Conditioned transmission of query responses and connection assessments

• US 9,870,395 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Original Assignee: Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Inventors: Kealey, Brendan, Arens, Paul, Krapfl, Adam, Grudnitski, Paul, Nielsen, Rob, Setaro, James, Sobanski, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): HONG, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/753,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 434362
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2343 Locking methods, e.g. distributed locking or locking implementation details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment. An electronic file is executed at an electronic device, which causes a first query and a second query to be presented. A first query response and a second query response are identified. The first query response is stored in a locked configuration that inhibits the ability to modify the first query response to the first query. The second query response is stored but is not stored in the locked configuration. Query response data is generated that includes an identifier of the second query, an identifier of the second query response and an identifier of the electronic device. A connection variable is determined by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device. When a transmission condition is satisfied, the query response data is transmitted to another device.

Claims

1. A system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment, the system comprising:

a file retriever that receives, at an electronic device, one or more electronic files;

an access engine that executes at least one of the one or more electronic files, wherein the execution causes each of a first query and a second query to be presented at the electronic device;

a query response engine that;

identifies a first query response corresponding to the first query;

stores the first query response in a locked configuration, the locked configuration inhibiting the ability to modify the first query response to the first query;

identifies a second query response corresponding to the second query;

stores the second query response, the second query response not being stored in a locked configuration and being stored in a configuration that enables the stored second query response to be modified;

generates query response data that includes an identifier of each of one or more queries, an identifier of each of one or more query responses, and an identifier of the electronic device, the one or more queries including the second query, and the one or more query responses includes the second query response;

a connection assessor that;

determines a connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device; and

determines whether a transmission condition is satisfied based on the connection variable, the determination including comparing the connection variable to a threshold, a result of the determination indicating that the transmission condition is satisfied when the connection variable exceeds the threshold; and

a query response transmitter that, when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied, transmits the query response data from the electronic device to another device.

2. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein the query response engine further retrieves, for each of the first query and the second query, configuration data that indicates whether a corresponding query response is to be stored in the locked configuration.

3. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the query response engine further;

determines, subsequent to the generating the query response data, that the second query response is to be changed to a different second query response;

modifies the stored second query response to be the different second query response; and

generates new query response data that includes an identifier of the second query, an identifier of the different second query response and an identifier of the electronic device;

the connection assessor that;

determines an updated connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device; and

determines whether the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable; and

the query response transmitter further transmits the new query response data when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable.

4. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein the query response engine further:

determines, subsequent to the generating the query response data and based on a time, that a configuration of the second query response is to be changed to the locked configuration; and

updates the configuration of the second query response to the locked configuration.

5. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more query responses further includes the first query response.

6. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein determining that the transmission condition is not satisfied further causes the query response data to be aggregated with other query response data, and wherein the query response transmitter transmits the aggregated query response data and other query response data upon a subsequent determination that the transmission condition is satisfied.

7. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein the connection variable is indicative of a strength of a connection.

8. The system for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the file retriever further receives, at the electronic device, a set of electronic files, the set of electronic files including the one or more electronic files, the one or more electronic files including a first executable file compatible with a first browser, the set of electronic files including a second executable file compatible with a second browser; and

the access engine further;

identifies that code for the first browser is being executed on the electronic device; and

selects the first executable file for execution based on the identification that code for the first browser is being executed,

wherein the second executable file is not executed at the electronic device.

9. A computer-implemented method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment, the method comprising:

executing, at an electronic device, one or more electronic files, wherein the execution causes each of a first query and a second query to be presented at the electronic device;

identifying, at the electronic device, a first query response corresponding to the first query;

storing, at the electronic device, the first query response in a locked configuration, the locked configuration inhibiting the ability to modify the first query response to the first query;

identifying, at the electronic device, a second query response corresponding to the second query;

storing, at the electronic device, the second query response, the second query response not being stored in a locked configuration and being stored in a configuration that enables the stored second query response to be modified;

generating, at the electronic device, query response data that includes an identifier of each of one or more queries, an identifier of each of one or more query responses, and an identifier of the electronic device, the one or more queries including the second query, and the one or more query responses includes the second query response;

determining, at the electronic device, a connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device;

determining, at the electronic device, whether a transmission condition is satisfied based on the connection variable, the determination including comparing the connection variable to a threshold, a result of the determination indicating that the transmission condition is satisfied when the connection variable exceeds the threshold; and

when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied, transmitting the query response data from the electronic device to another device.

10. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving, for each of the first query and the second query, configuration data that indicates whether a corresponding query response is to be stored in the locked configuration.

11. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

determining, subsequent to the generating the query response data, that the second query response is to be changed to a different second query response;

modifying the stored second query response to be the different second query response;

generating new query response data that includes an identifier of the second query, an identifier of the different second query response and an identifier of the electronic device;

determining an updated connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device;

determining whether the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable; and

transmitting the new query response data when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable.

12. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

determining, subsequent to the generating the query response data and based on a time, that a configuration of the second query response is to be changed to the locked configuration; and

updating the configuration of the second query response to the locked configuration.

13. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, wherein the one or more query responses further includes the first query response.

14. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, wherein determining that the transmission condition is not satisfied further causes the query response data to be aggregated with other query response data, and wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting the aggregated query response data and other query response data upon a subsequent determination that the transmission condition is satisfied.

15. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, wherein the connection variable is indicative of a strength of a connection.

16. The method for electronically conditioning transmission of communications based on results of a connection assessment as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, at the electronic device, a set of electronic files, the set of electronic files including the one or more electronic files, the one or more electronic files including a first executable file compatible with a first browser, the set of electronic files including a second executable file compatible with a second browser;

identifying that code for the first browser is being executed on the electronic device; and

selecting the first executable file for execution based on the identification that code for the first browser is being executed,

wherein the second executable file is not executed at the electronic device.

17. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

executing one or more electronic files, wherein the execution causes each of a first query and a second query to be presented at an electronic device;

identifying a first query response corresponding to the first query;

storing the first query response in a locked configuration, the locked configuration inhibiting the ability to modify the first query response to the first query;

identifying a second query response corresponding to the second query;

storing the second query response, the second query response not being stored in a locked configuration and being stored in a configuration that enables the stored second query response to be modified;

generating query response data that includes an identifier of each of one or more queries, an identifier of each of one or more query responses, and an identifier of the electronic device, the one or more queries including the second query, and the one or more query responses includes the second query response;

determining a connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device;

determining whether a transmission condition is satisfied based on the connection variable, the determination including comparing the connection variable to a threshold, a result of the determination indicating that the transmission condition is satisfied when the connection variable exceeds the threshold; and

when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied, facilitating a transmission of the query response data from the electronic device to another device.

18. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the actions further include:

retrieving, for each of the first query and the second query, configuration data that indicates whether a corresponding query response is to be stored in the locked configuration.

19. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the actions further include:

determining, subsequent to the generating the query response data, that the second query response is to be changed to a different second query response;

modifying the stored second query response to be the different second query response;

generating new query response data that includes an identifier of the second query, an identifier of the different second query response and an identifier of the electronic device;

determining an updated connection variable by assessing one or more network connections available to the electronic device;

determining whether the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable; and

facilitating a transmission of the new query response data when it is determined that the transmission condition is satisfied based on the updated connection variable.

20. The computer-program product as recited in claim 17, wherein the actions further include:

determining, subsequent to the generating the query response data and based on a time, that a configuration of the second query response is to be changed to the locked configuration; and

updating the configuration of the second query response to the locked configuration.