System and methods for auction based polling

• US 20090037277A1
• Filed: 05/28/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: D'Angelo, Adam, Zuckerberg, Mark, Jin, Robert Kang-Xing, Kendall, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.190
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

A system and method for auction based polling is provided. Parameters related to a poll are received from a first user. Parameters related to a poll are received from a first user. A query is associated with the poll. A priority of the poll is determined based on the parameters. The poll is distributed to one or more second users according to the priority. Results to the poll are gathered. The results are reported to the first user.

Claims

1. A method for online polling comprising:

receiving parameters related to a poll from a first user;

associating a query with the poll;

determining a priority of the poll based on the parameters;

distributing the poll to one or more second users according to the priority;

gathering results to the poll; and

reporting the results to the first user.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameters include a bid per answer.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameters include a bid per user type associated with the one or more second users.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameters include a bid per impression associated with the poll.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the parameters include a plurality of answers to the query associated with the poll.

6. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising reporting the results to the first user in real-time.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first user comprises a member of a social network.

8. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive to the one or more second users for answering the query associated with the poll.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising automatically generating new queries based on the results.

10. The method recited in claim 1, wherein distributing the poll to the one or more second users comprises displaying the query on a page associated with the one or more second users.

11. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising selecting the one or more second users for distributing the poll based on automated sample balancing.

12. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive to the one or more second users for responding to the poll.

13. A system for auction based polling comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive parameters related to a poll from a first user;

an auction module in communication with the communications interface, the auction module configured to determine a priority of the poll based on the parameters; and

a query module in communication with the auction module, the query module configured to distribute the poll to one or more second users according to the priority and to gather results associated with the poll; and

a reporting module in communication with the query module, the reporting module configured to report the results to the first user.

14. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the parameters include a bid per answer.

15. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the auction module is further configured to determine a highest priority based on a highest bid per answer.

16. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the bid per answer varies according to a type associated with the one or more second users.

17. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the parameters include at least one question and at least two answers.

18. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the reporting module is further configured to report the results to the first user in real-time.

19. The system recited in claim 13, wherein the one or more second users comprise members of a social networking website.

20. The system recited in claim 13, further comprising providing an incentive to the one or more second users to answer the query.

21. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor for performing a method for auction based polling, the method comprising:

receiving parameters related to a poll from a first user;

determining a priority of the poll based on the parameters;

distributing the poll to one or more second users associated with a social networking website according to the priority;

gathering results associated with the poll; and

reporting the results to the first user.

22. The computer readable medium recited in claim 21, wherein the parameters include a bid per answer.

23. The computer readable medium recited in claim 21, wherein the method further comprises determining a highest priority based on the highest bid per answer.

24. The computer readable medium recited in claim 23, wherein the method further comprises varying the bid per answer according to a type associated with the one or more second users.

25. The computer readable medium recited in claim 21, wherein the parameters include at least one question and at least two answers.

26. The computer readable medium recited in claim 21, wherein the method further comprises reporting results to the first user in real-time.

27. The computer readable medium recited in claim 22, wherein the one or more second users comprise members of a social networking website.

28. The computer readable medium recited in claim 22, wherein the method further comprises providing an incentive to the one or more second users to answer the query.