Providing persistent activity sessions across client devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016173540-A1
Application number	US-201414566673-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for improving a user experience related to interacting with content using multiple client devices and/or mediums. For example, a persistent activity system can receive activity data for a user from a client device. The persistent activity system can generate state information based on the received activity data. Further, the persistent activity system can provide the state information to another client device and/or medium to enable the user to seamlessly resume the user's activity on the other client device and/or medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, from a first client device, activity data generated in response to a user interacting with content on the first client device; associating, using one or more processors, the activity data with an activity session corresponding to the user; generating, based on the activity data, state information for the activity session, the state information comprising a last activity session state and one or more historical activity session states; receiving, from a second client device, an indication that the user requested content related to the activity session; and providing, to the second client device, the state information for the activity session, wherein the state information allows the second client device to resume the activity session.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving activity data from the first client device comprises receiving activity data from the first client device without the user logging into a system associated with providing the content.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the state information for the activity session to the second client device comprises providing the state information for the activity session to the second client device without the user logging into the system associated with providing the content.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the activity data corresponds to an active activity session for the user.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein associating the activity data with an activity session comprises associating the activity data with the active activity session for the user.

6 . The method of claim 5 , determining the activity session has expired at the expiration of a predefined time period without receiving activity data related to the activity session.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity data comprises a client device identifier from the first client device and the second client device.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a user identifier included within the activity data; and identifying a user profile based on the user identifier.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the state information for the activity session comprises one or more of product searches, product views, activity history, products added to a shopping cart, or product purchases.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the state information based on the activity data comprises creating a timestamp corresponding to a time of receiving the activity data.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
subsequent providing the second client device the state information for the activity session, receiving one or more indicators from the second device to navigate to content with which the user previously interacted; and providing, to the second client device, the one or more historical activity session states in reverse chronological order according to a timestamp associated with each of the one or more historical activity session states.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the activity data further comprises a user identifier associated with a user profile within a social networking system.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the second client device, additional activity data corresponding to additional activity of the user on the second client device; and updating the state information for the activity session based on the additional activity data.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, to the second client device, instructions to cause the second client device to present an option to the user to resume the activity session on the second client device.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing, to the second client device, instructions to cause the second client device to present an option to initiate a new activity session on the second client device.

16 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a social networking system, activity data corresponding to an interaction of a user with content from a third-party content provider; identifying, using one or more processors, an active activity session based on one or more activity data characteristics, the active activity session comprising state information corresponding to previous interactions of the user with content from the third-party content provider; augmenting, based on the received activity data, the active activity session to include the interaction of the user with the content; detecting, using one or more processors, that the user is present on the social networking system; and in response to detecting the user is present on the social networking system, providing the content within a graphical user interface of the social networking system to allow the user to resume interacting with the content.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing, to the social networking system, instructions to cause the social networking system to present an option to the user to resume the activity session on the platform associated with the third-party content provider.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing, within the graphical user interface of the social networking system, an option to purchase a product related to the content; and in response to the user selecting the option to purchase the product, initiating a purchase transaction for the product within the social networking system.

19 . A system, comprising:
at least one processor; at least on non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
receive, from a first client device, activity data associated with a user's activity during an activity session relating to merchant content;
generate state information for the activity session based on the received activity data, the state information for the activity session comprising a last activity session state and historical activity session states;
receive an indication that the user requested content associated with the merchant on a second client device; and
provide, to the second client device, the state information for the activity session, wherein the state information allows the user to resume the activity session on the second client device.

20 . The system of claim 20 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to associate the activity data with a user profile within a social networking system corresponding to the user.

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Linden Lee Charles
• Lewis Benjamin
• Crow Dwight Ewing
• Shottan Jonathan
• Fan Peng

Classifications

• H04L67/146

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• G06Q30/0633

  Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087) · CPC title

• H04L65/1083 Primary

  In-session procedures · CPC title

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title