Abandonment Detection in Digital Content Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is currently no mechanism to determine when users have ceased consuming digital content items or abandoned them, and this information is not fed back to users and content providers, limiting understanding of consumption patterns and recommendations.

Innovation Solution

An architecture and system that tracks user interaction with content items through various devices, collects abandonment data, and generates recommendations based on abandonment patterns and probabilities, allowing users and content providers to understand consumption habits and improve content management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If user interaction data is collected and analyzed to determine abandonment, then recommendation accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabandonment detection accuracyVSAvoiddata collection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data collection system into multiple independent components: access devices that collect interaction data, a data collection service that receives and processes data, and a recommendation service that generates recommendations. This segmentation allows each component to be developed, deployed, and maintained independently, reducing overall system complexity while enabling accurate abandonment detection through coordinated operation of these modular elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a data collection service as an intermediary layer between access devices and the recommendation service. This intermediary component aggregates interaction data from multiple sources, processes it to determine abandonment status, and provides cleaned data to the recommendation service. The intermediary simplifies the architecture by centralizing complex data processing logic and shielding other components from implementation details.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If comprehensive content access information is tracked, then consumption pattern understanding is improved, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsumption pattern information completenessVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having access devices collect and pre-process content access information locally before transmission. Interaction data including access events, content identifiers, and timestamps are captured and organized at the source device, reducing the processing burden on centralized systems. This preliminary data preparation enables faster aggregation and analysis while maintaining complete consumption pattern information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes continuous data collection and processing operations where interaction data is constantly gathered from access devices, continuously aggregated by the data collection service, and continuously analyzed to update abandonment status and generate recommendations. This continuous operation eliminates batch processing delays and ensures real-time availability of consumption pattern insights without requiring intensive periodic processing bursts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS9390402B1Collection of progress data
Publication Date: 2016.07.12 AMAZON TECH INC
  • US9390402B1 patent drawing
  • US9390402B1 patent drawing
  • US9390402B1 patent drawing

AI summary

User content access events pertaining to a content item, such as an e-book, audio, video file, and so on, are collected and analyzed to determine progress data, including abandonment information about when the content item, or a portion thereof, has been abandoned. Once determined, recommendations may be presented based on progress data from similar users.