(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0107726A1
`Torrance et al.
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`US 2002O107726A1
`
`(54) COLLECTING USER RESPONSES OVERA
`NETWORK
`
`Cambridge, MA
`tors: And W. T.
`76) I
`(76) Inventors SWMNN',N. 9C,
`Cambridge, MA (US)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`FOLEY HOAG LLP
`PATENT GROUP
`155 SEAPORT BOULEVARD
`BOSTON, MA 02110 (US)
`
`(21) Appl. No.:
`
`10/034.293
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Dec. 21, 2001
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(60) Provisional application No. 60/259,848, filed on Dec.
`22, 2000.
`Publication Classification
`(51) Int. Cl. ................................................. G06F 17/60
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................................................ 705/12
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`
`The disclosure includes a method of collecting user
`responses to questions over a network. The method includes
`receiving Sets of data identifying a question and possible
`responses. The method includes Sending one set of data for
`presentation of the question and possible responses and user
`Selection of at least one of the possible responses. The
`method further includes receiving data identifying user
`Selections of at least one of the possible responses of the Set
`of data.
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`US 2002/0107726 A1
`
`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`COLLECTING USER RESPONSES OVERA
`NETWORK
`
`REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
`0001. This application claims priority to co-pending U.S.
`Provisional Application Serial No. 60/259,848, filed Dec.
`22, 2000, and entitled “Polling Systems, Methods, and
`Computer Programs. This application is incorporated by
`reference herein, in its entirety.
`
`BACKGROUND
`0002 Polling organizations, such as Gallup(R), have
`developed a number of techniques for gauging public opin
`ion. For example, polling organizations commonly question
`people on the Street, phone people at home, mail question
`naires, and So forth. Most people are familiar with polls that
`ask voters to identify a candidate or a position that they
`favor. Though their polling efforts typically do not make
`headlines, commercial businesses also use polling tech
`niques to discover consumer preferences regarding products,
`product names, prices, and So forth.
`
`SUMMARY
`0003. In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes a
`method of collecting user responses to questions over a
`network. The method includes receiving from different
`network computers different Sets of data that identify ques
`tions and possible responses. The method includes Sending
`one of the different Sets of data to different network com
`puters for presentation of the question and possible
`responses and user Selection of at least one of the possible
`responses. The method also includes receiving from the
`different network computerS data identifying user Selections
`of at least one of the possible responses of the one of the Sets
`of data.
`0004 Embodiments may include one or more of the
`following features. The method may include Sending to
`different network computers a different one of the sets of
`data for presentation of the identified question and possible
`responses and user Selection of at least one of the possible
`responses. The method may further include receiving from
`the different network computerS data identifying user Selec
`tions of at least one of the possible responses of the different
`one of the Sets of data.
`0005 The method may further include providing a user
`interface for user Submission of a question and possible
`responses and/or a user interface for user Selection of a
`response to a question. The network may be the Internet.
`0006 The method may further include selecting a set of
`data for Sending to a network computer. The Selecting may
`be performed based one characteristics associated with a
`user operating the network computer (e.g., age, gender,
`income, location, and/or one or more question categories of
`interest) and characteristics associated with the set of data
`(e.g., question category, characteristics of a desired user
`audience, and a presence of one or more keywords in the Set
`of data). The Selecting may limit presentation of a set of data,
`for example, based on a number of responses to other
`questions provided by a Submitter of the Set of data.
`0007. The method may further include transmitting data
`associated with an advertisement to the different network
`
`computers. The method may further include Selecting the
`advertisement. The method may further include receiving
`data associating the advertisement with a Set of data.
`0008. The method may further include generating a
`report from the user selections received from the different
`network computers. For example, the report may show the
`distribution of responses Selected by users for a question.
`Generating the report may include determining one or more
`correlations between characteristics associated with the Set
`of data, characteristics of the user Selections, and/or char
`acteristics of users Selecting responses (e.g., the time of
`response and an amount of time responses to a question were
`considered).
`0009. The method may further include receiving data
`asSociating different Sets of data. Such data may identify a
`next Set of data to present after user Selection of one of the
`possible responses of a set of data.
`0010. The identification of a question may include text,
`an image, a Sound, and a link. Similarly, identification of a
`possible response may include text, an image, a Sound, and
`a link.
`0011. In general, in another aspect, the disclosure
`describes a method of collecting user responses to multiple
`choice questions over the Internet. The method includes
`providing a first user interface for user Submission of a
`question and multiple-choice responses for display via a
`web-browser and receiving different sets of data from dif
`ferent network computers presenting the first user interface.
`Individual ones of the sets of data include identification of
`a question and different multiple-choice responses to the
`question. The method also includes Sending the Sets of the
`data to different network computers and providing a Second
`user interface for web-browser presentation of the question
`and multiple-choice responses identified by the Sets of data
`via a web-browser. The method further includes receiving
`from the different network computerS data identifying user
`Selections of one of the multiple-choice responses identified
`by the different sets of data. The method additionally
`includes generating a report from the user Selections
`received from the different network computers, the report
`including a distribution of responses Selected by users.
`0012. In general, in another aspect, the disclosure
`describes a computer program product, disposed on a com
`puter readable medium, for collecting user responses to
`questions over a network. The program includes instructions
`for causing a processor to receive from different network
`computers different Sets of data identifying a question and
`possible responses to the question. The instructions also
`cause the processor to Send to different network computers
`one of the different sets of data for presentation of the
`question and possible responses and user Selection of at least
`one of the possible responses. The instructions also cause the
`processor to receive from the different network computers
`data identifying user Selections of at least one of the possible
`responses of the one of the Sets of data.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0013 FIG. 1 is a screenshot of a user interface that
`receives user input Specifying a question and a Set of
`possible responses.
`0014 FIG. 2 is a screenshot of a user interface that
`receives user input responding to a question.
`
`14
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`US 2002/0107726 A1
`
`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`FIG. 3 is a screenshot of a report of question
`0.015
`responses.
`0016 FIGS. 4-6 are diagrams illustrating operation of a
`network polling System.
`0017 FIGS. 7-9 are flowcharts of network polling pro
`CCSSCS.
`FIGS. 10-12 are screenshots of an administration
`0.018
`user interface.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`0019 FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate user interfaces provided by
`a System that enables users to conduct their own polls of
`network users. In more detail, the System enables users to
`Submit a question and a set of possible responses. The
`System presents the Submitted question and possible
`responses to other network users and can tabulate responses
`to the question. Since many users enjoy responding to
`questions more than they enjoy asking them, Submitted
`questions often accumulate a large Sampling of responses in
`short order.
`0020 While the system can provide an informal, anony
`mous forum for posing questions to other network users, the
`System can also offer businesses and organizations a variety
`of commercially valuable features. For example, by Submit
`ting a marketing Survey question, a business can quickly
`glean the preferences of consumers on the Internet.
`0021. In greater detail, FIG. 1 shows a user interface 100
`that enables a user to Submit a question 102 and a set of
`possible responses 104-108. For example, as shown, the
`interface 100 receives user input asking “What is your
`favorite holiday special?"102 and specifying a set of three
`different possible responses: “It’s a Wonderful Life'104,
`“How the Grinch Stole Christmas' 106, and “A Charlie
`Brown Christmas' 108. The system presents this question
`102 and responses 104-108 to other network users.
`0022. The system need not restrict the subject matter of
`the questions. For example, users can Submit advice
`requests, opinion polls, trivia tests, and jokes. In other
`embodiments, the System may filter Submitted questions and
`responses for objectionable content and reject the question
`or restrict access to a Suitable audience.
`0023. As used herein, the term “question” does not
`require a Sentence including a question mark or other
`grammatical indicia of a question. Instead, the term "ques
`tion' merely refers to text, or other presented information,
`prompting the possible responses. For example, instead of
`asking a question, a user may omit a portion of a Statement
`and include a set of possible responses for a "fill-in-the
`blank Style question. Similarly, a user may Submit a State
`ment along with a set of possible responseS representing
`reactions to the Statement.
`0024.
`In addition to specifying a question 102 and a set
`of possible responses 104-108, the user interface 100 may
`also collect criteria (not shown) specifying the audience for
`the question. For example, a user Submitting a question 102
`may specify a category of “Sports” or “Politics”. Other users
`may choose to respond to questions belonging to a particular
`category. Similarly, a question 102 may specify user char
`acteristics. For example, question 102 criteria may specify a
`
`responding audience of male users between Specified ages.
`The System may only pose the question or tabulate responses
`for users fitting the criteria.
`0025. As shown, the user has provided a set of three,
`discrete possible responses 104-108. A user can provide as
`few as two possible responses such as “True” and “False'.
`Additionally, a user interface may collect more than three
`possible responses.
`0026. As shown, a user can define the question 102 and
`set of possible responses 104-108 as text. The text can
`correspond to different languages (e.g., English, French,
`Spanish, etc.). In other implementations, users may Submit
`graphics (e.g., images corresponding to American Sign
`Language), animation, Sound, programs, and/or other infor
`mation for presentation as the question 102 and responses
`104-108. Questions 102 and responses 104-108 can also
`include links to other Internet Sites.
`0027. The system can permit a user to build a chain of
`questions. For example, the response(s) selected by a user
`may be used to Select the next question to be presented. This
`can be implemented in a variety of ways. For instance, a user
`can associate a question identifier with a particular response.
`When a user Selects the response, the System receives the
`question ID and can present that question next.
`0028. To encourage users that Submit questions also to
`respond to questions Submitted by others, the System may
`limit the number of responses collected for a question based
`on the number of responses to questions provided by the
`Submitter. For example, if a user Submitting a question
`responds to four questions Submitted by other users, the
`System may present the user's question four times. The limit
`need not be determined by a strict “one for one' scheme.
`Additionally, as described below, users may purchase
`responses to their question in lieu of responding to questions
`of others.
`0029 FIG. 2 shows a user interface 110 presenting a
`Submitted question 112 and corresponding possible
`responses 114-118. To respond, a user selects from the set of
`possible responses 114-118, for example, by “clicking” on a
`radio-button control presented next to a response 114-118.
`Other user interface techniques may be used instead of a
`radio-button control. For example, each possible response
`may constitute a hyperlink having associated information
`identifying the response. Additionally, responses that can
`accept a range of values may feature a "slider', entry field,
`or other user interface widgets. Further, the user interface
`may proceSS input from a wide variety of Sources Such as a
`Speech recognition System and So forth.
`0030. After a user submits a response, the system can
`Select and present another question. This enables users to
`rapidly respond to one question after another. Many users
`find the process of responding to the wide variety of Sub
`mitted questions both entertaining and Somewhat addictive.
`Some users answer hundreds of questions in a relatively
`Short time span. To keep the attention of Such highly active
`users, the System can ensure that a user never encounters the
`Same question twice. Because users may have Submitted a
`question of their own, they may be more inclined to answer
`questions honestly, in hope of good faith within the com
`munity of users. It is also possible to pay the users, in money
`or Some other currency of value, for their responses.
`
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`

`US 2002/0107726 A1
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`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`0031. In some embodiments a user can select more than
`one answer or enter information Such as a Score for different
`possible responses 114-118. For example, a question may
`ask a user to rank different responses 114-118.
`0032. As shown, in addition to the question 112 pre
`Sented, the user interface 110 may also present information
`130 about the user Submitting the question or other charac
`teristics associated with the question (e.g., category). For
`example, as shown, the user interface 110 presents the age
`and gender of the Submitter.
`0033. The user interface 110 shown in FIG. 2 may also
`include advertising Such as a banner ad (not shown). A user
`Submitting a question can Supply and associate a particular
`ad with a particular Set of question/response data. Alterna
`tively, the System may determine an advertisement for
`presentation, for example, based on user characteristics,
`keywords included in the question 102 and responses 104
`108 presented, previous responses, and So forth. Addition
`ally, the possible responses or questions themselves may
`form advertisements. For example, a question may include
`Microsoft's slogan “Where do you want to go today'?”.
`0034. Again, in some embodiments, the number of
`responses collected, or reported, for a Submitted question
`depends on the number of responses provided by the Sub
`mitter. As shown, the user interface 110 can notify 132 a user
`of the number of questions answered thus far. The user
`interface 110 can also indicate 134 how many unanswered
`questions remain in a repository of Submitted questions.
`0035 FIG. 3 shows a user interface 120 that reports a
`distribution 124-128 of responses collected for a question
`122. The System may limit access to Such a report to the user
`who submitted the question 122. Alternatively, the system
`may make the report more freely available, for example, to
`allow users to see how their response compares to the
`responses of others.
`0.036 The system may provide more complex reports
`than the simple distribution shown in FIG. 3. For example,
`a report may breakdown responses by user characteristics
`(e.g., age and gender) and/or other information Such as the
`time of day the System received responses, the length of time
`uSerS Spent on the question, and So forth. Additionally, the
`System may provide other analyses Such as the Statistical
`Significance of the distribution. Analysis techniqueS Such as
`collaborative filtering may also be used to provide predictive
`power with regard to answers that individuals are likely to
`give, based on their response history.
`0037 Other analyses such as data mining can glean
`further user information. Such data mining can determine
`and report correlations between characteristics associated
`with a set or Sets of question/response data, characteristics of
`the user Selections, and/or one characteristics of users Select
`ing responses. As an example, data mining may report a
`correlation between the gender of a user, the time of day, and
`a particular response to a question.
`0038 FIGS. 1-3 depict a client web-browser, such as
`Microsoft(R) Internet Explorer(R), presenting the user inter
`faces 100, 110, 120. The user interfaces 100, 110, 120 may
`be encoded in a wide variety of instruction SetS/data. For
`example, the user interface may be encoded as HTML
`(HyperTextMarkup Language) instructions or other SGML
`(Structured Generalized Markup Language) instructions.
`
`The user interface 100 may also include instructions such as
`ActiveX components, applets, Scripts, and So forth.
`0039 FIG. 4 illustrates an architecture 200 for imple
`menting a network polling System. AS shown, the architec
`ture 200 includes a server 218 that communicates with
`clients 202, 204 at different network nodes over a network
`216 Such as the Internet or an intranet. Such communication
`may comply with HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol),
`TCP/IP (Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and/or
`other communication protocols.
`0040. The server 218 includes, or otherwise has access to,
`Storage 222 Such as an SQL (Structured Query Language) or
`Microsoft(R) Access(R compliant database. As shown, stored
`information includes question information 224 Such as the
`Submitted questions and their corresponding possible
`responses, identification of the Submitting user, responses
`received thus far, the time of such responses, IP (Internet
`Protocol) address of a responding client, and So forth. The
`Stored information may also include user characteristics 226
`Such as a username and password for each user. The user
`characteristics 226 may also include demographic informa
`tion Such as the age, gender, income, and/or location of a
`user. In general, the System can save a record detailing (e.g.,
`identifying the user, time of day, user Session ID, and So
`forth) each event that occurs (e.g., user login, question
`Submission, presentation, and responses).
`0041 As shown, the server 218 includes instructions 220
`for communicating with the clients 202, 204. For example,
`the server 218 may include Apaches web-server instructions
`that determine a URI (Universal Resource Indicator)
`requested by an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
`request and respond accordingly. For example, in response
`to a received URI of “www.abcdecide.com/submitdues
`tion,” the server 218 may transmit the form shown in FIG.
`1. Similarly, in response to a received URI of “www.abc
`decide.com/respond,” the server 218 may transmit the user
`interface shown in FIG. 2. The server 218 may also include
`CGI (Common Gateway Interface) and/or Perl instructions
`for processing information received from the clients 202,
`204. The instructions 220 also include polling logic. That is,
`the instructions 220 can Store the Submitted question, Select
`a question for presentation to a user, process a received
`response to a question, and So forth.
`0042. As shown in FIG. 5, the architecture 200 enables
`users at different clients 202, 204 to Submit questions and
`possible responses to the server 218. For example, the server
`218 may transmit user interface instructions for a form, Such
`as the form shown in FIG. 1, that enables a user to specify
`a question and a set of possible responses. The user interface
`instructions transmit the collected information 206, 208
`back to the server 218, for example, as URI parameters (e.g.,
`“www.abcdecide.com/cgi/?question=What is your favorite
`color--response1=red--response2=blue--?response3=
`green). Again, the Server 218 can store the received question
`and possible responses along with other information Such as
`identification of a user Submitting the question, the time of
`Submission, a Session ID of the user Submitting the question,
`and so forth.
`0043. Before the server 218 allows a user to Submit a
`question, the Server 218 may request Submission of user
`information, for example, identifying a username, password,
`age, gender, Zipcode, and So forth. The user can use the
`
`16
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`

`US 2002/0107726 A1
`
`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`username and password to identify the user to the Server
`218, for example, at a later Session, potentially, initiated at
`a different network computer. The System can request con
`tact information (e.g., an e-mail address) from users if they
`would like to be notified of certain events, such as when their
`Submitted question has received a requested number of
`SWCS.
`0044 As shown in FIG. 6, the server 218 can select and
`present a Submitted question 230 to a user operating a client
`202. For example, as shown, the server 218 selected a
`question Submitted by a user operating client 204. The server
`218 can Select a question, for example, based on a question
`category identified by a user responding to questions.
`004.5 The server 218 can select questions such that a user
`does not answer the same question twice. For example, each
`question may receive an identifier generated by increment
`ing a question counter. In Such an embodiment, the Server
`218 can Select a question to present to a user by determining
`the identifier of the last question answered by the user and
`adding one. The server 218 may store the identifier of the
`last question presented in the database of user information
`226. This enables the server 218 to determine the most active
`users. This information can enable the System to produce a
`report that isolates responses of the most active users.
`Alternatively, the server 218 may store a “cookie' at a user's
`client that includes the identifier of the last question pre
`Sented.
`Similarly, the system may ensure that user does not
`0.046
`have to answer questions that he himself posed. For
`example, the System can compare the username associated
`with the current session with the username of the user that
`originally Submitted the question.
`0047. When selecting a question, the server 218 may skip
`questions where the user does not satisfy question criteria
`specified by a question submitter. Similarly, the server 218
`may skip a question to limit the number of responses
`collected.
`0.048. After selecting a question to present to a user, the
`Server 218 can dynamically construct a user interface includ
`ing the question and the question's Set of possible responses.
`For example, the server 218 may include PHP (Personal
`Home Page) instructions that dynamically generate HTML
`(HyperTextMarkup Language) instructions. The server 218
`can then transmit the generated instructions to the user's
`client 202.
`0049. In another embodiment, instead of dynamically
`generating instructions for each question at the Server 218,
`the user interface instructions transmitted to a client may
`include an applet that communicates with the server 218, for
`example, using JDBC (Java Database Connectivity). The
`applet can transmit a response to the current question and
`query the server 218 for the next question. The applet then
`reconstructs the Screen displayed by the user interface to
`present the next question. Other embodiments feature a Java
`Servlet which is run when a user accesses the Service. Other
`techniques for handling client/server communication over
`the Internet are well known in the art and may be used
`instead of the techniques described above.
`0050 FIGS. 7-9 are flowcharts of network polling pro
`cesses. FIG. 7 depicts a flowchart of a process 240 for
`receiving questions Submitted by users. AS shown, the
`
`process 240 receives information specifying a question and
`a set of possible answers. For example, the process 240 may
`transmit user interface instructions, Such as the form shown
`in FIG. 1, that receive and transmit user input over a
`network. The process 240 stores 244 the received question
`and possible responses along with questions and possible
`responses received from other users. The process 240 may
`limit the number of active questions a particular user may
`Submit.
`0051 FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart of a process 250 for
`collecting and tabulating responses to Submitted questions.
`As shown, the process 250 selects 252 a question from the
`different questions submitted by different users. The process
`250 transmits 254 the selected question and possible
`responses to a network client. The process 250 then receives
`256 and stores 258 the user's response. The process 250 can
`repeat 260 depending on the number of questions the user
`chooses to answer.
`0.052 FIG. 9 depicts a flowchart of a process 270 for
`limiting the number of responses collected and/or reported
`for a submitted question. As shown, after a user Submits 272
`a question, the proceSS 270 presents questions Submitted by
`others. Each response to a question Submitted by another
`increments 276 the number of responses collected and/or
`reported for the user's Submitted question.
`0053 If a user has more than one outstanding question
`the System may distribute the responses collected and/or
`reported acroSS the different questions. For example, the
`system can increment the number of responses collected for
`the most recently received question. Alternatively, the user
`can identify which of the various outstanding questions is
`incremented. AS yet another alternative, the System can
`Spread responses evenly acroSS each outstanding questions.
`0054 The system as described and shown has a wide
`variety of potential applications. For example, the System
`may simply be an entertaining diversion for web-Surfers.
`The System, however, can also provide valuable marketing
`information. For example, the System may use the user's
`identity, questions posed and responses given, as well as
`other accessible information (e.g., life habits based on
`accessing times of the Site) to discover correlations, for
`example, all answers to questions that have ever involved a
`certain keyword, all answers given by a single user, demo
`graphic breakdowns of Site access time, and So forth.
`0055 Instead of analyzing the data, the information col
`lected may be provided to market researchers for their own
`determination of trends and consumer attitudes. Since the
`System can enable users to Select their own username,
`making Such information available need not compromise the
`anonymity of users responding to questions.
`0056. The system may also receive questions on behalf of
`commercial clients. This enables commercial clients to
`conduct their Surveys unobtrusively. A Survey question from
`a commercial client can appear in the midst of questions
`Submitted by non-commercial users. The questions of the
`commercial client can escape detection as market research
`and, potentially, avoid problems associated with more tra
`ditional market research Such as the bias introduced when a
`consumer knows they are Subject of a marketing effort. In
`addition to candid responses, the System can provide com
`mercial clients access to a large, diverse user base and can
`
`17
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`

`US 2002/0107726 A1
`
`Aug. 8, 2002
`
`enable the clients to conduct rapid Surveys that yield highly
`relevant (e.g., demographically targeted) and cost-effective
`results (e.g., Small fee per response).
`0057 Site administrators may charge commercial clients
`for responses. For example, a commercial client may pur
`chase a Specified number of responses to a question for a fee.
`Alternatively, a commercial client may purchase a “time
`period’ for the System to collect responses. The administra
`tors may also enable specification of the position the ques
`tions is presented. For example, a commercial client may
`pay to have their question presented within the first four
`presented to each user or to have their questions presented
`in a particular order or Separated by a specified number of
`other questions.
`0.058 FIGS. 10-12 illustrate screenshots of a network
`based tool for system administration. The tool enables an
`administrator to view results, acceSS and manipulate Stored
`information, test System features, masquerade as a particular
`user, and so forth. As shown in FIG. 10, the tool permits an
`administrator to Submit SQL commands and queries to
`retrieve and modify Stored information. For example, as
`shown a user has entered a “show tables' command into the
`SQL window. FIG. 11 shows the results of this command.
`As shown in FIG. 12, the tool can also present an admin
`istrator with a list of questions asked, how many responses
`have been received, and So forth.
`0059. In other embodiments, the system may offer func
`tionality by which different kinds of users, (e.g., adminis
`trators, power users, guests, etc.) may perform different,
`more elaborate or simpler, queries, or pose different kinds of
`questions (e.g., with different numbers of possible
`responses), manipulate Stored information (e.g., information
`about other users, etc.) and So forth.
`0060. The system may also provide games and other
`elaborations, for example by keeping Score, or by enabling
`users to predict the results that their questions will receive,
`or by giving out awards or prizes for Satisfying various
`criteria.
`0061 The System can automatically generate questions
`and pose them through the Service, and then proactively
`offer the results to a company. For example, a question might
`be “Which N do you prefer?” and three responses “X”, “Y”,
`and “Z”, with N being a category like “web browser' and X,
`Y, and Z being examples of that category-"Microsoft(R)
`Internet Explorer(R)”, “Netscape(R) Navigator(R,”“neither.”