Analyzing distributed group discussions
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- obtaining, by one or more configured computing systems and via electronic interactions over one or more computer networks, information from social networking sites including a plurality of textual comments that are supplied by human users to the social networking sites over multiple prior time periods;
determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, multiple topics associated with a specified content category based on contents of the plurality of textual comments, by;
analyzing the contents of the plurality of textual comments to identify a plurality of topics that are mentioned in the contents;
determining, for each of the identified topics, a quantity of the plurality of textual comments having contents that mention the identified topic and that match one or more keywords for the specified content category; and
selecting a subset of the identified topics to be the determined multiple topics associated with the specified content category, the selecting including excluding one or more of the identified topics whose determined quantity is less than a minimum threshold or more than a maximum threshold;
analyzing, by the one or more configured computing systems, and for each of the multiple prior time periods, multiple textual comments from the plurality that are supplied by human users during the prior time period to identify a quantity of the multiple textual comments having contents that mention an indicated one of the determined multiple topics;
matching, by the one or more configured computing systems, the identified quantities for the multiple prior time periods to a first portion of a defined prediction template having information representing changes in quantity over time;
predicting, by the one or more configured computing systems, expected quantities of future textual comments that will be supplied during multiple future time periods and will be associated with the indicated one topic, the predicting being based at least in part on a second portion of the defined prediction template that is distinct from the first portion; and
providing, by the one or more configured computing systems and via additional electronic interactions over the one or more computer networks, information to one or more recipients that includes indications of the predicted expected quantities of the future textual comments.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are described for analyzing user-supplied information, including in at least some situations to predict future aspects of additional related information that will be supplied by users. The user-supplied information that is analyzed may, for example, include distributed group discussions that involve numerous users and occur via user comments made to one or more social networking sites and/or other computer-accessible sites. The analysis of user-supplied information may, for example, include determining particular topics that are of interest for a specified category during one or more periods of time, quantifying an amount of user interest in particular topics and the category during the period of time, predicting future amounts of user interest in the particular topics and the category during one or more future period of times, and taking one or more further actions based on the predicted information.
36 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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obtaining, by one or more configured computing systems and via electronic interactions over one or more computer networks, information from social networking sites including a plurality of textual comments that are supplied by human users to the social networking sites over multiple prior time periods; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, multiple topics associated with a specified content category based on contents of the plurality of textual comments, by; analyzing the contents of the plurality of textual comments to identify a plurality of topics that are mentioned in the contents; determining, for each of the identified topics, a quantity of the plurality of textual comments having contents that mention the identified topic and that match one or more keywords for the specified content category; and selecting a subset of the identified topics to be the determined multiple topics associated with the specified content category, the selecting including excluding one or more of the identified topics whose determined quantity is less than a minimum threshold or more than a maximum threshold; analyzing, by the one or more configured computing systems, and for each of the multiple prior time periods, multiple textual comments from the plurality that are supplied by human users during the prior time period to identify a quantity of the multiple textual comments having contents that mention an indicated one of the determined multiple topics; matching, by the one or more configured computing systems, the identified quantities for the multiple prior time periods to a first portion of a defined prediction template having information representing changes in quantity over time; predicting, by the one or more configured computing systems, expected quantities of future textual comments that will be supplied during multiple future time periods and will be associated with the indicated one topic, the predicting being based at least in part on a second portion of the defined prediction template that is distinct from the first portion; and providing, by the one or more configured computing systems and via additional electronic interactions over the one or more computer networks, information to one or more recipients that includes indications of the predicted expected quantities of the future textual comments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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obtaining, by one or more configured computing systems and via electronic interactions over one or more computer networks, information from one or more network-accessible sites including a plurality of comments that are supplied by human users to the one or more network-accessible sites over multiple prior time periods and that are related to multiple topics; analyzing, by the one or more configured computing systems, and for each of the multiple prior time periods, multiple textual comments from the plurality that are for the prior time period to identify a subset of the multiple textual comments whose contents are associated with a specified content category; determining, by the one or more configured computing systems, and for each of the multiple prior time periods, a quantity of the identified textual comments for the prior time period that are associated with an indicated topic from the multiple topics; predicting, by the one or more configured computing systems, and for each of multiple future time periods, an expected quantity of future textual comments associated with the indicated topic that will be supplied by human users during the future time period, the predicting being based at least in part on the determined quantities for the multiple prior time periods; and providing, by the one or more configured computing systems and via additional electronic interactions over the one or more computer networks, information to one or more recipients that includes, for each of one or more of the multiple future time periods, an indication of the predicted expected quantity of future textual comments for the future time period. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that cause a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
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obtaining, by the computing system and via electronic interactions over one or more computer networks, information from a plurality of online information sources including a plurality of user-supplied content items that are associated with multiple time periods and that are supplied to the online information sources; analyzing, by the computing system, the plurality of user-supplied content items, the analyzing including determining, for each of the multiple time periods, a quantity of the plurality of content items that are associated with the time period and have an indicated attribute; determining, by the computing system and based on multiple first content items of the plurality of content items that are supplied to a first information source of the plurality of information sources, an increase or a decrease for the first information source relative to one or more other second information sources of the plurality of information sources, wherein the determining of the increase or decrease is of a first quantity of the first content items relative to a second quantity of multiple second content items of the plurality of content items that are supplied to the one or more other second information sources; predicting, by the computing system and based at least in part on the determined quantities for the multiple time periods, an expected quantity of additional content items having the indicated attribute that will be supplied by users during an additional time period after the multiple time periods; and providing, by the computing system and via additional electronic interactions over the one or more computer network, information to one or more recipients that includes one or more indications of the predicted expected quantity of additional content items and of the determined increase or decrease for the first information source relative to the one or more other second information sources. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A system, comprising:
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one or more processors of one or more computing systems; and one or more memories including stored instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to; obtain, via electronic interactions over one or more computer networks, information from one or more network-accessible sites including a plurality of textual comments that are supplied by multiple users to the one or more network-accessible sites over multiple prior time periods and that are related to multiple topics; analyze, for each of the multiple prior time periods, multiple textual comments from the plurality that are for the prior time period and identify a subset of the multiple textual comments whose contents are associated with a specified content category; determine, for each of the multiple prior time periods, an actual quantity of the identified textual comments for the prior time period that are associated with an indicated topic from the multiple topics; predict, for each of multiple future time periods, an expected quantity of future textual comments associated with the indicated topic that will be supplied by users during the future time period, the predicting being based at least in part on the determined actual quantities for the multiple prior time periods and by using a first defined template representing a first set of changes in quantity over time; generate, from the determined actual quantities for the multiple prior time periods, a new defined template that includes the determined actual quantities for the multiple prior time periods and that represents a second set of changes in quantity of textual comments over time; provide, via additional electronic interactions over the one or more computer networks, information to one or more recipients that includes, for each of one or more of the multiple future time periods, an indication of the predicted expected quantity of future textual comments for the future time period; and use, at a later time after the generating of the new defined template, the new defined template to provide additional predictions of expected future quantities of textual comments for additional future time periods based on additional actual quantities of textual comments received preceding the additional future time periods. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification