User studies using interactive devices

• US 10,515,377 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Manber, Udi
• Primary Examiner(s): Munson, Patricia H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bains, Sarjit S
• Application Number:
  US13/887,023
• Time in Patent Office: 2,426 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for conducting user studies. One of the methods includes receiving a user study session request from a sponsor, wherein the user study session request identifies a product and one or more criteria. Session volunteer data identifying one or more available session volunteers having access to the product and one or more attributes is received. A session volunteer that satisfies the user study session request is determined, including matching the one or more attributes of the session volunteer to the one or more criteria of the session request. A session between the sponsor and the session volunteer is initiated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for initiating an interactive session between a sponsor and a session volunteer, the method comprising:

receiving, by an interactive session system and from a user device of the sponsor, a user study session request that requests the interactive session system host an interactive user study session between the sponsor and at least one session volunteer that has access to a particular product for which a user study is to be conducted during the interactive user study session,

wherein the user study session request identifies (i) the particular product for which the user study is to be conducted during the interactive user study session and (ii) one or more criteria;

receiving, by the interactive session system, session volunteer data identifying (i) available session volunteers that each have a session accessory and, for each available session volunteer, (ii) one or more attributes of the available session volunteer and one or more products to which the available session volunteer has access prior to the user study session request being received,

wherein the session accessory is a wearable computing device that includes a video camera input device and a wireless data connection mechanism that connects wirelessly to another computing system, and

wherein the particular product is different from the session accessory;

in response to receiving the user study session request;

selecting, by the interactive session system and from the available session volunteers using the session volunteer data, a particular session volunteer to participate in the interactive user study session with the sponsor, the session volunteer data for the particular session volunteer indicating that the particular session volunteer satisfies the user study session request by having one or more attributes that match the one or more criteria identified by the user study session request and access to the particular product prior to the user study session request being received; and

initiating, by the interactive session system, a user study session between the sponsor and the particular session volunteer by;

providing, by the interactive session system and to the particular session volunteer, instructions to perform a particular task using the particular product;

receiving, by the interactive session system and from the wireless data connection mechanism of the session accessory while the particular session volunteer wears the session accessory, session data including (i) point-of-view video of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product to perform the particular task and (ii) Global Positioning System (GPS) location information specifying GPS coordinates of at least one location visited by the particular session volunteer during the user study session; and

providing, by the interactive session system and to the user device of the sponsor, video data that includes the point-of-view video of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product to perform the particular task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video data comprises real-time video data of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving session volunteer data comprises receiving session volunteer data for a given session volunteer in response to the given session volunteer purchasing the particular product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving audio data from the sponsor requesting a response from the particular session volunteer;

providing the audio data to the particular session volunteer;

receiving responsive data from the particular session volunteer that is responsive to the audio data; and

providing the responsive data to the user device of the sponsor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an incentive to the particular session volunteer upon completion of the user study session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the session accessory comprises a hat camera system that includes the video camera input device mounted on a brim of a hat.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the session accessory includes a microphone input device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the session accessory includes a laser pointing device that indicates to the sponsor where the particular session volunteer is looking when wearing the session accessory.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular session volunteer interacts with the particular product to perform the particular task at one of (i) a home environment of the particular session volunteer or (ii) a work environment of the particular session volunteer.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the interactive session system and to the user device of the sponsor, location data that includes the GPS location information,

wherein the user device uses the GPS location information to generate trace data specifying movements of the particular session volunteer throughout the user study session.

6. A system for initiating an interactive session between a sponsor and a session volunteer, the system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user device of the sponsor, a user study session request that requests the one or more computers host an interactive user study session between the sponsor and at least one session volunteer that has access to a particular product for which a user study is to be conducted during the interactive user study session,

wherein the user study session request identifies (i) the particular product for which the user study is to be conducted during the interactive user study session and (ii) one or more criteria;

receiving session volunteer data identifying (i) available session volunteers that each have a session accessory and, for each available session volunteer, (ii) one or more attributes of the available session volunteer and one or more products to which the available session volunteer has access prior to the user study session request being received,

wherein the session accessory is a wearable computing device that includes a video camera input device and a wireless data connection mechanism that connects wirelessly to another computing system, and

wherein the particular product is different from the session accessory;

in response to receiving the user study session request;

selecting, from the available session volunteers using the session volunteer data, a particular session volunteer to participate in the interactive user study session with the sponsor, the session volunteer data for the particular session volunteer indicating that the particular session volunteer satisfies the user study session request by having one or more attributes that match the one or more criteria identified by the user study session request and access to the particular product prior to the user study session request being received; and

initiating a user study session between the sponsor and the particular session volunteer by;

providing, to the particular session volunteer, instructions to perform a particular task using the particular product;

receiving, from the wireless data connection mechanism of the session accessory while the particular session volunteer wears the session accessory, session data including (i) point-of-view video of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product to perform the particular task and (ii) Global Positioning System (GPS) location information specifying GPS coordinates of at least one location visited by the particular session volunteer during the user study session; and

providing, to the user device of the sponsor, video data that includes the point-of-view video of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product to perform the particular task.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the video data comprises real-time video data of the particular session volunteer interacting with the particular product.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein receiving session volunteer data comprises receiving session volunteer data for a given session volunteer in response to the given session volunteer purchasing the particular product.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving audio data from the sponsor requesting a response from the particular session volunteer;

providing the audio data to the particular session volunteer;

receiving responsive data from the particular session volunteer that is responsive to the audio data; and

providing the responsive data to the user device of the sponsor.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing an incentive to the particular session volunteer upon completion of the user study session.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing, to the user device of the sponsor, location data that includes the GPS location information,

wherein the user device uses the GPS location information to generate trace data specifying movements of the particular session volunteer throughout the user study session.