Content enhancement techniques

• US 9,424,107 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Charles L., Willhoit, Donald Ryan, Ulness, Lars C.
• Primary Examiner(s): RONI, SYED A
• Application Number:
  US13/047,017
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing content being rendered on an electronic device are described herein. In some instances, the techniques include monitoring interactions between a user and a content item that the user consumes on an electronic device. The content items may include electronic books, songs, videos, documents, or the like. In response to detecting an interaction between the user and the content item, the techniques may publish an event indicative of the interaction to an application platform that hosts one or more applications. The applications may be designed to enhance the content that the user consumes in one or more specified ways.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

detecting an interaction associated with a content item on an electronic device;

determining that the electronic device is connected to a network;

selecting a subset of applications from multiple different applications to receive an indication of the interaction, wherein the subset of applications is selected based at least in part on the electronic device being connected to the network and the subset of applications comprises at least two applications a first application configured to provide a first item of additional content for display and a second application configured to provide a second item of additional content for display;

publishing the indication to the subset of applications;

receiving, from the first application, a request to display the first item of additional content; and

causing display of at least a portion of the first item of additional content.

2. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the interaction comprises at least one of:

turning a page in the content item,

selecting text of the content item,

selecting an icon that the electronic device displays,

adjusting a setting of the electronic device, or

providing an input via an input device of the electronic device.

3. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of applications is further based at least in part on the interaction associated with the content item.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of applications is further based at least in part on an identity of the content item.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of applications is further based at least in part on an identity of a user associated with the electronic device.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of applications is further based at least in part on a capability of the electronic device.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the selecting the subset of applications is further based at least in part on a location of the electronic device.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first item of additional content comprises content that supplements the content item at a location in the content item where the interaction occurred, and wherein the causing of the display of at least the portion of the first item of additional content comprises causing display of the first item of additional content adjacent to an area of an interface of the electronic device that displays the content item.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first item of additional content comprises an icon that, when selected, causes display of supplemental content that supplements the content item at a location in the content item where the interaction occurred, and wherein the causing the display of at least the portion of the first item of the additional content comprises causing display of the icon adjacent to an area of an interface of the electronic device that displays the content item.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the subset of applications is selected from the multiple different applications based at least in further part on at least one of:

a type or classification of the interaction,

an identity or classification of the content item,

one or more preferences of a user associated with the electronic device,

one or more preferences of other users,

one or more past interactions with the content item,

one or more past interactions between other users and other content items,

one or more capabilities of the electronic device,

a current location of the electronic device,

information associated with text selected from the content item,

a location in the content item at which the interaction occurs,

a current date or time, or

respective affinities between the content item and individual ones of the multiple different applications.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, the acts further comprising:

determining to display the at least the portion of the first item of additional content based at least in part on the indication and a context corresponding to the indication.

12. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with specific executable instructions,

detecting an interaction with an input device of an electronic device, the interaction associated with a content item on the electronic device;

determining a context associated with the interaction, wherein the context comprises at least one of a current location of the electronic device, a current date or time of day, or network connectivity for the electronic device;

selecting, based at least in part on the context, a plurality of applications to receive an event indicative of the interaction;

publishing the event to a first application and a second application of the plurality of applications, wherein the first application and the second application of the plurality of applications are configured to;

compare the event to one or more predefined events;

send a first request from the first application to output a first item of additional content on the electronic device; and

send a second request from the second application to output a second item of additional content on the electronic device;

receiving the first request to output the first item of additional content and the second request to output and the second item of additional content; and

causing display of a selectable list including the first item of additional content and the second item of additional content.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the interaction comprises at least one of:

navigating to a different section of the content item,

navigating to a different content item,

selecting a portion of the content item,

adjusting a setting of the electronic device, or

providing an input via the input device of the electronic device.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the content item comprises at least one of:

a video file,

an audio file, or

a document file.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the content item comprises an electronic book and the electronic device comprises an electronic book reader.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein an application platform configured to host the plurality of applications resides on the electronic device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the application platform resides remotely from the electronic device and is accessible to the electronic device over a network.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the application platform hosts one or more applications downloaded to the electronic device via an application marketplace.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one application of the plurality of applications is configured to provide content for the content item on the electronic device, but is not configured to provide content for other content items on the electronic device.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one application of the plurality of applications is configured to provide content for the content item on the electronic device and for at least one other content item on the electronic device.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request to output content that supplements the content item from an application of the plurality of applications at least partly in response to the publishing of the event; and

outputting the additional content at least partly in response to receiving of the request to output content that supplements the content item from an application of the plurality of applications.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, from an application of the plurality of applications and at least partly in response to the publishing of the event, a request to display an icon that causes output of content that supplements the content item when selected; and

causing display of the icon at least partly in response to receiving of the request to display an icon that causes output of content that supplements the content item.

23. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising exposing one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow the applications of the plurality of applications to learn additional context associated with the event and with other events that are published.

24. A method implemented at least partly by an application stored on or accessible to an electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring an interaction between a user of the electronic device and a content item on the electronic device;

monitoring a context experienced by the electronic device, wherein the context comprises at least one of;

a current time,

a current geographical location of the electronic device,

a current ambient light experienced by the electronic device, or

a current ambient temperature experienced by the electronic device;

determining the context for the interaction;

generating an event based at least in part on the interaction;

determining the event matches one of a set of one or more predefined events thereby identifying the event as a matching event; and

determining to provide additional content associated with the matching event to output on the electronic device, wherein the additional content is selected based at least in part on the context for the interaction.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the identifying the event as the matching event is based at least in part on the context.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the determining of the context experienced by the electronic device comprises calling one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) provided by the electronic device.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the context comprises the current time.

28. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the context comprises the current ambient light experienced by the electronic device.

29. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the context comprises the current ambient temperature experienced by the electronic device.

30. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the context comprises the current geographical location of the electronic device.