Analyzing system, analyzing method using the same, and system for collecting survey results for use in analysis

• US 7,650,109 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2003
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
• Original Assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc.
• Inventors: Shimakawa, Toshihiko, Takashima, Norikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Lana N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsieh; Ping Y
• Application Number:
  US10/539,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20070141976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,216 Days
• Field of Search: 455/2.01, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/414.4, 705/11, 705/31, 705/32, 705/35, 708/139, 702/136
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A surveyor carries a terminal device 200 and travels to a survey point preliminarily instructed. The surveyor obtains survey position information by using a GPS unit in the terminal device 200 at the survey point. The surveyor also photographs an object of a survey by using a camera in the terminal device 200 at the survey point. After completion of a series of surveys, the surveyor transmits survey results including the survey position information to an analyzing apparatus 100 by using the terminal device 200. The analyzing apparatus 100 determines reliability by using survey position information included in the survey results and carries out a predetermined analysis by using a survey result of high reliability. Consequently, a survey result of low reliability can be eliminated from objects to be analyzed.

Claims

1. An analyzing system comprising:

a collecting unit for collecting a survey result of a pre-designated survey from a terminal device, said survey result collected from the terminal device including external environment information of a survey point and said survey, wherein said survey includes responses, entered by a user, to a plurality of questions;

a determination file storing unit for storing ideal information;

a determining unit for determining reliability of the survey result on the basis of said external environment information at said survey point added to said survey result by said terminal device by comparing said external environment information to the stored ideal information; and

an analyzing unit for carrying out a predetermined analysis on the basis of the collected survey result in consideration of said reliability.

2. The analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said analyzing unit comprises:

an extracting part for selecting a survey result to be analyzed on the basis of said reliability; and

an analyzing part for carrying out said analysis on the basis of the selected survey result.

3. The analyzing system according to claim 2, wherein when a plurality of survey results exist for the same survey, said extracting unit selects a survey result of high reliability.

4. The analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said external environment information is survey position information specifying the position of said terminal device at the time point when said survey is conducted.

5. The analyzing system according to claim 4, wherein said survey includes survey target position information specifying a target point of a survey, and

said determining unit determines reliability of said survey result on the basis of said survey target position information and said survey position information.

6. The analyzing system according to claim 1, further comprising a providing unit for transmitting said survey to said terminal device.

7. A method of carrying out a predetermined analysis by using a system including an analyzing apparatus for carrying out an analysis on the basis of a survey result collected from a terminal device connected via a network, comprising:

storing ideal information

collecting a survey result of a pre-designated survey from the terminal device, said survey result collected from the terminal device including external environment information of a survey point and said survey, wherein said survey includes responses, entered by a user, to a plurality of questions;

determining reliability of the survey result on the basis of said external environment information at said survey point added to said survey result by said terminal device by comparing the ideal information with said external environment information; and

carrying out a predetermined analysis on the basis of the collected survey result in consideration of said reliability.

8. A survey result collecting system comprising:

a collecting unit for collecting a survey result of a pre-designated survey from a terminal device, said survey result collected from the terminal device including external environment information of a survey point and said survey, wherein said survey includes responses, entered by a user, to a plurality of questions;

a determination file storing unit for storing ideal information;

a determining unit for determining reliability of the survey result on the basis of said external environment information at said survey point added to said survey result by said terminal device by comparing said external environment information to the ideal information;

an extracting unit for selecting a survey result on the basis of said reliability; and

an output unit for outputting the selected survey result.

9. An analyzing system comprising:

a collecting unit for collecting a survey result of a pre-designated survey from a terminal device, wherein said survey result includes responses, entered by a user, to a plurality of questions;

a determination file storing unit for storing ideal information;

a determining unit for determining reliability of the survey result on the basis of predetermined information which cannot be arbitrarily rewritten by an operator of said terminal device, and which is added to said survey result by said terminal device, the reliability being determined by comparing said predetermined information with the ideal information; and

an analyzing unit for carrying out a predetermined analysis on the basis of the collected survey result in consideration of said reliability.

10. The analyzing system according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined information is position information of said terminal device obtained by a GPS unit provided for said terminal device.

11. An analyzing system comprising:

a providing unit for providing a program which is adapted to specification of a terminal device and can be executed in said terminal device to said terminal device via a network;

a determination file storing unit for storing ideal information;

a collecting unit for collecting a survey result which is obtained by executing said program in said terminal device and includes external environment information of said terminal device and responses, entered by a user, to a plurality of questions, said survey result collected from said terminal device via said network; and

a determining unit for determining reliability of a survey result on the basis of said external environment information included in said survey result,

wherein reliability of the survey result is determined by comparing the external environment information to the ideal information.

12. The analyzing system according to claim 11, further comprising a survey information file storing unit for storing a plurality of programs prepared for respective surveys,

wherein on the basis of specifications of said terminal device, said providing unit reads a program of a survey corresponding to the specifications from said survey information file storing unit and provides it to said terminal device.

13. The analyzing system according to claim 11, wherein said collecting unit stores external environment information included in said survey result and an ideal value to be obtained in said survey result so as to be associated with each other.

14. The analyzing system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an analyzing unit for carrying out a predetermined analysis on the basis of a collected survey result in consideration of the reliability of the collected survey result.

15. The analyzing system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a survey result storing unit for storing said survey result; and

an extracting unit for selecting a survey result to be analyzed from said survey result storing unit on the basis of said reliability,

wherein said analyzing unit carries out a predetermined analysis on the basis of the selected survey result.

16. The analyzing system according to claim 15, wherein said terminal device presents a survey by executing said program,

said survey result includes position information of said terminal device when said survey is presented and external environment information different from said position information, which is obtained by an external environment data obtaining unit of said terminal device when said survey is presented, and

said survey result storing unit stores said position information and said external environment information so as to be associated with each other.

17. The analyzing system according to claim 15, wherein said terminal device presents a survey by executing said program,

said survey result includes position information of said terminal device when said survey is presented and an image captured by said terminal device when said survey is presented, and

said survey result storing unit stores said position information and said image so as to be associated with each other.

18. The analyzing system according to claim 11, wherein said collecting unit specifies a key for database management on the basis of said external environment information included in said survey result and adds the specified key to the survey result.

19. The analyzing system according to claim 11, wherein said collecting unit accepts survey results of a survey until a predetermined time limit which is set for each survey.

20. The analyzing system according to claim 19, further comprising:

a log storing unit for managing a survey a surveyor takes charge of on a surveyor unit basis; and

a notifying unit for, when the remaining period to said time limit becomes shorter than a predetermined period, sending a notification of urging a surveyor in charge of the survey to transmit a survey result to the surveyor.