Computer network based testing system

• US 6,112,049 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 08/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Riverside Publishing Co. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Original Assignee: The Riverside Publishing Co. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. (Private Equity))
• Inventors: Sonnenfeld, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Chanda
• Application Number:
  US08/955,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/322, 434/118, 434/323, 434/362, 706/927, 706/217, 706/227, 706/238, 709/217, 709/227, 709/238
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction

Abstract

An interactive query server system, comprising a database storing a plurality of query sections, each section including parameters defining a relation with other query sections. The query server is adapted to:

Generate, based on the parameters, query sequence sets, each set having at least one query section;

Transmit a query sequence set as a logical unit to a client system;

Receive responses of a user to the query sequence set from the client system; and

Process the received responses to produce an output.

The host may transmit information defining at least one of the sections to the client system, which are presented to the user for receipt of responses. The responses are then transmitted to the query server. The query server processes the received information and produces an output based on the processed information. The query server may transmit information defining one of the sections to the client system, including designated queries and context information, and define information representative of a state of the section before transmission. The terminal presents inquiries to the user defined by the section, receives responses to the queries, and transmits an answer that includes information relating to the responses and a modified state to the query server. The query server, in this case, processes the responses to determine an information content and to determine a change between the defined state and the modified state.

Claims

1. A human response testing system, comprising:

(a) a host, storing a plurality of testing parameters, said testing parameters being grouped into a plurality of sections;

(b) a terminal, communicating with said host through a telecommunications link, adapted for interaction with the human to acquire responses to said testing parameters,

wherein;

(i) said host transmits information defining one of said sections to said terminal, comprising said grouped testing parameters and encoded information representative of a defined status before transmission;

(ii) said terminal presents testing parameters to the human, defined by said section, and receives said responses thereto; and

(iii) said terminal transmits information relating to said responses and a modified status to said host, said host processing said information to;

a. determine information content of said responses, and

b. determine said modified status.

2. The human response testing system according to claim 1,

wherein said host processes said information relating to said responses and outputs processed information from said host.

3. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of sections are stored in a database, each section including at least one of said parameters and defining a graphic layout of a display at said terminal.

4. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein each section includes parameters defining a relation with other of said sections.

5. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host and said terminal are separate systems communicating over a wide area network.

6. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host and said terminal are separate systems communicating over the Internet.

7. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sections comprises HTML code.

8. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sections includes a resource locator for information stored on a system other than said host.

9. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sections instructs said terminal to display images.

10. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said sections instructs said terminal to display received compressed video images.

11. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal comprises an output for display on a television receiver system.

12. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal receives encrypted information in at least one of said sections.

13. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal comprises a standard world wide web browser and a software module, external to said world wide web browser for interpreting information in said sections.

14. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host is adapted to provide sections to a plurality of client systems concurrently.

15. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said sections comprises query content and parameters for processing of said query content.

16. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host, after receiving responses associated with a first section, transmits a second section to said terminal.

17. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host, after receiving responses associated with a first section, transmits a second section, said second section being logically related to said first section.

18. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said testing parameters defines a test of knowledge.

19. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said testing parameters defines an inquiry of human preference.

20. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein each section comprises query content and parameters for processing of said query content, said host, after receiving responses, transmits a successive section, said section having different processing parameters from said successive section.

21. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host analyzes said information content of said responses and produces an output comprising a statistical analysis of said information content.

22. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein a section is defined at a time of transmission to said terminal.

23. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein at least one transmitted section is defined based on a prior received response.

24. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host is adapted to generate a plurality of sections having respectively different sets of parameters.

25. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host analyzes a time characteristic of a received response.

26. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said sections are defined by an input from a terminal.

27. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein each said received response is cumulative of prior received responses, said host analyzing said received response to define said modified status and determine a change of prior received responses from said defined status.

28. The human response testing system according to claim 1, wherein said host further processes said information to determine a change between said defined status and said modified status to indicate changes between said transmitted context information and said information relating to said responses.

29. A human response testing method, comprising:

(a) storing a plurality of testing parameters in a host, said testing parameters being grouped into a plurality of sections;

(b) communicating between a terminal and the host through a telecommunications link, adapted for interaction with a human to acquire responses to the testing parameters.

(c) transmitting information defining one of said sections from the host to the terminal, comprising the grouped testing parameters and encoded information representative of a defined status before transmission;

(d) presenting testing parameters through the terminal to the human, defined by the section, and receiving the responses thereto;

(e) transmitting information relating to the responses and a modified status to from the terminal to the host; and

(f) processing the information at the host to;

(i) determine information content of the responses, and

(ii) determine the modified status.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of processing the information at the host to determine a change between the defined status and the modified status, to indicate changes between the transmitted context information and the information relating to the responses.