Report form generator for anonymous reporting system

• US 20060229995A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OneTrust LLC
• Original Assignee: OneTrust LLC
• Inventors: Ferraro, Eugene F.
• Application Number:
  US11/358,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20060229995A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system

Abstract

An anonymous reporting system for use in reporting and following up on incidents, accidents, and the like. The system may be accessed via an Internet website. A reporting individual may select a type of incident to report. A report form specific to that type of incident will then be provided for the reporting individual to complete and submit. The particular report form that corresponds to a particular type of incident can be a template form defined by an administrator of the website or a form defined by a customer of the services supplied by the administrator.

Claims

1. An internet-based system for use by a reporting individual, comprising:

a web server that provides a reporting individual the opportunity to make a report relative to one of a plurality of entities, the reporting individual having the option to remain anonymous in the report;

wherein the server further allows the reporting individual to select a type of report that the individual wishes to make and, based on that selection, a corresponding report form is generated for that type of report to be made;

wherein the corresponding form is different for different types of reports to be made.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system is separately configurable for each of a plurality of entities, wherein every reporting individual is associated with an entity, wherein the corresponding form for a given type of report for one entity is different from the corresponding form for the same given type of report for at least one other entity.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the reporting individual can enter data in defined fields on the corresponding report form that is generated.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the individual has the choice of different levels of anonymity.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the individual has the choice of three 2 different levels of anonymity.

6. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein one of the choices the individual has is complete anonymity.

7. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein one of the choices the individual has is anonymity toward the entity but not toward administrators of the system.

8. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein one of the choices the individual has is no anonymity.

9. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the reporting individual makes the selection of the type of report that the individual wishes to make by selecting one of a plurality of types of reports listed in a pull-down menu.

10. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the corresponding report form for a given type of report differs from a corresponding report form for another type of report by the defined fields in the report forms.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein the differences between the defined fields on different report forms relates to different requested information.

12. A method for collecting incident reports from reporting individuals about a group of entities via the internet, the method comprising:

providing a website for reporting individuals to visit;

allowing the reporting individual to identify the entity;

allowing the reporting individual to select a type of report to be submitted;

based on the selection of report type, providing a report form that corresponds to that type of report;

allowing the reporting individual to enter data into the report form;

allowing the reporting individual to remain anonymous in the report; and

allowing the reporting individual to submit the form.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein each entity can specify the report form corresponding to each report type that will be provided to reporting individuals who identify that entity.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein each entity specifying the report form includes allowing each entity to provide a customized report form.