Dynamic user profiling for usability

• US 6,728,755 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: de Ment, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/675,428
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/7, 348/1, 348/2, 455/2, 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 707/104, 707/506
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of acquiring user information from users of a web tool in order to characterize users of the particular web tool. In one embodiment, the method involves providing the web tool to web users over the Internet, and providing to a web user the opportunity to take a pop-up survey in response to the user using the tool. In this way, actual user information relating to the user'"'"'s use of the web tool is automatically and conveniently elicited from the user through the pop-up survey if the user selects to take the survey.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring user information from at least one user of a web tool, comprising:

providing the web tool to at least one web user over the Internet, wherein the web tool is a search engine;

providing to the web user, in response to the user initiating a search on the search engine, an opportunity to take a survey; and

eliciting from the web user, through the survey, tool use information relating to use of the tool by the web'"'"'s user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the survey through one or more windows.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the survey through one or more windows includes providing the survey through one or more click-through windows.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the survey through one or more click through windows includes providing the survey through less than 10 click-through windows.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each click-through window may be responded to exclusively by using a mouse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tool use information is utilized to characterize a typical user of the web tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing to the web user the opportunity to take the survey includes offering the user a gift in return for taking the survey.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing to the web user the opportunity to take the survey includes offering the user a chance to win a prize in return for taking the survey.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing to the web user the opportunity to take the survey includes providing the opportunity if a predefined random criteria is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the opportunity includes providing the opportunity to the user if the user has not taken the survey within a predefined time period.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the survey includes one or more dynamic questions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more pop up windows are used to present to the user questions for eliciting the user information.

13. A method for characterizing a user of a web tool, comprising:

providing the web tool over the Internet to one or more web users, wherein the web tool is a search engine;

providing, to randomly selected users in response to the user initiating a search on the search engine, the opportunity to take a pop-up survey; and

acquiring characteristic user group information relating to the web tool.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the administered survey includes dynamic questions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein click-through windows are used in administering the survey.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein a selected user is enticed to take the survey with a chance to win a prize by agreeing to take the survey.