Automated form-based feedback of wireless user experiences accessing content, e.g., web content

• US 7,805,136 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2006
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Delker, Jason R., Everson, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US11/399,743
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A computer system receives communications from wireless communications devices reporting on problems with communications with content servers on a network such as application servers or web site servers. The central computer system generates reports summarizing the reported problems. Such summary reports can be used internally by a wireless service provider or made available to the proprietor of the content server. The wireless communications devices include an interactive application that facilitates generation of a report and transmission of the report to the computer system. In one embodiment, the computer system is managed by a provider of wireless communications services.

Claims

1. A method of collecting feedback on user experiences in accessing content on a network via a wireless communications device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of communications from a plurality of distributed wireless communications devices, each communication including at least (a) identification information as to a wireless communication device, (b) information as to a communication problem occurring when the wireless communication device accessed a web site with a web browser, and (c) information identifying the web site;

storing data from such communications in a computer system;

preparing a summary report of the plurality of communications; and

making available the summary report to a proprietor of the web site, wherein the summary report contains information (a) and (b),

wherein making available the summary report to the proprietor is triggered when a number of communications of the plurality of communications reporting on problems occurring with the web site exceeds a predetermined threshold,

wherein information provided in the summary report comprises at least one of;

(1) year, make or model of wireless communication device reporting a problem, (2) a time the problem occurred, (3) a location of the wireless communication device when the problem occurred, (4) a number of occurrences of a type of communication problem, and (5) a browser of a wireless communication device reporting the problem.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step is performed by a provider of wireless communications services or a designee thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is maintained by a provider of wireless communications services.

4. In a wireless communications device having a processing unit executing machine-readable instructions stored in a memory, the wireless communications device configured for Internet web browsing, the improvement comprising:

providing instructions in the wireless communications device for facilitating reporting communication problems to a computer system remote from the wireless communications device, wherein the communication problems that are reported comprise problems occurring when the wireless communications device interacts with a content site on a network using a web browser,

wherein the instructions comprise an interactive application displaying a form on a screen display of the wireless communications device, whereby an operator of the wireless communications device may indicate on the form a type of communication problem that occurred, wherein the form provides a listing of predetermined error conditions and the operator may indicate that one of the predetermined error conditions was experienced,

wherein the instructions further comprise instruction for including in a report at least one of;

(1) year, make or model of wireless communications device, (2) a browser used by the wireless communications device, (3) a time the problem occurred, (4) a location of the wireless communications device when the problem occurred, (5) an address of a web site for the content site, and (6) a cell or sector in a radio access network the wireless communications device was communicating with at a time the problem occurred.

5. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the computer system is managed by a provider of wireless communication services.

6. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the wireless communications device reports the communication problem to the computer system via a SMS message.

7. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the form provides a space for a user to enter a description of the communication problem.

8. The improvement of claim 4, wherein the error conditions include at least one of (a) web site nonresponsiveness, (b) inability to login, and (c) display or resolution problems.

9. An improvement to a wireless service provider system, comprising:

a computer system receiving and storing communications from a plurality of distributed wireless communications devices, the communications reporting on communications problems occurring when the wireless communications devices access a web site with a web browser;

wherein the computer system further comprises software instructions for processing the communications to thereby generate a summary report of the communications and to make available the summary report to a proprietor of the web site, wherein the summary report contains (a) identification information as to a wireless communications device and (b) information as to a communication problem occurring when the wireless communications device accessed the web site with the web browser, wherein making available the summary report to the proprietor is triggered when a number of communications of the plurality of communications reporting on problems occurring with the web site exceeds a predetermined threshold,

wherein the summary report further comprises data indicating at least one of;

(1) year, make or model of a wireless communications device reporting a problem with communication with a content site, (2) a time the problem occurred, (3) a location of the wireless communications device when the problem occurred, (4) a number of occurrences of a communication problem; and

(5) a browser used by the wireless communications device reporting the problem.

10. The improvement of claim 9, wherein the computer system operates to generate a multitude of reports, each one for a different content site proprietor, each report containing information relating to communication problems reported by wireless communications devices of a particular web site.

11. The improvement of claim 9, wherein the computer system operates to generate a second summary report for internal usage by a wireless service provider.