Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Dynamic Notification Engine for Notification Throttling Based on
Contextual Analyses
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to computer-implemented methods,
software, and systems for modifying triggered notifications associated with
particular
user profiles based on an analysis of contexts specific to the user profile
and/or related
user profiles.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Location-based services can be used to enhance mobile applications. For
example, information presented by an application or processing performed by an
application can be based on or influenced by the location of a mobile device.
As a
specific example, advertising presented in an application can be based on a
mobile
device's location, as well as other environmental factors. For example, an
advertisement
for an establishment can be presented via a mobile application in response to
a detection
that the mobile device is within a threshold radius of the establishment. When
users at a
particular location or area share common environmental and/or contextual
contexts or =
statuses, multiple users may trigger the advertisement.
[0003] To determine the location of a particular device, a backend server or
mobile application may trigger a request for the current location of the
particular device.
The request may be in response to a standard location tracking or location
association
operation, or in response to an event. Additional information associated with
the device
and/or the user associated with the device can be used to provide further
context.
[0004] Particular notifications (e.g., push notifications) may be associated
with a
particular application installed on a mobile device of a user, a particular
service provider
providing data or phone service to the mobile device, or can otherwise be
associated with
an external provider or system capable of accessing recent and/or current
information
about the context of the mobile device.
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SUMMARY
[0005] The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer
implemented methods for modifying triggered notifications associated with
particular
user profiles based on an analysis of contexts specific to the user profile
and/or related
user profiles. A first example system includes a communications module, at
least one
memory storing instructions, a plurality of user profiles, a repository of
notification rules,
and a repository of notification modification rules, and at least one hardware
processor
interoperably coupled with the at least one memory and the communications
module.
Each user profile is associated with a user device, and the repository of
notification rules
includes at least one rule set identifying events for triggering notifications
to user devices
associated with particular ones of the user profiles based on a set of
notification
requirements. The notification modification rules can identify contextual
determinations
associated with the particular ones of the user profiles related to the
triggered notification,
where those rules identify a particular modification to the triggered
notification prior to
transmission of the triggered notification. At least one notification
modification rule
identifies modifications to triggered notifications based on a user profile-
specific
contextual rule. The instructions stored in memory instruct the at least one
hardware
processor to perform various operations, including, identifying at least one
satisfied
notification rule for triggering notifications to a user device associated
with at least one
particular user profile. For each of the at least one particular user
profiles, the
instructions cause the processor to access the particular user profile to
identify at least
one user-specific contextual rule corresponding to the at least one
notification
modification rules and identify a current user context associated with the
particular user
profile. In response to determining that the identified current user context
associated with
the particular user profile satisfies the at least one user-specific
contextual rule before the
notification is transmitted, the instructions instruct the processor to modify
the triggered
notification for the particular user profile based on the particular
modification associated
with the satisfied at least one user-specific contextual rule. In response to
determining
that the identified current user context associated with the particular user
profile does not
satisfy the at least one user-specific contextual rule, the instructions cause
the process to
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transmit, via the communications module, a first signal to the user device
associated with
the particular user profile, the first signal including the triggered
notification.
[0006] Implementations can optionally include one or more of the following
features.
[0007] In some instances, modifying the triggered notification for the
particular
user profile comprises cancelling the triggered notification prior to
transmission. In other
instances, modifying the triggered notification for the particular user
profile comprises
modifying contents of the triggered notification prior to transmitting the
triggered
notification.
[0008] In some instances, the instructions further instruct the at least one
hardware processor to transmit, via the communications module, a second signal
to the
user device associated with the particular user profile, the second signal
including the
modified notification in response to modifying the triggered notification for
the particular
user profile,.
[0009] In some instances, the user-specific contextual rule set includes at
least
one location-specific rule, wherein the user-specific contextual rule is
satisfied when the
user device associated with the user profile is determined to be at a location
associated
with the at least one location-specific rule. In those instances, modifying
the triggered
notification for the particular user profile can comprise delaying
transmission of the
triggered notification until the user device associated with the user profile
is determined
to be at a location not including the locations associated with the at least
one location-
specific rule. In other instances, modifying the triggered notification for
the particular
user profile can comprise cancelling the triggered notification without
transmission in
response to determining that the user device associated with the user profile
to be a
location associated with the at least one location-specific rule.
[0010] In some instances, the user-specific contextual rule set includes at
least
one time-specific rule defining a time in which the user profile is not to
receive
notification, where the at least one time-specific rule is satisfied when the
triggered
notification is triggered at a time corresponding to a particular time or time
range
associated with the time-specific rule associated with the user-specific
contextual rule set.
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[0011] In some instances, the user-specific contextual rule set includes a
rule
defining a maximum number of notifications received over a period of time. In
those
instances, determining that the identified current user context associated
with the
particular user profile satisfies the rule associated with a number of
notification received
over a period of time can comprise analyzing historical data associated with
the particular
user profile to determine whether the user device has received a number of
notifications
equal to or greater than the maximum number of notifications over the period
of time. In
response to determining that the user device has received the number of
notifications
equal to or greater than the maximum number of notifications over the defined
period of
time, modifying the triggered notification for the particular user profile can
comprise
cancelling the triggered notification without transmission. In other
instances, in response
to determining that the user device has received the number of notifications
equal to or
greater than the maximum number of notifications over the defined period of
time,
modifying the triggered notification for the particular user profile can
comprise delaying
transmission of the triggered notification until after the defined period of
time has
expired.
[0012] In some instances, identifying the current user context associated with
the
particular user profile can comprise receiving, via the communications module,
a third
signal from the user device associated with the particular user profile. In
other instances,
identifying the current user context associated with the particular user
profile can
comprise receiving, via the communications module, a third signal from an
external
source different than the user device, the external source providing
information related to
the user associated with the particular user profile.
[0013] In some instances, the triggered notification may be a push
notification
associated with a particular application installed on the user device
associated with the
particular user profile.
[0014] In some instances, the user-specific contextual rule set includes a
rule to
suppress triggered notifications based on an analysis of a transactional
history associated
with the particular user profile, where the rule is satisfied in response to a
determination
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that the particular user profile is associated with a transaction within a
period of time
prior to a triggering of the triggered notification.
[0015] A second example system includes a communications module, at least one
memory storing instructions, a plurality of user profiles, a repository of
notification rules,
and a repository of notification modification rules, and at least one hardware
processor
interoperably coupled with the at least one memory and the communications
module.
Each user profile is associated with a user device, and the repository of
notification rules
include at least one rule set identifying events for triggering notifications
to user devices
associated with particular ones of the user profiles based on a set of
notification
requirements. The notification modification rules are associated with
contextual
determinations related to particular ones of the user profiles associated with
triggered
notifications, where the notification modification rules identify a particular
modification
to particular triggered notifications to be performed prior to transmission of
the triggered
notifications. At least one notification modification rule identifies
modifications to
triggered notifications based on a relative user context-specific contextual
rule. The
instructions stored in memory instruct the at least one hardware processor to
perform
various operations, including, identifying at least one satisfied notification
rule for
triggering a notification to a user device associated with at least one
particular user
profile. For each of the at least one particular user profiles, the
instructions instruct the
processor to identify a current user context associated with the particular
user profile and
a set of current user contexts associated with at least one user profile
different than the
particular user profile, where a combination of the identified contexts
representing a
relative user context. In response to determining that the relative user
context satisfies at
least one of the relative user context-specific contextual rules, the
instructions instruct the
processor to modify the at least one triggered notification for the particular
user profile
based on the particular modification associated with the satisfied at least
one relative user
context-specific contextual rule. In response to determining that the relative
user context
does not satisfy at least one of the rules in the relative user context-
specific contextual
rule set, the instructions instruct the processor to transmit, via the
communications
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
module, a first signal to the user device associated with the particular user
profile, the
first signal including the triggered notification.
[0016] Implementations can optionally include one or more of the following
features.
[0017] In some instances, modifying the triggered notification for the
particular
user profile comprises cancelling the triggered notification prior to
transmission. In other
instances, modifying the triggered notification for the particular user
profile comprises
modifying contents of the triggered notification for the particular user
profile prior to
transmitting the triggered notification.
[0018] In some instances, the current user context associated with the
particular
user profile is associated with a particular location of the user device
associated with the
particular user profile, wherein the current user contexts associated with the
at least one
user profile different than the particular user profile are each associated
with a
corresponding location. In those instances, at least one relative user context-
specific
contextual rule can comprise performing a modification of the triggered
notification in
response to a determination that more than a threshold number of the user
profiles in the
relative user context are associated with a common location at a time when the
triggered
notification is to be transmitted. In some instances, the common location
comprises a
common location relative to the other user profiles. In some of those
instances, the
common location relative to the other user profiles comprises an area of a
predetermined
size, where the at least one relative user context-specific contextual rule is
satisfied in
response to more than the threshold number of user profiles being located
within the
common location at a time when the triggered notification is to be
transmitted.
[0019] In some instances, the common location can comprise a predefined
geographical area, where the at least one relative user context-specific
contextual rule is
satisfied in response to more than the threshold number of user profiles being
located
within the predefined geographical area at a time when the triggered
notification is to be
transmitted.
[0020] In some instance, in response to the relative user context-specific
contextual rule being satisfied, modifying the triggered notification
comprises identifying
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a subset of the user profiles associated with the common location to receive
the triggered
notification and, for each of the subset of the user profiles to receive the
triggered
notification, transmitting, via the communications module, a set of second
signals to the
user devices associated with each user profile of the subset, each second
signal including
the triggered notification. For each of the user profiles not included in the
identified
subset of the user profiles, the triggered notification is cancelled prior to
transmission.
[0021] In some instances, the triggered notification comprises a push
notification
associated with a particular application installed on the user device
associated with the
particular user profile.
[0022] In some instances, identifying the at least one satisfied notification
rule for
triggering the notification to the user devices associated with the at least
one particular
user profile comprises identifying a common notification rule being satisfied
for a
plurality of user profiles, where the relative user context identifies the
plurality of user
profiles associated with the triggered notification, and where the relative
user context-
specific contextual rule identifies a maximum number of user profiles allowed
to receive
the triggered notification. In those instances, modifying the triggered
notification can
comprise identifying a subset of the plurality of user profiles associated
with the at least
one satisfied notification rule, the subset less than or equal to the maximum
number of
user profiles allowed to receive the triggered notification, and, for each of
the subset of
the user profiles to receive the triggered notification, transmitting, via the
communications module, a set of second signals to the user devices associated
with each
user profile of the subset, each second signal including the triggered
notification. For
each of the user profiles not included in the identified subset of the user
profiles, the
triggered notification can be cancelled prior to transmission.
[0023] A third example system includes a communications module, at least one
memory storing instructions, a plurality of user profiles, a repository of
notification rules,
and a repository of notification modification rules, and at least one hardware
processor
interoperably coupled with the at least one memory and the communications
module.
Each user profile is associated with a user device, and the repository of
notification rules
include at least one rule set identifying events for triggering notifications
to user devices
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associated with particular ones of the user profiles based on a set of
notification
requirements. The notification modification rules are associated with
contextual
determinations related to particular ones of the user profiles associated with
triggered
notifications, where the notification modification rules identify a particular
modification
to particular triggered notifications to be performed prior to transmission of
the triggered
notifications. At least one notification modification rule identifies
modifications to
triggered notifications based on a location-specific contextual rule. The
instructions
stored in memory instruct the at least one hardware processor to perform
various
operations, including, identifying at least one satisfied notification rule
for triggering
notifications to a user device associated with at least one particular user
profile. For each
of the at least one particular user profiles, a current user context
associated with the
particular user profile is identified, where the current user context
identifies a particular
location associated with the particular user profile. In response to
determining that a
particular current location associated with the particular user profile
satisfies at least one
location-specific contextual rule before the notification is transmitted, the
instructions
instruct the processor to modify the triggered notification for the particular
user profile
based on the particular modification associated with the satisfied location-
specific
contextual rule. In response to determining that the identified current user
context
associated with the particular user profile does not satisfy at least one
location-specific
contextual rule before the notification is transmitted, the instructions
instruct the
processor to transmit, via the communications module, a first signal to the
user device
associated with the particular user profile, the first signal including the
triggered
notification.
[0024] Implementations can optionally include one or more of the following
features.
[0025] In some instances, the particular location associated with the
particular
user profile comprises a particular location of the user device associated
with the
particular user profile. In those instances, the particular location of the
user device
associated with the particular user profile can comprise a current location of
the user
device at a time at which the at least one notification rule is satisfied. The
determination
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of whether the at least one location-specific contextual rule is satisfied can
be based on
the time at which the at least one notification rule is satisfied. In other
instances, the
particular location of the user device associated with the particular user
profile can
comprise a current location of the user device at a time when the triggered
notification is
to be transmitted, where the determination of whether the at least one
location-specific
contextual rule is satisfied is based on the time at which the triggered
notification is to be
transmitted. In other instances, the particular location of the user device
associated with
the particular user profile comprises a location history of the user device,
and wherein the
at least one location-specific contextual rule is satisfied based on an
analysis of the
location history associated with the user profile.
[0026] In some instances, the at least one location-specific contextual rule
is
associated with a defined location, where the at least one location-specific
contextual rule
is associated with a specific time range during which the at least one
location-specific
contextual rule is valid. In those instances, in response to determining that
the particular
location associated with the particular user profile corresponds to the
defined location at a
time outside the specific time range associated with the at least one location-
specific
contextual rule, the at least one location-specific contextual rule is not
satisfied. In some
instances, the defined location is associated with an event. In those
instances, the
instructions instruct the at least one hardware processor to receive, via the
communications module, a second signal including status information from a
data feed
associated with the event, where the status information can be used to
determine whether
the event is ongoing. The at least one location-specific rule is then
satisfied when the
triggered notification is to be transmitted while the event is ongoing. In
some of these
instances, modifying the triggered notification for the particular user
profile can comprise
delaying transmission of the triggered notification to the user device
associated with the
particular profile until after obtaining, via the communications module,
information from
the data feed indicating that the event has ended. In other of these
instances, modifying
the triggered notification for the particular user profile can comprise
delaying
transmission of the triggered notification to the user device associated with
the particular
profile until after obtaining, via the communications module, information from
the data
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feed indicating that the event is at an intermission or break. In some
instances, the data
feed associated with the event comprises a social media feed.
[0027] In some instances, modifying the triggered notification for the
particular
user profile comprises delaying transmission of the triggered notification. In
those
instances, transmission of the triggered notification can be delayed until a
time when the
location of the current user context associated with the particular user
profile does not
satisfy the location-specific contextual rule.
[0028] Similar operations and processes may be performed in a system
comprising at least one process and a memory communicatively coupled to the at
least
one processor where the memory stores instructions that when executed cause
the at least
one processor to perform the operations, including where alternative or
additional
components or operations are performed and/or included, or where fewer than
those
components are present. Further, a non-transitory computer-readable medium
storing
instructions which, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the
operations
may also be contemplated. In other implementations, the operations can be
described and
implemented as computer implemented software embodied on tangible, non-
transitory
media that processes and transforms the respective data. Some or all of the
aspects may
be computer implemented methods or further included in respective systems or
other
devices for performing this described functionality. The details of these and
other aspects
and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the accompanying
drawings
and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the
disclosure will
be apparent from the description and drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for triggering
notifications associated with one or more user profiles and evaluating whether
those
triggered notifications are to be modified in response to one or more
modification rules.
[0030] FIG. 2 is an example diagram of a data flow associated with a
notification
modification analysis.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example method for modifying triggered
notifications based on one or more user-specific contextual rules.
Date Recue/Date Received 2020-06-11
[0032] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example method for modifying triggered
notifications based on an evaluation of one or more contextual rules analyzing
a
particular user profile relative to at least one other user profile.
[0033] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example method for modifying triggered
notifications associated with particular users based on an evaluation of one
or more
location-specific contextual rules.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] Current mobile applications and service providers associated with a
user
and mobile devices offer various push notifications or other notifications
triggered in
response to any number of factors. In some instances, users may be registered
with the
mobile application, either to enjoy the full functionality of the application,
or in order to
receive additional tools or uses of the application. For service providers and
advertisers,
particular users may register with the provider/advertiser or be existing
customers, such
that periodic advertisements sent via a push notification or via a standard
messaging
format (e.g., SMS, etc.) may be sent. In other instances, mobile applications
installed on
a particular device may be able to receive, from a backend notification
system, a
particular message to be pushed to the user on the mobile device.
[0035] A problem with many current notification systems is that they fail to
consider individual or contextual circumstances outside of the notification
triggering
requirements themselves. For example, in response to a national news event, a
news
application such as a CNN app may initiate, via a backend system associated
with the
app, a push notification to subscribers and registered users. However,
contexts specific to
particular users may mean that such notifications are not welcome at a
particular time or
place on the user's device, such as when those users are in a meeting, at an
event, or
another location, or based on other contextual parameters. As another example,
the
throttling, delaying, or cancelling of particular triggered notifications can
be valuable
when sending those notifications may be otherwise inappropriate. For example,
during
standard business hours and while a number of other users at a location is
low, users
visiting a wedding reception hall may receive an offer for a loan to assist in
paying for
any wedding-related expenses. However, sending similar offers on Fridays and
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Saturdays during potential wedding hours (and, additionally or alternatively,
when many
persons or users are at the location) may be inappropriate, as persons
attending the
wedding may not need or want wedding loans or disruptions during the ceremony
and
party.
[0036] In other instances, the push notification provider may have a set of
notifications that are triggered when users arrive at a particular location,
such as a
particular restaurant or area of a city. Most notification rules may
automatically trigger
these notifications as users arrive to the location, such as where the
notifications relate to
particular discounts, or to otherwise boost engagement with customers/users.
However,
in times of a rush, heavy traffic, or other unusual amounts of persons
present, triggering
the notification automatically may be problematic for a number of reasons. In
one
instances, multiple individuals receiving the same notification at the same
time may
reduce each individual's perception of unique or special selection and
privilege relative to
their peers, such as where the notification relates to an advantageous rate on
a new loan
or other financial service.
[0037] To alleviate the drawbacks of the problems mentioned above, and to
enhance push notification systems and their contextual awareness, a dynamic
notification
engine is described herein where push notifications and other messages to be
send to a
user or group of users can be throttled (e.g., cancelled, delayed, or
otherwise modified)
based on a contextual analysis performed at a time when the push notification
is triggered
or at a time at which the push notification is to be transmitted to user
devices of those
users. In doing so, the subject matter of the push notification (e.g., a
targeted offer) can
be perceived to retain the qualities of personalization and relevance used to
optimize the
probability of the offer being acted on. Further, the contextual analysis of
the current
situation of the user, including the location of the user, as well as relative
impact the
notification may have on one or more other users, including those also
targeted to receive
the notification, further provides a more nuanced analysis of the notification
itself
associated with such automatic triggering.
[0038] The present solution is unique and different from existing solutions
centered solely upon pushing notifications to customers without consideration
of the
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effects of over-pushing notifications or inappropriately pushing notifications
to
customers. For example, current solutions fail to consider the sensitivities
of customers
and potential customers, and how those customers may be affected by a
commercial
entity sending notifications to them at inappropriate times or without
considering the
uniqueness of a particular customer or situation. Although some existing
methods may
exist to limit, for example, the number of notifications sent per time period,
this is not
done in an automated way wherein the behaviors of users are studied and
relationships
are made to derive such limitations which induce an optimal response from an
entity's
customers. For each of the particular throttling and notification modification
methods
described herein, there is likely an optimal value or range of values past
which the
likelihood of customer responses is not optimized, instead lowering than it
could be due
to over-pushing or other affects. By determining optimal levels of
notifications,
notifications which are automatically triggered based on some event or in
response to
some trigger may be throttled accordingly.
[0039] Multiple examples of potential throttling and/or modification of
triggered
notifications can be included herein. As described herein, three general types
of
modification rules may be applied to particular contextual situations. These
modification
rule types may be considered separately, or the rule types may overlap in some
implementations to be analyzed in combination. Additional contextual rule sets
and
types outside of these may be considered in the context of the present
solution. The three
primary context types described herein relate to (1) contexts in which a user-
specific
context is considered, (2) contexts in which a user's current context is
considered in
relation to one or more other users, and (3) contexts where users are at a
particular
location, where the location, or an event occurring at or associated with the
location, is
analyzed.
[0040] Example notification modification rules may be based on one or more of
the following:
= [0041] In relatively dense areas, push notifications may be provided to
every nth customer in the area to avoid widespread spamming of similarly-
situated individuals.
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= [0042] A recent history of a particular user's location may be analyzed
for
a total time spent in a particular area or based on a prior location visited
by
the user. In doing so, a push notification may be allowed only where a
customer spends a particular amount of time in an area, or in response to a
particular prior location being visited.
= [0043] Some messages may be triggered based on a particular user's
presence in an area. A notification modification rule may determine
whether a particular (or threshold) number of other users or persons are
also within the area. The triggered notification associated with the
particular user's presence in the area may be throttled (e.g., cancelled in
this instance) when more than the particular number of users are present.
In such instances, the relative user context indicates that a situation
associated with the triggered notification may not be appropriate when
more than the threshold number of users or persons are present.
= [0044] Push notification limits can be enforced on a per-user basis, even
where particular notification triggers occur generally and automatically.
Prior to the triggered notification being sent, a history of notifications
received within a particular period of time specific to the user can be
analyzed. In some instances, further notifications can be cancelling when
a threshold number of notifications have already been received by the user.
Alternatively, notifications may be associated with a particular tag, type,
or other identifier. Entities can identify limits on particular types of
messages to be sent. When a notification of a particular type is triggered,
the modification rule can be used to determine whether that particular type
of notification has already been received by the user within a particular
period, and if so, can cancel or delay the notification prior to transmission.
= [0045] User notification histories can be used in other instances to
shape
or otherwise modify the contents of a particular triggered notification. For
example, a list of available push notifications may be triggered for a
particular zone or location, with each of the notifications being associated
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with a particular percentage of use adding to 100%. Using a history of the
particular notification received previously for a user, future notifications
can be modified to ensure that the percentage is met while also avoiding
duplicative notifications.
= [0046] In some instances, relatively generic notifications can be
throttled
based on additional modification rules using user profile requirements or
other considerations prior to particular triggered notifications being
transmitted. For example, mobile financial application users may be
associated with a triggered notification based on a determination that they
have simply arrived at a location of the financial institution providing the
application. However, such notifications may be tailored specifically to
high net worth individuals, or individuals with (or without) particular
types of existing loans or other financial products. A modification rule can
be set to analyze the particular user profile associated with the triggered
notification to determine whether the current context of the user profile
meets the requirements of a modification rule associated with the
notification. If the user profile should receive the triggered notification,
the notification is sent. If the user profile does not meet the additional
requirements, then the notification can be modified according to the
modification rule (e.g., cancelled or otherwise modified).
= 1100471 Some modification rules may determine that a particular location
at
which the user profile is located at the time the notification is triggered or
to be transmitted is associated with a modification rule. For example, a
worship site (e.g., a church, a synagogue, a mosque, etc.) may be
associated with a delay or suppression modification rule. Similarly, an
opera house, concert hall, or sporting event may also be associated with
similar rules. In response to determining that the context of the user
profile set to receive the notification is associated with a particular
location, then the modification rule can stop and/or delay transmission of
the triggered notification based on this information.
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
[0048] Any number of suitable modification rules can be defined in different
implementations, and can in fact take various types of contextual information
into
account about a particular user profile, a group of user profiles, and/or a
location or area
associated with the current context of a user profile. Sources of information
relevant to
the modification rules can include information received from the user device
associated
with one or more user profiles (e.g., smartphones), social network postings
(e.g.,
Facebook check-ins, status updates, etc.), information from one or more other
applications or backend systems (e.g., a financial transaction system
providing
information on recent transactions, location information derived from another
application
or detected by another system), or any other suitable information source.
[0049] Advantages of the described solution are numerous. For example, the
present solution allows a check on triggered notifications prior to sending,
such that
notifications triggered for any reason can be compared to a contextual
understanding of a
particular user's situation, availability, and preference to receive a
communication.
Further, the context considered may be more than just a particular user's
context, but
instead an analysis of one or more other users in the particular user's
vicinity. In doing
so, specific considerations can be added to a standard notification prior to
transmission
based on an overall context of a current situation, not just on a particular
user profile. By
using a contextual rules engine and analysis, notification providers can add a
further layer
of intelligence into their notification systems, and users can avoid
unnecessary and
unwarranted communications. Further, by adding the modification rules on a
layer on top
of and apart from the notification rules causing the particular notification
to be triggered,
the modification rules can provide a more generic layer of consideration for
triggered
notifications without the need to specifically program and/or modify existing
notification
rules. Custom notification modification rules can be developed that are user
specific and
that can be layered on top of a more general notification layer. Additionally,
general
notification rules can be modified or otherwise extended to provide user-
specific rule
implementations. Other advantages include the ability to automatically
generate rules by
analyzing user profile data and developing rules which maximize the
probability of the
user acting upon a notification, such as by evaluating user actions in
response to
16
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particular notifications. Information associated with the user profile at the
time of those
prior notifications can be used to determine how to define particular
modification rules.
In one example, a system that may generate such a rule may be an Al or machine
learning
algorithm.
[0050] Turning to the illustrated example implementation, FIG. 1 is a block
diagram illustrating an example system 100 for triggering notifications
associated with
one or more user profiles and evaluating whether those triggered notifications
are to be
modified in response to one or more modification rules. Specifically, the
illustrated
system 100 includes or is communicably coupled with a notification system 102,
a client
device 160, one or more external data or information sources 190, and a
network 150.
System 100 is a single example of a possible implementation, with
alternatives, additions,
and modifications possible for performing some or all of the described
operations and
functionality. Although shown separately, in some implementations,
functionality of two
or more systems or servers may be provided by a single system or server. In
some
implementations, the functionality of one illustrated system or server may be
provided by
multiple systems, servers, or computing devices, including those physically or
logically
local or remote to each other. Any combination or permutation of systems may
perform
the functionality described herein.
[0051] As used in the present disclosure, the term "computer" is intended to
encompass any suitable processing device. For example, client device 160,
notification
system 102, and the external data or information sources 190 may be any
computer or
processing device (or combination of devices) such as, for example, a blade
server,
general-purpose personal computer (PC), Mac , workstation, UNIX-based
workstation,
embedded system or any other suitable device. Moreover, although FIG. 1
illustrates
particular components as a single element, those components may be implemented
using
a single system or more than those illustrated, as well as computers other
than servers,
including a server pool or variations that include distributed computing. In
other words,
the present disclosure contemplates computers other than general-purpose
computers, as
well as computers without conventional operating systems. Client device 160
may be
any system which can request data, execute an application, and/or interact
with the
17
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
notification system 102. The client device 160, in some instances, may be any
other
suitable device, including a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet,
smartwatch, or
any other mobile computing device. In general, each illustrated component may
be
adapted to execute any suitable operating system, including Linux, UNIX,
Windows,
Mac OS , JavaTM, AndroidTM, Windows Phone OS, or iOSTM, any real-time OS among
others.
[0052] The notification system 102 can perform functionality associated with
identifying when one or more notifications (e.g., push notifications, text
messages, social
media posts, etc.) are to be triggered in association with one or more user
profiles.
Additionally, and separate from the initial triggering of particular
notifications, the
notification system 102 can obtain or access additional contextual information
associated
with particular users to apply one or more modification rules. The
modification rules can
use a dynamic contextual engine (i.e., contextual analysis module 114) to
determine
whether the current context of the particular user associated with a triggered
notification,
a current context of a plurality of users associated with triggered
notifications, or a
relative context of a first particular user in light of one or more other
users determines
that one or more triggered notifications are to be modified. Notification
modification can
occur in a number of ways, including by suppressing or cancelling a triggered
notification, by delaying a triggered notification until the analyzed context
has changed
(e.g., by placing a notification in a queue, or setting a time to recheck the
current context,
etc.), or by modifying the contents of a particular triggered notification in
response to the
analyzed context.
[0053] As illustrated, the notification system 102 includes a notification
analysis
engine 108, where the notification analysis engine 108 can manage both the
triggering of
the notifications (e.g., by the notification generation module 110) and
subsequent
modification to those triggering notifications (e.g., by the notification
modification
module 112). While illustrated as within a single system, such components may
be split
between two or more systems and servers, and may be operated, managed, or
otherwise
executed by different entities. In some instances, a third-party system may
provide
additional information about particular current contexts for users allowing
for the
18
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
notification modification module 112 to be executed, while a first system
triggers
notifications without specific regard to all contextual considerations using
the notification
generation module 110. Alternatively, a third-party system or component may
trigger
notifications in response to an event or other triggering factor, including
those not
associated with the particular user (e.g., marketing materials sent to a
particular contact
list via notification). The triggered notification can be provided to the
notification
modification module 112 where the contextual analysis can be performed and a
determination made whether to modify the triggered notification.
Alternatively, the
notification generation module 110 can request a contextual analysis by the
notification
modification module 112 and a determination of whether a particular
modification rule
140 is satisfied. If no rule is satisfied, then the triggered notification can
be transmitted;
however, if a modification rule is met, then the notification modification
module 112 can
perform the modification associated with the satisfied rule.
[0054] In some instances, at least a portion of the notification system 102
may be
associated with a financial institution such as a bank or credit union, a
credit card issuer,
or other institutions. Alternatively, at least a portion of the notification
system 102 may
be associated with one or more goods or service providers, marketers,
advertising
agencies, social networks, e-mail systems, or any other suitable entity
associated with
notifications sent to users. At least a portion of the notification system 102
may also be
associated with a contextual analysis system used in marketing and business-to-
consumer
communications, as well as other similar entities providing contextual
analyses of
registered users. In some instances, the notification system 102 may be a part
of a larger
backend system associated with particular mobile or client applications, where
the
notifications being triggered are triggered in association with the
functionality of the
backend system (e.g., financial product offers to be presented by a financial
mobile
application, coupons or incentives delivered in association with an eCommerce
site and
presented by a mobile application associated with that eCommerce site). In
other
instances, the notification system 102 may be a generic system used by
multiple
applications to manage push and other types of notifications to users and
their
corresponding client devices 160, including functionality built into or
associated with a
19
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
mobile operating system. The notification system 102 may be a part of,
associated with,
or used by retailers, service providers, marketing firms, mobile games, social
networks,
eCommerce sites, news-based platforms, financial institutions, and any other
suitable
entity, system, platform, and/or service.
[0055] As illustrated, the notification system 102 includes interface 104,
processor
106, the notification analysis engine 108, and memory 120. Interface 104 is
used by the
notification system 102 for communicating with other systems in a distributed
environment ¨ including within the environment 100 ¨ connected to the
notification
system 102 and/or network 150, e.g., client device(s) 160, any external data
or
information sources 190, as well as other systems or components communicably
coupled
to the network 150. Generally, the interface 104 comprises logic encoded in
software
and/or hardware in a suitable combination and operable to communicate with the
network
150 and other communicably coupled components. More specifically, the
interface 104
may comprise software supporting one or more communication protocols
associated with
communications such that the notification system 102, network 150, and/or
interface's
hardware is operable to communicate physical signals within and outside of the
illustrated environment 100.
[0056] Network 150 facilitates wireless or wireline communications between the
components of the environment 100 (e.g., between combinations of the
notification
system 102, client device(s) 160, and/or the external data sources 190, among
others) as
well as with any other local or remote computer, such as additional mobile
devices,
clients, servers, remotely executed or located portions of a particular
component, or other
devices communicably coupled to network 150, including those not illustrated
in FIG. 1.
In the illustrated environment, the network 150 is depicted as a single
network, but may
be comprised of more than one network without departing from the scope of this
disclosure, so long as at least a portion of the network 150 may facilitate
communications
between senders and recipients. In some instances, one or more of the
illustrated
components (e.g., the notification system 102) or portions thereof (e.g., the
notification
modification module 112) may be included within network 150 as one or more
cloud-
based services or operations. The network 150 may be all or a portion of an
enterprise or
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
secured network, while in another instance, at least a portion of the network
150 may
represent a connection to the Internet. In some instances, a portion of the
network 150
may be a virtual private network (VPN) or an Intranet. Further, all or a
portion of the
network 150 can comprise either a wireline or wireless link. Example wireless
links may
include 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 802.20, WiMax, LTE, and/or any other appropriate
wireless
link. In other words, the network 150 encompasses any internal or external
network,
networks, sub-network, or combination thereof operable to facilitate
communications
between various computing components inside and outside the illustrated
environment
100. The network 150 may communicate, for example, Internet Protocol (IP)
packets,
Frame Relay frames, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) cells, voice, video,
data, and
other suitable information between network addresses. The network 150 may also
include one or more local area networks (LANs), radio access networks (RANs),
metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), all or a portion
of the
Internet, and/or any other communication system or systems at one or more
locations.
[0057] The notification system 102 also includes one or more processors 106.
Although illustrated as a single processor 106 in FIG. 1, multiple processors
may be used
according to particular needs, desires, or particular implementations of the
environment
100. Each processor 106 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application
specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or another
suitable
component. Generally, the processor 106 executes instructions and manipulates
data to
perform the operations of the notification system 102, in particular those
related to
executing the notification analysis engine 108 and its various modules.
Specifically, the
processor 106 executes the algorithms and operations described in the
illustrated figures,
as well as the various software modules and functionalities, including the
functionality
for sending communications to and receiving transmissions from the client
devices 160
and/or the external data or information sources 190, as well as to other
devices and
systems. Each processor 106 may have a single core or multiple cores, with
each core
available to host and execute an individual processing thread. In some
instances, a cloud-
based solution may use one or more remotely or otherwise available processors
106 and
21
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
their cores to allow for further operations and optimization of operations via
parallel
processing.
[0058] Regardless of the particular implementation, "software" includes
computer-readable instructions, firmware, wired and/or programmed hardware, or
any
combination thereof on a tangible medium (transitory or non-transitory, as
appropriate)
operable when executed to perform at least the processes and operations
described herein.
In fact, each software component may be fully or partially written or
described in any
appropriate computer language including C, C++, Objective-C, JavaScript,
JavaTM,
Visual Basic, assembler, Pen , Swift, HTML5, any suitable version of 4GL, as
well as
others.
[0059] The notification analysis engine 108 may be any application, framework,
agent, or other software capable of interpreting particular rules of a
notification rule set
138 to generate one or more notifications (i.e., by the notification
generation module
110). As illustrated, the notification analysis engine 108 further performs
operations
subsequent to the triggering of particular notifications, where those
operations (i.e., those
of the notification modification module 112) determine whether any particular
contextual
parameters exist as to why the triggered notification is to be modified based
on a set of
modification rules 140.
[0060] The notification generation module 110 may be incorporated into the
functionality of the notification analysis engine 108. A first set of
contextual information
may be used to determine whether a particular notification should be generated
or
triggered. In some instances, the indication that a particular user is located
at a location
associated with a notification may trigger the notification. In other
instances, a particular
transaction performed by the user may trigger the notification. In some
instances, a
combination of a transaction at a particular location may trigger a
notification. Any
number of other notification rules may be included in the notification rule
set 138, and
may be considered by the notification generation module 110 to determine
whether
notifications are to be triggered. In some instances, particular notifications
may be
triggered on a predetermined schedule or in response to an external trigger
from an entity
or person associated with the notification (e.g., a marketing message or
communication)
22
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
without reference or consideration of the one or more users to whom the
notification is to
be sent. Restated, a notification considered in this solution may be triggered
in response
to any input, action, event, or reason. In some instances, the notification
triggered may be
for a single user, while in others the notification may be for a plurality of
users. The
plurality of users may share some general characteristic, including a
determined physical
location, a common action or transaction, a common set of registered users
associated
with a user profile for a particular entity associated with the transaction,
or any other
shared characteristic. In some instances, such as the situation where a user
merely has a
registered profile, the connection and commonality may be relatively high
level without
consideration of particular contextual information specific to a user or to a
current
relationship between two or more of the users.
[0061] Once a notification is triggered, the notification analysis engine 108
uses a
notification modification module 112 to perform a specific contextual analysis
apart and
different from the triggering of the notification. In particular, the
notification
modification module 112 can perform, for one or more of the users associated
with the
triggered notification, one or more contextual analyses via the contextual
analysis module
114. The contextual analysis module 114 may be a standalone or remote
component, or
can be part of the notification modification module 112 and/or the
notification analysis
engine 108.
[0062] In general, the contextual analysis module 114 can identify and obtain
one
or more sources of data particular to individual users and their corresponding
user
profiles 122. In some instances, the contextual information may be obtained in
response
to a ping or request for current information from one or more user devices
(e.g., client
devices 160) associated with the user profile 122 of a particular user
associated with a
triggered notification. For example, the contextual analysis module 114 can
obtain
information about the user from data on the client device 160 associated with
the user
(e.g., location data 176 or transaction data 178), as well as from information
associated
with the user profile stored in local memory 120 or a remotely accessible data
store. The
stored information in the user profile may include information about prior
notifications
received or sent to the particular user (i.e., notification history 124), one
or more related
23
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
users 126, a transaction history 129 associated with the user profile, and one
or more user
devices 128 associated with the user, where those devices 128 (e.g., client
device 160)
may be used as a proxy for the location associated with user profile 122, and
may also be
used to identify particular end points for the triggered notifications when
transmitting the
notifications. More than one user device 128 may be identified in the user
profile 122,
such as for a tablet and a smartphone. A primary device may be identified, or
the most
recent device in use may be used as the device for determining a current
location, in some
instances. Other suitable information can also be stored or associated with
the user
profiles 122. At least some of the information can be stored as a current user
context
130. In some instances, a time series of user contexts 130 may be kept or
archived to
provide information related to a particular user profile 122 over time.
[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the current user context 130 includes a
current
location 132 associated with the user profile (e.g., based on one or more
transactions or
based on locational data received from the client device 160 or other data
source),
additional user-specific context 134 (which may include social media-related
information, such as posts or other user input, social media check-ins,
interactions with
one or more devices or systems (e.g., a particular Wi-Fi network or set of
networks), prior
interactions with particular applications or functionality, etc.), and
information about a
related or nearby group context 136, which may include information about
relatively
nearby (e.g., within local communication distance) of one or more other users.
In some
= instances, the nearby group context 136 can be determined after
information associated
with a plurality of registered users associated with user profiles has been
obtained, such
that a relative or absolute location of multiple users can be determined.
Based on this
information, a relative location of those other users can be identified and a
relative user
context can be maintained. In some instances, at least a portion of the
current user
context 130 may be obtained on a periodic basis regardless of the
notifications being
triggered, while in other instances, portions of the current user context 130
may be
obtained directly as a result of a notification being triggered for the
particular user profile
122.
24
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
[0064] As illustrated, the contextual analysis module 114 includes a
contextual
data source application programming interface (API) 116. The contextual data
source
API 116 can be used to obtain contextual information associated with
particular user
profiles 122 from one or more sources external from the client device 160
itself and/or
that is not available from the user profile 122. In some instances, a unique
identifier may
be associated with the particular user profile 122 of a particular user may be
provided to
the contextual data source API 116. Using the interface 104 and network 150,
requests
for additional contextual information associated with the uniquely identified
user profile
122 can be submitted via the API 116, which may be associated with one or more
external data sources 190. In one example, particular social network
information may be
obtained, including current status and interaction information, as well as
other relevant
information. Further, information associated with activities and interactions
with one or
more other entities other than the entity associated with the triggered
notification may be
obtained. Such information can be used to provide information on the location,
movement, and activities of the particular user, as well as additional context
to the
already obtained or available information within the user profile. The
contextual data
source API 116 can be used in associated with multiple different external data
or
information sources 190, which are not meant to be limiting to particular
services.
Alternative, multiple APIs or other connections may be available to other data
sources to
request similar information.
[0065] Once the current user context 130 is generated, the notification
modification module 112 can determine whether one or more of the modification
rules
140 has been satisfied prior to transmitting the triggered notification. As
illustrated, the
modification rules 140 contain different types of rules as examples, including
user
profile-specific rules 142, relative user context rules 144 (e.g., based on
the user's current
context in light of the current contexts of one or more other users or
persons), location-
specific rules 146, and other modification rules 148. Each of the rules can
include a set
of contextual parameters where the rule is satisfied and a corresponding
modification
action to be performed in such instances. The modification actions may include
full
suppression or cancellation of a triggered notification, as well as modifying
particular
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
contents of the triggered notification. In some instances, the modification
rules 140 may
be evaluated at a time the notification is triggered, or alternatively, they
can be evaluated
at a time just prior to when the notification is to be transmitted.
[0066] User profile-specific rules 142 can be specifically associated with
particular user profiles. In some instances, users may provide explicit
information about
when notifications are allowed. For example, the user may specify that no
notifications
should be received during work hours and/or at a particular location.
Alternatively, user
profile-specific rules 142 can be generated automatically based on success or
failure rates
of particular notifications. For example, if a user's pattern of behavior
indicates that
notifications including offers during a certain time range are ignored above a
particular
threshold, then a corresponding user profile-specific rule 142 can created for
that time
range and used for future notifications. In some instances, the user profile-
specific rules
142 may be associated with a particular threshold for a number of messages
received over
a period of time. Using a user's specific notification history 124, the user
profile-specific
rule 142 can determine whether the threshold number of messages has been met
for a
particular time period. That threshold may be based on notifications from a
particular
entity, or that threshold may be based on notifications received from two or
more
different or related entities. User profile-specific rules 142 can be uniquely
defined or
associated with a single user profile 122, while in other instances user
profile-specific
rules 142 can be measured in isolation against only information associated
with the single
user profile 122 (e.g., other user profiles are not considered). Another
example of a user
profile-specific rule 142 may include an evaluation or determination that the
user profile
was associated with a recent transaction associated with an entity related to
the triggered
transaction. If so, the triggered notification may be cancelled or delayed in
order to avoid
oversaturating the user with notifications that may not be relevant after
completing a
related transaction. In some instances, a user-specific rule may be based on
one or more
planned or scheduled actions associated with the user. For example, a user may
indicate,
explicitly or through prior actions, that he or she intends to take a
particular train. The
present solution could incorporate external contextual information along with
a current
user context to generate the user-specific context. For example, where a user
is going to
26
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
catch a train for work in the morning, the user's location and current or
expected
movements may be known. Based on the travel time to the train station, the
system can
determine whether the user's current location and the time to the train
station provide a
correct amount of time prior to the particular train arriving. In some
instances, where the
time to arrive may leave less than a threshold amount of time for the user to
arrive, one or
more generic triggered notifications can be throttled or otherwise suppressed
to avoid
distraction to the user. Alternatively, or in combination, notifications
associated with a
particular topic, here, the status of the train to be caught (e.g., updated
arrival time,
information that the train has already left), may be allowed to be transmitted
to the user.
[00671 The relative user context rules 144 can include rules where contexts
associated with a group of user profiles are evaluated. In some instances, a
single user's
current context is evaluated against a group of other users for determining
the relative
user context and the application of any associated relative user context rules
144. In one
example, a particular relative user context rule 144 may identify that a
plurality of users
are at a common location. In response to this determination, a triggered
notification can
be suppressed, such as where the notification relates to an offer meant to be
prestigious or
otherwise unique. In some instances, the plurality of other users may all be
associated
with triggered notifications, or they may not be. In some instances, the
relative user
context rule 144 may consider whether those nearby users are also associated
with a
triggered notification. If they are not, the notification may still be
transmitted. If they are
associated with similar triggered notifications, however, at least some of
those
notifications may be suppressed to avoid removing the prestige of the included
offer. In
some instances, the relative user context rule 144 can include parameters for
suppressing
or cancelling only a portion of the triggered notifications associated with
the group of
users. For example, the relative user context rule 144 may indicate that only
10% of the
group, when reaching a particular size, may still receive the triggered
notification that
would have otherwise been provided to each of the users. In those instances,
the
notification modification module 112 can identify the appropriate user
profiles 122 still to
receive the triggered notification and those that should not. The module 112
can then
27
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
suppress or otherwise cancel those triggered notifications associated with
users who will
not receive the notification.
[0068] In some instances, the relative user context rule 144 may be based on a
determination that the different users are in a common or same location. In
some
instances, the rule may specify a relative location to other users receiving
the notification,
such that the absolute location does not matter. For example, a notification
may be
triggered regarding a prestigious loan product. However, a relative user
context rule 144
may be satisfied where more than five (5) users associated with the triggered
notification
are within a particular distance, area, or range relative to one another.
Therefore, that
specific rule 144 may be satisfied while the associated users are at a
restaurant, at an
event, are on the street walking, or any other location where they are
relatively near or
within the vicinity of one another. In a different instance, the common
location may be a
predefined location, such as a particular location, store, event space,
meeting, or other
location. As such, when a particular number of users are at that predefined
location, the
rule 144 may be satisfied.
[0069] The location-specific rules 146 can be associated with particular
locations,
where these rules can be used for a plurality of users. In some instances,
such location-
specific rules 146 can identify an area, a business, a venue, a neighborhood,
place of
worship, or any other location. The location-specific rules 146 associated
with these
locations can be used to determine whether a current context of a particular
user profile
or set of user profiles are associated with or located at the particular
location included in
the location-specific rule 146. In some instances, the user profile can be
associated with
the location of a user device associated with the user profile. Alternatively,
the location
associated with the user profile may be determined based on a recent
transaction of a
transaction history 129 associated with the user profile, or alternatively,
information
obtained from one of the external data or information sources 190. The
location-specific
rule 146 may identify a location and a time range associated with the location
during
which the rule can be satisfied. Outside of the time range, the particular
rule 146 cannot
be satisfied. Similarly, particular locations may be associated with one or
more events,
such as sporting events, performances (e.g., concerts), weddings, etc. In
those instances,
28
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
the particular locations may be associated with event-specific time ranges,
where the
location-specific rule 146 may only be satisfied while an event at that
location is ongoing.
The contextual analysis module 114 can access social media feeds, running time
information, game-related descriptions, and other information to consider when
the event
is ongoing. Still further, some of these events may be associated with breaks
or
intermissions. The contextual analysis module 114 obtains information
identified at
specific times when these breaks/intermissions occur, or determine, based on
obtained
information, when attendees are taking said break. In some instances, such a
determination may trigger the sending of one or more delayed notifications.
[0070] For some or all rules 140, the modifications occurring when the
modification rule 140 is satisfied may be used to enact a delay of the
triggered
notification. For example, in the location-specific rule 146 example, the
triggered
notification may be delayed until the particular user profile is no longer at
or associated
with the particular location. The notification modification module 112 may
make
periodic checks of the current user context 130 to determine whether the
location has
changed, and, in response to that determination that the location-specific
rule 146 is no
longer satisfied, the module 112 can allow the delayed notification to be
transmitted. In
some instances, delayed notifications may be held in a queue for a period of
time while
the current user context 130 satisfies the modification rule 140. In some
instances, the
delay may be indefinite and the notification may be held until the context is
changed and
the modification rule 140 is no longer satisfied. In other instances, after a
delay period,
the triggered notification may be cancelled once a time limit (e.g., default
value or
defined as part of the rule 140) is exceeded.
[0071] As noted, any suitable modification rule 140 can be defined and used in
the present solution. The other modification rules 148 represent those rules,
as well as
rules which incorporate various aspects of the user profile-specific rules
142, the relative
user context rules 144, and the location-specific rules 146.
[0072] As illustrated and described, notification system 102 includes memory
120. In some implementations, the notification system 102 includes a single
memory or
multiple memories. The memory 120 may include any type of memory or database
29
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
module and may take the form of volatile and/or non-volatile memory including,
without
limitation, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-
only
memory (ROM), removable media, or any other suitable local or remote memory
component. The memory 120 may store various objects or data, including caches,
classes, frameworks, applications, backup data, business objects, jobs, web
pages, web
page templates, database tables, database queries, repositories storing
business and/or
dynamic information, and any other appropriate information including any
parameters,
variables, algorithms, instructions, rules, constraints, or references thereto
associated with
the purposes of the notification system 102. Additionally, the memory 120 may
store any
other appropriate data, such as VPN applications, firmware logs and policies,
firewall
policies, a security or access log, print or other reporting files, as well as
others. As
illustrated, memory 120 includes, for example, the plurality of user profiles
122, the
notification rule set 138, and the modification rules 140, described herein.
Memory 120
may be local to or remote to the notification system 102, and may be available
remotely
via network 150 or an alternative connection in such instances where not
locally
available. Further, some or all of the data included in memory 120 in FIG. 1
may be
located outside of the notification system 102, including within network 150
as cloud-
based storage and data.
[0073] The external data sources or information sources 190 may be system,
server, or other computing device associated with a particular entity,
business, platform,
or computing system with which additional contextual information can be
derived in
association with one or more particular user profiles. In some instances, the
contextual
analysis module 114 may access these sources in response to a triggered
notification. In
other instances, the sources 190 may be accessed on a regular basis (e.g.,
periodically, in
response to particular events or actions, etc.), where the obtained
information is
associated with and/or stored in association with particular user profiles
122. The
external data sources or information sources 190 may be associated with a
financial
institution, a transactional system, a social network, an event tracking
system, or any
other suitable system, including one or more other mobile applications and
application
backend systems. In some instances, the external data sources 190 exchange may
be
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
associated with a business selling goods or providing services, or a
centralized system
collecting information about various activities and transactions performed by
the user
associated with the particular user profile 122.
[0074] Illustrated system 100 includes at least one client device 160, and may
include a plurality of the client devices 160 in some instances. Each client
device 160
may generally be any computing device operable to connect to or communicate
within
the system 100 via the network 150 using a wireline or wireless connection. In
general,
the client device 160 comprises an electronic computer device operable to
receive,
transmit, process, and store any appropriate data associated with the system
100 of FIG.
1. The client device 160 can include one or more client applications,
including the client
application 168. In some instances, the client device 160 may comprise a
device that
includes an input device, such as a keypad, touch screen, or other device(s)
that can
interact with the client application 168 and other functionality, and an
output device that
conveys information associated with the operation of the applications and
their
application windows to the user of the client device 160. Such information may
include
digital data, visual information, or a graphical user interface (GUI) 166, as
shown with
respect to the client device 160. In general, client device 160 comprises an
electronic
computer device operable to receive, transmit, process, and store any
appropriate data
associated with the environment 100 of FIG. 1. In particular, the client
devices 160 are
devices associated with particular user profiles 122 within or associated with
the
notification system 102, and to which one or more triggered notifications may
be
delivered (e.g., via the client application 168) and presented (e.g., via GUI
166).
[0075] Client application 168 can be any type of application that allows the
client
device 160 to request and view content on the client device 160. In some
instances, client
application 168 may correspond with one or more backend applications or
functionality,
including an application or platform associated with the notification system
102. Users
may interact with the client application 168 to make purchases, review user
accounts,
interact with friends, participate in social networks, view multimedia, or any
suitable
function. In some instances, the client application 168 may be an agent or
client-side
version of the one or more applications or services running on a backend
system, such as
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CA 2981429 2017-10-04
an agent or client-side version of the applications and systems using or
associated with
the notification system 102. In the present solution, the triggered
notifications
transmitted to the client device 160 can be presented via functionality
associated with the
client application 168. In many instances, the client device 160 may be a
mobile device,
including but not limited to, a smartphone, a tablet computing device, a
laptop/notebook
computer, a smartwatch, or any other suitable device capable of interacting
with the
notification system 102 and/or any other suitable systems or networks. One or
more
client applications 168 may be present on a client device 160, and can provide
varying
functionality. In some instances, client application 168 may be a web browser,
mobile
application, cloud-based application, or dedicated remote application or
software capable
of interacting with at least some of the illustrated systems via network 150
to request
information from and/or respond to one or more of those systems.
[0076] In some instances, the client application 168 may be to provide
information about a particular context of the client device 160 back to the
notification
system 102. Such information may include particular operations, transactions
(e.g.,
transaction data 178), and location data 176 monitored or obtained by the
client device
160 during its functionality. The location data 176 may be obtained via a
global
positional system (GPS) 170, an assisted GPS, or another suitable location
identifier
associated with the client device 160. The GPS 170 may be a specific chip or
component
providing location information, or may be functionality associated with a
particular client
application 168 or operating system allowing the client device 160 to identify
or
determine information needed to provide or derive the particular absolute or
relative
location of client device 160. For example, the client application 168 and/or
functions of
the device's operating system may report particular location-related
information back to
the notification system 102 for the user profile 122, including available Wi-
Fi networks,
particular coordinates, and identified iBeacons or wireless connections (e.g.,
Bluetooth
devices, RFLD readers, NFC readers, etc.). That information can then be used
by the
notification system 102 to derive a particular location at which the client
device 160 is
located. Similarly, the client application 168 may provide information about
particular
transactions via the transaction data 178, both specific to the client
application 168, as
32
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
well as transactions performed by other applications and/or other operating
system
functionality. The transactions shared may be financial transactions, data
exchanges,
wireless connections made or identified, or any other suitable information.
The location
data 176 and the transaction data 178, as well as any other information
obtained or
available to the client device 160, can be used to define a local set of
contextual data 174
for the client device 160. That data can be periodically provided to the
notification
system 102, including in response to a notification being triggered.
[0077] As illustrated, the client device 160 may also include an interface 162
for
communication (similar to or different from interface 104), a processor 164
(similar to or
different from processor 106), memory 172 (similar to or different from memory
120),
and GUI 166. GUI 166 can interface with at least a portion of the environment
100 for
any suitable purpose, including generating a visual representation of the
client application
168, presenting a pop-up or push notification or preview thereof, or any other
suitable
presentation of information. GUI 166 may also be used to view and interact
with various
Web pages, applications, and Web services located local or external to the
client device
160, as well as information relevant to the client application 168 and any
received
notifications sent from the notification system 102. Generally, the GUI 166
provides the
user with an efficient and user-friendly presentation of data provided by or
communicated
within the system. The GUI 166 may comprise a plurality of customizable frames
or
views having interactive fields, pull-down lists, and buttons operated by the
user. For
example, the GUI 166 may provide interactive elements that allow a user to
view or
interact with information related to the operations of processes associated
with the
notification system 102 and any associated systems, including those associated
with or
connected to notification system 102, among others. In general, the GUI 166 is
often
configurable, supports a combination of tables and graphs (bar, line, pie,
status dials,
etc.), and is able to build real-time portals, application windows, and
presentations.
Therefore, the GUI 166 contemplates any suitable graphical user interface,
such as a
combination of a generic web browser, a web-enabled application, intelligent
engine, and
command line interface (CLI) that processes information in the platform and
efficiently
presents the results to the user visually.
33
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
[0078] While portions of the elements illustrated in FIG. 1 are shown as
individual modules that implement the various features and functionality
through various
objects, methods, or other processes, the software may instead include a
number of sub-
modules, third-party services, components, libraries, and such, as
appropriate.
Conversely, the features and functionality of various components can be
combined into
single components as appropriate.
[0079] FIG. 2 is an example diagram 200 of a data flow associated with a
notification modification analysis. The diagram provides an example set of
operations
and interactions to identify a current user context and, in response to a
notification being
triggered, determine whether one or more modification rules apply to a
particular user
profile and/or a particular notification.
[0080] Information about particular user profiles can be collected at a
centralized
user context database 230. The information maintained or associated with the
user
context database 230 can be associated with particular user profiles, where
those user
profiles are associated with particular user devices 210. Over time, or in
response to a
notification being triggered, information from a number of sources may be
considered to
determine a current context associated with a particular user profile. The
current context
may be based on a single user profile specifically, or may be determined or
set in
reference to one or more related user profiles. The user mobile devices 210
can provide,
for instance, current and recent location data to identify a particular
location of the user
device (and therefore, as a proxy of the user associated with the user
profile). In some
instances, additional transactional data may be provided by the user device
210, which
may include additional information on financial transactions, messages sent,
operations
performed in particular applications, and other transactions performed on the
user device.
The current and recent location data may be provided in absolute GPS
coordinates, or
alternatively, in data which can allow a particular location to be determined
(e.g., nearby
available Wi-Fi networks, iBeacon information, etc.). The information from the
user
devices 210 can be defined as recent contextual user data 215. This may
include data
received within a particular period of time, or in a predefined number of data
updates.
34
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
[0081] The user context database 230 can also store and associate significant
historical user data 220 associated with particular user profiles. The
historical user data
220 may include purchase and other transaction histories, user preferences
over time, and
other information describing and shaping a user's habits and preferences.
[0082] The other user data 225 can include sets of context data from one or
more
other users relative to a particular user. In some instances, the other user
data 225 may be
obtained based on registered users in a similar location as a particular user
when context
data is obtained. In some instances, the other user data 225 may be obtained
in a similar
manner to the particular user, where the context information is obtained over
time and
added to the user context database 230. A current context, as well as
historical
information, for the user profiles associated with those other users can be
stored in
corresponding user profiles. One or more of those current contexts can be
compared
relative to a user context for a particular user when a notification is
triggered.
[0083] The identification and obtaining of user context-relevant information
can
take place over various periods of time. In some instances, only immediately
current
information may be used for a modification rule, while in others, historical
information
may be used. As the user profile and contextual information is maintained, the
data flow
awaits the triggering of a notification associated with one or more of the
user profiles. As
noted in relation to FIG. 1, the triggered notification may be based on an
action
performed by a particular user or group of users (e.g., arrive at a particular
location,
perform a particular transaction, etc.), or may be triggered based on a
request from an
entity (e.g., a marketing campaign for a sale, financial product, etc.). In
FIG. 2, a
notification associated with at least one user profile is triggered at 250. In
response to the
triggered notification, a modification rules engine 240 (e.g., the
notification modification
module 112 of FIG. 1, an associative rules engine, etc.) identifies the
triggered
notification and the one or more user profiles associated with it.
[0084] The modification rules engine 240 determines at 250 whether a
particular
modification rule (e.g., of modification rules 255) is satisfied based on a
current context
associated with the one or more related user profiles. In some instances, in
response to
250, the modification rules engine 240 can obtain contextual information from
the user
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
context database 230. Additionally, one or more external information sources
or data
feeds 235 can be accessed, particularly when those sources or data feeds 235
relate
specifically to a determination or requirement of a modification rule 255. The
modification rules engine 240 can obtain the already available information
from the user
context database 230, or may trigger or cause an updated and real-time or near
real-time
current set of contextual information to be obtained from the various sources
(e.g., user
devices 210, any other user data 225 from user devices associated with related
user
profiles) in response to determining that a notification has been triggered.
[0085] As described, the modification rules 255 being evaluated at 250 may be
of
any suitable type, including a user profile-specific contextual rule, a
relative user context
rule, or a location-specific rule, among others. Some examples of particular
rules may
include:
= 1) a volume rule, e.g., a rule that allows less than a maximum amount of
notifications to be sent per day, either to a specific user, to a particular
group of users, or by a particular sending entity;
= 2) a density rule, e.g., where only a percentage of individuals within a
particular area or at a particular location are provided notifications ¨ in
some instances, the density rule may only be triggered when a group of a
particular size of user profiles are associated with a particular or relative
location;
= 3) a timing rule, e.g., a rule specific to a user profile, where
notifications
during a certain time range are not allowed;
= 4) a location-related rule, e.g., where no notifications are allowed when
user profiles are associated with a particular location (e.g., a particular
user's work may be prohibited for that user, or a place of worship or court
where no users may receive notifications); and
= 5) a contextual location rule, e.g., where if less than a certain number
of
users are at a location, the notification may be sent, but where more than a
certain number of users are at the location, the notification is modified.
36
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
These examples are meant to be non-limiting, but illustrate some of the
information
needed to evaluate the particular modification rules 255. The external
information or
data feeds 235 may provide additional information not available through the
user context
database 230, such as information related to a current status of a location or
an event
associated with the location (e.g., a sporting event). Alternatively,
information related to
a particular user profile may be found or identified through the external
information or
feeds 235.
[0086] If a determination is made that the current context of a particular
user
satisfies a particular modification rule, then at 260, the triggered
notification is modified
based on a corresponding modification action defined by the modification rule.
In some
instances, the triggered notification can be cancelled. In others, the
triggered notification
may be delayed for a set period of time, or until the current context of the
user profile
associated with the notification is modified and no longer satisfies the
particular
modification rule. In still other instances, the modification rule may cause
the contents of
the triggered notification to be modified. Where the triggered notification is
associated
with a plurality of users, only some of those users may see their
corresponding
notification be modified, such that at least some of the plurality still
receive a
transmission of the notification. In some instances, the original triggered
notification
may be associated with a first communication channel (e.g., a push
notification). The
modification rule may keep the content of the triggered notification the same,
but may
switch the transmission to a second communication channel (e.g., an email
including the
contents of the triggered notification, as the email may not be as intrusive
to the user). If,
however, the modification rule 250 is not satisfied, then at 270, the
triggered transmission
is transmitted to a user device associated with the user profile.
[0087] The analysis performed by the modification rules engine 240 may be
performed individually for each user profile associated with a triggered
notification.
Alternatively, the analysis may be performed for a group of user profiles.
Further,
multiple modification rules 255 can be evaluated, where appropriate, including
modification rules 255 specifically applicable and associated with a
particular user, as
well as rules that are applied to groups of users and/or particular locations.
In some
37
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
instances, two or more modification rules 255 may be satisfied in response to
a triggered
notification. If both modification rules 255 cause the notification to be
cancelled, then
the cancellation can be performed. If the satisfied modification rules 255
contradict one
another, or cause inconsistent changes (e.g., delay for a first rule and
cancel for a second),
the modification rules engine 240 can apply a prioritized rule analysis,
perform the more
significant action (e.g., perform the cancellation if both cancel and delay
are the results of
the satisfied rules), or perform some weighing of the modification rules to
identify which
action is to be taken. Any suitable comparison or weighting can be used.
[0088] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example method for modifying triggered
notifications based on one or more user-specific contextual rules. It will be
understood
that method 300 and related methods may be performed, for example, by any
suitable
system, environment, software, and hardware, or a combination of systems,
environments, software, and hardware, as appropriate. For example, a system
comprising
a communications module, at least one memory storing instructions and other
required
data, and at least one hardware processor interoperably coupled to the at
least one
memory and the communications module can be used to execute method 300. In
some
implementations, the method 300 and related methods are executed by one or
more
components of the system 100 described above with respect to FIG. 1.
[0089] At 305, at least one satisfied notification rule for triggering a
notification
to user devices associated with at least one user profile is identified. The
satisfied
notification rule may be based on actions performed by users associated with
the at least
one user profile, or the notification rule may be triggered and satisfied by
the sending
entity associated with the notification rule. The satisfied notification rule
or rules can
result in a triggered notification corresponding to the satisfied notification
rule to be sent,
pushed, or otherwise transmitted to user devices associated with each of the
user profiles
for which the notification rule is satisfied. Without the present solution, in
response to
the satisfied notification rule, a notification associated with rule is
triggered and sent to
user devices associated with each of the at least one user profiles.
[0090] In the present example solution described in FIG. 3, however, one or
more
user-specific contextual rules are evaluated for each user profile associated
with a
38
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
satisfied notification rule. In doing so, the individual context of particular
user and their
user profiles can be considered prior to the sending of the particular
notification
associated with the satisfied notification rule. Therefore, the operations
described within
307 can be performed for each of the profiles associated with the triggered
notifications,
where some of the triggered notifications may be transmitted as originally
planned, while
others may be modified (e.g., delayed, cancelled, changed) based on the user-
specific
contextual rules.
[0091] At 310, a particular user profile can be accessed to identify at least
one
user-specific contextual rule to be considered for any triggered notifications
associated
with the particular user profile. In some instances, the user-specific
contextual rules can
be stored as part of the user profile (e.g., as a part of user- or admin-
defined preferences),
while in other instances the rules may be available apart from any stored user
profile
information. If available, the user-specific contextual rules are accessed. In
some
instances, the user-specific contextual rules (as well as the relative user
context-specific
rules and the location-specific context rule) may be computed, determined, or
otherwise
modified via a feedback loop measuring response rates for particular
identified contexts.
Machine learning methods can be used, where the dependent variable in some
instances
may be taken as a response from the user as a read receipt or some other proxy
related to
user interaction with the transmitted notifications to identify that the user
has had some
response (positive or negative) to the notification. If such rules are not
available, the
triggered notification can be transmitted for the user profile.
[0092] At 315, a current context associated with the particular profile is
identified.
The current context of the particular user profile can include a current
location associated
with the user profile, which may be based on or determined from location
information
provided by a user device associated with the user profile (e.g., a
smartphone), location
information derived from information available from the user device (e.g.,
available Wi-
Fi networks associated with a particular location), one or more transactions
associated
with the user profile (e.g., a purchase or other non-financial transaction,
where a location
is associated with the transaction or can otherwise be derived), information
from a social
network defining a particular location of the user (e.g., a social network
check-in), or
39
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
known patterns of a user's location (e.g., an expected location based on
historical user
information). The current context may also or alternatively include a current
local time
associated with the user profile, recent activity associated with the user
profile (e.g., one
or more transactions, agnostic of location), prior communication activities
performed by
the user device (e.g., texts, messaging platform interactions), social network
posts, and
other information associated specifically with the user profile. in some
instances, the
user-specific contextual rule may also be based on historical account
information
associated with the user profile. An example rule may include a maximum number
of
notifications to be sent to the user device or devices associated with the
particular user
profile over a predetermined period of time. Using historical account
information related
to the prior notifications, the user-specific contextual rule can be based on
whether prior
notifications transmitted to devices associated with the particular user
profile exceed the
maximum number. The maximum number of notifications may differ by user
profile,
where different user profiles have different maximum numbers. If the maximum
number
of prior notifications is met, the rule may be considered satisfied.
[0093] At 320, a determination is made as to whether the current context of
the
particular user profile satisfied at least one user-specific contextual rule.
As noted, the
user-specific contextual rules can be based on any number of factors or
preferences of the
user, as well as automatically determined preferences implicitly determined
and
implemented based on an analysis of the activities and actions of the
particular user
profile. For example, the system may allow users to define specific blackout
periods
and/or time ranges where no communications should be sent (e.g., during a
particular
period of expected sleep in the evenings/night, during periods conflicting
with calendar
events / meetings associated with the particular user profile, etc.).
Alternatively, specific
locations (e.g., at a user's place of business) may be specifically defined in
association
with the particular user profile, such that a determined context of the
particular user
profile matching those specific contextual parameters will result in any
triggered
notifications being modified in accordance with the corresponding user-
specific
contextual rule. The modifications may include a cancellation of the triggered
notification, a delay of the triggered notification (e.g., until the context
of the particular
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
user profile no longer matches the specific contextual parameters of the user-
specific
rule), or a modification to the contents of a particular triggered
notification.
[0094] In response to determining that the current context of the particular
user
profile does not satisfy the user-specific contextual rule, method 300
continues at 325
where a first signal including the triggered notification is transmitted, via
a
communications module, to one or more user devices associated with the
particular user
profile for which the analysis of 307 is performed.
[0095] If, however, the current context of the particular user profile does
satisfy at
least one user-specific contextual rule, then method 300 continues to 330,
where the
triggered modification is modified based on the particular modification or
modifications
associated with the satisfied user-specific contextual rule. Three example
operations may
be performed to modify the notification, including cancelling the triggered
notification
(330a), delaying transmission of the triggered notification (330b), or
modifying the
contents of the triggered notification (330c). Cancelling the triggered
notification 330a
may include suppressing the triggered notification or otherwise stopping the
transmission
of the notification to the user devices associated with the particular user
profile. In some
instances, a notification of the cancellation may be provided to the entity
sending the
notification, where appropriate.
[0096] Delaying transmission of the triggered notification (330b) may cause a
delay to be implemented in sending the notification. In some instances, the
triggered
notification may be sent after a predetermined period of time from the initial
determination. In other instances, user-specific timing may be appropriate,
such as
delaying the transmission for a user-specific time period until that user is
likely to be
outside of the current context (whether location, timing, or other factor).
Alternatively,
the notification may be delayed and the triggered notification reevaluated
(e.g., at 320)
after a period of time based on a re-determined current context of the
particular user
profile after the delay. The determination as to whether a particular user-
specific
contextual rule remains satisfied can be made again at the later time to
identify whether
the notification should be sent. Modifying the contents of the triggered
notification
(330c) can be performed based on the modification rules, and can include
determining a
41
CA 2981429 2017-10-04
particular user device to be sent the transmission, a modification to the
contents of the
transmission to include additional or less information, or any other suitable
change.
[0097] At 335, a second signal including the modified notification can be
transmitted, via the communications module, to one or more user devices
associated with
the particular user profile. In instances where the triggered notification is
cancelled, no
such transmission may be sent and method 300 can conclude for the particular
user
profile. In instances where the triggered notification is delayed or the
contents modified,
the delayed or content-modified notification can be sent at 335.
[0098] The operations of 307 are performed individually for each particular
user
profile associated with the triggered notification. The determination of the
user-specific
contextual rules can be unique to the particular user profile under
consideration. In some
instances, the operations can be performed in parallel and/or concurrently for
each
particular user profile. In other instances, the analysis can be performed
sequentially, as
needed.
[0099] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example method 400 for modifying triggered
notifications based on an evaluation of one or more contextual rules analyzing
a
particular user profile relative to at least one other user profile. It will
be understood that
method 400 and related methods may be performed, for example, by any suitable
system,
environment, software, and hardware, or a combination of systems,
environments,
software, and hardware, as appropriate. For
example, a system comprising a
communications module, at least one memory storing instructions and other
required
data, and at least one hardware processor interoperably coupled to the at
least one
memory and the communications module can be used to execute method 400. In
some
implementations, the method 400 and related methods are executed by one or
more
components of the system 100 described above with respect to FIG. 1.
[0100] At 405, at least one satisfied notification rule for triggering a
notification
to user devices associated with at least one user profile is identified. The
operation of
405 may be similar to the operations of 305 described in FIG. 3.
[0101] In the present example solution described in FIG. 4, however, one or
more
relative user context-specific rules are evaluated at 410 based on relative
current contexts
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CA 2981429 2017-10-04
of two or more user profiles prior to the sending of the particular
notification associated
with the satisfied notification rule. In order to perform the relative
analysis, a set of
relative user context-specific rules for modifications to triggered
notifications are
accessed to determine what factors and considerations are to be made prior to
triggering
the notifications. In some instances, the relative user context-specific rules
may be
considered or applied to a group of users at one time, or, alternatively, the
rules may be
applied against a first user profile in consideration of that first user
profile relative to one
or more other user profiles.
[0102] At 415, a current context associated with each of the at least one
particular
user profiles associated with the triggered notification is identified. In
some instances, a
further set of information regarding one or more additional user profiles may
be obtained,
such as where those other additional user profiles are associated with a
location at or near
one or more of the user devices of the particular user profiles associated
with the
triggered notification. The current contexts may be similar to or different
those described
in connection with FIG. 3.
[0103] For each user profile associated with the triggered notifications, an
analysis may be performed encompassed by 417, where the specific context of
the
particular user profile is then compared to and evaluated against the one or
more other
particular user profiles' current contexts.
[0104] At 420, a relative user context can be identified for a particular user
profile
based on the current context of the particular user profile and at least some
of the user
profiles different than the particular user profile. In some instances, the
relative user
context may provide information identifying a number of user profiles within
the same
location as or a particular distance from the particular user profile. In
other instances, a
relative number of notifications provided to different user profiles over time
may be
considered, as well as a level of user interaction from one or more users to
whom prior
notifications have been transmitted in a similar context or location as the
current relative
context. In general, the relative user context provides a view of the
particular user profile
in comparison to one or more other profiles, where the relative user context
can be used
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as a baseline or basis for evaluation against one or more relative user
context-specific
rules.
[0105] At 425, a determination is made as to whether the current relative
context
satisfies at least one relative user context-specific rule. The relative user
context-specific
rules can define any suitable rules that applies a comparison of different
user profile
contexts to each other to determine whether one or more relative parameters
are met. For
example, an example relative user context-specific rule may define that when a
first
number of user profiles are associated with the same common location in their
identified
current contexts, then any triggered notifications should be modified. The
common
location may be specific to a particular location (e.g., a store, a business,
an event hall,
etc.), or the common location may be a common location relative to one another
(e.g.,
location-agnostic, but within a predetermined or dynamically-determined
distance from
one another (e.g., within a 200 foot diameter from each other)). If the number
of user
profiles associated with the common location exceeds the first number of user
profiles,
then the rule is satisfied. In some instances, the relative user context-
specific rule may be
specific to a particular user profile, in that the determination identifies
whether a relative
user context from the view of the particular user profile satisfies the
particular relative
user context-specific rule being evaluated. However, one or more of the other
user
profiles may not be associated with such a rule, such that notifications to
those users may
be sent if no other modification rules are met. Still further, in some
instances, if the
combined relative user context satisfies a particular relative user context-
specific rule,
then corresponding modifications may automatically be made for those user
profiles. In
some instances, the relative user context may include information about non-
registered
user profiles where able. For example, in a location-related relative user
context-specific
rule, a particular number of persons within an area or location may be
determinable via
outside or external data or information. The relative user context-specific
rule may
specify absolute numbers in the location as compared to a number of registered
users.
Alternatively, the relative user context-specific rule may be based on an
absolute number,
where particular user profiles being associated with a location may be used as
a proxy for
a total number of persons being at the location. That is, if 10 user profiles
are currently
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located at or associated with a location, then an estimate for a particular
time of day may
indicate that 100 total people are at the location based on market share or
percentage of
the population registered, for example.
[0106] If it is determined that none of the at least one relative user context-
specific rules are met, method 400 continues at 430, where a first signal
including the
triggered notification is transmitted, via a communications module, to a user
device
associated with the particular user profile. If, however, at least one
relative user context-
specific rule is satisfied based on the current relative user context, then
method 400
continues at 435. Depending on the modifications specific to the satisfied
rule, at 435 the
triggered notification for the particular user may be cancelled (435a),
delayed (435b), or
the contents thereof can be modified (435c). The operations of 435 and 435a-c
may be
similar to or different than those of 330 and 330a-c of FIG. 3. At 440, a
second signal
including the modified notification can be transmitted, via the communications
module,
to one or more user devices associated with the particular user profile (where
appropriate). In instances where the triggered notification is cancelled, no
such
transmission may be sent and method 400 can conclude for the particular user
profile. In
instances where the triggered notification is delayed or the contents
modified, the delayed
or content-modified notification can be sent at 440.
[0107] In some instances, the operations of 417 are performed individually for
each particular user profile associated with the triggered notification. The
determination
of the relative user context-specific rules can be unique to the particular
user profile
under consideration. In other instances, a group of user profiles associated
with a similar
or related context can be considered together, with the modifications being
applied to the
triggered notifications associated with each member of the group.
[0108] In some instances, the modification operations may be used to cancel or
delay triggered notifications for only some of the user profiles associated
with a group of
contextually-related user profiles. For example, a subset of the user profiles
associated
with a common location may be identified to still receive the triggered
notification, while
others outside that subset, but still at the common location, may have their
notifications
cancelled or delayed. In such instances, the triggered notifications may be
sent to the
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user devices of those user profiles included in the subset even though they
originally
satisfy the relative user context-specific rule.
[0109] In some instances, the relative user context-specific rule may be based
on
the set of user profiles who are associated with a similar or common triggered
notification. In those instances, the relative user context-specific rule may
identify a
maximum number of user profiles allowed to receive a particular triggered
notification.
The rule may be in effect to limit costs of sending the notification, or to
avoid over
sending said notification. In any event, a subset of those user profiles
associated with the
triggered notification can be pruned or otherwise narrowed in order to meet
those
requirements of the rule. Once narrowed, the triggered notification can be
sent to the
appropriate user profiles (via their devices), while the notifications for the
non-receiving
user profiles can be cancelled.
[0110] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an example method 500 for modifying triggered
notifications associated with particular users based on an evaluation of one
or more
location-specific contextual rules. It will be understood that method 500 and
related
methods may be performed, for example, by any suitable system, environment,
software,
and hardware, or a combination of systems, environments, software, and
hardware, as
appropriate. For example, a system comprising a communications module, at
least one
memory storing instructions and other required data, and at least one hardware
processor
interoperably coupled to the at least one memory and the communications module
can be
used to execute method 500. In some implementations, the method 500 and
related
methods are executed by one or more components of the system 100 described
above
with respect to FIG. 1.
[0111] At 505, at least one satisfied notification rule for triggering a
notification to
user devices associated with at least one user profile is identified. The
operation of 505
may be similar to the operations of 305 described in FIG. 3 and 405 described
in FIG. 4.
[0112] At 510, a set of location-specific rules associated with modifications
to one
or more triggered notifications is identified. The location-specific rules are
used to
associate specific rules and notification behavior to specific locations.
Examples of such
locations that may be associated with a location-specific rule may include
places of
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worship, hospitals, office buildings, a particular business entity,
courthouses,
governmental buildings, stadiums and other sporting or recreational event
locations,
theaters, schools, and others. In some instances, the location-specific rule
may be
specifically associated with both a location and a particular event occurring
at the
location, such that the location-specific rule can only be satisfied while the
particular
event or events are occurring. For example, triggered notifications may be
suppressed
when they are triggered while an event is actually occurring at the location,
such as a
play, a game, or another event. Information about when those events are
occurring may
be known or may follow a predetermined schedule or the ongoing occurrence or
current
status of the event may be dynamically determined. Both the predetermined
schedule and
the ongoing occurrence or current status may be known based on one or more
social
network or alternative feeds, such as a sporting event data feeds, an
available schedule
including runtimes and/or event timelines (e.g., from a movie theater
calendar, playbill,
etc.), or based on social network feeds (e.g., after-show posts or comments
regarding the
event, as well as social network posting velocity at or around an expected end
time). For
purposes of the location-specific rules described in FIG. 5, the location of
associated with
a particular user profile (e.g., based on the location of a user device
associated with the
particular user profile) is the primary and, in some cases, sole determination
of whether
the location-specific rule is satisfied.
[0113] For each user profile associated with the triggered notification, an
analysis
may be performed (encompassed by 512), where the specific context of the
particular
user profile is then compared to the specific location or locations identified
and
associated with the location-specific rule. In some instances, but not
illustrated
specifically in FIG. 5, a specific location rule may be included or considered
in
combination with one or more user-specific contextual rules and/or one or more
relative
user context-specific rules, where appropriate.
[0114] At 515, a current context associated with a particular user profile is
identified, where the current context of the particular user profile is
associated with a
particular location. The particular location may be determined based on
information
received from a user device associated with the particular user profile (e.g.,
GPS or aGPS
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data, or derived information based on a set of contextual parameters detected
by the user
device), a calendar identifying the expected location of the person associated
with the
particular user profile at a particular time, particular transactional
information identifying
a location (e.g., purchase or financial transaction data, connection to a
particular network,
interaction with one or more systems, etc.), or other suitable information
capable of being
used to identify a particular location associated with the particular user
profile.
[0115] At 520, a determination is made as to whether the current context and
the
associated location satisfy at least one location-specific rule. As noted,
location-specific
rules may be associated with a valid time range (e.g., predetermined or
dynamically
determined). Evaluating whether the current context of the particular user
profile
satisfies the at least one location-specific rule can be based on a
combination of
comparisons to determine which location-specific rules are active and which of
those
active rules are then satisfied.
[0116] If it is determined that none of the at least one location-specific
rules are
met, method 500 continues at 525, where a first signal including the triggered
notification
is transmitted, via a communications module, to a user device associated with
the
particular user profile. If, however, at least one location-specific rule is
satisfied, based
on the current user context, then method 500 continues at 530. Depending on
the
modifications specific to the satisfied location-specific rule, at 530 the
triggered
notification for the particular user may be cancelled (530a), delayed (530b),
or the
contents thereof can be modified (530c). The operations of 530 and 530a-c may
be
similar to or different from those of 330 and 330a-c of FIG. 3 and 435 and
435a-c of FIG.
4.
[0117] At 535, a second signal including the modified notification can be
transmitted, via the communications module, to one or more user devices
associated with
the particular user profile (where appropriate). In instances where the
triggered
notification is cancelled, no such transmission may be sent and method 500 can
conclude
for the particular user profile. In instances where the triggered notification
is delayed or
the contents modified, the delayed or content-modified notification can be
sent at 535.
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[0118] In some instances, the delay of 530b may be of a predetermined time. In
other instances, the delay of 530b may be for a dynamically determined period
of time
while the current context of the user profiles remains at or associated with
the particular
location, or alternatively, while the event at the location continues. In some
instances,
delayed notifications may be transmitted in response to a determination or
timing of an
intermission, either based on the location being changed (e.g., exiting the
theater during
the middle of a scheduled performance) or based on a known break. In still
other
instances, local feeds from the location of the event or from a sponsor,
broadcaster, or
other entity associated with the event may provide information about the
current status of
the event (e.g., play-by-play indicating the end of an inning, or other
temporary stoppage
in play). In those instances, at 540 the system may receive information
associated with or
indicating a change of location for the user profile from the specific
location associated
with the location-specific rule, or information indicating or determining that
the event at
the location is over. In some instances, a predetermined time from the initial
delay action
may have expired as well. Once the information is received or the delay
expires, at 545
the delayed notification is transmitted to a user device associated with the
particular user
profile.
[0119] In FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the user-specific rules, the relative user
context rules,
and the location-specific rules are described as separate and distinct rule
sets. However,
one or more of the different rules can be combined or applied together in some
instances,
or may be combined into a single combined modification rule. The combination
of the
rules, or a sequentially combined set of rules (e.g., in a particular relative
user context,
apply a location-specific rule) may be created and applied.
[0120] The preceding figures and accompanying description illustrate example
processes and computer-implementable techniques. But system 100 (or its
software or
other components) contemplates using, implementing, or executing any suitable
technique for performing these and other tasks. It will be understood that
these processes
are for illustration purposes only and that the described or similar
techniques may be
performed at any appropriate time, including concurrently, individually, or in
combination. In addition, many of the operations in these processes may take
place
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simultaneously, concurrently, and/or in different orders than as shown.
Moreover, the
described systems and flows may use processes and/or components with or
performing
additional operations, fewer operations, and/or different operations, so long
as the
methods and systems remain appropriate.
[0121] In other words, although this disclosure has been described in terms of
certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and
permutations of
these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Accordingly,
the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this
disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible
without
departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
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