Questionnaire agency system and method for conducting questionnaire on people who meet conditions

• US 5,725,384 A
• Filed: 01/22/1996
• Issued: 03/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Ryoichi, Ito, Tomiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROVNAK, JOHN EDMUND
• Application Number:
  US08/589,851
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/322
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A questionnaire agency company stores individual information of a number of answerers in a database in a questionnaire agency system. When a client enters desired conditions, answerers who meet the conditions are retrieved automatically. The number of the answerers is presented to the client. When the client approves it, the contents of a questionnaire are sent to the chosen answerers by telephone or facsimile and replies to the questionnaire are collected.

Claims

1. A questionnaire agency system for intermediating a questionnaire client and answerers each having a terminal connected to a network and conducting questionnaire for the client, comprising:

a database to store answerer information containing individual information about a plurality of answerers;

an input/output unit to input an answerer condition specified by a first client; and

an information retrieval unit to compare said individual information of said answerers contained in said answerer information with said condition to thereby automatically retrieve a first answerer who meets said condition among said plurality of answerers, and to choose said first answerer as a receiver of a questionnaire of said first client.

2. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal is one of a telephone and a facsimile.

3. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 1, wherein said information retrieval unit counts the number of answerers who meet said condition of said plurality of answerers contained in said answerer information, and said input/output unit outputs the number of said answerers who meet said condition.

4. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 1, wherein said database stores said answerer information containing call numbers of terminals of said plurality of answerers, and said information retrieval unit retrieves a call number of said first answerer from said database.

5. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 4, further comprising communication means for calling a terminal of said first answerer using the call number of said first answerer retrieved by said information retrieval unit and sending the contents of said questionnaire to said terminal of said first answerer.

6. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 5, wherein said communication means receives the contents of said questionnaire from the terminal of said first client and sends said contents to said terminal of said first answerer after said information retrieval unit reads said call number of said first answerer.

7. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 5, wherein said database stores said answerer information containing identifiers of said plurality of answerers and client information containing identifiers of a plurality of clients, and said information retrieval unit retains an identifier of said first answerer so that said identifier of said first answerer is made to correspond with an identifier of said first client.

8. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 7, further comprising distribution means for identifying the terminal of said first client that sent said questionnaire contents to said communication means, and for choosing said first answerer whose identifier is made to correspond with said identifier of said first client as a destination to which said questionnaire contents are to be distributed.

9. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 8, wherein said information retrieval unit chooses two or more answerers who meet said condition from said answerer information, and said distribution means chooses said first answerer from said two or more answerers randomly.

10. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 5, further comprising collection means for controlling said communication means to transfer a reply submitted to said questionnaire by said first answerer to the terminal of said first client.

11. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 10, wherein said communication means sends client information that is made to correspond with said first client to said terminal of said first answerer together with the contents of said questionnaire, and said collection means specifies said first client on the basis of said client information contained in a reply to said questionnaire from said first answerer.

12. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 10, wherein said communication means sends to said terminal of said first answerer a call number of a reception terminal to which a reply to said questionnaire is to be directed and which is made to correspond with said first client together with the contents of said questionnaire, and said collection means transfers a reply to said questionnaire received by said reception terminal to said terminal of said first client.

13. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 10, wherein said collection means determines whether the number of replies to said questionnaire sent from two or more answerers including said first answerer has reached a predetermined number and, when said predetermined number is reached, terminates collection of replies to said questionnaire.

14. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 10, wherein said collection means determines whether a period of a questionnaire reply has expired and terminates collection of replies to said questionnaire when the period has expired.

15. A questionnaire agency system which intermediates a questionnaire client and answerers each having a terminal connected to a network and conducting questionnaire for said client, comprising:

an information retrieval unit to automatically choose a first answerer that meets a condition specified by a first client from a plurality of answerers; and

a communication unit to send the contents of a questionnaire of said first client to the terminal of said first answerer chosen by said information retrieval unit.

16. The questionnaire agency system according to claim 15, wherein:

said communication unit receives the contents of said questionnaire from the terminal of said first client and

said information retrieval unit automatically chooses a call number of the terminal of said first answerer associated with said first client.

17. A questionnaire agency system which intermediates a questionnaire client and answerers each having a terminal connected to a network and conducting questionnaire for said client, comprising:

communication means for receiving a reply to a questionnaire of a first client from a first answerer who meets a condition specified by said first client, said first answerer being selected from among a plurality of answerers by retrieving a database storing individual information about said plurality of answerers; and

collection means for controlling said communication means to transfer said reply to said questionnaire to the terminal of said first client.

18. A method of conducting questionnaire for a client comprising the steps of:

creating a database for storing answerer information containing individual information of a plurality of answerers;

entering a condition of an answerer specified by a first client;

retrieving a first answerer who meets said condition among said plurality of answerers; and

choosing said first answerer as a receiver of a questionnaire of said first client.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of examining a call number of a terminal of said first answerer and sending the contents of a questionnaire of said first client to the terminal of said first answerer using said call number of said first answerer.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of transferring a reply to said questionnaire received from said terminal of said first answerer to a terminal of said first client.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, when used by a computer to conduct questionnaire for a client, used to direct the computer to perform the functions of:

creating a database for storing answerer information containing individual information of a plurality of answerers;

entering a condition of an answerer specified by a first client;

retrieving a first answerer who meets said condition among said plurality of answerers; and

choosing said first answerer as a receiver of a questionnaire of said first client.