Context-Based Study Generation and Administration

• US 20130204694A1
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sayso LLC
• Original Assignee: Sayso LLC
• Inventors: Banister, James A., Dowling, Michael P., Pelletier, Matthew A., Finney, Heather E., Kubba, Hamza
• Application Number:
  US13/367,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204694A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history

Abstract

A method for delivering a context-based study to a panel in order to measure the effectiveness of advertisements is provided. One disclosed method may include receiving a study definition from a study generation device, the study definition including panel criteria and a target context, and selecting a panel of panelist candidates by matching the panel criteria with panelist candidate demographic information. The method may include monitoring browser events via a study client browser extension of a panelist computing device in order to determine when a target context has been met. The method may further include sending a report indicating that the target context has been met.

Claims

1. A method for administering a computerized study to a plurality of panelists, the method comprising:

selecting a panel of panelists by matching panel criteria for a study with demographic information received from each of a pool of panelist candidates via respective panelist computing devices;

for each selected panelist in the panel, sending from a server system to a study client program on the associated panelist computing device a target context, the study client program being a browser extension configured to monitor browser events to determine if the target context has been met;

receiving from the panelist computing device a report indicating that the target context has been met.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during a registration phase, registering a plurality of panelist candidates having associated panelist computing devices;

receiving demographic information for each panelist candidate from the associated panelist computing devices; and

sending the study client program to be installed on each panelist computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a study definition from a study generation device, the study definition including panel criteria and a target context.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the target context includes identifiers for advertisements to be tracked.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the target context includes an identifier for a target advertisement to be replaced with a pretest advertisement, and a designation for a substitute server to which identified advertisement requests for the target advertisement will be redirected in order to retrieve the pretest advertisement from the substitute server and display the pretest advertisement in an advertising avail in which the target advertisement was to be displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target context comprises panelist behavior to be tracked.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tracked panelist behavior includes search query, social network action, browser navigation, and/or in-page behavior.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, to the browser extension of the panelist computing device, a survey to be completed by the panelist if the target context has been met; and

receiving from the panelist computing device a report indicating responses to the survey.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending instructions to the panelist computing device, the instructions causing the client survey program of the panelist computing device to;

identify a document object model (DOM) of a web page or iFrame in response to a panelist query;

modify the DOM in order to monitor browser events in the web page or iFrame; and

render the modified DOM in a browser of the panelist computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, on a display device of a panelist computing device, a user interface console for the browser extension within a window of a browser.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the tracked panelist behavior includes search query, social network action, browser navigation, and/or in-page behavior

11. A method for participating in a computerized study with a plurality of panelists, the method comprising:

installing a study client program on a panelist computing device, the study client program being a browser extension configured to monitor browser events;

receiving from a server system a target context, the target context including browser events to be detected by the study client program of the panelist computing device;

detecting, by the study client program of the panelist computing device, that the target context has been met; and

sending to the server system a report indicating that the target context has been met.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

during a registration phase, requesting a registration of a panelist candidate having an associated panelist computing device;

sending demographic information for the panelist candidate from the associated panelist computing device; and

receiving at the panelist computing device the study client program to be installed on the panelist computing device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the target context includes identifiers for advertisements to be tracked;

and the method further comprising;

determining that the target context has been met if all browser events identified in the target context are detected by the study client program of the panelist computing device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the target context includes an identifier for a target advertisement to be replaced with a pretest advertisement and a designation for a substitute server from which the pretest advertisement will be retrieved, the method further comprising:

detecting, by the study client program of the panelist computing device, a browser event comprising a request for a target advertisement;

sending, by the study client program of the panelist computing device, the request for the advertisement to the substitute server designated by the target context in order to retrieve the pretest advertisement;

receiving, from the substitute server, the pretest advertisement;

displaying, on a display device of the panelist computing device, the pretest advertisement in an advertising avail in which the target advertisement was to be displayed;

monitoring, by the study client program of the panelist computing device, browsing events after the pretest advertisement is displayed; and

determining that the target context has been met when the pretest advertisement is displayed and browser events corresponding to the target context are detected.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the target context comprises panelist behavior to be tracked.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the study client program of the panelist computing device, a survey to be completed by the panelist if the target context has been met; and

sending, to the server system, a report indicating responses to the survey.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the panelist computing device, instructions, the instructions causing the study client program of the panelist computing device to;

identify a document object model (DOM) of a web page or iFrame;

modify the DOM in order to monitor browser events in the web page or iFrame

render the modified DOM in a browser of the panelist computing device.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, by a display device of the panelist computing device, a user interface console for the study client program within a window of a browser.

20. A method for administering a computerized context-based study to a panel, comprising:

at a server system, during a registration phase of the study,

registering a plurality of panelist candidates having associated panelist computing devices;

receiving demographic information for each panelist candidate from the associated panelist computing devices;

sending to each panelist computing device a study client program, the study client program being a browser extension;

at the server system, during a study generation phase,

receiving a study definition from a study generation device, the study definition including panel criteria and a target context;

at the server system, during a study implementation phase,

selecting a panel of panelist candidates by matching the panel criteria with the panelist candidate demographic information;

for each selected panelist in the panel, sending from the server system to the browser extension on the associated panelist computing device the target context;

at the panelist computing device, receiving from the server system the target context having one or more contextual factors;

monitoring browser events via the study client browser extension to determine if target context has been met;

upon determining that the target context has been met, sending a report to the server system indicating that the target context has been met;

receiving from the panelist computing device the report indicating that the target has been met.