DYNAMICALLY SYNCHRONIZING ELECTRONIC SURVEYS AND COLLABORATIVE SURVEY REPRESENTATION DOCUMENTS

• US 20190318015A1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualtrics LLC (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Qualtrics LLC (Australia) (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Cheesman, Larry Dean
• Granted Patent: US 10,949,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward systems and methods for dynamically generating a single survey representation document that includes the disparate components of an electronic survey maintained across one or more repositories by an electronic survey system. Furthermore, the systems and methods described herein provide the survey representation document for collaboration to one or more author computing devices, and synchronize any edits made to the survey representation document with the original electronic survey.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, within an electronic survey system, an electronic survey comprising a plurality of survey questions, wherein each survey question of the plurality of survey questions is associated with a question identifier and comprises question content;

generating a survey representation document for the electronic survey by;

adding first question content corresponding to a first survey question of the plurality of survey questions to a first document segment of the survey representation document; and

mapping the first document segment of survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system;

providing the survey representation document to a collaboration system through which one or more survey collaborators can access the survey representation document and edit the question content within the survey representation document;

receiving an indication of a modification to the first question content within the first document segment; and

updating, within the electronic survey system, the first question content corresponding to the first survey question based on the modification.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising associating the representation document with an electronic survey identifier that corresponds to the electronic survey within the electronic survey system.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the survey representation document for the electronic survey further comprises:

identifying a survey flow logic that defines a presentation order for the plurality of survey questions; and

adding flow logic indicators to the survey representation document that indicates the survey flow logic.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the flow logic indicators comprise one or more of a textual string, a color, pseudocode, a numerical code, or a display structure.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein formatting at least one of the one or more document segments to indicate the survey flow logic associated with the question identifier comprises adding a flow logic indicator to a table cell associated with a response string that indicates a next question identifier associated with the selection of a response corresponding to that table cell.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a selection of a preview survey button associated with the survey representation document;

in response to the detected selection of the preview survey button, receiving an indication of an additional modification to the first question content within the first document segment in the survey representation document; and

updating the first question content based on the additional modification.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, providing, in response to the detected selection of the preview survey button, a preview display of the electronic survey comprising the updated first question content.

2. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein mapping the first document segment of the survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system comprises using a first question identifier associated with the first survey question to link the first document segment to the first survey question.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a system to:

access, within an electronic survey system, an electronic survey comprising a plurality of survey questions, wherein each survey question of the plurality of survey questions is associated with a question identifier and comprises question content;

generate a survey representation document for the electronic survey by;

adding first question content corresponding to a first survey question of the plurality of survey questions to a first document segment of the survey representation document; and

mapping the first document segment of survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system;

provide the survey representation document to a collaboration system through which one or more survey collaborators can access the survey representation document and edit the question content within the survey representation document;

receive an indication of a modification to the first question content within the first document segment; and

update, within the electronic survey system, the first question content corresponding to the first survey question based on the modification.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein mapping the first document segment of the survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system comprises using a first question identifier associated with the first survey question to link the first document segment to the first survey question.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a system to associate the representation document with an electronic survey identifier that corresponds to the electronic survey within the electronic survey system.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein generating the survey representation document for the electronic survey further comprises:

identifying a survey flow logic that defines a presentation order for the plurality of survey questions; and

adding flow logic indicators to the survey representation document that indicates the survey flow logic.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the flow logic indicators comprise one or more of a textual string, a color, pseudocode, a numerical code, or a display structure.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein formatting at least one of the one or more document segments to indicate the survey flow logic associated with the question identifier comprises adding a flow logic indicator to a table cell associated with a response string that indicates a next question identifier associated with the selection of a response corresponding to that table cell.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a system to:

detect a selection of a preview survey button associated with the survey representation document;

in response to the detected selection of the preview survey button, receive an indication of an additional modification to the first question content within the first document segment in the survey representation document; and

update the first question content based on the additional modification.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a system to provide, in response to the detected selection of the preview survey button, a preview display of the electronic survey comprising the updated first question content.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

access, within an electronic survey system, an electronic survey comprising a plurality of survey questions, wherein each survey question of the plurality of survey questions is associated with a question identifier and comprises question content;

generate a survey representation document for the electronic survey by;

adding first question content corresponding to a first survey question of the plurality of survey questions to a first document segment of the survey representation document; and

mapping the first document segment of survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system;

provide the survey representation document to a collaboration system through which one or more survey collaborators can access the survey representation document and edit the question content within the survey representation document;

receive an indication of a modification to the first question content within the first document segment; and

update, within the electronic survey system, the first question content corresponding to the first survey question based on the modification.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein mapping the first document segment of the survey representation document to the first survey question of the electronic survey within the electronic survey system comprises using a first question identifier associated with the first survey question to link the first document segment to the first survey question.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to associate the representation document with an electronic survey identifier that corresponds to the electronic survey within the electronic survey system.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein generating the survey representation document for the electronic survey further comprises:

identifying a survey flow logic that defines a presentation order logic for the plurality of survey questions; and

adding flow logic indicators to the survey representation document that indicates the survey flow logic.