Questionnaire server capable of providing questionnaires based on device capabilities

• US 8,195,749 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualtrics LLC (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Bindu Rama Rao
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US11/807,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A mobile device or a sender'"'"'s PC, notebook, PDA or laptop creates questionnaires and sends it to other recipient devices. The questionnaire is created by user of mobile device using audio inputs for a questionnaire preamble and for preambles for a question. A server in the network incorporates other generic portions of the questionnaire. It collates results received and send it to user who made/sent the questionnaire. Thus, a user can make adhoc questionnaires, send them to recipients and receive the results. This makes it easy for a user to create, disseminate, conduct questionnaires or surveys on mobile handsets and to collect results for processing and storage.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a source mobile device that captures audio input from a user and creates a questionnaire;

a first recipient device that comprises a questionnaire client capable of handling the questionnaire;

a second recipient device that does not comprise the questionnaire client capable of handling the questionnaire;

the second recipient device comprising a website browsing client capable of displaying webpages;

a server, communicatively coupled to the source mobile device, the first recipient device and the second recipient device;

the server receiving the questionnaire and a list of recipients that provides identifications of the first recipient device and the second recipient device, from the source mobile device;

the server mapping the list of recipients into appropriate phone numbers, email addresses and/or IP addresses;

the server adding audio information to the questionnaire provided by the source mobile device to create a prepared questionnaire;

the server sending the prepared questionnaire to the first recipient device for display to a first recipient user;

the server providing one or more questionnaire webpages associated with the questionnaire to the second recipient device for access by a second recipient user; and

wherein the server tailors the prepared questionnaire to the capability of the first recipient device when the questionnaire is downloaded and to the second recipient device when the questionnaire is viewed as a collection of webpages.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first recipient device and the second recipient device is a mobile device.

3. The network of claim 2 further comprising:

the server converting the questionnaire provided by the source mobile device into corresponding questionnaire webpages associated with the questionnaire for access using the second recipient device.

4. The network of claim 2 further comprising:

the server adding boilerplate text and audio information to the questionnaire provided by the source mobile device to create a prepared questionnaire; and

the server sending the prepared questionnaire to the first recipient device for display to a first recipient user.

5. The network of claim 4 further comprising:

the server converting the prepared questionnaire into corresponding questionnaire webpages associated with the questionnaire for access using the second recipient device.

6. The network of claim 4 further comprising:

the server determining that the first recipient device comprises the questionnaire client capable of handling the questionnaire and sending the prepared questionnaire to the first recipient device; and

the server determining that the second recipient device does not comprise the questionnaire client and providing access to the questionnaire webpages associated with the questionnaire to the second recipient device.

7. The network of claim 4 further comprising:

the server determining that the second recipient device does not comprise the questionnaire client and providing a notification to the second recipient device regarding the availability of the questionnaire webpages.

8. The network of claim 7 further comprising:

a downloadable questionnaire client;

the server facilitating the download of the downloadable questionnaire client;

the second recipient device capable of downloading and installing the downloadable questionnaire client;

the notification to the second recipient device comprising an URL associated with the questionnaire webpages that can be used to access the questionnaire webpages and a link to downloadable questionnaire client that can be used to download the questionnaire client;

the second recipient device employing the link to the downloadable questionnaire client to download the questionnaire client; and

the second recipient device installing the downloadable questionnaire client to provide access to the prepared questionnaire.

9. The server according to claim 1, wherein the source mobile device transmits the captured audio input to the server, and wherein the server transmits the prepared questionnaire in audio form to at least a third recipient device.

10. A method performed by a server that is communicatively coupled to a source device, the method comprising:

receiving a questionnaire from the source device that captures audio input from a user and creates the questionnaire;

determining a plurality of recipient devices to be the target for the questionnaire, wherein determining comprises accepting, from the source device along with the questionnaire, a list of recipients that identifies the plurality of recipient devices, and comprises mapping the list of recipients into appropriate phone numbers, email addresses, and IP addresses for communicating a notification;

sending a first uniform resource identifier and a second uniform resource identifier to the plurality of recipient devices in the notification;

allowing a recipient device from the plurality of recipient devices to download the questionnaire if a user operating the recipient device selects the first uniform resource identifier;

supporting the recipient device to view the questionnaire as a collection of web pages if the user selects the second uniform resource identifier;

finding a device capability of the recipient device;

tailoring the questionnaire to the device capability of the recipient device when it is downloaded or viewed as a collection of webpages;

receiving a plurality of responses corresponding to the questionnaire from the plurality of recipient devices;

collating the plurality of responses; and

forwarding the collated responses to the source device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises retrieving, by the server, identifications of the plurality of recipient devices from a database.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the questionnaire comprises a plurality of questions that are multimedia based.

13. A server for managing the interactions between a source mobile device and a plurality of recipient television devices over a television broadcast network, the server comprising:

the server that is communicatively coupled to the source mobile device;

the server receiving a questionnaire from the source mobile device for distribution over the television broadcast network;

the server capable of selectively incorporating text, graphics and audio to the questionnaire to create a modified questionnaire;

the server communicating the modified questionnaire to the plurality of recipient television devices by determining that at least a first television of the plurality of recipient television devices comprises a client component capable of processing the modified questionnaire and capable of facilitating response solicitation, and sending the modified questionnaire to at least the first television;

the server receiving responses from the client component in at least the first television;

the server collating the responses from at least the first television communicating the collated responses to the source mobile device; and

wherein the server dispenses a one-time response token to the user of at least the first television out-of-band, provides a control screen soliciting the one-time response token from the user of at least the first television; and

accepts responses from at least the first television only after authenticating the one-time response token received from the user of at least the first television.

14. The server according to claim 13 further comprising:

the server receiving a list of recipients from the source mobile device to determine targets for delivery of the modified questionnaire; and

the server targeting those of the plurality of recipient television devices that are specified as recipients in the list of recipients received from the source mobile device for delivery of the modified questionnaire.

15. The server according to claim 13 further comprising:

the server determining that the first television comprises the client component and then sending the modified questionnaire to the first television;

the server determining that a second television from the plurality of recipient television devices interacts with the television network via a set-top-box and sending the modified questionnaire to the set-top-box for access from the second television; and

the server receiving and collating responses from the first television and the set-top-box.

16. The server according to claim 13 further comprising:

the server sending the modified questionnaire to a second television from the plurality of recipient television devices that employs a set-top-box to interact with the television broadcast network; and

the server employing the set-top-box to communicate the modified questionnaire to the first television and to retrieve user responses provided by a user of the first television.

17. The server according to claim 13, wherein the client component enables accessing the modified questionnaire as a plurality of interactive web pages on the first television.