System for and method of gathering complex structured information
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of gathering information from a user of a client computer, and a display device and input device operatively coupled to the client computer, comprising the steps of:
- providing a collection of electronic forms, each including a display component instructing the client processor how to render text and input fields on the display device and an executable component for execution on the client computer that includes logic for validating captured user input field data and logic for applying domain knowledge to user response data;
requesting an electronic form be sent to the client computer;
transmitting an electronic form from the collection to the client computer in response to the request;
gathering response data from a user by rendering on the display text and input fields associated with the transmitted form, capturing field data input by the user in response to the rendered text and input fields, and validating the input field data, repeating this step if the validation reveals an user input error;
determining whether additional action is necessary at least in part by applying domain based knowledge to the gathered response data, and taking said actions if determined necessary; and
transmitting the user response data from the client computer to another computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method and computer program product for gathering complex structured information in an automated manner is disclosed, which may be substituted for an in-person interview between a trained professional interviewer possessing complex domain knowledge and an untrained consumer of professional services. The method involves sequential downloads of encrypted smart forms from a server to a consumer'"'"'s computer, presentation of forms with contents tailored to the needs of the consumer as deduced from the consumer'"'"'s responses to previous forms, validation and interpretation of the consumer'"'"'s responses based on domain-specific and common-sense rules, a segregation of the consumer'"'"'s responses into pieces requiring varying degrees of confidential or expedited handling, and an encrypted upload of the resulting information to a server.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of gathering information from a user of a client computer, and a display device and input device operatively coupled to the client computer, comprising the steps of:
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providing a collection of electronic forms, each including a display component instructing the client processor how to render text and input fields on the display device and an executable component for execution on the client computer that includes logic for validating captured user input field data and logic for applying domain knowledge to user response data;
requesting an electronic form be sent to the client computer;
transmitting an electronic form from the collection to the client computer in response to the request;
gathering response data from a user by rendering on the display text and input fields associated with the transmitted form, capturing field data input by the user in response to the rendered text and input fields, and validating the input field data, repeating this step if the validation reveals an user input error;
determining whether additional action is necessary at least in part by applying domain based knowledge to the gathered response data, and taking said actions if determined necessary; and
transmitting the user response data from the client computer to another computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. System for automating the gathering of information from a user, comprising:
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a server to which a repository is operatively coupled;
a client computer operatively coupled to the server;
a collection of electronic forms stored on the repository, each electronic form including a display component instructing the client processor how to render text and input fields on a display operatively coupled to the client computer, and an executable component for execution on the client computer that includes logic for validating captured user input field data and logic for applying domain knowledge to user response data;
a form server application executing on the server and including logic for transmitting one or more forms from the collection in response to form requests; and
a client application executing on the client computer including logic for requesting forms from the form server application, and logic for parsing the display component and logic for executing the executable component of the transmitted one or more forms so as to;
gather response data from a user by rendering on the display text and input fields associated with the transmitted one or more forms, capturing field data input by the user in response to the rendered text and input fields, and validating the input field data, repeating this step if the validation reveals an user input error;
determine whether additional action is necessary at least in part by applying domain based knowledge to the gathered response data, and taking said actions if determined necessary; and
transmit the user response data from the client computer to another computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer program product encoded on one or more programmable storage devices, for use in a system including a client computer operatively coupled to a server, and a display device and an input device operatively coupled to the client computer, the computer program product executable by the client computer and server to perform instructions for automating the gathering of information from a user, comprising:
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a collection of electronic forms, each including a display component instructing the client processor how to render text and input fields on the display device and an executable component for execution on the client computer that includes logic for validating captured user input field data and logic for applying domain knowledge to user response data;
code for requesting an electronic form be sent to the client computer;
a server application executing on the server for transmitting an electronic form from the collection to the client computer in response to the request;
a client application including code for parsing the display component and executing the executable component of the transmitted electronic form so as to;
gather response data from a user by rendering on the display text and input fields associated with the transmitted form, capturing field data input by the user in response to the rendered text and input fields, and validating the input field data, repeating this step if the validation reveals an user input error;
determine whether additional action is necessary at least in part by applying domain based knowledge to the gathered response data, and take said actions if determined necessary; and
transmit the user response data from the client computer to another computer. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification