Acquiring and publishing supplemental information on a network

• US 10,489,812 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Billy W., Rakshit, Sarbajit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knox, Tyler W
• Application Number:
  US14/799,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20170017981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In acquiring and publishing supplemental information for a network site, information published by a user on a network site including an image of a product and corresponding metadata is analyzed. A provider of the product is identified based on the analysis of the published information and a survey is presented to the user based on the identified provider. Responses to the survey are received from the user and the responses from the user are published on the network site in association with the published information.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring and publishing supplemental information for a network site comprising:

capturing an image pertaining to a product by a mobile device and uploading the image from the mobile device to a processor hosting network sites, wherein the image includes a photograph of the product;

monitoring network sites by detecting the processor hosting the network sites uploading images;

identifying the network site for publishing the image pertaining to the product based on the detected uploading by the processor hosting the network sites;

analyzing, via a processor, information pertaining to the product to be published by a user on the network site including the image of the product, textual information, and corresponding metadata;

identifying, via a processor, the provider of the product and a type of survey, wherein identifying the provider further comprises;

performing image processing on the image to identify a plurality of target objects within the image;

cropping the image and generating from the image a plurality of cropped images each corresponding to an identified target object, wherein each cropped image includes a portion of the image containing the corresponding target object, and wherein the plurality of target objects includes the product and an identifier of the provider;

comparing the cropped images for the target objects to images of known objects to obtain the product and the identifier of the provider; and

determining the provider based on the identifier of the provider;

analyzing, via a processor, the information to be published including a combination of the image and the textual information to determine a type of sentiment of the user toward the product, wherein the type of sentiment includes a positive sentiment, a negative sentiment, and an unknown sentiment;

in response to the positive sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

presenting, via a processor, a survey to the user on a user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receiving, via a processor, the responses to the plurality of questions of the survey entered by the user on the user interface; and

publishing, via a processor, the image and the responses from the user on the network site in association with the textual information;

in response to the negative sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

presenting, via a processor, a private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receiving, via a processor, the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publishing, via a processor, the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

sending, via a processor, the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site; and

in response to the unknown sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

presenting, via a processor, the private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes the plurality of questions each pertaining to the corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receiving, via a processor, the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publishing, via a processor, the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

sending, via a processor, the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring a reward to the user in response to receiving the responses from the user to the survey.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein publishing the responses comprises:

generating a graphical plot of the responses and publishing the graphical plot on the network site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the responses to the survey and private survey are in the form of one of text and voice.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network site includes a social networking site.

6. The method claim 1, wherein the survey is a custom survey provided by the provider.

7. A system for acquiring and publishing supplemental information for a network site comprising:

a processor configured to;

monitor network sites by detecting a processor hosting the network sites uploading images, wherein the images include an image pertaining to a product captured by a mobile device, and wherein the image pertaining to the product comprises a photograph of the product;

identify the network site for publishing the image pertaining to the product based on the detected uploading by the processor hosting the network sites;

analyze information pertaining to the product to be published by a user on the network site including the image of the product, textual information, and corresponding metadata;

identify the provider of the product and a type of survey, wherein identifying the provider further comprises;

performing image processing on the image to identify a plurality of target objects within the image;

cropping the image and generating from the image a plurality of cropped images each corresponding to an identified target object, wherein each cropped image includes a portion of the image containing the corresponding target object, and wherein the plurality of target objects includes the product and an identifier of the provider;

comparing the cropped images for the target objects to images of known objects to obtain the product and the identifier of the provider; and

determining the provider based on the identifier of the provider;

analyze the information to be published including a combination of the image and the textual information to determine a type of sentiment of the user toward the product, wherein the type of sentiment includes a positive sentiment, a negative sentiment, and an unknown sentiment;

in response to the positive sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present a survey to the user on a user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the survey entered by the user on the user interface; and

publish the image and the responses from the user on the network site in association with the textual information;

in response to the negative sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present a private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publish the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

send the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site; and

in response to the unknown sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present the private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes the plurality of questions each pertaining to the corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publish the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

send the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transfer a reward to the user in response to receiving the responses from the user to the survey.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein, in publishing the responses, the processor is further configured to:

generate a graphical plot of the responses and publish the graphical plot on the network site.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the responses to the survey and private survey are in the form of one of text and voice.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the network site includes a social networking site.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the survey is a custom survey provided by the provider.

13. A computer program product for acquiring and publishing supplemental information for a network site, comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied thereon, the computer-readable program code, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

monitor network sites by detecting a processor hosting the network sites uploading images, wherein the images include an image pertaining to a product captured by a mobile device, and wherein the image pertaining to the product comprises a photograph of the product;

identify the network site for publishing the image pertaining to the product based on the detected uploading by the processor hosting the network sites;

analyze information pertaining to the product to be published by a user on the network site including the image of the product, textual information, and corresponding metadata;

identify the provider of the product and a type of survey, wherein identifying the provider further comprises;

performing image processing on the image to identify a plurality of target objects within the image;

cropping the image and generating from the image a plurality of cropped images each corresponding to an identified target object, wherein each cropped image includes a portion of the image containing the corresponding target object, and wherein the plurality of target objects includes the product and an identifier of the provider;

comparing the cropped images for the target objects to images of known objects to obtain the product and the identifier of the provider; and

determining the provider based on the identifier of the provider;

analyze the information to be published including a combination of the image and the textual information to determine a type of sentiment of the user toward the product, wherein the type of sentiment includes a positive sentiment, a negative sentiment, and an unknown sentiment;

in response to the positive sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present a survey to the user on a user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the survey entered by the user on the user interface; and

publish the image and the responses from the user on the network site in association with the textual information;

in response to the negative sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present a private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes a plurality of questions each pertaining to a corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publish the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

send the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site; and

in response to the unknown sentiment of the user toward the product and during publication on the network site;

present the private survey to the user on the user interface based on the identified provider, wherein the private survey includes the plurality of questions each pertaining to the corresponding attribute of the product and graphical objects of the user interface to receive responses to the questions;

receive the responses to the plurality of questions of the private survey entered by the user on the user interface;

publish the image on the network site in association with the textual information; and

send the responses from the user to the private survey to the identified provider without publication on the network site.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program code is further configured to cause the processor to:

transfer a reward to the user in response to receiving the responses from the user to the survey.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program code that causes the processor to publish the responses is further configured to cause the processor to:

generate a graphical plot of the responses and publish the graphical plot on the network site.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the responses to the survey and private survey are in the form of one of text and voice.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the network site includes a social networking site.