Usability of supplemental application functions through dynamic modification of user-presented options
A function intelligence engine receives input regarding application program content, including functions or capabilities of the application program that can be separately purchasable, and can further receive information regarding advertisements that can be displayed to users within the context of the application program. User-specific information is also received, including a user's current status and context within the application program, as well as a user's history, both within the application program, as well as in other application programs. Based on such information, the function intelligence engine determines and compares the probability of a user purchasing, versus the probability of the user consuming advertising, to acquire the separately purchasable function. The function intelligence engine then generates, and presents to the user, options that increase the chances of the user obtaining the separately purchasable function and maximize the benefit received by an application program author for providing the separately purchasable function.
1. A computing device for improving usability of supplemental functions, the computing device comprising:
one or more processing units;
a graphics hardware interface communicationally coupling the computing device to a physical display device such that computer-executable instructions being executed by the one or more processing units cause physical changes to the physical display device, thereby generating display content on the physical display device;
an application program; and
a function intelligence engine, different and independent from the application program, the function intelligence engine comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by at least some of the one or more processing units, cause the computing device to perform steps comprising:
obtaining a current application program context, the application program context being created by a user's utilization of the application program on the computing device, the current application program context identifying a transient, user-specific need of the user for a capability within the application program, the transient, user-specific need being based on the current application program context, the capability being provided by a supplemental function of the application program whose accessibility has not been obtained by the user in the current application program context;
generating a user-tailored option, for acquiring the supplemental function of the application program and activating the supplemental function such that the user can access the supplemental function in the current application program context, the user-tailored option being at least one of a purchase or a viewing of an advertisement; and
causing a user notification to be physically generated on a physical display device communicationally coupled to the computing device, the user notification offering the generated user-tailored option for the user to acquire the supplemental function.
2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions directed to generating the user-tailored option comprise computer-executable instructions for:
determining a probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function based upon a purchase price for the supplemental function and a determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function;
determining a probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement based upon an amount earned by a developer of the application program for the user's viewing of the advertisement and a determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement; and
comparing the determined probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function to the determined probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement, the user-tailored option being generated based on the comparing.
3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the function intelligence engine further comprises computer-executable instructions for obtaining information indicative of prior acquisitions, by the user, of supplemental functions of other application programs; and wherein further the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained information indicative of prior acquisitions of the supplemental functions of the other application programs.
4. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the function intelligence engine further comprises computer-executable instructions for obtaining application metadata identifying a content of the application program; and wherein further the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained content of the application program as compared with the obtained current application program context.
5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the application program is a computer-implemented game and wherein further the obtained application metadata identifies levels of the game.
6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the current application program context identifying the transient, user-specific need of the user for the capability comprises identifying a transient, user-specific need of the user for an ability or a device, within the computer-implemented game, in order to proceed past a current level of the computer-implemented game; and wherein further the current application program context further comprises an identification that the user has previously failed to proceed past the current level.
7. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the function intelligence engine further comprises computer-executable instructions for obtaining advertisement metadata identifying targets for the advertisement and wherein further the amount earned by the developer for the user's viewing of the advertisement is determined based upon the user being a target of the advertisement as identified by the obtained advertisement metadata.
8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the user being a target of the advertisement is determined based upon the user's utilization of the application program on the computing device.
9. A method for improving usability of supplemental functions, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining, on a computing device, a current application program context, the application program context being created by a user's utilization of the application program on the computing device, the current application program context identifying a transient, user-specific need of the user for a capability within the application program, the transient, user-specific need being based on the current application program context, the capability being provided by a supplemental function of the application program whose accessibility has not been obtained by the user in the current application program context;
generating a user-tailored option, for acquiring the supplemental function of the application program and activating the supplemental function such that the user can access the supplemental function in the current application program context, the user-tailored option being at least one of a purchase or a viewing of an advertisement; and
causing a user notification to be physically generated on a physical display device communicationally coupled to the computing device, the user notification offering the generated user-tailored option for the user to acquire the supplemental function.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the generating the user-tailored option comprises:
determining a probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function based upon a purchase price for the supplemental function and a determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function;
determining a probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement based upon an amount earned by a developer of the application program for the user's viewing of the advertisement and a determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement; and
comparing the determined probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function to the determined probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement, the user-tailored option being generated based on the comparing.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: obtaining information indicative of prior acquisitions, by the user, of supplemental functions of other application programs; wherein the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained information indicative of prior acquisitions of the supplemental functions of the other application programs.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
obtaining application metadata identifying a content of the application program; wherein the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained content of the application program as compared with the obtained current application program context.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the application program is a computer-implemented game and wherein further the obtained application metadata identifies levels of the game.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the current application program context identifying the transient, user-specific need of the user for the capability comprises identifying a transient, user-specific need of the user for an ability or a device, within the computer-implemented game, in order to proceed past a current level of the computer-implemented game; and wherein further the current application program context further comprises an identification that the user has previously failed to proceed past the current level.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: obtaining advertisement metadata identifying targets for the advertisement and wherein further the amount earned by the developer for the user's viewing of the advertisement is determined based upon the user being a target of the advertisement as identified by the obtained advertisement metadata.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the user being a target of the advertisement is determined based upon the user's utilization of the application program on the computing device.
17. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions for improving usability of supplemental functions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by one or more processing units of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform steps comprising:
obtaining a current application program context, the application program context being created by a user's utilization of the application program, the current application program context identifying a transient, user-specific need of the user for a capability within the application program, the transient, user-specific need being based on the current application program context, the capability being provided by a supplemental function of the application program whose accessibility has not been obtained by the user in the current application program context;
generating a user-tailored option, for acquiring the supplemental function of the application program and activating the supplemental function such that the user can access the supplemental function in the current application program context of the user's utilization of the application program, the user-tailored option being at least one of a purchase or a viewing of an advertisement; and
transmitting, to the application program, the generated user-tailored option, the application program physically generating, on a physical display device communicationally coupled to the computing device, a user notification offering the generated user-tailored option for the user to acquire the supplemental function.
18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for generating the user-tailored option comprise computer-executable instructions for:
determining a probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function based upon a purchase price for the supplemental function and a determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function;
determining a probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement based upon an amount earned by a developer of the application program for the user's viewing of the advertisement and a determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement; and
comparing the determined probabilistic value of the user purchasing the supplemental function to the determined probabilistic value of the user viewing the advertisement, the user-tailored option being generated based on the comparing.
19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processing units of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform further steps comprising: obtaining information indicative of prior acquisitions, by the user, of supplemental functions of other application programs; wherein the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained information indicative of prior acquisitions of the supplemental functions of the other application programs.
20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processing units of the computing device, cause the computing device to perform further steps comprising: obtaining application metadata identifying a content of the application program;
wherein the determined probability that the user will choose to purchase the supplemental function and the determined probability that the user will choose to view the advertisement are determined based at least in part on the obtained content of the application program as compared with the obtained current application program context.