Apparatus and method for providing selective views of on-line surveys
First Claim
1. A method of updating a survey, comprising:
- updating a survey template data structure;
comparing the updated survey template data structure to a current survey data structure;
modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure to thereby generate an updated current survey data structure; and
transmitting a presentation of the updated current survey data structure to a computing device for presentation to a user of the computing device, wherein the presentation of the updated current survey data structure includes an output of old questions in the updated current survey data structure associated with previously provided answers and an output of modified questions in the undated current survey data structure without associated previously provided answers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for providing selective views of on-line surveys are provided. With the apparatus and method, each survey has a survey data structure and a template data structure. In a preferred embodiment, the data structures represent tree structures having nodes, child nodes, links between nodes and child nodes, and the like, for the survey and the template. Changes to the survey are made in the template data structure. The survey data structure and the template data structure are compared to one another, and nodes are either added, subtracted, or modified based on the differences between the survey data structure and the template data structure. In this way, the survey data structure retains the information that is already in present in it, such as the questions and answers previously provided. Thereafter, when the survey is again presented to a user, the user'"'"'s previous answers to questions still remaining in the survey are displayed but no answers are displayed for newly added questions. In addition, if the questions are modified, the modified questions are presented with no answers displayed until provided by the user. In this way, answer data for questions that were previously answered and are still remaining in the survey after modification are not lost. In addition, the survey data itself is not corrupted by the modification of the survey.
40 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of updating a survey, comprising:
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updating a survey template data structure;
comparing the updated survey template data structure to a current survey data structure;
modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure to thereby generate an updated current survey data structure; and
transmitting a presentation of the updated current survey data structure to a computing device for presentation to a user of the computing device, wherein the presentation of the updated current survey data structure includes an output of old questions in the updated current survey data structure associated with previously provided answers and an output of modified questions in the undated current survey data structure without associated previously provided answers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
wherein the modified questions are new questions in the updated current survey data structure. -
8. The method of claim 1,
wherein the output of the old questions and associated previously provided answers does not include questions deleted by updating the current survey data structure. -
9. The method of claim 1,
wherein the modified questions are old questions in the updated current survey data structure that have had their values changed. -
10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure is performed without losing previously provided answer data associated with questions in the current survey data structure that are not updated in the updated survey template data structure.
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11. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for updating a survey, comprising:
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first instructions for updating a survey template data structure;
second instructions for comparing the updated survey template data structure to a current survey data structure;
third instructions for modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure to thereby generate an updated current survey data structure; and
fourth instructions for transmitting a presentation of the undated current survey data structure to a computing device for presentation to a user of the computing device, wherein the presentation of the undated current survey data structure includes an output of old questions in the updated current survey data structure associated with previously provided answers and an output of modified questions in the updated current survey data structure without associated previously provided answers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
wherein the modified questions are new questions in the updated current survey data structure. -
18. The computer program product of claim 11,
wherein the output of the old questions and associated previously provided answers does not include questions deleted by updating the current survey data structure. -
19. The computer program product of claim 11,
wherein the modified questions are old questions in the updated current survey data structure that have had their values changed. -
20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the third instructions for modifying die current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure are executed without losing previously provided answer data associated with questions in the current survey data structure that are not updated in the updated survey template data structure.
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21. An apparatus for updating a survey, comprising:
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means for updating a survey template data structure;
means for comparing the updated survey template data structure to a current survey data structure;
means for modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data stricture to thereby generate an updated current survey data structure; and
means for transmitting a presentation of the undated current survey data structure to a computing device for presentation to a user of the computing device, wherein the presentation of the updated current survey data structure includes an output of old questions in the undated current survey data structure associated with previously provided answers and art output of modified questions in the updated current survey data structure without associated previously provided answers. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
wherein the modified questions are new questions in the updated current survey data structure. -
28. The apparatus of claim 21,
wherein the output of the old questions and associated previously provided answers does not include questions deleted by updating the current survey data structure. -
29. The apparatus of claim 21,
wherein the modified questions are old questions in the updated current survey data structure that have had their values changed. -
30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the moans for modifying the current survey data structure based on differences between the current survey data structure and the updated survey template data structure operates without losing previously provided answer data associated with questions in the current survey data structure that are not updated in the updated survey template data structure.
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Specification