Systems, methods, and media for aggregating electronic document usage information
View Patent ↗Systems, methods and media for determining and aggregating electronic document segment usage information from different versions of a document are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for determining the aggregate segment usage for an electronic document received from one or more users are disclosed. Embodiments include receiving from one or more users an indication of their usage of segments of different versions of the electronic document, aggregating the segment usage indications received, and creating document utilization information for the electronic document. Further embodiments include transmitting the document utilization information to one or more users. Other embodiments include displaying to the user an electronic document and indications of the document utilization information. Electronic documents may be in PDF format, HTML format, etc.
1. A computer program product for aggregating document usage information for an electronic document, the computer program product comprising
one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to assign a unique identifier to each segment of a plurality of segments of the electronic document at a time of creation of the electronic document;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to determine usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document, wherein the usage indication data comprise a measure of time spent using the electronic document;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to aggregate the usage indication data for a plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis; and
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to communicate to a user of the electronic document the aggregate usage indication data on a segment by segment basis.
2. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to aggregate usage indication data for corresponding segments of a plurality of versions of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis.
3. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to assign a unique identifier to a new segment added into a past version of the electronic document.
4. The computer program product of claim 1 , further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to insert a bookmark in the electronic document as requested by a user.
5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions to determine usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document determine how much time a user spent viewing the segment of the electronic document.
6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is selected from the group consisting of a chapter, a section, a page, a paragraph, and a sentence.
7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions to determine the usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document measure one or more of the following types of activities:
opening the electronic document;
spending time with the electronic document open;
editing the electronic document;
printing the electronic document; and
e-mailing or otherwise transmitting the electronic document.
8. A computer system for aggregating usage indications for an electronic document, the computer system comprising:
one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to assign a unique identifier to each segment of a plurality of segments of the electronic document at a time of creation of the electronic document;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document, wherein the usage indication data comprise a measure of time spent using the electronic document;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to aggregate the usage indication data for a plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis; and
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to communicate to a user of the electronic document the aggregate usage indication data on a segment by segment basis.
9. The computer system of claim 8 , further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to assign a unique identifier to a new segment added to a version of the electronic document.
10. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis aggregate the usage information for a plurality of versions of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis.
11. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis determine how much time the plurality of users spent viewing each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document.
12. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is selected from the group consisting of a chapter, a section, a page, a paragraph, and a sentence.
13. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis aggregate the amount of time that each user of the plurality of users spent on each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document.
14. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis determine an amount of time spent by an average reader on each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document.
15. A computer program product to aggregate document usage information for an electronic document, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive usage indication data for a plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis, wherein:
the usage indication data provides a measure of time spent using the electronic document;
the electronic document is divided into a plurality of segments; and
each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document has a unique identifier;
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis; and
program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to communicate to a user of the electronic document aggregate usage indication data on a segment by segment basis.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis aggregate how much time the plurality of users spent viewing the electronic document on a segment by segment basis.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis aggregate the amount of time that each user of the plurality of users spent on each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document.
18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis determine an amount of time spent by an average reader on each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document.
19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions further comprise instructions to assign a unique identifier to a new segment added to a version of the electronic document.
20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions to aggregate the usage indication data for the plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis aggregate the usage information for a plurality of versions of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis.
21. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is selected from the group consisting of a chapter, a section, a page, a paragraph, and a sentence.
22. A computer system comprising one or more computers programmed with instructions that are effective when executed to perform operations comprising:
assigning a unique identifier to each segment of a plurality of segments of the electronic document at a time of creation of the electronic document;
determining usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document, wherein the usage indication data comprise a measure of time spent using the electronic document;
aggregating the usage indication data for a plurality of users of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis; and
communicating to a user of the electronic document the aggregate usage indication data on a segment by segment basis.
23. The computer system of claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
aggregating usage indication data for corresponding segments of a plurality of versions of the electronic document on a segment by segment basis.
24. The computer system of claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
assigning a unique identifier to a new segment added into a past version of the electronic document.
25. The computer system of claim 22 , the operations further comprising:
inserting a bookmark in the electronic document as requested by a user.
26. The computer system of claim 22 , wherein determining usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document comprises determining how much time a user spent viewing the segment of the electronic document.
27. The computer system of claim 22 , wherein each segment of the plurality of segments is selected from the group consisting of a chapter, a section, a page, a paragraph, and a sentence.
28. The computer system of claim 22 , determining the usage indication data associated with each segment of the plurality of segments of the electronic document measures one or more of the following types of activities:
opening the electronic document;
spending time with the electronic document open;
editing the electronic document;
printing the electronic document; and
e-mailing or otherwise transmitting the electronic document.