Granular Event Clustering for Predictive User Action Modeling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional behavioral targeting systems rely heavily on categorization of user events, which leads to information loss, incorrect categorization, and difficulty in incorporating new event types, as they group granular data into predefined business categories, making it challenging to predict user actions effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that preprocess granular events through pruning, aggregation, and clustering to generate predictive models directly from user behavior data without relying on predefined categories, allowing for the construction of models that can predict user actions such as ad clicks and page views using techniques like support vector machines and Poisson models.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If granular user event data is grouped into predefined business categories, then data organization and processing become easier, but predictive information is lost and categorization errors occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata organizationVSAvoidpredictive information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the categorization step from the data processing pipeline, removing the predefined business category grouping that causes information loss. Instead, it directly processes granular user event data through clustering algorithms that automatically discover patterns without requiring predefined categories, thus preserving predictive information while maintaining data organization benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of grouping data into predefined categories first and then analyzing it, the patent inverts the approach by directly clustering granular events to discover categories or patterns automatically. This inversion eliminates the information loss that occurs when forcing granular data into predefined buckets, while still achieving organized data structures through algorithmic clustering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Device complexity

If predefined business categories are used for user events, then data processing becomes simpler, but the system becomes difficult to adapt to new event types

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata processing complexityVSAvoidincorporation of new event types
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic clustering that automatically adapts to new event types without requiring updates to predefined category structures. The clustering algorithms continuously learn from new granular event data, dynamically adjusting category definitions and relationships. This dynamic approach maintains simple processing procedures while providing high adaptability to emerging user behaviors and event types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The clustering system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it organizes data, discovers patterns, identifies user segments, and adapts to new event types all within a single unified framework. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate predefined category systems, making the platform universally applicable to various event types while maintaining processing simplicity through algorithmic automation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If granular events are processed directly without categorization, then predictive accuracy improves, but data processing complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction accuracyVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary clustering actions to organize granular events into meaningful groups before feeding them to predictive models. This preliminary organization reduces the complexity of subsequent processing by transforming high-dimensional granular data into a more manageable representation that preserves predictive accuracy. The clustering step acts as a preprocessing transformation that simplifies the data structure while maintaining information integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter representation of granular events through clustering, transforming individual event records into aggregated cluster representations. This parameter transformation reduces the dimensionality and complexity of the data while preserving the essential predictive signals. By changing how data is represented rather than processing every granular detail, the system achieves high prediction accuracy with reduced computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8364627B2Method and system for generating a linear machine learning model for predicting online user input actions
Publication Date: 2013.01.29 R2 SOLUTIONS LLC
  • US8364627B2 patent drawing
  • US8364627B2 patent drawing
  • US8364627B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method of targeting receives several granular events and preprocesses the received granular events thereby generating preprocessed data to facilitate construction of a model based on the granular events. The method generates a predictive model by using the preprocessed data. The predictive model is for determining a likelihood of a user action. The method trains the predictive model. A system for targeting includes granular events, a preprocessor for receiving the granular events, a model generator, and a model. The preprocessor has one or more modules for at least one of pruning, aggregation, clustering, and/or filtering. The model generator is for constructing a model based on the granular events, and the model is for determining a likelihood of a user action. The system of some embodiments further includes several users, a selector for selecting a particular set of users from among the several users, a trained model, and a scoring module.