USER CLASSIFICATION BASED ON DATA GATHERED FROM A COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20140188886A1
• Filed: 12/27/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahaffey, Kevin, Buck, Brian James, Nguyen, Thomson Van
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/173 Customisation support for file systems, e.g. localisation, multi-language support, personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Data regarding user actions on a user device is gathered from the user device (and/or from another computing device) by a server. The data is analyzed to make a decision. The decision is sent by the server to the user device (e.g., directly or via another computing device) and then used by the user device to implement a new action on the user device. This process may be automatically repeated in order to provide real-time customization of the user device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving data gathered by software on a computing device of a user, wherein the gathered data comprises a plurality of user actions performed by the user on the computing device;

analyzing, by at least one processor, the gathered data to provide an output decision; and

sending the output decision to the computing device, wherein a local decision will be made by the computing device whether to implement a first action on the computing device, and wherein the first action corresponds to the output decision.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the gathered data further provides a score, the method further comprises sending the score to the computing device, and the local decision is based on the score.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software is a first application, and the first action is for a second application on the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the output decision is a determination that the user is in a first user category of a plurality of user categories, and the first action is a function to be implemented by the software for users in the first user category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the function has been stored on the computing device prior to the gathering of the data by the software.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sending comprises sending the function to the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the output decision is performed less than 5 seconds after the receiving data gathered by the software.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output decision is a first output decision, and the method further comprising:

receiving additional data gathered by the software on the computing device, wherein the additional data comprises at least one user action performed by the user on the computing device;

analyzing the gathered data to provide a second output decision; and

sending the second output decision to the computing device for implementing a second action on the computing device.

9. A system, comprising:

a data repository storing a plurality of user categories including a first user category, and further storing a first action associated with the first user category;

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to;

receive data gathered by software on a computing device of a user, wherein the gathered data comprises at least one user action performed by the user;

analyze the gathered data to classify the user into the first user category; and

in response to classifying the user into the first user category, send the first action for implementation on the computing device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one processor to determine a score associated with the first user category.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the score is a probability value or a confidence value.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the sending the first action is conditional on the score being greater than a threshold value.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the implementation of the first action on the computing device is conditional on the score being greater than a threshold value.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the analyzing the gathered data comprises using a user classification model to classify the user into the first user category.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one processor to:

receive a selection from the user to adjust the user classification model, the selection provided by the user on a user interface of the computing device; and

adjust the user classification model based on the selection.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed, cause a computing device of a user to:

gather, via at least one processor, data on the computing device, wherein the gathered data comprises at least one user action performed by the user;

send the gathered data to a server configured to classify, based on analysis of the gathered data, the user into a first user category of a plurality of user categories stored at the server in a data repository, wherein the data repository includes at least one action corresponding to the first user category;

receive, from the server, the at least one action; and

implement, via the at least one processor, the at least one action on the computing device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to present, on a display of the computing device, a user interface to the user, the user interface comprising a first user interface element.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the implementing the at least one action comprises updating the user interface.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the updating the user interface comprises adding a second user interface element.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first user interface element is a first user input field, and the second user interface element is a second user input field.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the gathering data on the computing device comprises gathering data associated with a user action performed by the user via the user interface.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the data is gathered by software running on the computing device, and the gathering data begins after a predetermined time period from installation of the software on the computing device.