U.S. patent application number 15/450981 was filed with the patent office on 2017-06-29 for techniques for providing personalized behavior-based content.
The applicant listed for this patent is A9.com, Inc.. Invention is credited to Matthew W. Amacker, Yusuf Moosbhoy.
Application Number | 20170185423 15/450981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58163550 |
Filed Date | 2017-06-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170185423 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Amacker; Matthew W. ; et
al. |
June 29, 2017 |
TECHNIQUES FOR PROVIDING PERSONALIZED BEHAVIOR-BASED CONTENT
Abstract
Techniques for providing personalized content in substantially
real time are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for providing
personalized content in substantially real time includes providing
first content including a plurality of user-selectable content
elements, detecting an interaction of a user with respect to the
provided content including a selection by the user of one of the
plurality of the user-selectable content elements displayed on a
page of the first content, and providing second content in response
to a request. The second content includes at least a portion of the
first content modified according to the detected interaction by
moving the user-selectable content element up on a page of the
second content relative to a position of the content element on the
page of the first content.
Inventors: |
Amacker; Matthew W.; (Santa
Clara, CA) ; Moosbhoy; Yusuf; (Santa Clara,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
A9.com, Inc. |
Palo Alto |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
58163550 |
Appl. No.: |
15/450981 |
Filed: |
March 6, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13114734 |
May 24, 2011 |
9588632 |
|
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15450981 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/048 20130101;
G06F 3/0482 20130101; G06F 16/951 20190101; G06Q 30/00 20130101;
G06F 9/451 20180201; G06F 16/00 20190101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 9/44 20060101
G06F009/44; G06F 3/0482 20060101 G06F003/0482 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for providing personalized content
in substantially real time, comprising: under the control of one or
more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
providing first content in response to a first request, the first
content including a plurality of user-selectable content elements
displayed with the first content; determining an interaction of a
user with respect to a displayed page of at least a portion of the
first content, the interaction including a selection by the user of
at least one of the plurality of the user-selectable content
elements displayed on the page; updating information associated
with the at least one selected content element on the page and the
user based on the determined interaction; determining a subset of
the plurality of user-selectable content elements corresponding to
the at least one selected content element based on the updated
information; and providing second content in response to a second
request, the second content including at least a portion of the
first content modified by adjusting display properties of each
user-selectable content element of at least a portion of the
determined subset of the user-selectable content elements relative
to one or more user-selectable content elements displayed on the
page of the first content that were not selected by the user.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of allowed U.S.
application Ser. No. 13/114,734 entitled "Techniques for Providing
Personalized Behavior-Based Content" filed on May 24, 2011, which
which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Entities having a presence in an electronic environment,
such as may be provided via a Web site or other such source of
content, often take advantage of the full capabilities of modern
Web-based services to deliver a compelling user experience. For
example, an Internet user may access network resources such as Web
sites offering items, products, or services for sale. Usually,
these Web sites contain many different types of content, often on
the same page and in near proximity to each other. The content
presented by such a Web site may include information about each
item, such as price, description, images, availability and other
types of data associated with the item. The Web site may further
contain a significant amount of additional information, such as may
include customer reviews associated with each item, advertisements,
related products, hyperlinks to related network resources, and the
like. The large amount of content provided can make a page or site
look "busy" and difficult to navigate, and ultimately may overwhelm
a user, which could divert the user from using the site.
[0003] Furthermore, a user of such a Web site may wish to
repeatedly conduct one or more particular types of operation; for
example, a user may search for item(s) of interest using a search
service associated with the Web site. However, in order to initiate
a search, a user may have to navigate through many different types
or displays of content as described above that clutter the page or
site, and thus distract the user from his or her task. As a result,
a user may be frustrated or at best dissatisfied with his or her
experience with the Web site.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 illustrates an environment in which various
embodiments can be implemented.
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates an environment in which various
embodiments may be practiced.
[0006] FIG. 3 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of an
environment which may incorporate one or more components that are
described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 and that may be
used in accordance with various embodiments.
[0007] FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with an embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with another embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 7 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 8 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 9 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0013] FIG. 10 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in accordance with yet another embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 11 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
to be modified in substantially real time according to a recorded
user activity in accordance with an embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 12 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
modified in substantially real time according to a recorded user
activity in accordance with an embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 13 illustrates another example screenshot of a content
page to be modified in substantially real time according to a
recorded user activity in accordance with an embodiment.
[0017] FIG. 14 illustrates another example screenshot of a content
page modified in substantially real time according to a recorded
user activity in accordance with an embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Techniques are presented for providing personalized content,
as may be created for a user in real time based on the user's
activity with respect to certain content. In a network-based
environment (e.g., based upon the Internet), a user may conduct
various types of activities, for example, view products offered for
sale or search for any item of interest (e.g., a product, video or
audio content, an image, and the like) on a network resource using
one or more search services, such as at least one network search
engine. A network resource may include a collection of content such
as a Web site or electronic marketplace that can be accessed
through a client browser or other such interface and displayed on a
display element of a computing device. A network resource visited
by a user may contain information for one or more items (e.g.,
products or services) that the user has located, such as through
browsing or search. Based on the user's activities with respect to
the network and/or network resource, the network resource may be
modified in substantially real time with personalized content in
order to "tailor" the content to user's current interests and make
user experience with the network resource more personal, efficient,
and compelling.
[0019] In accordance with an embodiment, a user, while interacting
with rendered content, may access (e.g., select) selectable content
elements provided with the content. A selectable content element
can include any graphical, virtual, or physical element that can be
selected, entered, activated, or otherwise indicated by a user
through a device. For example, a user may select a "search" button,
an item category (e.g., Electronics), a price range for a
particular type of product (e.g., a user may request to view men's
watches in the range from $500 to $1,000), and the like on an
electronic marketplace such as a Web site. A trusted script loaded
on a user's browser may detect user activities on the Web site and
record them in a local (e.g., browser-associated) or remote data
repository. The recorded user activity may be analyzed and optimal,
personalized configuration of the content elements and their
placement may be determined, for example, during a user
session.
[0020] When a user requests an updated content by, for example,
refreshing a Web page, the Web page may be modified according to
the user preferences derived from the analysis of the user
activity. For example, the most often selected content elements may
be placed prominently relative to the content elements that were
not selected by the user or relative to those elements selected by
the user a number of times that is below a predetermined threshold.
Displaying selected content elements (e.g., item category, a
"search" button, or price range) prominently may be accomplished by
placing these content elements above other content elements on the
page, for example, by moving these elements to the top of the page
and/or changing color (e.g., color intensity), size, shape, or
other display properties of the content elements. In an embodiment,
each selected content element may be assigned a weight value
reflecting the amount of user activity associated with this
element. This weight value may be used to determine a degree of
prominence of the content element, for example, how far up to the
top of the page the content element should be moved. In an
embodiment, a weight value assigned to a selected content element
may be given a special "boost" in order to make the content element
more prominent on a modified page when the content element is
associated, for example, with a product popular with other
users.
[0021] In an embodiment, a user profile (e.g., "price comparison
person" or "customer review reader") may be determined based on the
analysis of the user activity. Accordingly, a selectable content
element or a cluster of selectable content elements corresponding
to the determined user profile may be identified and rendered to
the user during a user session or in subsequent sessions.
[0022] In an embodiment, cost of execution of tasks associated with
particular content elements may be taken into account when the
content is modified based on the recorded user activity. For
example, the cost of execution of tasks associated with each
selected content element to be prominently displayed to a user may
be determined (or predetermined) and each element may be displayed
in accordance with the recorded user behavior and determined cost.
For example, it may determined that a user consistently views only
the first ten search results out of a thousand rendered search
results. Accordingly, only the first ten results may be retrieved
and shown to the user in subsequent session(s). In an embodiment,
the remainder of the results may be rendered to a user upon
additional request.
[0023] In an embodiment, remaining pages of content may be informed
about the user activity on one page of content and the content on
the remaining pages may be modified accordingly. For example, if it
is determined that a user prefers to view customer reviews of each
product, the "customer reviews" category or a hyperlink to the
customer reviews may be displayed with the researched type of
product on all pages of a Web site that the user is viewing.
[0024] In an embodiment, if the same Web site is open on a
plurality of different tabs on a client computing device, the
modifications made to content in one tab may be propagated to the
content displayed on other open tabs. For example, if it is
determined that a content element associated with customer reviews
is popular with a particular user (e.g., the user selected the
content element), the content element "migrates" toward the top of
the updated page of content. Similar modifications may be made to
content displayed on other open tabs. For example, if the content
element "customer reviews" migrated to the top of the page viewed
by the user as a result of content modification based on the user
activity, other content elements "customer reviews" (if present)
may "migrate" to the top of each page of content displayed in each
open tab.
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an environment 100 for
implementing aspects in accordance with various embodiments. As
will be appreciated, although a Web-based environment is used for
purposes of explanation, different environments may be used, as
appropriate, to implement various embodiments. The environment 100
includes an electronic client device 102, which can include any
appropriate device operable to send and receive requests, messages,
or information over an appropriate network 104 and convey
information back to a user of the device. Examples of such client
devices include personal computers, cell phones, handheld messaging
devices, laptop computers, set-top boxes, personal data assistants,
electronic book readers, and the like. The network can include any
appropriate network, including an intranet, the Internet, a
cellular network, a local area network, or any other such network
or combination thereof. Components used for such a system can
depend at least in part upon the type of network and/or environment
selected. Protocols and components for communicating via such a
network are well known and will not be discussed herein in detail.
Communication over the network can be enabled by wired or wireless
connections, and combinations thereof. In this example, the network
includes the Internet, and the environment includes a Web server
106 for receiving requests and serving content in response thereto,
although for other networks, an alternative device serving a
similar purpose could be used, as would be apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0026] The illustrative environment includes at least one
application server 108 and a data store 110. It should be
understood that there can be several application servers, layers,
or other elements, processes, or components, which may be chained
or otherwise configured, which can interact to perform tasks such
as obtaining data from an appropriate data store. As used herein,
the term "data store" refers to any device or combination of
devices capable of storing, accessing, and retrieving data, which
may include any combination and number of data servers, databases,
data storage devices, and data storage media, in any standard,
distributed, or clustered environment. The application server can
include any appropriate hardware and software for integrating with
the data store as needed to execute aspects of one or more
applications for the client device, handling a majority of the data
access and business logic for an application. The application
server provides access control services in cooperation with the
data store, and is able to generate content such as text, graphics,
audio, and/or video to be transferred to a viewer, which may be
served to the viewer by the Web server in the form of HTML, XML, or
another appropriate structured language in this example. The
handling of all requests and responses, as well as the delivery of
content between the client device 102 and the application server
108, can be handled by the Web server. It should be understood that
the Web and application servers are not required and are merely
example components, as structured code discussed herein can be
executed on any appropriate device or host machine as discussed
elsewhere herein.
[0027] The data store 110 can include several separate data tables,
databases, or other data storage mechanisms and media for storing
data relating to a particular aspect. For example, the data store
illustrated includes mechanisms for storing production data 112 and
user information 116, which can be used to serve content for the
production side. The data store also is shown to include a
mechanism for storing log data 114, which can be used for
reporting, generating statistics, and other such purposes. It
should be understood that there can be many other aspects that may
need to be stored in the data store, such as for page image
information and access right information, which can be stored in
any of the above-listed mechanisms as appropriate or in additional
mechanisms in the data store 110. The data store 110 is operable,
through logic associated therewith, to receive instructions from
the application server 108 and obtain, update, or otherwise process
data in response thereto. In one example, a viewer might submit a
search request for a certain type of item. In this case, the data
store might access the user information to verify the identity of
the viewer, and can access the catalog detail information to obtain
information about items of that type. The information then can be
returned to the viewer, such as in a results listing on a Web page
that the viewer is able to view via a browser on the user device
102. Information for a particular item of interest can be viewed in
a dedicated page or window of the browser.
[0028] Each server typically will include an operating system that
provides executable program instructions for the general
administration and operation of that server, and typically will
include a computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when
executed by a processor of the server, allow the server to perform
its intended functions. Suitable implementations for the operating
system and general functionality of the servers are known or
commercially available, and are readily implemented by persons
having ordinary skill in the art, particularly in light of the
disclosure herein.
[0029] The environment in one embodiment is a distributed computing
environment utilizing several computer systems and components that
are interconnected via communication links, using one or more
computer networks or direct connections. However, it will be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that such a
system could operate equally well in a system having fewer or a
greater number of components than are illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus,
the depiction of the system 100 in FIG. 1 should be taken as being
illustrative in nature, and not limited to the scope of the
disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 2 shows an example environment 200 in which various
embodiments may be practiced. The environment 200 may be realized
utilizing one or more of the components of the environment
described above in connection with FIG. 1. The environment 200, in
an embodiment, includes a plurality of users operating client
computing devices 202 and 203 that utilize a network such as the
Internet 204 to browse content of various content providers. While
the environment 200 shows the client computing devices 202
utilizing the Internet, it should be understood that other networks
may be used as an alternative to or in addition to the Internet
204. Examples of other networks include mobile networks, intranets,
and generally any suitable communications network. Likewise, it
should be understood that client computing devices 202 and 203 may
include personal computers, cell phones, handheld messaging
devices, laptop computers, set-top boxes, personal data assistants,
electronic book readers, and the like.
[0031] In an embodiment, users may interact through devices 202 and
203 with other entities in order to consume content, search for
information or items for consumption, purchase items for
consumption, and the like. As used herein, an item for consumption
includes any product or item which may be consumed by a consumer.
Examples include tangible items, such as consumer products.
Examples also include electronic items which may be downloaded
and/or streamed, including audio files, video files, and other
digital content. Examples of items for consumption also include
services which may be performed for and/or on behalf of consumers.
As shown in FIG. 2, the environment 200 includes an electronic
entity, or merchant 206. The merchant 206, for example, may operate
an electronic marketplace such that the users may search, via
devices 202 or 203 utilizing search services (e.g., a Web search
engine 214), for items for consumption offered by the merchant 206.
The merchant 206 may offer items for consumption that come from
various sources, including the merchant's own sources. For example,
the merchant 206 may operate systems, such as those described above
in connection with FIG. 1, that enable others to utilize the
systems to offer items for consumption. In short, the merchant 206
may facilitate user search and consumption of items or products
offered by the merchant 206 and/or vendors 208 and/or 210, as well
as creating wishlists of items by the users of devices 202 or
203.
[0032] In an embodiment, the environment 200 includes one or more
affiliate or third-party vendors 208. In an embodiment, an
affiliate vendor is a merchant who offers for consumption items
that are actually consumed by consumers from the merchant 206.
Affiliate vendors 208 may cooperate with the merchant 206 in
various ways. In one embodiment, the merchant 206 may operate an
electronic marketplace, such as a Web site 212 and advertise and/or
sell items for consumption that are offered by the affiliate vendor
208. Affiliate vendors 208 may utilize various systems provided by
the merchant 206, such as electronic search services that enable
users to search for items for consumption, and other systems.
[0033] The environment 200 may include one or more subsidiary
vendors 210. In an embodiment, a subsidiary vendor is a merchant
whose operations may be controlled, either completely or partially,
by the merchant 206. For example, a subsidiary vendor 210 may be
operated by the merchant 206, but may offer items for consumption
under a different brand than the merchant 206. The subsidiary
vendor 210 may offer the same or different products for consumption
than the merchant 206. Alternatively, the subsidiary vendor 210 may
be operated by the affiliate vendor 208, but may offer items for
consumption under a different brand than the affiliate vendor 208,
which may be advertised and/or offered for sale by the affiliate
vendor 208 on the merchant 206's Web site 212.
[0034] In an embodiment, the environment 200 includes components
and instructions for generating one or more Web sites 212. One or
more of the Web sites 212 may be operated by the merchant 206,
although they need not be. The Web sites 212 may offer various
types of content, such as news, video, shopping for products, and
the like. The Web sites 212 may offer other services, such as
content or product search services, audio, social networking
services, and the like. While the example environment 200 shows Web
sites for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that
any type of content provider may be included in the environment 200
or variations thereof. For example, content may be provided in
various ways, such as through an application interface or through
other mechanisms that may not be properly classified as Web
sites.
[0035] As noted, in an embodiment, the users may interact with
content from the various entities, such as by searching products
offered by the entities, viewing content from the entities,
consuming items from the entities, creating wishlists, and the
like. In order to search for items or other content provided by the
entities, the users may utilize a search service, e.g., the Web
search engine 214. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, a Web
search engine may be a software or a combination of software and
hardware designed to search for information on the Internet. The
search engine may be rendered to a client device 202 via a
particular Web site or Web sites, such as the Web sites 212. The
Web search engine 214 may be affiliated with the merchant 206 in a
number of different ways, such as, for example, it may be designed
and/or owned by the merchant 206, operated by the merchant 206,
contracted by the merchant 206, be independent or autonomous from
the merchant 206, and the like. The content of the Web site 212 may
be modified based on the user activity as will be described below
in greater detail.
[0036] FIG. 3 shows an illustrative environment 300 that an
electronic entity such as the merchant 206 may utilize in order to
provide a user with an ability to repeatedly search for product
items or other content offered by the merchant 206 and/or vendors
208 and 210 such that the user can keep track of already-viewed
products or content. The environment 300 may be implemented to
increase search efficiency for the users utilizing one or more
client devices 202 and thus increase effectiveness for one or more
of the entities 206, 208, and/or 210 shown in FIG. 2. In an
embodiment, the environment 300 of FIG. 3 is utilized by an
electronic entity (such as the merchant 206 shown in FIG. 2) to
provide improved search experience to a user using a search service
described herein. It is to be understood that the search service
may comprise a number of various implementations, including, but
not limited to, a software application component executed on a
computing device, such as one or more Web servers. In one
embodiment, the service may be offered as a part of remote
computing services that together make up a cloud computing
platform, offered over the Internet. The service may be configured
to run in a Web server environment, such as a pure Java HTTP Web
server environment.
[0037] In an embodiment, the environment 300 includes a client
computing device 302 utilized by a user for interaction with
electronic entities that provide content. Content may be accessed
by a user operating the device 302 through a browser 304. For
example, content may include products or items of various types
that are to be placed on a Web site 306. The content may be stored
in the remote content data store(s) 314, 316, and 318 and may be
utilized by merchants, Web sites, or other entities in order to
provide users an opportunity to search for, and view, items for
consumption and/or other content. In an embodiment, the content
data stores 314-318 store content to be provided to users, such as
when users request the content by navigating to a Web site 306
operated by a merchant (e.g., merchant 206 on FIG. 2). The Web site
306 may utilize a search engine 308 in order to provide a user with
the ability to search for products offered by the merchant 206 or
other entities. It will be appreciated that the content may be
stored in one or more data stores and that three data stores 314,
316, and 318 are shown for purely illustrative purposes, such that
the number of data stores is not limited to three or any other
number. The term "remote" used in conjunction with the term "data
store" simply means that the data stores 314, 316, or 318 are not
placed in an application operating on the computing device 302 or
in the computing device itself. The remote data stores may be
accessible with the search engine 308 through the Internet or any
other type of computer network known in the art. The remote data
stores may be associated with the electronic entity, such as
above-noted merchant 206. For example, the remote data stores may
be associated with a server serving the Web site 306 operated by
the merchant 206.
[0038] In an embodiment, a trusted script 312, implemented in one
embodiment as a JavaScript.RTM. and operating on the Web site 306
that is loaded by the browser 304, is configured to keep track of
user activities while searching items provided by the content data
stores 314-318. In some embodiments, the trusted script may also be
implemented as an ActionScript.RTM., VBScript.RTM., Java
Servlet.RTM., Flash.RTM., JScript.RTM. or other scripting
languages. Specifically, the trusted script 312, in an embodiment,
may utilize information such as user selections of content
elements, browsing of search results, assigning weight values
described above, executing content elements migration on the page,
and the like. Information associated with user activity on the Web
site may be stored in a local data store 310. The trusted script
312 may be loaded on a page of the Web site 304 when a user
accesses the Web site. In another embodiment, the trusted script
may be implemented and is an extension (i.e., a plug-in
application) to the browser. In general, the trusted script 312
does not have to be Web site-specific; the script may be provided
as a part of a browser or be installed as an extension to a
browser.
[0039] The local data store 310 may be implemented in a number of
different ways. For example, in an embodiment, the data store 308
may comprise a dedicated database accessible by the trusted script
312. In some Web environments, such as, for example, one provided
by the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) 5, the local data store 310
may be allocated within a Web site or within a domain. For example,
the local data store 310 may be embedded in the pages of the Web
site 306 and may be shared with any page visited by the user on
that Web site. Thus, the trusted script 312 may communicate with
the local data store 310 within the browser 304 that displays the
Web site 306 to a user. In another embodiment, information related
to the user activity and associated data may be stored in the
memory of the trusted script 312 loaded in a page of the Web site
306. In yet another embodiment, the information and associated data
may be stored in the memory of a trusted frame, such as an iFrame
embedded in the Web site 306. It will be appreciated that different
ways of implementing a local data store configured to store the
user activity data and related data may be employed.
[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in substantially real time in accordance with
an embodiment. The process 400 begins at block 404 where a first
request for content is received from a user. At block 406, a
requested content, for example a Web site described in reference to
FIG. 3, is rendered to the user. At block 408, the user interaction
with content elements comprising content is recorded and stored in
a local or remote repository, e.g., one of data stores described
above in reference to FIG. 3.
[0041] In one embodiment, information reflecting the user
interaction with content elements may be stored in a remote
repository (data store) associated with a "back end" server. This
information may be retrieved and utilized when the same user
accesses the Web site. For example, the user may next visit the Web
site one year after the current visit. The information regarding
the user interaction with the content elements on the Web site may
be used to "tailor" the Web site to user needs by making the
selected content elements more prominent on the page as will be
described below in greater detail.
[0042] Returning to FIG. 4, at block 410, the recorded user
interaction information is analyzed and/or updated. For example,
each content element selected by the user may be assigned a weight
value reflecting the amount of user activity associated with this
element and recorded at block 408. This weight value may be used in
order to determine a degree of prominence of the content element on
the rendered content. In an embodiment, the selected content
element may be moved up to the top of the page each time the
content is reloaded. In another embodiment, the weight assigned to
the selected content element may indicate that the content element
should migrate all the way to the top of the page. This embodiment
will be discussed below in reference to FIG. 6 in greater
detail.
[0043] At block 412, a second request for content is received from
the user. At decision block 414, it is determined whether the
content to be returned in response to the second request should be
modified in accordance with the updated interaction information
described at block 410. Content modification may be accomplished in
a number of different ways. For example, the most often selected
content elements may be placed prominently relative to the content
elements that were selected not as frequently (e.g., selected by
the user a number of times that is below a predetermined threshold)
or not selected by the user at all. Displaying selected content
elements (e.g., item category, a "search" button, or price range)
prominently may be accomplished by placing these content elements
above other content elements on the page (e.g., moving these
elements to the top of the page), and/or changing color, size,
shape, or other display properties of the content elements.
[0044] In one embodiment, content provided at the second request
for content may be modified by providing content that was not
rendered in response to the first request. For example, based on
previously recorded interaction of the user with the page it was
determined that the user would like to see product-related
information (e.g., particular product category) that was not
rendered in response to the first request. Accordingly, in response
to the second request, the desired information may be rendered to
the user.
[0045] Returning to FIG. 4, if it is determined that the content
should be modified, the content is modified and rendered to user at
block 416. Content modification may occur during the user session
at a user request as described above or in a subsequent user
session. If at block 414 it is determined that the content should
not be modified, the unmodified updated content is rendered to the
user at block 418. At determination block 420, it is determined
whether the user session ended. If the user session continues, the
process moves back to block 404, thus reflecting the continuous
nature of the content modification based on the user activity
during the user session. If the user session ended, the process 400
ends.
[0046] In one embodiment, after the content rendered to the user
has been modified, in some cases numerous times during a single
user session, the Web site reverts to its original
"pre-modification" state after the user session has ended. In other
words, all modifications made during a user session may not be
saved and the Web site assumes its "pre-modification" state. In
another embodiment, the modifications made to the content may be
saved so that the user, when accessing the Web site in the next
session, may take advantage of the content "tailored" to the user's
needs.
[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content according to a user profile in substantially
real time in accordance with an embodiment. As discussed above, a
user profile may be determined based on the analysis of the user
activity. Accordingly, one or more content elements corresponding
to the determined user profile may be identified and rendered to
the user during the same user session or in subsequent sessions.
The process 500 begins at block 504, where a request for content
from a user is received. At block 506, the requested content is
provided. At block 508, the user interaction with content elements
comprising the content is recorded and stored as described in
reference to FIG. 4.
[0048] At block 510, the user profile is determined based on the
recorded user interaction with the content element. A user during
the user session may exhibit behavior that conforms to a particular
user category. For example, a user may as a matter of course
compare prices to items of similar nature (e.g., compare prices of
watches with similar characteristics but different brands). In
another example, a user may consistently do research on a
particular item or items by accessing customer reviews of the
desired item(s). In yet another example, a user may conduct a
product search on the content resource (Web site) when a user knows
exactly what product he/she wants to purchase. Generally, a
particular pattern of a particular user behavior may be discerned
from the user's activity on a Web site.
[0049] According to a determined pattern (profile), one or more
selectable content elements utilized in the determined pattern may
be identified. For instance, a "customer review reader" may always
need the content element that links to customer reviews. As shown
in FIG. 5, at block 512, a cluster of selectable content elements
that conforms to a determined user profile may be identified. In an
embodiment, when more than one content element pertinent to a user
profile is identified, the whole cluster of the identified content
elements may be optimized, e.g., moved up the page of content.
Accordingly, at block 514, the position of the cluster of content
elements is optimized based on the determined user profile. For
example, the "customer review"-related content element(s) will be
moved up the page and presented to the user when the content on the
page is modified (e.g., when refreshed).
[0050] Within the cluster, a position of each content element may
also be optimized according to a determined user profile. For
example, if a user falls into a "price comparison" profile, a
cluster comprising links to brands of watches and links to watch
prices may be moved up the page, the link to prices being placed
above the link to brands as the "price link" may be used by a
"price comparison" user more often than the "brand link."
Accordingly, at block 516, the position of each element within the
cluster is optimized (the example of such optimization is
illustrated and described in reference to FIG. 12). The process 500
then ends.
[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow diagram providing
personalized content in substantially real time in accordance with
another embodiment. As described above in reference to FIG. 4, each
content element selected by the user may be assigned a weight value
reflecting the amount of user activity associated with this content
element. The process 600 begins at block 602 where the content is
provided to the user. At block 604, a user input or interaction is
received. At block 604, the weight value of each accessed content
element is increased, in one embodiment incrementally. For example,
the "pace" of selectable content element migration up the page may
be determined by, or correspond to, the assigned weight. By way of
example, if a content element is assigned "+1," the content element
may migrate one level up the page when the updated page is rendered
to the user. In an embodiment, a weight assigned to a selected
content element may be given a special "boost" in order to make the
content element more prominent on a modified page when the content
element is associated, for example, with a product popular with
other users.
[0052] In an embodiment, content elements located near or above the
selected content element may be assigned "negative" weight
indicating that these elements should migrate down the page. For
example, a selectable content element located initially above the
selected content element, may be assigned value of "-0.2"
indicating that this element should migrate down the page when the
updated page is rendered to the user. Accordingly, at block 610,
the weight values of content elements placed above selected content
elements is decreased. At block 612, the weight values for each
content element assigned in blocks 608 and 610 are stored in a
local or remote repository. At decision block 614, it is determined
whether a new request for content is received. If such request is
received, at block 616, content is modified in accordance with the
new weight values assigned to content elements. In one embodiment,
content elements would move up and down the page in accordance with
assigned weight values. At block 618, the modified content is
rendered to the user. The process 600 then ends.
[0053] FIG. 7 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in substantially real time in accordance with
another embodiment. As described above, the cost of execution of
tasks associated with selecting particular content elements may be
taken into account when the content is modified based on the
recorded user activity. If it is determined, for example, that a
user consistently views only the first ten search results out of a
thousand rendered search results, only the first ten results may be
retrieved and shown to a user when the user requests another search
and the cost of retrieving and rendering the remainder of the
results may be saved. In an embodiment, the remainder of the
results may be rendered to a user upon additional request.
[0054] The process 700 begins at block 702 when the content is
rendered to the user. The decision block 706 determines whether a
first search request is received. If the search request is
received, the pages of search results are returned in response to
the first search request at block 710. At decision block 712, it is
determined whether a second search request is received. If the
second search request is received, at decision block 714, it is
determined whether a user accessed only the subset of first results
which are in response to first search request. If the user accessed
only a particular subset of a search results in turn in response to
a first search request, at block 718, the subset of second results
equal in size to the subset of first results is retrieved and
rendered to the user. At block 722, the user is given access to the
remainder of the results that are not rendered by request. If the
user accessed the whole set of results returned in response to the
first search request at block 724, the full set of search results
is rendered to the user in response to the second search request.
The process 700 then ends.
[0055] FIG. 8 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
optimized content in substantially real time in accordance with
another embodiment. As discussed above, the cost to a content
provider of execution of tasks associated with each selectable
content element to be rendered to a user based on user's activities
on the content may be determined. For example, the cost of
accessing the data repository on a "back end" of an electronic
marketplace, retrieving a substantial number (for example, a few
thousand) of results and rendering the retrieved results to a
client computing device may cost about $0.2-$5.0 to a content
provider.
[0056] Accordingly, while each selectable content element may be
prominently displayed to a user in accordance with the recorded
user behavior as described above, the determined cost of execution
of tasks associated with the selectable content elements may be
taken into account. Assume execution of a selected content element
costs, for example, $50 to a content provider. Then, instead of
displaying a previously selected content element at the top of the
page, this content element may be "tucked away" among others in the
content element cluster that is prominently displayed to the user
among the rest of the selectable content elements on the page so
that the user may select the content element in question
judiciously. In one embodiment, it may be determined that due to a
high cost of execution (e.g. above a predetermined threshold value)
a particular content element should not migrate at all to a more
prominent position on the page even though its selection by a user
was detected and recorded previously.
[0057] The process 800 begins at block 802 where the content is
provided to the user. At block 806, the user interaction with the
content is recorded. At block 810, a relevant cluster of content
elements is determined based on the recorded user interaction. At
block 814, the cost of access and execution of each content element
in the determined cluster is identified. At block 818, the position
of each content element in the cluster on the page of content is
optimized taking into account the cost of access and execution of
each content element to provider. The process 800 then ends.
[0058] FIG. 9 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in substantially real time in accordance with
yet another embodiment. If content, e.g., a Web site, is rendered
to a user as a plurality of pages, the user typically views the
first page and then scrolls down or selects a different (e.g.,
next) page and so on. In an embodiment, the user activity on a
first page of content may not only be recorded for further
optimization (personalization) of content, but also the remaining
pages of content (e.g., pages describing product or item details)
may be informed about the user activity on a page of content and
the content on the remaining pages may be modified accordingly. For
example, if it is determined that a user prefers to view customer
reviews of each product, the "customer reviews" category or a
hyperlink to the customer reviews may be displayed with the
researched type of product on all pages of a Web site that the user
is viewing.
[0059] In another example, if a user indicates on the first page
(e.g., by selecting a relevant content element) that he/she prefers
to view only certain type (e.g. "prime") items, the remaining pages
of content may be modified to show the option of "prime" items to
the user. In yet another example, it may be determined whether at
least some of the content elements selected by the user on the
front page are rendered on the remaining pages and if these content
elements are identified, the content elements will be prominently
displayed on the remaining page just in a manner that their
counterparts are prominently displayed on the first page of the
modified content.
[0060] The process 900 begins at block 902 where the pages of
content are provided to the user. At block 906, the user
interaction with a page of content is recorded. At block 910,
content elements accessed by a user during the user interaction are
determined. At block 914, the remaining pages of content are
informed about accessed content elements. At block 918, it is
determined whether there is content corresponding to accessed
content elements in the remaining pages of content. If the content
corresponding to accessed element pages is determined to exist in
remaining pages, at block 922, the content corresponding to access
content elements is displayed on the remaining pages of content.
The process 900 then ends.
[0061] FIG. 10 illustrates a process flow diagram for providing
personalized content in substantially real time in accordance with
yet another embodiment. When a user conducts a search of a Web
site, e.g., a search of a particular item, the search terms
associated with the item may be determined. Based on the search
terms for the item, the selectable content elements containing
information about the item may be identified and displayed
prominently in a modified content. For example, if a user is
searching for a drill on a Web site, it may be determined that a
particular selectable content element (e.g., an icon representing
"best deals of the day") may be determined to have a "best deal"
drill associated with it (e.g., information regarding the drill may
be linked to the icon). Accordingly, the icon may be displayed more
prominently when the content is modified based on the user activity
as described before. An example of an implementation of this
embodiment will be described in reference to FIG. 14.
[0062] The process 1000 begins at block 1002 where a search request
for an item is received. At block 1006, the search terms associated
with the requested item are determined. At decision block 1010, it
is determined whether any content elements existing on the page
have item information corresponding to the search terms. If there
are content elements that have item information corresponding to
the determined search terms, at block 1014, the content elements
may be aggregated in the cluster. At block 1018, the relative
placement of content elements in the cluster is determined. At
block 1022, the content elements in the cluster are displayed
prominently on the page along with the search results provided in
response to the search request for an item received at block 1002.
If there are no content elements that would have item information
corresponding to the search terms, at block 1024, the results are
rendered to the user. The process 1000 then ends.
[0063] FIGS. 11-14 illustrate example screenshots of content pages
that are to be modified or have been modified in substantially real
time according to a recorded user activity in accordance with an
embodiment. The screenshots illustrated in FIGS. 11-14 are shown
for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as
limiting the scope of the various embodiments.
[0064] FIG. 11 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
to be modified in substantially real time according to a recorded
user activity in accordance with an embodiment. The Web page 1100
includes selectable content elements 1106-1116 representing
different categories ("Gender," "Department," "Brand," "Movement,"
"Customer Review," and "Price") that enable a user to refine
his/her search for an item, in this example, a watch. The page 1100
also includes a search field 1104 in which a user may enter search
terms (e.g., "watches" in this example). The page 1100 further
includes examples of watches 1120-1124 presented to a user, in one
embodiment, prior to his/her search for a watch.
[0065] FIG. 12 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
that was modified in substantially real time according to a
recorded user activity in accordance with an embodiment. The Web
page 1200, like the page illustrated in FIG. 11, includes
selectable content elements 1206-1216 representing different
categories ("Gender," "Department," "Brand," "Movement," "Customer
Review," and "Price"), a search field 1204 (including a search
term), and watches 1220-1224 found in a search conducted by the
user. The selectable content elements 1210 ("Brand") and 1216
("Price") migrated to the top of the page according to the user
activities recorded on the previous page. As described above in
reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, the user activity on the page of
content (e.g., selecting particular selectable content elements) is
recorded and modification of content that takes into account the
user activity occurs when the content is reloaded (refreshed) by
the user, such as moving the selected content elements to the top
of the modified page of content. For example, the user may have
selected the "Brand" and the "Price" categories on the previous
page and according to the detected user activity these categories
migrated upward on the page.
[0066] In another example, as described above in reference to FIG.
5, the selectable content elements may be identified according to a
user profile determined based upon the recorded user activity on
the page of content. The identified selectable content elements
then may be placed in a prominent position on a reloaded page of
content in order to provide easy access for the user. In reference
to FIG. 12, let us assume that the content elements 1210 and 1216
were identified as ones corresponding to a user profile that was
determined based on the user activity. Accordingly, these content
elements are placed prominently relative to other selectable
content elements on the page shown in FIG. 12. The positions of
elements 1210 and 1216 may also be optimized relative to each
other. For example, if it is determined that the user selected the
"Brand" category more often than the "Price" category, the "Brand"
category 1210 may be placed above the "Price" category 1216.
[0067] In an embodiment, selectable content elements associated
with other selectable content elements may also be optimized
according to the recorded user activity. For example, the category
"Gender" 1206 is associated with three selectable content elements
("Men's," "Women's" and "Kids'"). If it is determined that a user
is looking for men's watches, other categories ("Women's" and
"Kids'") within the "Gender" category 1206 may not be displayed.
Instead, a link to these categories (e.g., the link indicated as
"Others") may be displayed in case the user decides to expand
his/her search to these categories. Similarly, if it is determined
that the user is interested in the Omega brand, the titles of other
brands may not be displayed. Instead, a link to other brand titles
within the "Brand" category may be rendered to the user in case the
user decides to expand his/her search. Similarly, if it is
determined that the user is primarily interested in the price range
"$1,000 & Above," this category may be placed above other price
range categories in the "Price" category 1216.
[0068] FIG. 13 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
to be modified in substantially real time according to a recorded
user activity in accordance with another embodiment. The page 1300,
like pages illustrated in FIGS. 11-12, includes selectable content
elements 1306-1316 representing different categories ("Gender,"
"Department," "Brand," "Movement," "Customer Review," and "Price"),
a search field 1304 (including a search term), and example watches
1320-1324. In addition, the page 1300 includes a selectable content
element 1330 "Best Deals." In an embodiment, this content element
may indicate (e.g., link to) the items for sale that are the best
deals on today's trade on the Web site. For example, if a user
clicks on the "treasure chest" icon 1330, the "treasure chest" will
"open" and display the best deals to the user (e.g., show links to
the best deals or take the user to the "best deals" page). It is
assumed that a user is looking for a watch Omega Planet Ocean and a
Planet Ocean watch happens to be one of the "best deals" for the
day and is "hidden" in the "treasure chest" 1330. Further
explanation of this example is provided below in reference to FIG.
14.
[0069] FIG. 14 illustrates an example screenshot of a content page
modified in substantially real time according to a recorded user
activity in accordance with an embodiment. The page 1400, like the
page illustrated in FIG. 13, includes selectable content elements
1406-1416 representing different categories ("Gender,"
"Department," "Brand," "Movement," "Customer Review," and "Price")
and a search field 1404 (including a search term). The page further
includes watches 1420 and 1424 rendered in return for the user
search of a watch Omega Planet Ocean as described in reference to
FIG. 13. In addition, the page 1300 includes a selectable content
element 1430 "Best Deals" that in turn links to an Omega Planet
Ocean watch that is one of the "best deals" for the day.
[0070] As described in reference to a process flow diagram
illustrated in FIG. 10, the content element 1430 should be
displayed prominently on the page 1400, prompting the user to
select the content element. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 13,
the content element 1430 is displayed prominently on the page.
Specifically, the "treasure chest" icon 1430 is bigger than the
corresponding icon 1330 in FIG. 13, thus being more prominent on
the page and therefore more appealing to the user.
[0071] As discussed above, the various embodiments can be
implemented in a wide variety of operating environments, which in
some cases can include one or more client computers, computing
devices, or processing devices which can be used to operate any of
a number of applications. Client devices can include any of a
number of general purpose personal computers, such as desktop or
laptop computers running a standard operating system, as well as
cellular, wireless, and handheld devices running mobile software
and capable of supporting a number of networking and messaging
protocols. Such a system also can include a number of workstations
running any of a variety of commercially available operating
systems and other known applications for purposes such as
development and database management. These devices also can include
other electronic devices, such as dummy terminals, thin-clients,
gaming systems, and other devices capable of communicating via a
network.
[0072] Various aspects also can be implemented as part of at least
one service or Web service, such as may be part of a
service-oriented architecture. Services such as Web services can
communicate using any appropriate type of messaging, such as by
using messages in extensible markup language (XML) format and
exchanged using an appropriate protocol such as SOAP (derived from
the "Simple Object Access Protocol"). Processes provided or
executed by such services can be written in any appropriate
language, such as the Web Services Description Language (WSDL).
Using a language such as WSDL allows for functionality such as the
automated generation of client-side code in various SOAP
frameworks.
[0073] Most embodiments utilize at least one network that would be
familiar to those skilled in the art for supporting communications
using any of a variety of commercially available protocols, such as
TCP/IP, OSI, FTP, UPnP, NFS, CIFS, and AppleTalk. The network can
be, for example, a local area network, a wide-area network, a
virtual private network, the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, a
public switched telephone network, an infrared network, a wireless
network, and any combination thereof.
[0074] In embodiments utilizing a Web server, the Web server can
run any of a variety of server or mid-tier applications, including
HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, data servers, Java servers,
and business application servers. The server(s) also may be capable
of executing programs or scripts in response to requests from
client devices, such as by executing one or more Web applications
that may be implemented as one or more scripts or programs written
in any programming language, such as Java.RTM., C, C# or C++, or
any scripting language, such as Perl, Python, or TCL, as well as
combinations thereof. The server(s) may also include database
servers, including without limitation, those commercially available
from Oracle.RTM., Microsoft.RTM., Sybase.RTM., and IBM.RTM..
[0075] The environment can include a variety of data stores and
other memory and storage media as discussed above. These can reside
in a variety of locations, such as on a storage medium local to
(and/or resident in) one or more of the computers or remote from
any or all of the computers across the network. In a particular set
of embodiments, the information may reside in a storage-area
network ("SAN") familiar to those skilled in the art. Similarly,
any necessary files for performing the functions attributed to the
computers, servers, or other network devices may be stored locally
and/or remotely, as appropriate. Where a system includes
computerized devices, each such device can include hardware
elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus, the elements
including, for example, at least one central processing unit (CPU),
at least one input device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, controller,
touch screen, or keypad), and at least one output device (e.g., a
display device, printer, or speaker). Such a system may also
include one or more storage devices, such as disk drives, optical
storage devices, and solid-state storage devices, such as random
access memory ("RAM") or read-only memory ("ROM"), as well as
removable media devices, memory cards, flash cards, and the
like.
[0076] Such devices also can include a computer-readable storage
media reader, a communications device (e.g., a modem, a network
card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device), and
working memory as described above. The computer-readable storage
media reader can be connected with, or configured to receive, a
computer-readable storage medium, representing remote, local,
fixed, and/or removable storage devices, as well as storage media
for temporarily and/or more permanently containing, storing,
transmitting, and retrieving computer-readable information. The
system and various devices also typically will include a number of
software applications, modules, services, or other elements located
within at least one working memory device, including an operating
system and application programs, such as a client application or
Web browser. It should be appreciated that alternate embodiments
may have numerous variations from that described above. For
example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular
elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including
portable software, such as applets), or both. Further, connection
to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may
be employed.
[0077] Storage media and computer-readable media for containing
code, or portions of code, can include any appropriate media known
or used in the art, including storage media and communication
media, such as, but not limited to, volatile and non-volatile,
removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or
technology for storage and/or transmission of information such as
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules,
or other data, including RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other
memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other
optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk
storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium
which can be used to store the desired information and which can be
accessed by the system device. Based on the disclosure and
teachings provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate other ways and/or methods to implement the various
embodiments.
[0078] The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be
regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It
will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes
may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and
scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims.
* * * * *