Emoticons

• US 20020149611A1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Quask AG
• Original Assignee: Quask AG
• Inventors: May, Julian S.
• Application Number:
  US09/832,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for receiving input data (406) from a user based on a user'"'"'s emotional response to a property (904, 908), including a plurality of network-connected user terminals (101, 102, 103), wherein each of said terminals includes memory means (302) and processing means (301, 304). Said memory means (302) is configured to receive (503) instructions (404) from one of said network-connected terminals (103) and said instructions (404) configure said processing means (301, 304) to perform the steps of displaying (504) a modifiable graphical control (906, 907), displaying (504) an adjustable and emotionally representative character, adjusting (506) a representation (905, 909) of said character in response to the modification (505) of said graphical control (906, 907) and receiving (508) input data (406) in response to said modification (505) of said graphical control (906, 907).

Claims

1. Apparatus for receiving input data from a user based on a user'"'"'s emotional response to a property, including a plurality of network-connected user terminals, wherein each of said terminals includes memory means and processing means, said memory means is configured to receive instructions from one of said network-connected terminals and said instructions configure said processing means to perform the steps of:

(a) displaying a modifiable graphical control;

(b) displaying an adjustable, emotionally representative character;

(c) adjusting a representation of said character in response to the modification of said graphical control; and

(d) receiving input data in response to said modification of said graphical control.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are received from said one of said network terminals by means of a downloading operation.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said modifiable graphical control includes preferably a knob configured to slide within a slider by means of user input.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable, emotionally representative character is graphically represented in relation to the said property so as to generate said user'"'"'s emotional response by inducing empathy from said user.

7. Apparatus according to claims 1 and 6, wherein said representation is adjusted from amongst a plurality of representations of said adjustable, emotionally representative character, which is representative of the range of emotional responses from the user to said property.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of representations of said adjustable, emotionally representative character is not limited.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said received input data includes one or a plurality of integers.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said one or a plurality of integers further include labels, which are preferably, but not exclusively, text labels containing a string of ASCII characters.

3. Apparatus according to claims I and 2, wherein said instructions are written in one or a plurality of higher-level and/or lower-level programming languages such as preferably, but nor exclusively, Java, Javascript, Dynamic Hypertext Mark up Language, C, C++, Flash, Shockwave and Assembler.

4. Apparatus according to claims I to 3, wherein said instructions configure said processing means to perform said steps preferably, but not necessarily, by means of applets.

11. A method of receiving input data from a user based on a user'"'"'s emotional response to a property, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a modifiable graphical control;

(b) displaying an adjustable, emotionally representative character;

(c) adjusting a representation of said character in response to the modification of said graphical control; and

(d) receiving input data in response to said modification of said graphical control.

12. Method according to claim 11, wherein said instructions are received from said one of said network terminals by means of a downloading operation.

13. Method according to claims 11 and 12, wherein said instructions are written in one or a plurality of higher-level and/or lower-level programming languages such as preferably, but nor exclusively, Java, Javascript, Dynamic Hypertext Mark up Language, C, C++, Flash, Shockwave and Assembler.

14. Method according to claims 11 to 13, wherein said instructions configure said processing means to perform said steps preferably, but not necessarily, by means of applets.

15. Method according to claim 11, wherein said modifiable graphical control includes preferably a knob configured to slide within a slider by means of user input.

16. Method according to claim 11, wherein said adjustable, emotionally representative character is graphically represented in relation to the said property so as to generate said user'"'"'s emotional response by inducing empathy from said user.

17. Method according to claims 11 and 16, wherein said representation is adjusted from amongst a plurality of representations of said adjustable, emotionally representative character, which is representative of the range of emotional responses from the user to said property.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein said plurality of representations of said adjustable, emotionally representative character is not limited.

19. Method according to claim 11, wherein said received input data includes one or a plurality of integers.

20. Method according to claims 11 and 19, wherein said one or a plurality of integers further include labels, which are preferably, but not exclusively, text labels containing a string of ASCII characters.

21. A computer-readable memory system having computer-readable data stored therein, comprising

an operating system;

a browser including one or a plurality of applets;

program instructions;

one or a plurality of interface tables;

one or a plurality of response tables;

22. A computer-readable memory system according to claim 21, wherein said program instructions are configured to:

(a) displaying a modifiable graphical control;

(b) displaying an adjustable, emotionally representative character;

(c) adjusting a representation of said character in response to the modification of said graphical control; and

(d) receiving input data in response to said modification of said graphical control.