device associated with the user and/or user interest signals. The identified points of interest may be scored by comparing the user interest signals, and a most relevant point of interest may be identified from the scored points of interest. A notification type may be determined based on the most relevant point of interest and the corresponding user interest signal, and used to provide to the user a notification including the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal. A subsequent notification asking the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest may be sent, in a case it is determined that the user acts on the provided notification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for incentivizing creation of user-generated content, the method comprising:

identifying one or more points of interest for including in a notification to a user based at least on a location of a client device associated with the user and user interest signals that associate the points of interest with the user;

scoring each of the identified one or more points of interest by comparing the user interest signals of the identified one or more points of interest used to identify the one or more points of interest;

identifying a most relevant point of interest from the scored one or more points of interest;

determining a notification type that corresponds to the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal associated with the most relevant point of interest;

generating a notification including the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal, according to the determined notification type;

providing the generated notification to the user;

determining whether the user acts on the provided notification; and

sending a subsequent notification asking the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest, in a case the user acts on the provided notification.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein scoring each of the identified one or more points of interest is performed based on a plurality of parameters comprising:

an event associated with the identified one or more points of interest,

being close to a place that the user provided a good review for,

being close to a place that a contact of the user provided a good review for,

a distance between current location of the user with the identified one or more points of interest, and

need for additional user generated content for the identified one or more points of interest, the need determined based on lack of specific information for the identified one or more points of interest.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein identifying the most relevant point of interest from the scored one or more points of interest comprises:

scoring each of the identified one or more points of interest based on a need for user to generate content; and

identifying a point of interest with a greatest need for a user to generate content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein a score associated with the scored one or more points of interest comprises a weighted sum of the plurality of parameters, and the method comprises determining a highest scored point of interest.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising determining a need for a notification to the user based on the score associated with the most relevant point of interest exceeding a threshold.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the notification type comprises an email notification, a short message service (SMS) notification, an audio notification, or a knowledge card notification, and

determining the notification type is based on metadata associated with the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user acts on the provided notification comprises determining whether the user performs at least one of visiting the most relevant point of interest, spending time in the most relevant point of interest, opening the notification, copying portions of content of the notification, or performing a search related to the notification.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein asking the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest comprises prompting the user to interact with the most relevant point of interest, and wherein interacting with the most relevant point of interest comprises performing at least one of:

recommending, uploading a picture of, using social media to check in or comment on the most relevant point of interest, or respond to a comment or check in by a contact of the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

user interest signals comprise;

an indication of an interaction with the point of interest by a contact associated with the user,

an indication of a user'"'"'s proximity to the point of interest, and

an association with a user'"'"'s online interest history, and

wherein an interaction with the point of interest by the contact associated with the user comprises at least one of;

uploading a photo of the point of interest,

checking in the point of interest,

reviewing the point of interest, or

rating the point of interest based on a user'"'"'s experience with the point of interest.

10. A system for incentivizing creation of user-generated content, the system comprising:

memory to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

identify one or more points of interest for including in a notification to a user based at least on metadata associated with the user;

score each of the identified one or more points of interest based on user interest signals;

identify a most relevant point of interest from the scored one or more points of interest;

determine a notification type that corresponds to the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal associated with the most relevant point of interest;

generate a notification including the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal, according to the determined notification type;

provide the generated notification to the user;

determine whether the user acts on the provided notification; and

send a subsequent notification asking the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest, in a case the user acts on the provided notification.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the metadata associated with the user comprises a location of a client device associated with the user and user interest signals that associate the points of interest with the user, and

the user interest signals comprise the user interest signals of the identified one or more points of interest used to identify the one or more points of interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to ask the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest by prompting the user to interact with the most relevant point of interest, and wherein interacting with the most relevant point of interest comprises performing at least one of:

recommending, uploading a picture of, using social media to check in and/or comment on the most relevant point of interest, or respond to a comment or check in by a contact of the user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to score each of the identified one or more points of interest by associating a score to each of the identified one or more points of interest based on a plurality of parameters comprising:

an event associated with the identified one or more points of interest,

being close to a place that the user provided a good review for,

being close to a place that a contact of the user provided a good review for,

a distance between current location of the user with the identified one or more points of interest, and

need for additional user generated content for the identified one or more points of interest, the need being determined based on lack of specific information for the identified one or more points of interest.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to identify the most relevant point of interest from the scored one or more points of interest by using the score associated with the scored one or more points of interest, and wherein the score associated with the scored one or more points of interest comprises a weighted sum of the plurality of parameters, and the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine a highest scored point of interest.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine a need for a notification to the user based on the score associated with the most relevant point of interest exceeding a threshold.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the notification type comprises an email notification, a short message service (SMS) notification, an audio notification, or a Now knowledge card notification,

the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine the notification type based on metadata associated with the user, and

the metadata comprises the location of the client device associated with the user and the user interest signals that associate the points of interest with the user.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine whether the user acts on the provided notification by determining whether the user performs at least one of visiting the most relevant point of interest, spending time in the most relevant point of interest, opening the notification, copying portions of content of the notification, or performing a search related to the notification.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein:

user interest signals comprise;

an indication of an interaction with the point of interest by a contact associated with the user,

an indication of a user'"'"'s proximity to the point of interest, and

an association with a user'"'"'s online interest history, and wherein;

an interaction with the point of interest by the contact associated with the user comprises at least one of;

uploading a photo of the point of interest,

checking in the point of interest,

reviewing the point of interest, or

rating the point of interest based on a user'"'"'s experience with the point of interest.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

identifying one or more points of interest for including in a notification to a user based metadata associated with the user;

scoring each of the identified one or more points of interest based on user interest signals;

identifying a most relevant point of interest from the scored one or more points of interest;

determining a notification type that corresponds to the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal associated with the most relevant point of interest;

generating a notification including the most relevant point of interest and the user interest signal, according to the determined notification type;

providing the generated notification to the user;

determining whether the user acts on the provided notification; and

sending a subsequent notification asking the user to generate content for the most relevant point of interest, in a case the user acts on the provided notification.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the metadata associated with the user comprises a location of a client device associated with the user and user interest signals that associate the points of interest with the user,

the user interest signals comprise the user interest signals of the identified one or more points of interest used to identify the one or more points of interest,

scoring each of the identified one or more points of interest further comprises associating a score to each of the identified one or more points of interest based on a plurality of parameters comprising;

an event associated with the identified one or more points of interest,

a distance between current location of the user with the identified one or more points of interest, and

need for additional user generated content for the identified one or more points of interest, the need being determined based on lack of specific information for the identified one or more points of interest;

the score associated with the scored one or more points of interest comprises a weighted sum of the plurality of parameters, and

the instructions further comprise;

determining a highest scored point of interest; and

determining that a notification has to be generated based on the score associated with the most relevant point of interest, and wherein, and

determining whether the user acts on the provided notification comprises determining whether the user performs at least one of opening the notification, copying portions of content of the notification, or performing a search related to the notification.