Listener survey tool with time stamping

• US 10,089,643 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richards, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US14/707,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20150242865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

Clients can develop surveys on a client machine, and send a hosting server details about the survey that will be provided to a survey participant. The survey details can include information identifying a media item to be streamed to the survey participant as part of the survey, survey questions, and timing related to the survey questions. The hosting server can determine a length of time between a time when a survey participant begins viewing the media item, or when some other action is performed, and a time when survey questions are answered. The survey participant can be ranked based on the time difference. The time at which survey questions are displayed, and which questions are displayed, can be tied to how much of a media item the survey participant has viewed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a hosting server, survey details from a client device, the survey details associated with a survey to be provided by the hosting server to a survey participant, wherein the survey details include information indicating a media item to be streamed to the survey participant as part of the survey, and at least one survey question to be presented to the survey participant during a time the media item is being streamed to the survey participant;

receiving, at the hosting server, a survey request requesting the hosting server to deliver the survey from the hosting server to a participant device associated with the survey participant;

in response to receiving the survey request, streaming the media item to the survey participant, via the participant device;

recording a time stamp indicating a first time corresponding to a beginning of playback of the media item at the participant device;

transmitting the at least one survey question to the participant device;

receiving participant input entered at a second time, the participant input indicating a response of the survey participant to the at least one survey question;

determining a participant reaction time based on a length of time between the first time and the second time; and

rank the survey participant based, at least in part, on a comparison of the participant reaction time and reaction times of other survey participants; and

report the rank of the survey participant to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming a plurality of media items to the survey participant;

recording a plurality of time stamps indicating a plurality of first times corresponding to a beginning of playback of the plurality of media items at the participant device;

transmitting, to the participant device, a plurality of survey questions;

receiving a plurality of participant inputs entered by the survey participant at a plurality of second times, the plurality of participant inputs indicating responses of the survey participant to the plurality of survey questions;

determining a plurality of lengths of time between the plurality of first times and the plurality of second times; and

eliminating the responses from consideration if an average of the plurality of lengths of time is less than a minimum average amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming a plurality of media items to the survey participant;

transmitting, to the participant device, a plurality of survey questions;

receiving a plurality of participant inputs from the survey participant, the plurality of participant inputs indicating responses of the survey participant to the plurality of survey questions; and

assigning the survey participant to a lower Trendsetter if the responses indicate a patterned response.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the patterned response includes repeating a same score in each of the plurality of participant inputs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming the media item to a plurality of participant devices associated with a plurality of survey participants;

transmitting a survey question to the plurality of participant devices;

receiving a plurality of participant inputs from the plurality of survey participants, wherein the plurality of participant inputs represent survey participant scores associated with the media item;

determining a mean score of the survey participant scores; and

designating the survey participant as a Trendsetter based, at least in part, on how closely a score provided by the survey participant corresponds to the mean score.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one survey question to the survey participant in response to a Popup Percentage of the media item having been streamed to the survey participant.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one survey question to the survey participant in response an end of the streaming.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one survey question to the survey participant in response to the survey participant activating a Stop button.

9. A hosting server for use in a survey system, the hosting server comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store a program of instructions executed by the processor;

a communications interface coupled to the processor and configured to work in cooperation with the processor to communicate with a client device and a participant device via a communications network;

the processor configured to;

receive survey details from the client device, the survey details associated with a survey to be provided by the hosting server to a survey participant via the participant device, wherein the survey details include information indicating a media item to be streamed to the survey participant as part of the survey, and at least one survey question to be presented to the survey participant during a time the media item is being streamed to the survey participant;

receive a survey request requesting delivery of the survey to the participant device;

stream the media item to the survey participant in response to receiving the survey request;

record a time stamp indicating a first time;

transmit the at least one survey question to the participant device;

receive participant input entered at a second time, the participant input indicating a response of the survey participant to the at least one survey question;

determine a participant reaction time based on a length of time between the first time and the second time; and

rank the survey participant based, at least in part, on a comparison of the participant reaction time and reaction times of other survey participants; and

report the rank of the survey participant to the client device.

10. The hosting server of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

stream a plurality of media items to the survey participant;

recording a plurality of time stamps associated with the plurality of media items, the plurality of time stamps indicating a plurality of first times;

transmit, to the participant device, a plurality of survey questions;

receive a plurality of participant inputs entered by the survey participant at a plurality of second times, the plurality of participant inputs indicating responses of the survey participant to the plurality of survey questions;

determine a plurality of lengths of time between the plurality of first times and the plurality of second times; and

eliminate the responses from consideration if an average of the plurality of lengths of time is less than a minimum average amount of time.

11. The hosting server of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

stream a plurality of media items to the survey participant;

transmit, to the participant device, a plurality of survey questions;

receive a plurality of participant inputs from the survey participant, the plurality of participant inputs indicating responses of the survey participant to the plurality of survey questions; and

assign the survey participant to a lower Trendsetter tier if the responses indicate a patterned response.

12. The hosting server of claim 11, wherein the patterned response includes a repeating response in each of the plurality of participant inputs.

13. The hosting server of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

stream the media item to a plurality of participant devices associated with a plurality of survey participants in a plurality of different streams;

transmit a survey question to the plurality of participant devices;

receive a plurality of participant inputs from the plurality of survey participants, wherein the plurality of participant inputs represent survey participant scores associated with the media item;

determine a mean score of the survey participant scores; and

designating the survey participant as a Trendsetter based, at least in part, on how closely a score provided by the survey participant corresponds to the mean score.

14. The hosting server of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

transmitting the at least one survey question to the survey participant in response to the media item having been streamed to the survey participant.

15. The hosting server of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

transmitting the at least one survey question to the survey participant in response to passage of a predetermined amount of time since the time stamp was recorded.

16. The hosting server of claim 9, wherein the time stamp indicates a time at which the survey participant plays back the media item.

17. A system comprising:

a client device coupled via a communications network to a participant device; and

a hosting server coupled via a communications network to the client device and the participant device, the hosting server comprising;

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store a program of instructions executed by the processor;

a communications interface coupled to the processor and configured to work in cooperation with the processor to communicate with a client device and a participant device via a communications network;

the processor configured to;

receive survey details from the client device, the survey details associated with a survey to be provided by the hosting server to a survey participant via the participant device, wherein the survey details include information indicating a media item to be streamed to the survey participant as part of the survey, and at least one survey question to be presented to the survey participant during a time the media item is being streamed to the survey participant;

stream the media item to the survey participant via the participant device;

record a time stamp indicating a first time;

transmit the at least one survey question to the participant device;

receive participant input entered at a second time, the participant input indicating a response of the survey participant to the at least one survey question;

determine a participant reaction time based on a length of time between the first time and the second time; and

rank the survey participant based, at least in part, on a comparison of the participant reaction time and reaction times of other survey participants; and

report the rank of the survey participant to the client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to condition display of the at least one survey question upon a percentage of a duration of the media item observed by the survey participant.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

collect reaction times between a plurality of participant inputs.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the survey details include a Popup Percentage indicating an amount of the media item to be viewed by the survey participant before the at least one survey question is presented to the survey participant.