Feedback system for visual content

• US 20050192853A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ebert, Peter S., Samson, Frederic E., Heinrich, Michael, Kumar, Janaki P., Mann, Steven, Schweizer, Bernhard, Kimbell, Ian J., Yusuf, Zia
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A feedback system for visual content is described that allows individual users to obtain feedback regarding selected visual content. A user of the system uploads any desired visual content, and associates the content with a feedback campaign having user-defined characteristics. The user also may associate feedback elements with the visual content, such as comments regarding the visual content or the type of feedback that is desired. The feedback system provides the visual content and feedback elements to selected other users, perhaps by sending a link to the other users via email. In this way, the receiving users may provide feedback regarding the visual content. In particular, the receiving users may generate a virtual note to be placed on a selected portion of the visual content, so as to provide comment specific to the selected portion. As a result, individual users are enabled to create and manage multiple feedback campaigns.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a feedback service operable to receive visual content from a first user and provide the visual content to a second user together with feedback elements for obtaining feedback from the second user regarding the visual content; and

an administration service operable to provide the visual content and feedback elements to the second user as part of a feedback campaign that is individually-tracked with respect to the first user, the administration service further operable to provide the first user with results of the feedback campaign.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the administration service is operable to store the visual content and the feedback in association with the feedback campaign and the first user.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the administration service is operable to register the first user according to a unique user identifier, so as to store the visual content and the feedback in association with the feedback campaign and the first user, according to the unique identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the feedback service is operable to receive the visual content by providing an upload screen to the first user with which the user identifies an image file containing the visual content.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the feedback service is operable to receive the visual content by way of a screen capture tool activated by the first user while the visual content is being locally displayed to the first user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the feedback elements include comments from the first user regarding the visual content or a type of desired feedback.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the feedback elements include a virtual note creator, the virtual note creator operable to allow the second user to place a virtual note on a selected portion of the visual content and thereby provide specific feedback regarding the selected portion.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the feedback elements comprise a ranking scale for allowing the second user to rank the visual content or portion thereof according to criteria defined by the first user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the feedback elements include ranking results compiled from a plurality of users and related to a first piece of visual content, while the second user views a second piece of visual content.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the administration service is operable to receive campaign characteristics from the first user defining a duration and scope of the feedback campaign.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the administration service is operable to provide the visual content and the feedback elements to the second user by generating a link to the feedback campaign to be sent to the second user in an email to the second user.

12. They system of claim 1 wherein the administration service is operable to provide the visual content and the feedback elements to the second user by including the visual content and the feedback elements within an email to the second user.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the administration service includes a results manager operable to compile results of the feedback campaign according to criteria selected by the first user.

14. A method comprising:

receiving visual content from a first user;

associating the visual content and a user identifier associated with the first user with a feedback campaign for obtaining feedback from a second user regarding the visual content;

providing the visual content to the second user along with feedback elements;

receiving the feedback from the second user; and

maintaining the visual content, the user identifier, the feedback, and the feedback campaign in association with one another.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving visual content from the first user comprises registering the first user in association with the user identifier.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein associating the visual content and the user identifier associated with the first user with the feedback campaign comprises receiving campaign characteristics from the first user defining a duration and scope of the feedback campaign.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the visual content to the second user along with feedback elements comprises providing a virtual note creator, the virtual note creator operable to allow the second user to place a virtual note on a selected portion of the visual content and thereby provide specific feedback regarding the selected portion.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing results of the feedback campaign according to criteria selected by the first user.

19. An apparatus comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions including:

a first code segment for receiving campaign characteristics describing a feedback campaign from a first user;

a second code segment for receiving visual content from the first user and associating the visual content with the first user and the feedback campaign;

a third code segment for providing the visual content and associated feedback elements to a second user;

a fourth code segment for associating feedback from the second user, received by way of the feedback elements, with the visual content; and

a fifth code segment for storing the feedback, the visual content, and the campaign characteristics in association with one another, to thereby form feedback campaign results.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 comprising a sixth code segment for providing the feedback campaign results according to criteria selected by the first user.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the third code segment comprises a sixth code segment for providing a virtual note creator as one of the feedback elements, the virtual note creator operable to allow the second user to place a virtual note on a selected portion of the visual content and thereby provide specific feedback regarding the selected portion.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the third code segment comprises a sixth code segment for providing the feedback elements, the feedback elements including comments from the first user regarding the visual content or a type of desired feedback.