Online User Path Analysis via Event Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web path analysis tools face difficulties in accurately determining user paths within a browsing session, as users may perform similar tasks via different paths, and include extraneous information such as page refreshes, which skews analysis and makes it challenging to compare dissimilar paths effectively.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that receives usage data from online user sessions, generates records by determining separate user paths for each series of events, with each path starting from a different event and including subsequent events in order of occurrence, allowing for aggregation based on shared starting events to improve analysis and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional path analysis tools collect all user events in a browsing session, then complete usage data is obtained, but extraneous information (page refreshes, back-and-forth movements) skews the analysis and reduces measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes extraneous events from the complete usage data. The system identifies and filters out page refreshes, back-and-forth movements, and other non-productive actions from the collected user event data, retaining only the meaningful interaction events that represent actual user intent and task completion paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the complete user session into multiple distinct user paths based on different starting points. By dividing the browsing session into multiple potential paths and analyzing them separately, the system can identify the most representative path while filtering out extraneous events that occur in less optimal paths.
2Device complexity
If path analysis tools treat each browsing session as a single path, then simplicity is maintained, but dissimilar paths cannot be compared effectively and analysis versatility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic approach where a single browsing session is analyzed to generate multiple user paths based on different potential starting points. The system dynamically determines which events serve as valid path start points and constructs multiple paths accordingly, allowing flexible comparison of different user approaches to task completion while maintaining analysis simplicity through automated path generation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple user paths are generated from each browsing session, then path comparison capability is improved, but data processing complexity and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by identifying and marking valid starting events within the browsing session before generating multiple user paths. The system pre-processes the event data to determine which events can serve as path start points, organizing the data structure in advance to facilitate efficient multiple path generation without requiring complex real-time processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for analyzing a user session within an online environment includes receiving, by a path analysis computer system, usage data related to a user session within an online environment, wherein the usage data includes a plurality of events occurring within the user session, and generating, by the path analysis computer system, a plurality of user paths for the user session based on the usage data, including generating a separate user path beginning with each of the plurality of events. Each of the user paths is generated by selecting one of the plurality of events as a starting event, and arranging the plurality of events subsequent to the starting event in order of occurrence, such that the user path includes the starting event and each of the subsequent events up to and including a final event.