System and method for user polling over a network

• US 8,510,385 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mobi Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mobi Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Audley, Patrick, Najm, Clovis, Chiang, Chi-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Jeong S
• Application Number:
  US13/554,399
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205, 709/206, 725/24, 725/86, 725/87, 725/135, 725/136, 705/12, 379 9201- 9202
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

User polling associated with an interactive broadcasting platform includes maintaining a list of one or more existing request posts associated with content. The existing request posts are posted by one or more users associated with an interactive broadcast platform. A new request post is received from another user associated with the interactive broadcasting platform with the new request post being associated with the interactive broadcasting platform. Votes are received from a group of users. The group of users include any of the one or more users, the another user, and other non-posting users associated with the online broadcasting platform. The votes are associated with at least one of the one or more existing request posts and the new request post. A score is determined for the existing request posts and for the new request post according to a function that includes the votes received from the group of users.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of user polling associated with an interactive broadcasting platform, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of one or more existing request posts associated with content on an interactive broadcasting platform, said existing request posts having been posted by one or more users associated with said interactive broadcast platform;

receiving a new request post from another user associated with said interactive broadcasting platform, said new request post associated with said interactive broadcasting platform;

receiving votes from a group of users, said group of users including any of said one or more users, said another user, and other non-posting users associated with said interactive broadcasting platform, said votes being associated with at least one of said one or more existing request posts and said new request post;

determining a score, for said existing request posts and for said new request post, according to a function that includes said votes received from said group of users;

monitoring one or more social media platforms identifiable with at least some of said group of users for positive responses to lobbying posts by a user from said at least some of said group of users, said lobbying posts comprising calls for support, said lobbying posts being associated with one of said request posts for which a vote was received associated with said user; and

in response to receiving said positive responses, determining a weight for increasing said score for said one of said request posts, said weight based on a quantity of said positive responses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a preferred request outcome from said one or more existing request posts and said new request post, said preferred request outcome being a request post receiving a highest determined score.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting said preferred request outcome from a first server connected to a network, said preferred request outcome being configured for receipt by a second server associated with said interactive broadcasting platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more existing request posts and said new request post include user preferences for specific content on said interactive broadcasting platform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each received vote for each of said request posts is identifiable to only one user from said group of users such that user can vote no more than once for each request post.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an inquiry to said group of users, said inquiry including a survey requesting information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a response from at least one user of said group of users, said response associated with said inquiry.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more subgroups of users from said group of users, eligibility for said subgroup of users based on a new request or a vote being associated with a user; and

transmitting one or more reward messages to said subgroup of users, said reward message being associated with one or more rewards.

9. A server system for user polling, the server system comprising:

one or more communication interfaces configured to send and receive data including data received from networked components external to said server system;

one or more physical non-transitory computer-readable storage media configured to store data; and

one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one or more processors, cause the server system to perform acts comprising;

maintain, on at least one of said one or more computer-readable storage media or on at least one of said one or more memory devices, a list of one or more existing request posts associated with content on a broadcasting platform, said existing request posts having been posted by one or more users associated with said broadcasting platform;

receive, via at least one of said one or more communication interfaces, a new request post from another user associated with said broadcasting platform, said new request post associated with content on said broadcasting platform;

receive, via at least one of said one or more communication interfaces, votes from a group of users, said group of users including any of said one or more users, said another user, and other non-posting users associated with said broadcasting platform, said votes being associated with at least one of said one or more existing request posts and said new request post;

determining a score, for said existing request posts and for said new request post, according to a function that includes said votes received from said group of users;

monitoring one or more social media platforms identifiable with at least some of said group of users for positive responses to lobbying posts by a user from said at least some of said group of users, said lobbying posts comprising calls for support, said lobbying posts being associated with one of said request posts for which a vote was received associated with said user; and

in response to receiving said positive responses, determining a weight for increasing said score for said one of said request posts, said weight based on a quantity of said positive responses.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more memory devices store instructions that, when executed by the at least one or more processors, cause the server system to perform acts further comprising determining a preferred request outcome from said one or more existing request posts and said new request post, said preferred request outcome being a request post receiving a highest determined score.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said one or more memory devices store instructions that, when executed by the at least one or more processors, cause the server system to perform acts further comprising transmitting said preferred request outcome from a first server connected to a network, said preferred request outcome being configured for receipt by a second server associated with said broadcasting platform.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more existing request posts and said new request post include user preferences for specific content on said broadcasting platform.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein each received vote for each of said request posts is identifiable to only one user from said group of users such that user can vote no more than once for each request post.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein at least some of said request posts and said votes from said group of users are received via transmissions from mobile devices associated with a wireless network.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more memory devices store instructions that, when executed by the at least one or more processors, cause the server system to perform acts further comprising

determining one or more subgroups of users from said group of users, eligibility for said subgroup of users based on a new request or a vote being associated with a user;

and

transmitting one or more reward messages to said subgroup of users, said reward message being associated with one or more rewards.

16. One or more physical non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

maintaining, on one or more memory devices, a list of one or more existing request posts related to content on a broadcasting platform, said existing request posts associated with one or more users of said broadcasting platform;

receive, via one or more communication interfaces, a new request post from another user associated with said broadcasting platform, said new request post related to content on said broadcasting platform;

receive, via at least one of said one of said one or more communication interfaces, votes from a group of users, said group of users including any of said one or more users, said another user, and other non-posting users associated with said broadcasting platform, each of said votes being associated with at least one of said one or more existing request posts and said new request post;

determining, via at least one of said one or more processors, a score for said existing request posts and for said new request post, according to a function that includes said votes received from said group of users;

monitoring one or more social media platforms identifiable with at least some of said group of users for positive responses to lobbying posts by a user from said at least some of said group of users, said lobbying posts comprising calls for support, said lobbying posts being associated with one of said request posts for which a vote was received associated with said user; and

in response to receiving said positive responses, determining a weight for increasing said score for said one of said request posts, said weight based on a quantity of said positive responses.

17. The one or more non-transitory physical machine-readable storage media of claim 16, including instructions which cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising determining a preferred request outcome from said one or more existing request posts and said new request post, said preferred request outcome being a request post receiving a highest weighted score.

18. The one or more non-transitory physical machine-readable storage media of claim 17, including instructions which cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising transmitting said preferred request outcome from a first server connected to a network, said preferred request outcome being configured for receipt by a second server associated with said interactive broadcasting platform.

19. The one or more non-transitory physical machine-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein said one or more existing request posts and said new request post include user preferences for specific content on said broadcasting platform.

20. The one or more non-transitory physical machine-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein each received vote for each of said request posts is identifiable to only one user from said group of users such that user can vote no more than once for each request post.