System and method for assessing mobile application value
View Patent ↗A method and system for assessing a value of a first application with respect to a use of a mobile communication device in communication with a second communication device are presented. The method entails assigning a set of proximity values that relate the use of the application to the communication between the mobile communication device and the second communication device, and determining an impact and a value based on the proximity values. The proximity values may include a relationship proximity value, a time proximity value, a geographical proximity value, an action proximity value, and one or more user-defined proximity values. The determined value may be expressed as a monetary value.
1. A system for assessing a value of a first application with respect to a use of a first mobile communication device, the system comprising at least one computer server in communication with the first mobile communication device via a network and at least a second communication device in communication with the first mobile communication device via the network, wherein the server is configured to:
detect a use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the second communication device, wherein the detected use includes a use of the first application and a communication with the second communication device;
assign at least a first proximity value to the detected use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the second communication device and the use of the first application;
use the assigned at least first proximity value to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the first mobile communication device; and
use the determined impact to assess a value of the detected use of the first application with respect to the detected use of the first mobile communication device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the use of the first mobile communication device is a revenue-generating use, and the server is further configured to determine an amount of revenue derived from the detected use of the first mobile communication device, and to use the determined impact and the determined amount of revenue to assess the value of the detected use of the first application with respect to the detected use of the first mobile communication device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least first assigned proximity value is selected from the group consisting of a relationship proximity value, a time proximity value, a geographical proximity value, an application proximity value, an action proximity value, and a user-defined proximity value.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least first assigned proximity value includes at least a relationship proximity value and a time proximity value, and wherein the assigned relationship proximity value is based on a first predetermined set of criteria, and wherein the assigned time proximity value is based on a number of nanoseconds, microseconds, milliseconds, seconds, or minutes that elapse between the detected use of the first application and a detection of a response by the second communication device, and wherein the server is further configured to use the assigned relationship and time proximity values to determine an impact by computing a composite proximity distance value.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the composite proximity distance value is selected from the group consisting of a Euclidean distance, a mean distance, a Mahalanobis distance, a Manhattan distance, a Chebyshev distance, and a Minkowski distance.
6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the composite proximity distance value is computed by taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship and time proximity values.
7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the server is further configured to assign a geographical proximity value to the detected use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the detected use of the first application, and to use the assigned relationship, time, and geographical proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the mobile communication device, wherein the assigned geographical proximity value is based on a geographical distance between a location associated with the detected use of the first application and a location associated with the second communication device, and wherein the server is further configured to use the assigned relationship, time, and geographical proximity values to determine an impact by taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship, time, and geographical proximity values.
8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the server is further configured to assign at least a first user-defined proximity value to the detected use of the mobile communication device with respect to the detected use of the first application, and to use the assigned relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the mobile communication device, wherein the at least first assigned user-defined proximity value is based on a second predetermined set of criteria, and wherein the server is further configured to use the assigned relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values to determine an impact by taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first application is selected from the group consisting of: an instant messaging application; a text messaging application; a social networking application; an electronic mail application; a multimedia messaging application; a search application; a location application; an advertising application; a file sharing application; a portal/intranet application; a CRM application; an ERP application; an address book application; a database application; a process application; a procurement application; a blog application; an internal network collaboration application; a video download application; an audio download application; a video teleconference application; an audio teleconference application; a video streaming application; an audio streaming application; a picture album application; an Internet web site application; a web browsing application; a peer-to-peer file sharing or media streaming application; a voice-over Internet protocol application; a payment application; a financial or investment application; an insurance application; and a marketing application.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the use of a mobile communication device is selected from the group consisting of conducting a voice telephone call, sending a text message, sending an electronic mail message, using a web browser, uploading data, downloading data, sending information over a mobile data channel, and receiving information over a mobile data channel.
11. A method for assessing a value of a first application with respect to a use of a first mobile communication device, the first mobile communication device being in communication with a second communication device via a network, and the method comprising the steps of:
detecting a use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the second communication device, wherein the detected use includes a use of the first application and a communication with the second communication device;
assigning at least a first proximity value to the detected use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the second communication device and the use of the first application;
using the assigned at least first proximity value to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the first mobile communication device; and
using the determined impact to assess a value of the detected use of the first application with respect to the detected use of the first mobile communication device.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the use of the first mobile communication device is a revenue-generating use, and the step of using the determined impact to assess a value further comprises the steps of determining an amount of revenue derived from the detected use of the first mobile communication device, and using the determined impact and the determined amount of revenue to assess the value of the detected use of the first application with respect to the detected use of the first mobile communication device.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least first assigned proximity value is selected from the group consisting of a relationship proximity value, a time proximity value, a geographical proximity value, an application proximity value, an action proximity value, and a user-defined proximity value.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least first assigned proximity value includes at least a relationship proximity value and a time proximity value, and wherein the assigned relationship proximity value is based on a first predetermined set of criteria, and wherein the assigned time proximity value is based on a number of nanoseconds, microseconds, milliseconds, seconds, or minutes that elapse between the detected use of the first application and a detection of a response by the second communication device, and the step of using the assigned relationship and time proximity values to determine an impact further comprises using the assigned relationship and time proximity values to determine an impact by computing a composite proximity distance value.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composite proximity distance value is selected from the group consisting of a Euclidean distance, a mean distance, a Mahalanobis distance, a Manhattan distance, a Chebyshev distance, and a Minkowski distance.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the composite proximity distance value is computed by taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship and time proximity values.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of assigning a geographical proximity value to the detected use of the first mobile communication device with respect to the detected use of the first application, wherein the step of using the assigned relationship and time proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the first mobile communication device further comprises using the assigned relationship, time, and geographical proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the first mobile communication device, wherein the assigned geographical proximity value is based on a geographical distance between a location associated with the detected use of the first application and a location associated with the second communication device, and the step of using the assigned relationship, time, and geographical proximity values to determine an impact further comprises taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship, time, and geographical proximity values.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of assigning at least a first user-defined proximity value to the detected use of the mobile communication device with respect to the detected use of the first application, wherein the step of using the assigned relationship and time proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the mobile communication device further comprises using the assigned relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values to determine an impact of the detected use of the first application upon the detected use of the mobile communication device, wherein the at least first assigned user-defined proximity value is based on a second predetermined set of criteria, and the step of using the assigned relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values to determine an impact further comprises taking a square root of a sum of squares of the respective relationship, time, and user-defined proximity values.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first application is selected from the group consisting of: an instant messaging application; a text messaging application; a social networking application; an electronic mail application; a multimedia messaging application; a search application; a location application; an advertising application; a file sharing application; a portal/intranet application; a CRM application; an ERP application; an address book application; a database application; a process application; a procurement application; a blog application; an internal network collaboration application; a video download application; an audio download application; a video teleconference application; an audio teleconference application; a video streaming application; an audio streaming application; a picture album application; an Internet web site application; a web browsing application; a peer-to-peer file sharing or media streaming application; a voice-over Internet protocol application; a payment application; a financial or investment application; an insurance application; and a marketing application.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the use of a mobile communication device is selected from the group consisting of conducting a voice telephone call, sending a text message, sending an electronic mail message, using a web browser, uploading data, downloading data, sending information over a mobile data channel, and receiving information over a mobile data channel.