Abstract:
During a presentation, a question is emitted over a network connection to a plurality of audience members, who utilize a computing device to respond. Client software for the audience members&#39; heterogeneous computing devices may receive questions and upload answers. Answers from the audience are collected and aggregated, including optionally aggregating demographic information associated with each respondent and the answer of the respondent. Real-time analytics are provided to the presenter, which facilitates formulation or selection of further content and/or further questions. The timing of the questions can be synchronized with a content by linking the question to particular portions of the content, by tying the question to a particular slide or frame, by setting a length of time after which the question should be emitted, by offering a question on-demand, or some other method. A website maintains content, questions, user credentials of audience members, responses, and aggregated data, among other aspects.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This invention claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/615,845 filed Mar. 26, 2012 (our ref. GARR-1-1001) and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/671,045 filed Jul. 12, 2012 (our ref. GARR-1-1002). The foregoing applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to analytics, and more specifically, to systems and methods for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    This invention relates generally to analytics, and more specifically, to systems and methods for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may be provided for the benefit of a presenter. In some embodiments, the presenter may be delivering a speech to a room full of audience members. In other embodiments, the presenter may be delivering a web-based media content over the Internet to audience members, the audience members being geographically dispersed but consuming the web-based media content being delivered by the presenter simultaneously. In some embodiments, the web-based media content may be delivered to the audience members via client software on a terminal, the terminal being any of a plurality of devices, which may include a laptop, a tablet, a smartphone, or any other device operably connected via a network connection to the one or more servers. 
         [0004]    In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may facilitate the emitting of questions to the audience members. In some embodiments, the emitting of questions may be controlled by the presenter. In other embodiments, the emitting of questions may be delivered by the one or more servers in synchronization with the presenter. In some embodiments, emitting a question results in the question being displayed on the plurality of client terminals, inviting the plurality of audience members to provide an answer, the answer being received via the network connection by the one or more servers. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments, answers are stored as data by the one or more servers, and the data is aggregated. The aggregated data may be viewed by the presenter using a computing device. The presenter may formulate or select additional questions based upon the aggregated data being viewed on the computing device. In some embodiments, the computing device is also used to deliver a presentation to the audience members, such as a PowerPoint presentation. In other embodiments, the computing device may be used to control the timing and content of questions for the audience members. 
         [0006]    In some embodiments, a system for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may include an authentication component, comprising the means for users of client devices to connect with the system; a storage component, comprising various data stores for authentication information, presentation information, question information, response information, aggregated data sets, analytics, or other data stored in conjunction with the system; an emitter component, comprising a means for a presenter or other operator of the system to emit a question which will be received by the client devices; and an analytics component, comprising a private dashboard which is displayed on a display. In some embodiments, the system may have a project component, comprising a means for users of the system to create a project file including a presentation and a plurality of questions to be emitted at certain times during the presentation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary environment in which a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3-6  are a flow diagram depicting alternative embodiments of a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a system for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    This invention relates generally to analytics, and more specifically, to systems and methods for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. Specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and  FIGS. 1-7  to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. The present invention may have additional embodiments, may be practiced without one or more of the details described for any particular described embodiment, or may have any detail described for one particular embodiment practiced with any other detail described for another embodiment. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary environment in which a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may be facilitated by one or more servers  102 . The one or more servers  102  may include one or more of a web front-end, a project site, a feedback engine, a real-time viewing engine, a reporting engine, a federation engine, and/or a database tier, the database tier having one or more of account information, billing information, and/or project information. The one or more servers are operatively coupled with a network connection  104 . The network connection  104  provides connections between the servers, and also provides network connections to system clients. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may be provided for the benefit of a presenter  130 . In some embodiments, the presenter  130  may be delivering a speech to a room full of audience members  110 . In other embodiments, the presenter  130  may be delivering a web-based media content over the Internet to audience members  110 , the audience members  110  being geographically dispersed but consuming the web-based media content being delivered by the presenter  130  simultaneously. In some embodiments, the web-based media content may be delivered to the audience members  110  via client software on a terminal, the terminal being depicted as a plurality of devices  120 , which may include a laptop  122 , a tablet  124 , a smartphone  12 N, or any other device operably connected via a network connection to the one or more servers  102 . 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may facilitate the emitting of questions to the audience members  110 . In some embodiments, the emitting of questions may be controlled by the presenter  130 . In other embodiments, the emitting of questions may be delivered by the one or more servers  102  in synchronization with the presenter  130 . In some embodiments, emitting a question results in the question being displayed on the plurality of client terminals  120 , inviting the plurality of audience members  110  to provide an answer, the answer being received via the network connection  104  by the one or more servers  102 . 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, answers are stored as data by the one or more servers  102 , and the data is aggregated. The aggregated data may be viewed by the presenter  130  using a computing device  132 . The presenter  130  may formulate or select additional questions based upon the aggregated data being viewed on the computing device  132 . In some embodiments, the computing device  132  is also used to deliver a presentation to the audience members  110 , such as a PowerPoint presentation. In other embodiments, the computing device  132  may be used to control the timing and content of questions for the audience members  110 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events includes providing a plurality of audience members with a client platform at  202 , establishing a connection between the client platform and at least a first server at  204 , emitting a first question from the at least a first server over the connection to the plurality of audience members, the first question being received by the client platform at  206 , receiving at least one response over the connection, the response responsive to the emitting a first question at  208 , aggregating at least the at least one response into aggregated data at  210 , and displaying at least a first view comprised of at least the aggregated data at  212 . In some embodiments, the method may optionally include emitting a second question responsive to at least the aggregated data displayed by the analytics view at  214 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, providing a plurality of audience members with a client platform at  202  may include the audience members connecting to a network host using a computing device. The computing device may load a web front-end as a web page, or the computing device may download client software configured for communicating with the network host. The computing device may include a smartphone, a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a video game console, or any other device facilitating a connection to a network host. The network connection may be wired or wireless. The network connection may include the Internet. In some embodiments, the network hosts to which the computing devices connect are reachable without communicating via the Internet. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, the client platform may receive a presentation. In different embodiments, the client platform may be configured only for receiving questions and submitting answers. In some embodiments, the client platform is an application, widget, web-page, or other similar component. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the establishing a connection between the client platform and at least a first server at  204  may include the client platform operably connecting with a server, perhaps including logging in and authentication with user credentials. In some embodiments, a user may create an account pursuant to establishing a connection. In different embodiments, a user may use an existing account. In yet a different embodiment, a user may not be required to log into the server but be able to receive questions and submit answers. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the emitting a first question from the at least a first server over the connection to the plurality of audience members, the first question being received by the client platform at  206  includes transmitting a question over the network to the plurality of client platforms. A user may be presented with a question in the application, widget or web-page with which the user is connected to the server. The question may be accompanied by a plurality of answers from which the user may choose one or more of the answers. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the receiving at least one response over the connection, the response responsive to the emitting a first question at  208  comprises the server receiving over the network the answer choice selected or entered by the user of the client platform. In some embodiments, the data is stored, potentially with information about the users who submitted the answers (including, but not limited to, the source IP address). 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, the aggregating at least the at least one response into aggregated data at  210  comprises creating analytics directed to the question having been emitted. In some embodiments, the aggregated data can be sorted by source IP, or by geography based upon a source IP lookup. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the displaying at least a first view comprised of at least the aggregated data at  212  includes providing a private dashboard for the presenter. The private dashboard may permit the presenter to pivot the data, breaking the answers down by category. 
         [0025]    In some embodiments, the emitting a second question responsive to at least the aggregated data displayed by the analytics view at  214  comprises the presenter formulating new content or questions based upon the aggregated data displayed at  212 . Method  200  may be repeated as desired for as many questions as the presenter wishes to pose, or emit, to the audience. Each question and its responses provide another axis for analyzing or pivoting the aggregated data that is aggregated at  210 . A presenter may decide to alter the presentation, or to ask a question that elaborates on a past question. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is a flow diagram depicting alternative embodiments of a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. In some embodiments, operation  202  has an optional step  216 , comprising receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member. In some embodiments, operation  210  has an optional step  218 , comprising aggregating at least the at least one response and the demographic data associated with the audience member sending the at least one response into aggregated data. 
         [0027]    In some embodiments, receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member at  216  includes receiving geographic data from the audience member. In other embodiments, receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member at  216  includes receiving gender data from the audience member. In other embodiments, receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member at  216  includes receiving income data from the audience member. In other embodiments, receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member at  216  includes receiving ethnic origin data from the audience member. In other embodiments, receiving a client login from a plurality of audience members, each client login comprising at least demographic data associated with each audience member at  216  includes any type of demographic data from the audience member. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments, aggregating at least the at least one response and the demographic data associated with the audience member sending the at least one response into aggregated data at  218  includes aggregating the demographic data for each response received, separating each demographic category. In some embodiments, when the resultant view of the aggregated data is displayed at  212 , the data may be pivoted, filtered, summarized, or otherwise analyzed by demographic category. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting alternative embodiments of a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. In some embodiments, operation  206  has optional embodiments including a step  2061  of emitting a first question is synchronized with a content-delivery, a step  2062  of emitting a first question is synchronized according to a particular content portion, and a step  2063  of emitting a first question is synchronized according to a length of time since the beginning of a particular content portion. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, a presenter who plans to present content may create one or more questions to be emitted during the presentation of the content. In some embodiments, such as emitting a first question is synchronized with a content-delivery at  2061 , the questions are synchronized in advance with the content so that they are emitted at certain points during the content. In other embodiments, such as emitting a first question is synchronized according to a particular content portion at  2062 , a question may be tagged to be emitted during a particular slide of a PowerPoint presentation, or when a video stream is switched from a studio location to an exterior location. In other embodiments, such as emitting a first question is synchronized according to a length of time since the beginning of a particular content portion at  2063 , a question may be tagged to be emitted at a particular time during the presentation, the particular time measured as the length of time since a portion of the presentation began. A duration could also be specified, such that the question is only available for a certain length of time. As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, such as emitting a first question is an on-demand event at  2064 , a question may be emitted when the presenter feels would be the best time to push a particular pre-determined question to the audience. As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, such as emitting a first question is an ad-hoc event at  2065 , a question may be emitted if a presenter wants to create a new question on-the-fly during the presentation in response to how the delivery is going. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, the emitting of the questions is managed by the presenter. In different embodiments, the emitting of the questions is managed by an assistant or other third-party, who may or may not be affiliated with the presenter. 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram depicting alternative embodiments of a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. In some embodiments, operation  206  has optional embodiments including a step  2064  of emitting a first question is an on-demand event, and a step  2065  of emitting a first question is an ad-hoc event. In some embodiments, operation  212  is followed by an optional step  220  of receiving at least on tweet, and an optional step of aggregating the at least one tweet with the at least a first view. 
         [0033]    In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving at least one tweet at  220 . In addition to emitting questions which may be acted upon by audience members, those members who also have Twitter accounts may also choose to send feedback via Twitter. Such freeform text responses may be received by the servers and stored along with the responses to the questions. At operation  222  of aggregating the at least one tweet with the at least a first view, the incoming Twitter stream may be displayed on the presenter&#39;s private dashboard. 
         [0034]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram depicting alternative embodiments of a method for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events. In some embodiments, operation  206  may have an optional step  224  of emitting a first question having a plurality of pre-selected responses. In some embodiments, operation  224  may have an optional step  226  of the plurality of pre-selected responses includes one or more of yes-or-no responses, likert responses, or ordinal responses. 
         [0035]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a system for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, a system  300  for real-time and discrete analytics for web-mediated content and events may include an authentication component  302 , a storage component  304 , an emitter component  306 , an analytics component  308 , and a display  312 . In some embodiments, the system may have an optional project component  310 . 
         [0036]    In some embodiments, the authentication component  302  may comprise the means for users of client devices to connect with the system  300 . The connections may in fact be unauthenticated, where a plurality of audience members make connections with the system to answer questions without providing their identities. Or, the connections may be authenticated, where audience members use a client device to create a new account (providing demographic data desired and/or required by the presenter or operator of the system  300 ), or log into an existing account. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments, the storage component  304  may comprise various data stores for authentication information, presentation information, question information, response information, aggregated data sets, analytics, or other data stored in conjunction with the system  300 . 
         [0038]    In some embodiments, the emitter component  306  may comprise a means for a presenter or other operator of the system  300  to emit a question which will be received by the client devices. The emitter component  306  may also receive and validate answers from the client devices, and provide the answers to the storage component. 
         [0039]    In some embodiments, the analytics component  308  may provide a private dashboard which is displayed on the display  312 . In some embodiments, the analytics component provides a means for the presenter or other operator of the system  300  to analyze, sort, filter, correlate, pivot, or otherwise manipulate the answers, demographic data, Tweets, or other data maintained by the storage component. The presenter may use information from the analytics component to modify or create subsequent content and/or questions. 
         [0040]    In some embodiments, the project component at  310  provides a means for users of the system  300  to create a project file including a presentation and a plurality of questions to be emitted at certain times during the presentation. The project component may include a separate authentication component which may be used to authenticate users of the project component, which may be distinct from the users of the client devices who view the presentations. 
         [0041]    While preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.