Patent Description:
Media content can be created to convey informational, training, or educational material to users. As an example, content creators can create videos for doctors and other medical professionals that explain medical advancements, pharmaceutical trial results, or other information. Accordingly, medical professionals can stay informed about new information relevant to the medical field in part by watching the videos. Other types of users, such as patients, students, and employees, can similarly benefit from consuming media content, such as training or educational videos.

Patent application <CIT> describes a system for distributing media content to users according to their profile.

Individuals can benefit, personally and/or professionally, from learning new information. For example, doctors and other medical professionals may desire to stay informed about new therapeutic treatments, new pharmaceutical drugs, new vaccines, new medical devices, new guidelines, and other types of advancements or information associated with the medical field. Other types of users may similarly want to learn about various topics.

However, it can be difficult or time-consuming for individuals to access and consume new information. In some examples, information can be conveyed to individuals by others in in-person and/or real-time settings, such as conferences or meetings. However, travel and scheduling concerns may prevent many individuals from learning new information in such in-person and/or real-time settings. For example, busy medical professionals may not have time to attend medical conferences, meet with pharmaceutical representatives, or otherwise learn about new medical advancements from others in in-person and/or real-time settings.

As an alternative to physically attending a conferences or meeting with others in in-person and/or real-time settings, users may learn information in part by consuming media content that conveys the information. For example, doctors can stay informed about advancements in medical treatments in part by watching videos that summarize or explain those advancements.

However, conventional methods of locating, accessing, and consuming relevant media content may be time-consuming and/or frustrating for users. For example, a user who wants to learn about a particular topic may use an Internet search engine, or search a video website or service such as conventional video sharing services (e.g., YouTube® and the like), in an attempt to find a video that may discuss that particular topic. In many cases, such manual searches may not lead to media content that is of interest to the user, or may lead to media content that does not convey the information the user was looking for. In some examples, users also may not be aware that media content exists that may be of interest to the users, even if the users could find that media content via manual searches. In other examples, even if users may be able to find media content that may be relevant to the users, the duration of the media content may be too long for users to consume. For example, a doctor with a busy schedule may be unlikely to find time to watch a thirty-minute video about a topic.

The system described herein can provide users with notifications about media content that, based on user preferences, may be of interest to the individual users. For example, if a doctor is interested in videos about cancer treatments, the system can periodically transmit text messages to the doctor's mobile phone that include links to short videos about cancer treatments. When the doctor has time to view such videos, the doctor can access the videos on the mobile phone by selecting the links in the text messages. Accordingly, the system can proactively notify users about relevant media content the users might not otherwise be aware of, and can allow the users to access the media content at times selected by the users.

<FIG> shows an example system <NUM> configured to distribute media content to user devices. The system <NUM> can include a media content distributor <NUM> configured to select media content instances <NUM> for registered users of the system <NUM>, based on information associated with the media content instances <NUM> and user profiles <NUM> associated with the registered users. The media content distributor <NUM> can transmit notifications, such as text messages, associated with the selected media content instances <NUM> to user devices of the users. For example, <FIG> shows the media content distributor <NUM> transmitting a notification <NUM> to a user device <NUM> of a user. The notification <NUM> can include a user-selectable media link <NUM> associated with a media content instance. When users interact with the notifications via user devices, for instance by selecting media links or viewing embedded content in the notifications, the user devices can load the corresponding media content instances <NUM> via a user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM>. For example, the user interface <NUM> can be a website that presents the media content instances <NUM>, such that the users can view, listen to, and/or otherwise consume the media content instances <NUM> via the website.

In some examples, the notification <NUM> can be a text message, such as a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, a Rich Communication Services (RCS) message, an Applet iMessage® message, or other type of text message. In other examples, the notification <NUM> can be a message sent via a third-party messaging platform or application, an email, or any other type of message.

In some examples, user devices that can receive notifications from the system <NUM>, and can load the user interface <NUM>, can be smartphones or other types of mobile phones. For example, the user device <NUM> shown in <FIG> can be a smartphone, which can receive the notification <NUM> as an SMS message or other type of text message, and can load the user interface <NUM> as a website via a web browser executing on the smartphone. In other examples, a user device can be a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a smart watch, a personal computer (PC) such as a laptop, desktop, or workstation, or any other type of computing or communication device that can receive notifications from the system <NUM> and can load and display the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM>.

The media content instances <NUM> can include video, audio, slideshow presentations, interactive content, and/or other types of media content. As a non-limiting example, a particular media content instance can be a video showing a doctor, researcher, or other expert discussing treatment options and/or other information associated with a specific disease state. The system <NUM> can have a file system, database, or other repository that stores media files and other data associated with the media content instances <NUM>. The media content instances <NUM> can be associated with corresponding media content identifiers <NUM>, such as titles, dates, file names, identification numbers, and/or other types of data that uniquely identify the media content instances <NUM>.

In some examples, the media content instances <NUM> can have relatively short durations, such as two minutes or less. However, in other examples, the media content instances <NUM> can have longer durations. Some media content instances <NUM> can also be short-form versions of longer media content instances <NUM>. As a non-limiting example, a particular media content instance can be a sixty-second video about a topic. The particular media content instance can be associated with a longer video about the same topic that has a longer duration, such as five minutes, eight minutes, or any other longer duration. In some examples, the system <NUM> can be configured to send notifications of short-form media content instances <NUM> to user devices as described herein. If users access the short-form media content instances <NUM> in the user interface <NUM> via the notifications, the user interface <NUM> can provide links that allow the users to optionally access longer versions of those short-form media content instances <NUM>.

The media content instances <NUM> can also be associated with media content categories <NUM>. In some examples, individual media content instances <NUM> can be associated with tags or other metadata in the system <NUM> to indicate one or more media content categories <NUM> associated with the individual media content instances <NUM>. A non-limiting example of media content categories <NUM> associated with media content instances <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, and is discussed below with respect to that figure.

The media content categories <NUM> can indicate topics associated with the media content instances <NUM>, individuals or entities that created the media content instances <NUM>, other groups or entities associated with the media content instances <NUM>, and/or other types of groupings or categories. As an example, media content instances <NUM> associated with medical information can be associated with media content categories <NUM> for types of diseases, types of treatments, pharmaceutical trial results, medical practice tips, practice groups, hospital systems, meeting summaries, and/or other types of categories. As another example, media content instances <NUM> can be associated with media content categories <NUM> for different types of educational content, training content, entertainment content, news content, sports content, and/or other types of content.

In some examples, the media content instances <NUM> can be associated with user engagement metrics <NUM>. The user engagement metrics <NUM> associated with a particular media content instance can track how many times the media content instance has been viewed overall and/or during certain periods of time. The user engagement metrics <NUM> can also indicate how much of a media content instance is viewed on average. For example, the user engagement metrics <NUM> may indicate that, on average, users view seventy seconds of a ninety-second video. The user engagement metrics <NUM> can also indicate a number of unique users who have accessed individual media content instances <NUM>, historical trends of popularities of media content instances <NUM> over time, user ratings of media content instances <NUM>, and/or any other user engagement metric associated with media content instances <NUM>.

The media content instances <NUM> can also be associated with priority ratings <NUM>. The priority ratings <NUM> can indicate relative distribution priorities of the media content instances <NUM> overall, and/or within media content categories <NUM>. In some examples, the priority ratings <NUM> can be indicated on a scale of values, such as a scale from <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, <NUM> to <NUM>, or any other scale. In other example, the priority ratings <NUM> can be indicated by any other type of data, such as rankings, priority levels, priority tiers, and/or other data.

As described further below, the media content distributor <NUM> can select media content instances <NUM> for users based on the priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>, and based on information in the user profiles <NUM>. For example, if a user has not yet been notified about two media content instances <NUM> that a corresponding user profile indicates may be of interest to the user, and one of the two media content instances <NUM> has a higher priority rating than the other media content instance, the media content distributor <NUM> can be configured to select the media content instance with the higher priority rating for the user.

In some examples, the system <NUM> can automatically and/or dynamically change the priority ratings <NUM> associated with media content instances <NUM> over time. For example, the system <NUM> can include a priority determiner <NUM> configured to determine and/or change priority ratings <NUM> associated with the media content instances <NUM> based on ages of the media content instances <NUM>, the user engagement metrics <NUM> associated with the media content instances <NUM>, and/or other factors. For example, when a new media content instance is added to the system <NUM>, the priority determiner <NUM> can initially assign a relatively high priority rating, or a default priority rating, to the new media content instance. However, the priority determiner <NUM> can change the priority rating of the media content instance over time. For example, the priority determiner <NUM> can be configured to lower the priority rating of the media content instance over time as the age of the media content instance increases, unless user engagement metrics <NUM> indicate that the media content instance remains popular among users.

The user profiles <NUM> can include information associated with registered users of the system <NUM>. The user profiles <NUM> can indicate, for example, user identifiers <NUM>, contact information <NUM>, media preferences <NUM>, and/or media response data <NUM> associated with registered users.

The user identifiers <NUM> can include names, numbers, and/or other identifying data uniquely associated with individual users. In some examples in which the registered users include physicians or other healthcare providers, the user identifiers <NUM> can include the National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) of the healthcare providers.

The contact information <NUM> can include telephone numbers, email addresses, and/or other contact information associated with registered users. The contact information <NUM> can include information the media content distributor <NUM> can use to transmit notifications to user devices of the users. For example, the contact information <NUM> for a user associated with the user device <NUM> shown in <FIG> can include a telephone number associated with the user device <NUM>, such that the media content distributor <NUM> can send the notification <NUM> as an SMS message or other type of text message addressed to the telephone number of the user device <NUM>. As another example, the contact information <NUM> can include an email address of the user, a username associated with the user on a third-party messaging service, or another type of address or identifier through which the user device <NUM> can receive the notification <NUM> from the system <NUM>.

The media preferences <NUM> can indicate types of media content instances <NUM> of interest to registered users. For example, when a user registers with the system <NUM> and/or after the user registers with the system <NUM>, the user can select one or more types of media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. The media content categories <NUM> selected by the user can accordingly be indicated in the media preferences <NUM> of the user profile associated with the user.

As described further below, the media content distributor <NUM> can select media content instances <NUM> for users based in part on the media preferences <NUM> indicated in the user profiles <NUM>. For example, if media preferences <NUM> associated with a particular user indicates that the user is interested in media content in a cancer treatment category, and the system <NUM> has a media content instance within the cancer treatment category that the user has not yet been notified about, the media content distributor <NUM> can select that media content instance for the user based on the media preferences <NUM>. The media content distributor <NUM> can accordingly transmit, to a user device of the user, a notification that includes a media link to the selected media content instance.

The media content distributor <NUM> can also select media content instances <NUM> for users based on priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. Accordingly, in the example discussed above, if the system <NUM> has multiple media content instances <NUM> within the user-preferred cancer treatment category that the user has not yet been notified about, the media content distributor <NUM> can select one of those media content instances <NUM> for the user based on the priority ratings <NUM> of those media content instances <NUM>. The system <NUM> can send a notification about the selected media content instance to the user device of the user. At a later time, the system <NUM> can select a different media content instance in the user-preferred cancer treatment category, or a different user-preferred media content category, and can send a new notification about the selected media content instance to the user device of the user.

The user profiles <NUM> can also indicate media response data <NUM> associated with users. The media response data <NUM> for a user can indicate which media content instances <NUM> the user has been notified about, when corresponding notifications were sent to the user device of the user, whether the user accessed media content instances <NUM> in response to the corresponding notifications, how much of the accessed media content instances <NUM> the user consumed, how often the user responds to notifications by accessing corresponding media content instances <NUM>, times of day that the user has responded to notifications, durations between times at which notifications are sent and when the user responds to the notifications, user ratings of media content instances <NUM> provided by the user, survey responses provided the user in association with media content instances <NUM>, and/or any other data indicating how or whether the user has responded to notifications and/or has interacted with media content instances <NUM>.

As discussed above, the media content distributor <NUM> can select a media content instance for a user from a repository of media content instances <NUM> based on the media preferences <NUM> of the user and the priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. The media content distributor <NUM> can cause the system <NUM> to transmit the notification <NUM> to the user device <NUM> of the user, for example using a telephone number or other information associated with the user device <NUM> indicated by the contact information <NUM> of the corresponding user profile. The notification <NUM> can include the media link <NUM> associated with the selected media content instance. In some examples, the media link <NUM> can be a hyperlinked thumbnail image that represents the selected media content instance, a text link, or another type of user-selectable link. The notification <NUM> can also include notification content <NUM>, such as text description of the media content instance and/or a message suggesting that the user select the media link <NUM> to access the media content instance. A non-limiting example of the notification <NUM> is shown in <FIG>, and is discussed below with respect to that figure.

As discussed above, in some examples the notification <NUM> can be an SMS message or other type of text message. Accordingly, the user device <NUM> can display the notification <NUM>, including the media link <NUM> and the notification content <NUM>, via a default or user-selected messaging application that executes on the user device <NUM>. The user can accordingly view the notification <NUM> via the messaging application on the user device <NUM>. If the user selects the media link <NUM>, the user device <NUM> can load the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM> via a web browser or other application that executes on the user device <NUM>. The user interface <NUM> can have a media player <NUM> that can play, or otherwise present or display, the media content instance associated with the media link <NUM> via the user interface <NUM>.

In other examples, the notification <NUM> can be sent to an application associated with the system <NUM>, such as a mobile application, that is installed on the user device <NUM>. The application can execute locally on the user device <NUM> to receive and display the notification <NUM>. In these examples, a user selection of the media link <NUM> can prompt the application to load a local version of the user interface <NUM>, or cause the user device <NUM> to load the user interface <NUM> via a web browser or other application, such that the user can consume the media content instance associated with the media link <NUM> via the user interface <NUM>.

Over time, the media content distributor <NUM> can select multiple media content instances <NUM> for a particular user, based on the media preferences <NUM> of the user and priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>, and can cause the system <NUM> to transmit notifications of the selected media content instances <NUM> to the user device of the user. The user can select media links in the notifications to access the corresponding media content instances <NUM> in the user interface <NUM>.

When the media content distributor <NUM> selects a media content instance for a user and causes the system <NUM> to transmit a corresponding notification to a user device of the user, the media content distributor <NUM> can store an indication that the system <NUM> has notified the user about the selected media content instance. For example, the media content distributor <NUM> can store such indications in the media response data <NUM> and/or other elements of user profiles <NUM>. Accordingly, based on such historical indications of which media content instances <NUM> users have already been notified about, the media content distributor <NUM> can determine sets of candidate media content instances <NUM> that users have not yet been notified about, and cause the system <NUM> to send subsequent notifications of media content instances <NUM> selected from such sets of candidate media content instances <NUM>.

The media content distributor <NUM> can be configured to transmit notifications to user devices of individual users at regular or variable intervals. For example, media content distributor <NUM> can be configured to select a media content instance for a user, and to transmit a corresponding notification to a user device of the user, once a day, once a week, once a month, or on any other regular or irregular schedule. At a time at which the media content distributor <NUM> is configured to transmit a notification to a user device of a user, the media content distributor <NUM> can use the media preferences <NUM> of a user profile of the user to determine media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. The media content distributor <NUM> can also identify relevant media content instances <NUM> that are associated with the media content categories <NUM> the user profile indicates are of interest to the user. The media content distributor <NUM> can identify a set of the relevant media content instances <NUM> that the system has not yet notified the user about, and can select a particular one of the relevant media content instances <NUM> that has the highest priority rating. The media content distributor <NUM> can cause the system <NUM> to transmit a notification to the user device of the user that includes a media link to the selected media content instance, such that the user has the option of selecting the media link to access the selected media content instance via the user interface <NUM>.

After sending a notification associated with a selected media content instance to user device, the media content distributor <NUM> can wait until the next time at which a notification is to be sent to the user device. At that time, the media content distributor <NUM> can select another media content instance that is relevant to the user, and can cause the system <NUM> to transmit a notification with a media link to the newly-selected media content instance. In some cases, the newly-selected media content instance may have a lower priority rating than the last media content instance selected for the user, but may have the highest priority rating among relevant media content instances that the user has not yet been notified about. In other cases, the newly-selected media content instance may have been recently added to the system by a content creator, and may have the highest priority rating among relevant media content instances that the user has not yet been notified about based in part on the media content instance having been recently added.

In some examples, the media content distributor <NUM> can determine times at which to send notifications to user devices, and/or intervals between sending such notifications, based on media response data <NUM> in the user profiles <NUM>. For example, if media response data <NUM> in a first user profile associated with a first user indicates that on average the first user selects media links in notifications within two hours of the notifications being sent, the media response data <NUM> can indicate that the first user is highly interested in media content instances <NUM> provided by the system <NUM>. Accordingly, the media content distributor <NUM> can select new media content instances <NUM> for the first user, and cause the system <NUM> to send corresponding notifications, on a relatively frequent basis, such as once per day.

However, if media response data <NUM> in a second user profile associated with a second user indicates that the second user rarely selects media links in notifications, or that on average the second user selects media links in notifications within three days of the notifications being sent, the media response data <NUM> can indicate that the second user is less interested than the first user in media content instances <NUM> provided by the system <NUM>. The media content distributor <NUM> can select new media content instances <NUM> for the second user, and cause the system <NUM> to send corresponding notifications, on a less frequent basis, such as once per week or once per month. Accordingly, in some examples or situations, the system <NUM> can improve efficiency and reduce usage of processor cycles, memory, bandwidth, and other computing resources by selecting media content instances <NUM> and sending notifications to less-interested users less frequently than for more-interested users.

As another example, media response data <NUM> may indicate that a particular user most often selects media links in notifications to access corresponding media content instances between 7PM and 10PM. Accordingly, the media content distributor <NUM> can determine that the system <NUM> should send subsequent notifications to the user device of that particular user in the evening, when the user may be more likely to respond to the notifications, rather than in the morning.

In still other examples, media preferences <NUM> or other information in the user profiles <NUM> may indicate user-preferred notification times and/or user-preferred notification schedules. For example, during or after registration with the system <NUM>, a user can indicate how often the user would like to receive notifications, and that information can be stored in the user profile of the user. The media content distributor <NUM> can accordingly select media content instances <NUM> for the user, and cause the system to send corresponding notification, at times determined based on user-indicated preferences stored in the user profile.

When the system <NUM> sends a notification with a media link to a media content instance to a user device, and a user selects the media link via the notification, the user device can load the user interface <NUM>. Accordingly, the media player <NUM> of the user interface <NUM> can play, or otherwise present or display, the media content instance. In some examples, the media player <NUM> can also allow a user to pause, rewind, fast forward, and/or otherwise control presentation of a media content instance.

The user interface <NUM> can also display text descriptions or other information associated with a media content instance, such as a summary of the media content instance, an indication of when the media content instance was created, an identifier of a creator of the media content instance, a link to a longer version of the media content instance, links to related media content instances, options to provide user ratings of the media content instance, moderator descriptions associated with the media content instance, and/or other information or links. The user interface <NUM> can also display options or links associated with a user profile of a user, such as options to save the media content instance as a favorite of the user, links to previously-saved favorite media content instances of the user, and/or other information or links.

In some examples, the user interface <NUM> can also include a chat interface <NUM>. The chat interface <NUM> can be located on the same page of the user interface <NUM> as the media player <NUM> that presents a media content instance, or can be located on a different page or section of the user interface <NUM>. The chat interface <NUM> can be a text chat interface, an audio chat interface, a video chat interface, or any other interface presented via the user interface <NUM>, through which users can chat with agents <NUM> associated with the system <NUM>. The agents <NUM> can be human or automated representatives of the system <NUM>.

Agents <NUM> can interact with users of the system <NUM> via the chat interface <NUM>. For example, if a user views a media content instance via the media player <NUM>, the user can use the chat interface <NUM> to ask an agent questions about the media content instance. As another example, an agent can use the chat interface <NUM> to ask the user questions about whether the substance of the media content instance was useful or relevant to the user, present a survey or poll to the user, and/or otherwise converse with the user. For instance, if the user is a doctor and the media content instance is a video that discusses a treatment option for a particular disease, the agent may use the chat interface <NUM> to ask the doctor how often the doctor sees patients that have been diagnosed with that disease, how likely the doctor will be to use the treatment option discussed in the video in the future, how helpful the doctor thought the content of the video was, and/or any other questions.

In other examples, users can chat with human or automated agents <NUM> outside the chat interface <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM>. For example, if the notification <NUM> is an SMS message delivered to a messaging application executing on the user device <NUM>, a user may use the messaging application to send a reply SMS message to the system <NUM>. In this example, the user's reply SMS message can be provided to one of the agents <NUM>, and the agent can chat with the user via SMS messages instead of the chat interface <NUM>. As another example, a human or automated agent can pose survey or poll questions to the user, or otherwise exchange information with the user, via text messaging or other two-way communications outside the chat interface <NUM> and/or the user interface <NUM>.

In some examples, user answers to questions posed by agents <NUM> via the chat interface <NUM> or outside the chat interface <NUM> can be stored as media response data <NUM> in corresponding user profiles <NUM>, and/or as user engagement metrics <NUM> associated with the media content instances <NUM>. The priority determiner <NUM> can also, in some examples, adjust priority ratings <NUM> of media content instances <NUM> based on user answers to questions posed by agents <NUM>. For example, if an aggregated collection of user answers associated with a particular media content instance about a disease state indicate that doctors rarely see patients with that disease state, the priority determiner <NUM> may lower the priority rating of that particular media content instance.

The user interface <NUM> can, in some examples, include links or other options by which users can connect with experts through the chat interface <NUM> or through another interface. In some examples, the experts can be agents <NUM> that are representatives of the system <NUM>, or other individuals associated with the system <NUM>. As a non-limiting example, a page of the user interface <NUM> that presents, via the media player <NUM>, a media content instance about a clinical trial associated with a treatment option can have a "Connect with an Expert" link or other similar user-selectable option. If a user accesses the media content instance about the clinical trial through the user interface <NUM> and selects that option, the user can be connected to an expert who is familiar with the clinical trial. In some examples, the system <NUM> can connect the user to the expert in real-time, for instance via text chat, audio chat, or video chat. In other examples, a scheduler of the system <NUM> can schedule a future meeting, call, or other interaction between the user and an expert. Such a scheduled future interaction may occur through the system <NUM> or outside the system <NUM>.

The user interface <NUM> can include a user registrar <NUM> through which users can register with the system <NUM>. For example, the user registrar <NUM> can be one or more web pages of a website that users can use to register and create user profiles with the system <NUM>. The user registrar <NUM> can have text fields, user-selectable options, and other elements that allow a new user to provide user identifiers <NUM>, contact information <NUM>, media preferences <NUM>, and/or other data associated with the new user, such that the system <NUM> can use the user-provided information to generate a new user profile corresponding to the new user. As discussed above, the user can provide media preferences <NUM> indicating which media content categories <NUM> are of interest to the user. In some examples, a registered user of the system <NUM> can also use the user registrar <NUM> to edit user profile information, such as to change contact information <NUM> or media preferences <NUM> associated with the user.

When a new user registers with the system <NUM> via the user registrar <NUM>, in some examples the system <NUM> can send an email, text message, or other registration confirmation message to the user to confirm that the user desires to register with the system <NUM>. If the user responds to the registration confirmation message and confirms that the user desires to register with the system <NUM>, the system <NUM> can activate the corresponding user profile and cause the media content distributor to begin sending notifications about selected media content instances <NUM> to a user device associated with the user.

In some examples, a Quick Response (QR) code, a barcode, an alphanumeric code, or another type of code associated with the system <NUM> can cause the user registrar <NUM> to generate or finalize a user profile based on at least some predefined settings and/or settings selected by another user. As a non-limiting example, if a doctor diagnoses a patient as having a particular type of cancer, the doctor can use the user registrar <NUM> to pre-register the patient with the system. During pre-registration of the patient, the doctor can select media preferences <NUM> associated with media content categories <NUM> that are related to the particular type of cancer with which the patient has been diagnosed. For instance, the doctor can select media content categories <NUM> associated with the type of cancer, treatment options the doctor is or will be prescribing or recommending to the patient, and/or other information that the doctor thinks may be relevant to the patient's cancer diagnosis or treatment. The user registrar <NUM> can generate a QR code associated with the doctor-selected media preferences <NUM> based on the doctor's pre-registration of the patient with the system <NUM>, and the doctor can provide the QR code to the patient. If the patient scans the QR code with a user device, the user device can load a version of the user registrar <NUM> that allows the patient to enter his or her contact information <NUM> during registration with the system <NUM>, but that uses media preferences <NUM> based on media content categories <NUM> that were already chosen for the patient by the doctor during the pre-registration process. In some examples, the patient can also select his or her own preferred media content categories <NUM>. The patient can accordingly use the user registrar <NUM> to finalize the patient's registration with the system <NUM>, and the system <NUM> can begin providing a user device of the patient with notifications of media content instances <NUM> in the media content categories <NUM> chosen for the patient by the patient's doctor and/or media content categories <NUM> chosen by the patient.

The user interface <NUM>, or a different user interface of the system <NUM>, can include a content creation portal <NUM>. The content creation portal <NUM> can allow content creators <NUM>, such as individuals, groups, companies, or other entities who produce media content instances <NUM>, to create and/or upload media content instances <NUM> to the system <NUM>. For example, the content creation portal <NUM> can be a web page that can record audio and video of a new media content instance through a microphone and camera of a computer or other device of a content creator, and can allow the content creator to edit the recorded audio and/or video, add subtitles, add graphics, or otherwise produce the new media content instance. As another example, the content creation portal <NUM> can be a web page or other interface that allows content creators <NUM> to upload media content instances <NUM> produced on other devices to the system <NUM>.

The content creation portal <NUM> can, in some examples, allow the content creators <NUM> to specify initial priority ratings <NUM> of the new media content instances <NUM>. For example, if a content creator provides a new media content instance that the content creator believes is an important practice tip for medical professionals, the content creator may indicate via the content creation portal <NUM> that the new media content instance should have a relatively high initial priority rating, such that the system <NUM> will prioritize notifying users with corresponding user profiles <NUM> about the new media content instance. In other examples, moderators, agents <NUM>, or other representatives associated with the system <NUM> can review media content instances <NUM> provided by content creators <NUM> via the content creation portal <NUM>, and can assign initial priority ratings <NUM> based on subjective determinations of the importance or usefulness of the media content instances <NUM>. In still other examples, the priority determiner <NUM> can assign priority ratings <NUM>, such as default priority ratings <NUM> or other priority ratings <NUM> determined by the priority determiner <NUM>, to new media content instances <NUM> provided by content creators <NUM> via the content creation portal <NUM>.

The content creation portal <NUM> can allow content creators <NUM> to specify the media content categories <NUM> associated with new media content instances <NUM>, or moderators, agents <NUM>, or other representatives associated with the system <NUM> can select the media content categories <NUM> associated with new media content instances <NUM>. In some examples, the content creation portal <NUM> can allow content creators <NUM> to identify specific users, or specific types or groups of users, that should be notified about new media content instances <NUM> provided by the content creators <NUM>. For example, a content creator can indicate that a new media content instance is associated with a particular channel in the system <NUM>, and should be distributed to users who are associated with that particular channel, as discussed further below.

In some examples, media content instances <NUM>, users, and/or content creators <NUM> can be associated with channels in the system <NUM>. Channels can be collections of media content instances <NUM> from the same content creators <NUM> or groups of content creators <NUM>. As an example, a user can use the user registrar <NUM> to indicate media preferences <NUM> for media content categories <NUM> associated with one or more channels, or otherwise can subscribe to all or some media content instances <NUM> associated with one or more channels. As another example, the system <NUM> can automatically associate a user with a channel based on a user identifier, contact information <NUM>, or other user data that indicates that the user is associated with a content creator, a group of content creators <NUM>, or other entity associated with the channel. Tags or other data associated with individual media content instances <NUM>, media content categories <NUM>, user identifiers <NUM>, and/or media preferences <NUM> can indicate data associated with particular channels.

As a non-limiting example, a content creator may be a hospital administrator who creates a new video to explain new rules for doctors who work at a particular hospital managed by the hospital administrator. The system <NUM> can have a channel associated with the particular hospital. For example, the media content instances <NUM> associated with the channel can be within a media content category associated with the hospital and/or the channel. Users can subscribe to the channel based on their user identifiers <NUM> being associated with the hospital and/or their media preferences <NUM> indicating a preference to receive media content instances <NUM> associated with the hospital and/or the channel.

In this example, the hospital administrator can use the content creation portal <NUM> to upload a new video to the system <NUM> in association with a channel for the hospital, and can indicate that users of the system <NUM> who are doctors associated with the hospital should be notified about the new video. Accordingly, the system <NUM> can begin sending notifications about the hospital administrator's new video to user devices of doctors associated with the hospital, based on information in corresponding user profiles <NUM> or other indications indicating that the users are associated with the channel. The system <NUM> can similarly avoid sending notifications of the hospital administrator's new video to user devices of other types of users, such as users who are not doctors associated with the hospital or are otherwise not associated with the channel, and/or may not permit such other users to access the hospital administrator's new video.

In some examples, the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM> can be themed or branded in association with individual channels. For example, if the notification <NUM> sent to the user device <NUM> is about a media content instance in a channel associated with a particular hospital system, and a user selects the media link <NUM> to access the media content instance via the user interface <NUM>, text, icons, graphics, colors and/or other elements of the user interface <NUM> can be themed based on the logo or branding of the hospital system.

In some examples, the system <NUM> can include a behavior analyzer <NUM>. The behavior analyzer <NUM> can be configured to receive behavior data <NUM> associated with users from one or more behavior data providers <NUM>, and to determine whether the behavior data <NUM> indicates that media content instances <NUM> accessed by users have led to a change in behavior of the users. The behavior analyzer <NUM> can accordingly help determine whether the substance of media content instances <NUM> is useful to users of the system <NUM>, as the behavior data <NUM> may indicate whether educational or training information expressed in media content instances <NUM> have been put into practice by the users.

As a non-limiting example, the behavior data <NUM> can be prescription data provided by IQVIA® or other behavior data providers <NUM> that indicates prescriptions issued to patients by healthcare providers identified by NPIs. As discussed above, the user identifiers <NUM> of users who are doctors or other healthcare providers can be NPIs. Accordingly, if the media response data <NUM> indicates that a doctor identified by a particular NPI used the system <NUM> two months ago to watch a video summarizing results of a pharmaceutical trial for a drug, and the behavior data <NUM> indicates that the doctor has been prescribing that drug more frequently in the two months since watching the video relative to before the doctor watched the video, the behavior analyzer <NUM> can determine that the video may have contributed to the doctor prescribing the drug more often.

In some examples, insights about media content instances <NUM> determined by the behavior analyzer <NUM> based on the behavior data <NUM> can be used by the priority determiner <NUM> to adjust priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. For example, if the behavior analyzer <NUM> determines that a first media content instance is more effective at changing user behavior than a second media content instance, the priority determiner <NUM> can increase or maintain the priority rating of the first media content instance and lower the priority rating of the second media content instance.

The system <NUM> can also use behavior data <NUM>, user engagement metrics <NUM>, media response data <NUM>, and/or other information to test alternate versions of a media content instance. For example, content creators <NUM> can create version of a media content instance that expresses substantially the same information using different narration, different graphics, and/or other different elements. The system <NUM> can notify different sets of users about different versions of the media content instance. If over time the behavior data <NUM> indicates that a first version of the media content instance is more effective at changing user behavior than a second version of the media content instance, and/or if user engagement metrics <NUM> or media response data <NUM> indicates that users are more likely to engage with the first version than the second version, the system <NUM> may prioritize sending subsequent notifications to users about the first version over sending notifications about the second version.

In some examples, the system can have a summary generator <NUM> configured to generate summaries <NUM> for partners <NUM> of the system <NUM>. The partners <NUM> can be companies, organizations, or other entities that are interested in the user engagement metrics <NUM>, behavior analysis determined by the behavior analyzer <NUM>, survey results or user feedback provided by user through the chat interface <NUM>, and/or other data maintained by the system <NUM>. Such information can be compiled into summaries <NUM> by the summary generator <NUM>, and the system <NUM> can send the summaries <NUM> to the partners <NUM>.

As a non-limiting example, one or more media content instances <NUM> can discuss a drug produced by a pharmaceutical company. In this example, independent content creators <NUM> unrelated to the pharmaceutical company can produce media content instances <NUM> that discuss benefits of the drug, side effects of the drug, results of trials or studies associated with the drug, and/or other information about the drug. Although the pharmaceutical company did not produce the media content instances <NUM> in this example, the pharmaceutical company can be a partner of the system that receives summaries <NUM> indicating user feedback to the media content instances <NUM>. The summaries <NUM> can indicate, for instance, verbatim user feedback about the drug provided by users to agents <NUM> via the chat interface <NUM>, user responses to survey questions or other questions about the drug posed by agents <NUM> to users via the chat interface <NUM>, pricing concerns or other concerns about the drug indicated by users through the chat interface <NUM>, and/or other information about the drug received from users via the chat interface <NUM> or other elements of the system <NUM>.

Overall, the system <NUM> can select media content instances <NUM> for users based on media preferences <NUM> associated with the users and priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. When the system <NUM> selects a media content instance for a user, the system <NUM> can send a notification, such as the notification <NUM> shown in <FIG>, to a user device of the user. The notification can inform the user about the selected media content instance, and provide the user with an option to access and consume the selected media content instance. Because different users may have different media preferences <NUM>, the system can send each individual user notifications about media content instances that may be relevant to that particular user. The system <NUM> can also receive user feedback on the relevance and/or usefulness of the media content instances <NUM> that users consume, for instance via user engagement metrics <NUM>, media response data <NUM>, the chat interface <NUM>, and/or the behavior analyzer <NUM>. Such user feedback can be used by the priority determiner <NUM> to adjust the priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>, such that the system <NUM> can prioritize sending notifications about the most popular, useful, and/or effective media content instances <NUM> in the future.

<FIG> shows an example <NUM> of data stored in the system <NUM> in association with media content instances <NUM>. As discussed above, the system <NUM> can have a file system, database, or other repository that stores media files and other data associated with the media content instances <NUM>, such as media content instance 104A, media content instance 104B, and media content instance 104C shown in <FIG>. Media content identifiers <NUM> such as titles, dates, and/or other data can uniquely identify corresponding media content instances <NUM>.

Individual media content instances <NUM> can be associated with one or more media content categories <NUM>. For example, the example media content instances <NUM> shown in <FIG> are each associated with a cancer category, but can be associated with other different categories. For instance, in addition to the cancer category, media content instance 104A is also associated with a lung cancer category and a treatment updates category, media content instance 104B is also associated with an Oncology Society Meeting category, and media content instance 104C is also associated with a breast cancer category and a trial results category.

In the example shown in <FIG>, a first user who indicates media preferences <NUM> for the cancer category may be notified by the system <NUM> about media content instance 104A, media content instance 104B, and media content instance 104C, because all three of those media content instances <NUM> are associated with the cancer category. However, if a second user indicates media preferences <NUM> for the breast cancer category specifically, and not the broader cancer category, the system <NUM> may notify the second user about media content instance 104C and not media content instance 104A or media content instance 104B, because only media content instance 104C is associated with the breast cancer category preferred by the second user in the example shown in <FIG>. Similarly, if a third user indicates media preferences <NUM> for the treatment updates category and the trial results category, the system <NUM> may notify the third user about media content instance 104A and media content instance 104C, and not notify the third user about media content instance 104B.

As discussed above, the system <NUM> can be configured to notify users about media content instances <NUM> based on media preferences <NUM> of the users and priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. For instance, the media content distributor <NUM> can be configured to select a media content instance for a user that, based on media preferences <NUM> associated with the user, is within media content categories <NUM> preferred by the user. If multiple media content instances <NUM> are in those preferred media content categories <NUM>, the media content distributor <NUM> can select the media content instance with the highest priority rating that the system <NUM> has not yet notified the user about, and can send a corresponding notification to a user device of the user.

As a non-limiting example, if the first user discussed above has indicated media preferences <NUM> for the cancer category, the media content distributor <NUM> can determine that media content instance 104A, media content instance 104B, and media content instance 104C are each candidates to be selected for the first user. If the system <NUM> has not yet notified the first user about any of media content instance 104A, media content instance 104B, or media content instance 104C, the media content distributor <NUM> can select media content instance 104A for the first user, because media content instance 104A has the highest priority rating of the candidates. The media content distributor <NUM> can accordingly cause the system <NUM> to transmit a notification, with a media link to the media content instance 104A, to a user device of the first user. At a later point in time, after the system <NUM> has notified the first user about media content instance 104A, the media content distributor <NUM> may select media content instance 104B for the first user, because media content instance 104B has the highest priority rating of the remaining candidates that have media content categories <NUM> corresponding to the media preferences <NUM> of the first user.

<FIG> shows an example <NUM> of the notification <NUM> sent by the system <NUM> to the user device <NUM>. As discussed above, in some examples the notification <NUM> can be an SMS message or other type of text message that the system <NUM> sends to a telephone number or other identifier associated with the user device <NUM>. The user device <NUM> can present the notification <NUM> via a messaging application <NUM>, such as a default or user-selected messaging application. For example, the messaging application <NUM> can be a part of the operating system of the user device <NUM>, a native or default text messaging application associated with the user device <NUM>, or a third-party application that the user has downloaded and installed on the user device <NUM>. In other examples, the messaging application <NUM> can be associated with the system <NUM>, such as downloadable application provided by the operator of the system <NUM>.

As discussed above, the notification <NUM> can be associated with a particular media content instance selected by the system <NUM> for a user, based on media preferences <NUM> of the user and priority ratings <NUM> of the media content instances <NUM>. The media link <NUM> in the notification <NUM> can be a user-selectable link that, if selected by the user, allows the user device <NUM> to access and present the particular media content instance via the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM>. The notification content <NUM> in the notification <NUM> can include an introduction, title, description, and/or other content associated with the particular media content instance.

In some examples, the media link <NUM> can be a hyperlinked image associated with the corresponding media content instance, such as a title card, screenshot, or thumbnail image. The image can show a play button or other indication that, if the user selects the media link <NUM> in the notification <NUM>, the user can view the corresponding media content instance. In other examples, the media link <NUM> can be a text link, such as hyperlinked text or a uniform resource locator (URL), associated with the corresponding media content instance.

The media link <NUM> can be a hyperlink to the corresponding media content instance. Accordingly, if the user selects the media link <NUM> in the notification <NUM>, for instance by tapping the media link <NUM> on a touchscreen of the user device <NUM>, the user device <NUM> can access the linked media content instance by loading and displaying the user interface <NUM>. The user interface <NUM> can include the media player <NUM>, which can present the corresponding media content instance. As discussed above, the user interface <NUM> can be a web page or website, such that the user device <NUM> can open a default or user-selected web browser to access the media content instance through the web page or website of the user interface <NUM>.

As a non-limiting example, a user may receive the notification <NUM> shown in <FIG> via the messaging application <NUM> on the user device <NUM> of the user. The user can view the notification <NUM>, including the media link <NUM> and the notification content <NUM> associated with the media content instance selected for the user by the system <NUM>. If the user chooses to consume the media content instance, the user can select the media link <NUM>. The user selection of the media link <NUM> can cause the user device <NUM> to load the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM> via a web browser or other application executing on the user device <NUM>, through which the user can view or otherwise consume the media content instance associated with the notification <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a flowchart of an example process <NUM> for transmitting a notification to a user device to notify a user about a selected media content instance. The user can be associated with the user device <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Process <NUM> can be implemented by one or more elements of the system <NUM> executing on one or more computing devices. An example system architecture for such a computing device is described below with respect to <FIG>.

At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can register the user. For example, the user can access the user registrar <NUM> via the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM>, and use the user registrar <NUM> to provide information that the system <NUM> uses to generate a user profile associated with the user. For instance, the user can provide a name, username, NPI, and/or other identifiers associated with the user, which the system <NUM> can store as one or more user identifiers <NUM> for the user. In some examples, the system <NUM> can also, or alternately, generate an internal user identifier for the user, such as a user identification number. The user can also provide contact information <NUM>, including a telephone number, email address, or other identifier or address the system <NUM> can use to send notifications to the user device <NUM> of the user. In some examples, the user can further indicate media preferences <NUM>, such as one or more media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user, and/or selections of subscriptions to one or more channels of media content instances <NUM>. In other examples, the media preferences <NUM> associated with the user can be pre-selected for the user during a pre-registration process performed by a different user. After receiving user information via the user registrar <NUM>, the system <NUM> can generate, finalize, and/or store a corresponding user profile for the user and complete registration of the user with the system <NUM>.

Based on the user's registration with the system <NUM>, the system <NUM> can be configured to send a series of notifications to the user device <NUM> of the user over time. Accordingly, the system <NUM> can determine at block <NUM> whether a notification is to be sent to the user device <NUM> at the current day and time. The system <NUM> can determine whether a notification is to be sent to the user device <NUM> based on a notification schedule and/or a period of time since a preceding notification was sent to the user device. For example, the notification schedule can indicate that notifications are to be sent to the user device <NUM> once per day, once per week, once per month, on certain days of the week, after a certain duration following the last transmission of a notification to the user device <NUM>, and/or based on any other schedule.

The notification schedule can be indicated by the media preferences <NUM> associated with the user. In some examples, the notification schedule can be selected by the user, for instance during registration of the user at block <NUM>. In other examples, the system <NUM> can automatically determine or adjust the notification schedule associated with the user over time, for instance based on media response data <NUM> that indicates how frequently the user accesses media content instances <NUM> in response to notifications, how quickly the user accesses media content instances <NUM> after the system <NUM> sends notifications, times of day the user accesses media content instances <NUM> via notifications, and/or other factors. For example, if over time the media response data <NUM> indicates that the user more commonly accesses media content instances in the evening than in the morning, the system <NUM> can determine or adjust the notification schedule associated with the user to indicate that the system <NUM> is to send notifications to the user device <NUM> during evening hours. As another example, the system <NUM> can initially default to sending notifications to the user device <NUM> once a week, or based on another default schedule. However, if media response data <NUM> indicates that the user routinely accesses media content instances <NUM> in response to notifications within a threshold period time after the notifications have been sent, the system <NUM> can adjust the notification schedule to send subsequent notifications to the user device <NUM> more frequently than the default schedule.

If the system <NUM> determines at block <NUM> that the current day and time is not a time to send a notification to the user device <NUM>, the system <NUM> can wait until the next day and/or time at which a notification is to be sent to the user device <NUM>. If the system <NUM> determines at block <NUM> that the current day and time is a time to send a notification to the user device <NUM>, the system <NUM> can move to block <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can determine one or more media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. For example, the system <NUM> can use the media preferences <NUM> in the user profile of the user to identify media content categories <NUM> selected by the user, media content categories <NUM> selected for the user by another user during a pre-registration process, channels the user has subscribed to, and/or other indications of the media content categories <NUM> of interest to the user.

At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can identify a set of candidate media content instances <NUM> within the one or more media content categories <NUM> determined at block <NUM>. The candidate media content instances <NUM> can be media content instances <NUM> that the system <NUM> has not yet notified the user about. For example, if the system <NUM> has previously sent a notification to the user device <NUM> about a particular media content instance, the system <NUM> may not identify that particular media content instance as a candidate media content instance at block <NUM>. However, if the one or more media content categories <NUM> determined at block <NUM> contain other media content instances <NUM> that the system <NUM> has not yet sent notifications about to the user device <NUM>, the system <NUM> can identify those media content instances <NUM> as candidate media content instances <NUM> at block <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can select a media content instance, from the set of candidate media content instances <NUM> identified at block <NUM>, based on the priority ratings <NUM> of the candidate media content instances <NUM>. For example, the system <NUM> can be configured to select the media content instance that has the highest priority level of the candidate media content instances <NUM>.

At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can transmit a notification, such as the notification <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, to the user device <NUM>. The notification can include a media link to the media content instance selected for the user by the system <NUM> at block <NUM>. In some examples, the notification can be an SMS message, or other type of text message, sent by the system <NUM> to a telephone number of the user device <NUM> indicated in the user profile of the user. If the user selects the media link in the notification, the user device <NUM> can use the media link to load the user interface <NUM> of the system <NUM> in a web browser or other application, such that the user can consume the media content instance associated with the media link via the user interface <NUM>.

After transmitting a notification of a selected media content instance to the user device <NUM> at block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can return to block <NUM> and wait until the next day and time at which, based on a notification schedule associated with the user, a notification is to be sent to the user device <NUM>. At the next day and time at which a notification is to be sent to the user device <NUM>, the system <NUM> can use media preferences <NUM> at block <NUM> to determine media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. In some examples, the user may have changed his or her use media preferences <NUM> since the system <NUM> sent the last notification to the user device <NUM>. At block <NUM>, the system <NUM> can also identify a new set of candidate media content instances <NUM> in the media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. The new set of candidate media content instances <NUM> can be a different set of media instances than in the previous loop through block <NUM>. For instance, the media content instance associated with the last notification sent to the user device <NUM> can be omitted from the new set of candidate media content instances <NUM>. In some situations, new media content instances <NUM> may have been added to the system since the last notification was sent to the user device <NUM>, and one or more of those new media content instances <NUM> may be part of the new set of candidate media content instances <NUM> if the new media content instances <NUM> are in the media content categories <NUM> that are of interest to the user. The system <NUM> can accordingly select a media content instance from the new set of candidate media content instances <NUM> at block <NUM>, based on the priority ratings <NUM> of the candidate media content instances <NUM>. In some examples, the priority ratings <NUM> of one or more of the candidate media content instances <NUM> may have changed since the last notification was sent to the user device <NUM>. The system <NUM> can transmit a new notification of the newly-selected media content instance at block <NUM>, and then loop back to repeat blocks <NUM> through <NUM>.

The system <NUM> can execute process <NUM> for multiple users concurrently. For example, while the system <NUM> may be waiting at block <NUM> for a date and time to send a notification to a user device of a first user, the system <NUM> may have determined that it is time to send a notification is to be sent to a user device of a second user. Accordingly, the system <NUM> can send notifications to user devices of different users at different times based on different notification schedules associated with the different users. The system <NUM> can also use different media preferences <NUM> of the different users, and/or different histories of media content instances <NUM> associated with notifications previously sent to the different users, to select the media content instances <NUM> associated with the notifications sent to the user devices of the different users.

<FIG> shows an example system architecture <NUM> for a computing device <NUM> associated with the system <NUM> described herein. The computing device <NUM> can be a server, computer, or other type of computing device that executes one or more portions of the system <NUM>. In some examples, elements of the system <NUM> can be distributed among, and/or be executed by, multiple computing devices. For instance, in some examples, the media content distributor <NUM> can be executed by a first computing device, while the behavior analyzer <NUM> and/or the summary generator <NUM> can be executed by a second computing device.

The computing device <NUM> can include memory <NUM>. In various examples, the memory <NUM> can include system memory, which may be volatile (such as RAM), non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or some combination of the two. The memory <NUM> can further include non-transitory computer-readable media, such as volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. System memory, removable storage, and non-removable storage are all examples of non-transitory computer-readable media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium which can be used to store desired information and which can be accessed by the computing device <NUM>. Any such non-transitory computer-readable media may be part of the computing device <NUM>.

The memory <NUM> can store computer-executable instructions and other data associated with the system <NUM>. For example, the memory <NUM> can store computer-executable instructions and other data associated with the media content distributor <NUM>, the media content instances <NUM>, the user profiles <NUM>, the user interface <NUM>, the priority determiner <NUM>, the behavior analyzer <NUM>, and/or the summary generator <NUM> described above. The memory <NUM> can also store other modules and data <NUM>. The other modules and data <NUM> can be utilized by the computing device <NUM> to perform or enable performing any action taken by the computing device <NUM>. For example, the other modules and data <NUM> can include a platform, operating system, and/or applications, as well as data utilized by the platform, operating system, and/or applications.

The computing device <NUM> can have processor(s) <NUM>. In various examples, the processor(s) <NUM> can be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), both a CPU and a GPU, or any other type of processing unit. Each of the one or more processor(s) <NUM> may have numerous arithmetic logic units (ALUs) that perform arithmetic and logical operations, as well as one or more control units (CUs) that extract instructions and stored content from processor cache memory, and then executes these instructions by calling on the ALUs, as necessary, during program execution. The processor(s) <NUM> may also be responsible for executing computer applications stored in the memory <NUM>, which can be associated with common types of volatile (RAM) and/or nonvolatile (ROM) memory.

The computing device <NUM> can also have communication interfaces <NUM>. The communication interfaces <NUM> can include transceivers, modems, network interfaces, antennas, wireless communication interfaces, and/or other components that can transmit and/or receive data over networks or other data connections. In some examples, some of the communication interfaces <NUM> can be associated with cellular networks or other telecommunication networks, such that the computing device <NUM> can send notifications about media content instances <NUM> to user devices as SMS messages or other text messages via the telecommunication networks. Some of the communication interfaces <NUM> can be associated with Internet connections or other data connections, such that the computing device <NUM> can serve website data and/or other data associated with the user interface <NUM> to user devices.

The computing device <NUM> can additionally have a drive unit <NUM> including a machine readable medium <NUM>. The machine readable medium <NUM> can store one or more sets of instructions, such as software or firmware, that embodies any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions can also reside, completely or at least partially, within the memory <NUM>, processor(s) <NUM>, and/or communication interface(s) <NUM> during execution thereof by the computing device <NUM>. The memory <NUM> and the processor(s) <NUM> also can constitute machine readable media <NUM>.

In some examples, the computing devices <NUM> can also have other elements, such as displays, output devices, and/or input devices. A display can be a liquid crystal display, or any other type of display commonly used in computing devices. For example, a display may be a touch-sensitive display screen, and can then also act as an input device or keypad, such as for providing a soft-key keyboard, navigation buttons, or any other type of input. The output devices can include any sort of output devices known in the art, such as a display, speakers, a vibrating mechanism, and/or a tactile feedback mechanism. Output devices can also include ports for one or more peripheral devices, such as headphones, peripheral speakers, and/or a peripheral display. The input devices can include any sort of input devices known in the art. For example, input devices can include a microphone, a keyboard/keypad, and/or a touch-sensitive display, such as the touch-sensitive display screen described above. A keyboard/keypad can be a push button numeric dialing pad, a multi-key keyboard, or one or more other types of keys or buttons, and can also include a joystick-like controller, designated navigation buttons, or any other type of input mechanism.

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example embodiments.

Claim 1:
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, that a notification associated with a media content instance is to be sent to a user device associated with a user, based on a notification schedule associated with the user;
determining, by the one or more processors, one or more media content categories relevant to the user, based on media preferences indicated by a user profile associated with the user;
identifying, by the one or more processors, one or more candidate media content instances, in the one or more media content categories, that are not associated with notifications previously sent to the user device;
selecting, by the one or more processors, the media content instance from among the one or more candidate media content instances, based on priority ratings associated with the one or more candidate media content instances; and
transmitting, by the one or more processors, the notification to the user device, wherein the notification comprises a media link to a user interface configured to present the media content instance, further comprising:
determining, by the one or more processors, that the user accessed the media content instance via the user interface;
receiving, by the one or more processors and from one or more behavior data providers, behavior data associated with the user; and
determining, by the one or more processors, based on the behavior data, differences in behavior of the user in response to the user accessing the media content instance.