Patent ID: 6256663
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: G06Q,H04N

Abstract:
A system for conducting focus group discussions among participants including at least one moderator, at least one client and at least one respondent, wherein said participants are remotely located one from another and are interconnected with each other over a computer network allowing at least electronic data exchange among said participants, said system comprising:a respondent computer interface for a respondent computer, said respondent computer interface for displaying, on a respondent display associated with each respondent computer, a plurality of respondent chat messages generated by said at least one moderator and said at least one respondent, said respondent computer interface for not displaying client chat messages and moderator chat messages and for also allowing each said respondent to input respondent chat messages through said respondent computer interface using at least one respondent computer input device associated with each said respondent computer;a client computer interface for a client computer, said client interface for displaying, on a client display associated with each client computer, said plurality of respondent chat messages generated by said at least one moderator and said at least one respondent, a plurality of client chat messages generated by said at least one client and said at least one moderator, said client computer interface for also allowing said at least one client to input client chat messages through said client computer interface using at least one client input device associated with each said client computer and for preventing said at least one client from entering respondent chat messages; anda moderator computer interface for a moderator computer, said moderator computer interface for displaying, on a client display associated with each moderator computer, said plurality of respondent chat messages and said plurality of client chat messages, said moderator computer interface for also allowing said at least one moderator to input respondent chat messages to be displayed to said at least one respondent and said at least one client, and client chat messages to be displayed to said at least one client through said moderator computer interface using at least one moderator input device associated with each said moderator computer.