System, method and computer readable medium for determining user attention area from user interface events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891779-B2
Application number	US-201113287481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2011
Priority date	May 5, 2009
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

During an interaction with a web page, user interface events are recorded and augmented with page layout data from the document object model. An event stream is formed with the page layout data and communicated to an event server. The event server processes the event stream to determine a location at which the events were generated, which can be used to predict an area of a user's attention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing user event data, the method comprising:
receiving, by a client device, web page content for a current web page, the web page content including a plurality of document object model (DOM) elements arranged in a DOM structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of DOM elements of the web page content contains a particular identifier attribute associated with tracking attention time and user interest events, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of DOM elements of the web page content does not contain the particular identifier attribute;
executing an event observer module for the current web page within a client web browser that records user triggered events generated within the web browser and generating event streams including an event header message and one or more event stream messages comprising one or more user triggered events;
receiving a callback for user triggered events corresponding to at least one recorded user triggered event;
comparing, within the client web browser, a current document object model (DOM) structure of the current web page with a previously recorded web page DOM structure to determine whether any changes have occurred, wherein determining whether any changes have occurred comprises determining that one or more predefined user initiated events have been recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute associated with tracking attention time and user interest events;
providing, within the client web browser, a DOM structure summary to the event observer module indicating results of the comparison;
adding, within the client web browser, the results of the comparison based on a DOM structure summary to an event stream message, and adding data indicating the determined predefined user initiated events recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute;
transmitting the event stream message, including the results of the comparison based on a DOM structure summary, and including the data indicating the determined predefined user initiated events recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute, to an event server configured to perform an attention analysis for the current web page; and
computing a probabilistic locus of attention for a user within the current web page, wherein the probabilistic locus of attention is computed based on data including, for each of the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute, a type of interest event, a time interval, and one or more probabilities corresponding to the one or more DOM elements associated with the user initiated event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the current DOM structure of the web page with the previously recorded web page DOM structure is performed based on an automated registration procedure configured to periodically observe changes between the current web page DOM and the previously recorded web page DOM and to record any observed changes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether any changes have occurred comprises determining that at least one of a mouse click, mouse movement, and key stroke predefined user initiated event has been recorded within the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute associated with tracking attention time and user interest events.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the current DOM structure of the web page with the previously recorded web page DOM structure to determine whether any changes have occurred further comprises comparing a layout size of each element of the current DOM structure of the web page to the corresponding layout size of each element of the previously recorded DOM structure of the web page.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein any changes between the layout size of each element of the current DOM structure are recorded and inserted in the event stream message.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a plurality of user data events generated by the user corresponding to a viewport location history associated with a viewport window of the current DOM structure of the web page; and
determining a location of the user data events in the event stream message relative to the web page DOM element location in the viewport window,
wherein the computation of the probabilistic locus of attention for the user within the current web page is further based on the location of the identified user data events in the event stream message.

7. An apparatus configured to process user event data, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive callbacks for user data events corresponding to at least one recorded user data event;
a processor; and
a memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receive web page content for a current web page, the web page content including a plurality of document object model (DOM) elements arranged in a DOM structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of DOM elements of the web page content contains a particular identifier attribute associated with tracking attention time and user interest events, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of DOM elements of the web page content does not contain the particular identifier attribute
execute an event observer module for the current web page within a client web browser that records user triggered events generated within the web browser and generate event streams including an event header message and one or more event stream messages comprising one or more user triggered events;
receive a callback for user triggered events corresponding to at least one recorded user triggered event;
compare, within the client web browser, a current document object model (DOM) structure of the current web page with a previously recorded web page DOM structure to determine whether any changes have occurred, wherein determining whether any changes have occurred comprises determining that one or more predefined user initiated events have been recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute associated with tracking attention time and user interest events;
provide, within the client web browser, a DOM structure summary to the event observer module indicating results of the comparison;
add, within the client web browser, the results of the comparison based on a DOM structure summary to an event stream message, and add data indicating the determined predefined user initiated events recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute;
transmit the event stream message, including the results of the comparison based on a DOM structure summary, and including the data indicating the determined predefined user initiated events recorded based on user interaction with the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute, to an event server configured to perform an attention analysis for the current web page; and
compute a probabilistic locus of attention for a user within the current web page, wherein the probabilistic locus of attention is computed based on data including, for each of the at least one DOM element that contains the particular identifier attribute, a type of interest event, a time interval, and one or more probabilities corresponding to the one or more DOM elements associated with the user initiated event.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the compare operation

Assignees

• Hauser Robert R
• Oracle America Inc

Inventors

• Hauser Robert R

Classifications

• G06F16/9535

  Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation · CPC title

• G06Q10/06375

  Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change · CPC title

• G06F11/3438

  monitoring of user actions (tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535) · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/03543

  Mice or pucks (G06F3/03541 takes precedence) · CPC title