USOO9454748B2
`
`(12) United States Patent
`Payne
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 9.454,748 B2
`*Sep. 27, 2016
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`SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR DATA
`MANAGEMENT
`
`Inventor: J. David Payne, Broken Arrow, OK
`(US)
`Assignee: EDICHE, LLC, Tulsa, OK (US)
`Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 500 days.
`This patent is Subject to a terminal dis
`claimer.
`
`Appl. No.: 12/910,706
`
`Filed:
`
`Oct. 22, 2010
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2011 FOO40831 A1
`Feb. 17, 2011
`Related U.S. Application Data
`Continuation of application No. 10/643,516, filed on
`Aug. 19, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,822,816.
`Provisional application No. 60/404,491, filed on Aug.
`19, 2002.
`
`(2012.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2006.01)
`(2012.01)
`
`Int. C.
`G06O 10/10
`GO6F 7/24
`GO6F 7/22
`GO9B 7/06
`G06O 30/02
`U.S. C.
`CPC .............. G06O 10/10 (2013.01); G06Q 30/02
`(2013.01); G06F 17/2247 (2013.01); G06F
`17/243 (2013.01); G06O 30/0203 (2013.01);
`G09B 7/06 (2013.01)
`Field of Classification Search
`USPC ......................................... 709/203, 223, 224
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4.937,439 A * 6/1990 Wanninger .............. G06F 3/033
`235/456
`5,442,786 A * 8/1995 Bowen .............. GO6F 17,30961
`707/758
`5,555,101 A * 9/1996 Larson .................. GO6F 17,243
`358/400
`5,704,029 A * 12/1997 Wright, Jr. ............ GO6F 17,243
`345,173
`
`(Continued)
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Dennis et al. Internet Question and Answer(iQ&A): A Web-Based
`Survey Technology, Jun. 2000, pp. 116-125.*
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner — Backhean Tiv
`(74) Attorney,
`Agent,
`or
`Firm — Fellers,
`Blankenship, Bailey & Tippens, P.C.
`
`Snider,
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`A method for the management of data collected from a
`remote computing device including the steps of creating a
`questionnaire; transmitting the questionnaire to a remote
`computer; executing the questionnaire in the remote com
`puter to prompt a user for responses to questions of the
`questionnaire; transmitting the responses to a sever via a
`network; making the responses available on the Web. Pref
`erably, computers used in connection with the inventive
`method are loosely networked in that network connections
`between computers are not always available and, when a
`connection is not available, data is stored at a node of the
`network and transmitted at the earliest time when a connec
`tion is available. In one preferred embodiment, the inventive
`method is used to collect Survey data and to make the
`responses to the survey available to a client in virtually real
`time over the Internet.
`
`22 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`
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`
`
`FOR
`Recept
`
`ELECTRONICONNE
`FORMCREATION,
`MANAGEMENT,
`DELNERY,
`ANASSIGNRENT
`
`ELECTRonic
`owces
`
`ATASETS
`
`1
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`Instacart, Ex. 1001
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`

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`US 9,454,748 B2
`Page 2
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`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`5,757,916 A * 5/1998 MacDoran ............ GO1S 19,215
`342.357.48
`5,842,195 A * 11/1998 Peters .................... G06Q 30/02
`5.991,771 A * 11/1999 Falls ....................... G06F 9,466
`6,163,811 A * 12/2000 Porter ..................... HO4L 29/06
`TO7/999.101
`6,230,142 B1* 5/2001 Benigno ............... GO6F 19,325
`705/2
`
`9/2002 Dodgen
`6,453,329 B1
`6,462,708 B1 * 10/2002 Tsujimoto ............. GOS 5.0009
`342.357.43
`6,477.373 B1 * 1 1/2002 Rappaport ............ HO4W 36/12
`455,436
`6,519,571 B1* 2/2003 Guheen .................. G06Q 30/02
`TO5, 14.66
`6,584,464 B1* 6/2003 Warthen ............ GO6F 17 30398
`6,615,166 B1* 9/2003 Guheen .................. G06Q 10/06
`TO3/26
`6,615,212 B1* 9/2003 Dutta ................ GO6F 17,30569
`6,618,746 B2
`9, 2003 Desai et al.
`6,631,184 B1 * 10/2003 Weiner ................ HO4L 12,2854
`379,92.01
`6.826,726 B2 * 1 1/2004 Hsing ............... GO6F 17,30578
`707,999.2O1
`
`2002/0007303 A1
`
`1/2002 Brookler ................ G06Q 30/02
`705/7.32
`2002fOO26338 A1* 2, 2002 Bukow ............ G06Q 10/06311
`705/7.14
`2002/0087361 A1* 7/2002 Benigno ............... GO6F 19,325
`705/3
`2002/0137524 A1* 9, 2002 Bade ..................... HO4W 12,08
`455,456.2
`2002/014785.0 A1 10, 2002 Richards et al.
`2002/01942.19 A1* 12/2002 Bradley ................ GO6F 17,243
`715,223
`2003/0022656 A1* 1/2003 Hinnant, Jr. .............. GO1S 5/02
`455,410
`2003/0041031 A1* 2/2003 Hedy ..................... G06Q 20/10
`705/51
`2003/0198934 A1* 10, 2003 Sendowski et al. .......... 434/350
`2004/01 17244 A1* 6/2004 Scott ............................... 705/12
`2004/O122730 A1* 6/2004 Tucciarone .......... G06Q 10/107
`TO5, 14.36
`2004/0210472 A1* 10, 2004 Lew et al. ...................... 70.5/10
`2007/005O256 A1* 3, 2007 Walker ................... G06Q 30/00
`TO5, 14.19
`2007/0242809 A1 * 10, 2007 Mousseau ........... HO4M 7.0036
`379.88.18
`2008/0098.291 A1* 4/2008 Bradley ................ GO6F 17,243
`715,223
`1/2012 Lewis .................. G06Q 20/102
`370,328
`
`2012,0008560 A1
`
`8, 2006 Abbott et al.
`7,085,800 B2
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`7,181,225 B1* 2/2007 Moton, Jr. ............ HO4W 16.00
`7,310,350 B1* 12/2007 Shao ....................... iR-6 "dcLINKThe Total Solution'. Aug. 1999, Publisher: Internet print
`370,338
`out, Published in: US.
`7,693,283 B2 * 4/2010 Livesay .............. HO4L 63,0421
`DSI Internet Printout entitled “Marketing Collateral.” dated Feb. 24.
`380,255
`2002, Publisher: Internet Printout, Published in: US.
`7,739,658 B2* 6/2010 Watson ............. GO6F 17,30905
`2002 DSI Press Releases dated Apr. 8, 2002, Publisher: Internet.
`709/217
`2001/0056374, A1* 12/2001 Joao ................................ TO5/14
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`2
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`US 9,454,748 B2
`
`1.
`SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR DATA
`MANAGEMENT
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
`Application No. 60/404,491 filed Aug. 19, 2002, and is a
`continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/643,
`516 filed on Aug. 19, 2003, scheduled to issue as U.S. Pat.
`No. 7,822,816 on Oct. 26, 2010, herein incorporated by
`reference in its entirety for all purposes.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`ating system and, unfortunately, the application may not be
`available for non-compatible devices.
`Another issue which is common to all computers is the
`transferability of stored information, specifically, the ability
`to move files from machine-to-machine. While most hand
`held computers include an infrared port for communicating
`with other infrared devices, including other handhelds, files
`transferred in Such a manner may not be usable by Software
`on the receiving device. This is especially true of informa
`tion formatted for a particular application Such as a word
`processor, spread sheet program, database manager, or the
`like.
`To overcome the necessity of compiling a program for a
`particular machine, an application may be written in an
`interpreted language, or a language which can be compiled
`to produce an intermediate language (i.e., a language that
`falls somewhere between source code and object code) such
`as i-code or tokens. In Such a scheme, each device is
`provided with a run-time package which can execute the
`compiled i-code or tokens, the run-time package having
`been written for that particular device, thus, only the run
`time package needs to be modified in order to port a program
`to a new computing environment. Once the run-time pack
`age is installed, any application authored in the language and
`which has been compiled to i-code will run on the target
`device. Unfortunately, Such languages typically lack effec
`tive optimization and generally do not provide a broad range
`of Support for hardware resources. Regardless of the lan
`guage selected, whether compiled, interpreted, or whatever,
`Software coding requires at least a nominal degree of pro
`gramming skill to create the application program.
`Perhaps because handheld computers are not as evolved
`as their desktop counterparts, or because it is typically
`cumbersome to enter information, or maybe due to the lack
`of a true front-runner in operating systems, handheld com
`puters have not inspired the full range of Software products
`available for larger computers. The result has been a rather
`limited selection of retail software applications for handheld
`devices as compared with their desktop counterparts, such
`Software is aimed primarily at organizational tools, e-mail,
`and games. However, at the other end of the spectrum,
`custom programs tailored for a specific customer, handheld
`computers are gaining momentum in replacing manual
`forms which are often filled-out in remote areas, away from
`a desktop, i.e. manufacturing inventory, quality inspections,
`delivery systems, and the like. One reason for the increasing
`movement toward the use of handheld computers for data
`gathering tasks is that they can be easily transported to the
`source of the data and have the information directly entered
`into them, thereby eliminating the potentially error-prone
`step of manual data entry of information on previously
`completed paper forms. Eliminating the extra step addition
`ally saves unnecessary labor, and allows the data to be
`entered in a more timely fashion.
`Due to their incredible portability, handhelds are particu
`larly well Suited to this type of data gathering, despite an
`obvious lack of software infrastructure in this area. The
`present trend is for a business to commission the authoring
`of a custom program aimed at a particular need. While the
`cost of Such an application is usually high, the accuracy of
`the information, the timeliness of the information, and the
`accessibility of the information are likely worth the cost. In
`fact, while Such systems may seem cost prohibitive to
`develop, in many cases the actual cost on a per-data-entry
`basis may prove to be relatively small, especially in light of
`the timeliness and accuracy associated with real time data
`collection.
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`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to a system of computing
`devices for the collection and management of information.
`More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present
`invention relates to a system for collecting and managing
`information including a plurality of computer devices
`loosely networked to a server and an operating system for a
`computer which provides a number of features favorable for
`use in the inventive system.
`2. Background of the Invention
`Virtually all business software applications involve the
`collection of information in some form or another. Where
`information is gathered away from the convenience of a
`desktop, workers have traditionally entered the information
`on paper forms. This data is then entered into a computer in
`a second step. This extra step leads to delays and inaccura
`cies which are costly and, more importantly, unnecessary.
`Handheld computers are well known in the art. In fact
`Such computers are presently available from numerous
`manufacturers offering a vast assortment of operating sys
`tems and hardware configurations. While Such devices come
`in a host of variations, generally handheld computers
`include an LCD display, a method for gathering manual
`input, storage, and a variety of machine interfaces, i.e., an IR
`link, a USB port, a serial port, etc.
`As with their desktop, and laptop counterparts, a handheld
`computer will also include an operating system which
`provides an operator interface, file management, and stan
`dardized I/O, as well as facilitating the running of applica
`tion programs. Thus far, handheld operating systems mimic
`those of desktop and laptop systems, despite the fact that
`handheld devices are typically used in a different manner
`and have radically different resources.
`As with other types of computers, handheld computers
`Suffer from compatibility issues, especially in the operation
`of application programs. Generally speaking, Software pro
`grams must typically be tailored to a specific family of
`processors and to a specific operating system. Most appli
`cations are developed in a high level language and then
`compiled for a specific target processor. As different manu
`55
`facturers select different processors, an application written
`for one family of processors must be recompiled to execute
`in a processor of a different family. Even when two manu
`facturers select compatible processors, if they chose differ
`ent operating systems, applications written for one device
`will probably not run correctly on the other device. Since the
`operating system provides access to the various hardware
`resources and manages the file system, it is almost unfath
`omable that the operating systems of independent authors
`would be compatible, unless one specifically set out to copy
`the other. Thus, particular applications tend to grow up
`around a particular family of devices which share an oper
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`To develop software for a handheld computer, a custom
`program is typically developed and tested on a larger sys
`tem. When the developer is satisfied with the program, it is
`compiled for a particular target device and transferred to
`handheld devices through a communication link. If users are
`using more than one type of device, the same program must
`be tested and compiled for each type of device. If a change
`is required, the developer must make the change on the
`development system and re-transfer the entire program to
`each target device.
`In a typical data gathering application, information is
`entered into custom designed forms on the handheld com
`puter. Eventually, the data entered in the handheld finds its
`way to a database, which is typically located on a server
`which is accessible to those needing the information or from
`which it may be accessed by other programs such as
`accounting Systems, materials management programs, etc.
`Present day servers are well suited to the task of information
`management and generally provide broad access to and
`searchability to collected data.
`One problem area in Such systems becomes apparent
`when the data is transferred from the handheld to the server.
`While it would seem that wireless interfaces and handhelds
`were made for each other, the marriage of the two is not
`without its own set of problems. Wireless interfaces fall into
`a number of different categories. At one extreme is the
`infrared (“IR”) port often found on handheld devices. The
`range of this type of interface is usually limited to a few feet
`and typically supports transfer rates of 115 kbaud, or less.
`Another method for wireless communication is via a
`wireless local area network or “WLAN.” A typical example
`of a WLAN is that defined by the IEEE 802.11 standard.
`When a handheld computer is equipped with a WLAN
`interface, the device can communicate with other computers
`also equipped with a WLAN interface, or even computers
`networked to a WLAN equipped computer by a wired
`network. Typically, WLAN interfaces provide a range of
`several hundred feet. As long as a handheld is within the
`range of another WLAN equipped computer, the network
`connection is continuous. Wireless local area networks sport
`data rates from a few thousandbits per second up to at least
`52 million bits per second, depending on the particular
`standard employed.
`Yet another known wireless interface for handheld com
`puters is a CDPD interface, CDMA interface, GSM inter
`45
`face, or similar wireless interface or modem. While there are
`Some variations, these systems are often built around a
`cellular phone network and provide coverage similar to that
`of a cellular phone, typically national, or even international,
`coverage. Such interfaces will experience the same gaps in
`service as can be expected with a cell phone. While such
`systems provide an exceptionally wide area of coverage,
`they typically do so at limited bandwidth, e.g. 19.2 kbaud.
`Of course handheld devices are not limited to wireless
`communications. Typically such devices can be connected to
`another computer through a universal serial bus (“USB)
`connection, an RS-232 connection, an Ethernet connection
`on a properly equipped device, or similar hardwired con
`nection. While these interfaces range from moderately paced
`to the extremely fast, they are exceptionally reliable, at least
`while the connection is in place. Unfortunately, few envi
`ronments are well suited to tethering a handheld to allow a
`continuous wired connection.
`It can be seen that perhaps the greatest drawback to using
`a handheld for data gathering as part of a larger system are
`the limitations of the data link: 1) it is unlikely that the data
`link will always be available; and 2) the bandwidth of most
`
`US 9,454,748 B2
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`4
`of the practical wireless options is restrictive. Presently there
`are two methods for dealing with the problem of data link
`availability. In one scheme, data is transmitted as it is
`collected. The advantage of Such a scheme is that the
`database is updated in real time and represents current data.
`The disadvantages are, for all practical purposes, the scheme
`is limited to systems using a wireless interface and when the
`wireless link is not operational, generally data cannot be
`entered.
`Alternatively, entered data can be stored locally on the
`handheld and transmitted in a batch process when a link is
`established. The advantage of this system is that it is tolerant
`of gaps in the communication link and works well with
`wired transfers of data. Unfortunately, data is not delivered
`in real time and the data base may be somewhat stale,
`depending on the length of time between the collection of
`data and the presence of the link.
`The issue of bandwidth may be problematic on several
`fronts. If programs are updated periodically, the entire
`program must be sent and the time to reload may be
`objectionable. In the opposite direction, if large amounts of
`data are collected, it may be time consuming to send the data
`collected from the handheld to the server, particularly when
`performed in a batch fashion.
`It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an
`operating system for a handheld computer which will allow
`a program to execute on any handheld computer.
`It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
`operating system for a handheld computer wherein program
`ming changes will only necessitate incremental transfers of
`program instructions.
`It is still a further object of the present invention to
`provide an operating system for a handheld computer
`wherein files may be transferred among devices without a
`translation or conversion.
`It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide
`an operating system for a handheld computer wherein pro
`gramming steps and data are tokenized to reduce the load on
`a communication channel of finite bandwidth.
`It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide
`a system of networked computers in which modifications to
`a computer program for a remote computer are sent in real
`time to the remote computer and are implemented immedi
`ately and seamlessly without the requirement of user instal
`lation.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention provides a system and method for
`the management of information which solves the problems
`and alleviates the needs discussed above. In its broadest
`sense, the present invention is a method designed to accom
`plish the following:
`1) Allow any computer(s) (desktops, laptops, handhelds,
`portables, etc.) to be used to capture information;
`2) Transfer the information to a data center (via file
`transfer methods such as a network, to include, but not
`necessarily, Internet based) in a form that the data center can
`recognize;
`3) Allow another computer(s) to access the information
`and download it from the data center in a format that can be
`readily used regardless of the format in which the original
`information was gathered.
`In a preferred embodiment, a server is loosely networked
`to a plurality of computers (handheld, laptop, or desktop).
`Each computer is equipped with an operating system which
`allows common programming to execute on any device,
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`regardless of hardware differences or native operating sys
`tem differences among the plurality of devices.
`With regard to the present invention, the term “loosely
`networked is used to describe a networked computer sys
`tem wherein devices on the network are tolerant of inter
`mittent network connections and, in fact, tolerant of the type
`of network connection available. In particular, if any com
`munication connection is available between devices wishing
`to communicate, network transmissions occur normally, in
`real time. If a network connection is unavailable at that
`moment, the information is temporarily stored in the device
`and later transmitted when the connection is restored. Unless
`otherwise specified, hereinafter the terms “network” or
`“networked refer to loosely networked devices.
`Thus, the operating system may be thought of as device
`indifferent and communication channel indifferent. In the
`preferred embodiment, any computer can execute any pro
`gram developed for the inventive system and will commu
`nicate with other members of the system through any
`communication method the device can find available.
`The operating system provided in each computer device
`allows the use of a common instruction set in any Such
`device, regardless of compatibility issues between the
`devices, wherein “instruction set is used herein to mean the
`commands, tokens, etc., that are recognized by the operating
`system as valid instructions. Unlike conventional computer
`programs, the operating system employed in the inventive
`system allows incremental changes to the program without
`the need to reload the entire program. Additionally, a pro
`gramming change made at a central office will automatically
`propagate to loosely networked computers dispersed
`throughout the field.
`In one aspect of the invention, branching logic depending
`on the programs are created for handheld or other computer
`devices by simply entering questions and providing response
`specification, in the form of a questionnaire, for the end-user.
`Thus, no particular programming skill is required to gener
`ate programs for data gathering. As will be appreciated by
`those familiar with data collection, data can be collected by
`posing a series of questions, or otherwise prompting for
`specific input from the user, as in the manner used with
`paper forms. A number of useful Subsystems, which may
`already be present in the handheld device, or easily added
`later, may be utilized so that at least some of the information
`which is responsive to the designed questionnaire may be
`collected automatically rather than entered manually, e.g.,
`time and date, position information if the device includes a
`GPS receiver, etc.
`In another aspect of the present invention, the program
`and user responses are coded in Such a fashion as to
`substantially reduce the bandwidth requirements of the
`network connection. Since many of the networking options
`for handheld devices provide limited bandwidth, best use
`may be made of the available throughput by coding, or
`tokenizing, program information and responses.
`In practice, a program is created by entering a series of
`prompts and providing direction for how the system is to
`respond to particular responses. This process of data gath
`ering may then be performed by a person having no pro
`gramming skill whatsoever. The program may then be sent
`to all, or selected, computer devices on the network. Those
`devices having a connection may immediately be updated.
`Those devices in which a network connection is temporarily
`not available will be updated when the connection is next
`restored.
`The user of the computer device is then prompted for
`specific input. As the user enters data, if the network
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`connection is available, the information is immediately sent
`to the server. If the network connection is unavailable, the
`information is stored locally in the handheld device and sent
`upon restoration of the network connection. At the server,
`the information is typically processed upon receipt such that
`users of the data have real time, or virtually real time,
`information available.
`In another aspect of the invention, the inventive system
`may be provided to end users according to an application
`service provider (ASP) business method. ASPs are an
`emerging trend in the computer Software industry. Tradi
`tionally, a company seeking a software solution would either
`acquire a preprogrammed package which Suits its needs or
`commission the programming of custom Software. In many
`instances preprogrammed software is unavailable or
`requires too many compromises to be attractive. In either
`case, the Software is purchased and, invariably, represents a
`large capital expense to the company. Once purchased,
`modifications, evolutional upgrades, changing management
`practices, and the like, result in additional expenses to keep
`the software up-to-date.
`In contrast an ASP typically provides software on a
`pay-as-you-go basis. An ASP typically provides custom, or
`semi-custom Software to companies. Each user is billed for
`the time it uses the software. The advantages to the end user
`are obvious. There is no crippling up-front expense, modi
`fications and upgrades are the responsibility of the ASP, if
`the software does not perform satisfactorily the customer
`simply walks away and never incurs large expenses. On the
`ASP side, the software vendor enjoys recurring income and
`the ability to adapt the same software model to numerous
`customers. While differing slightly from the traditional ASP
`model, the present invention is particularly well Suited to a
`per-transaction billing model.
`With regard to the current system, an ASP can provide a
`web site which allows users to build an application on line,
`possibly without incurring any expense. Once the customer
`is satisfied with the program, it can automatically be
`deployed to designated computer devices within the system.
`When a user provides input, the computer device can find a
`direct network connection to the ASP or, more likely, find an
`Internet connection and report the data to the ASP via the
`Internet connection. Once received at the ASP, the data can
`be processed and is available for viewing or use by the client
`virtually instantly via the Internet. Thus, data entered at any
`location may be viewed by the client in real time, world
`wide.
`Further objects, features, and advantages of the present
`invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon
`examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the
`following description of the preferred embodiments.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 provides a diagram of the inventive system.
`FIG. 2 provides a diagram of the inventive system as used
`for form creation.
`FIG.3 provides a diagram of the inventive system as used
`for information collection and review.
`FIG. 4 depicts a sequence of tasks for collecting data
`through the use of prior art systems.
`FIG. 5 depicts the tasks of FIG. 4 utilizing the inventive
`system.
`FIG. 6 is a work flow diagram of an embodiment utilizing
`the inventive system.
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`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
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`wise specified, hereinafter the terms “network” or "net
`worked’ refer to loosely networked devices.
`It should also be noted that the inventive system is
`indifferent as to the particular type of communication chan
`nel used for connections 34-36. Thus, by way of example
`and not limitation, while connection 36 might today be an IR
`link to a desktop computer which accesses server 24 via the
`Internet, tomorrow, handheld 30 might establish a connec
`tion 36 with server 24 via a CDPD interface. The particular
`link selected will be the first available link.
`The inventive system may be thought of as taking on two
`distinct modes of operation. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the
`system provides an administrative function. From any com
`puter 22 connected to the Internet 26, a client can access
`server 24 to administer the inventive system. Administration
`involves tasks such as form creation, management, and
`validation; user setup, and management of system security.
`In terms of the present invention, handheld computers are
`favored for their portability and their usefulness in gathering
`data from the field, whether the field is a stockroom for a
`manufacturing facility, a production floor, a delivery site for
`a product, etc. More generally, field locations are typically
`areas where people work without the convenience of a
`desktop.
`According to the preferred arrangement, data may be
`gathered by prompting the user via the handheld 28 with a
`series of questions or statements, each of which calls for a
`response. This series of questions or statements will have
`been constructed on computer 22 and reduced to tokenized
`form for transmission to the handheld 28. For purposes of
`the instant disclosure, the series of questions/statements will
`collectively be referred to as a questionnaire. As will be
`discussed in greater detail below, the questionnaire is actu
`ally designed to include internal branching logic which is
`implemented by the OIS. Hence, with regard to the present
`invention, the terms “program' and “form” are used inter
`changeably with questionnaire.
`An important aspect of the invention is the ease with
`which a client can create a form and distribute the form to
`the appropriate handheld devices in the field. Continuing
`with FIG. 2, typically a client uses a computer 22 having
`access to the Internet 26 to communicate with server 24. As
`part of the administrative function provided by system 10,
`computer 22 provides a web-based interface which allows a
`client to create a questionnaire. As a first step, preferably, the
`client selects a type of question from a list of standard
`question types. This list would include alternatives for the
`way the question is posed to the user, for example visual or
`Vocal, and the type of answer to expect, whether yes/no.
`multiple choice, narrative, numerical, etc.
`As the client creates a list of questions, symbols from a
`tool bar may be used to control conditional branching based
`on the user's response. As the client enters questions and
`selects response types, server 24 builds a stack of questions
`and responses, and assigns indices, or tokens, which point to
`each question or response. Each token preferably corre
`sponds to a logical, mathematical, or branching operation
`and is preferably selected and made a part of the question
`naire through a graphical user interface. By this mechanism,
`a user is able to create a series of questions, the precise
`nature of which is dependent on the user's responses. For
`example, the questionnaire designer might desire to create a
`form that asks the user different questions; depending on
`whether the user was male or female. In order to do this, the
`designer would enter the questions ("Are you a man or
`woman?); select a response (a "pop up” list of two entries
`male and female); select a token (branch if "male'); assign
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`Before