Abstract:
A survey network system that allows gathering of information across a network quickly and efficiently, including a questionnaire server, a communication interface, a questionnaire distributor, a questionnaire designer and a questionnaire library.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to performing surveys and more particularly to survey communications across a network, such as the Internet/World-Wide-Web.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Background Art  
           [0004]    Prior art systems and methods exist to perform surveys over a computer network, but such systems and methods provide limited capabilities in survey questioning and analysis. Many computer companies developed purely e-mail-based survey, distribution and analysis utility programs which were deployed during the time that computer networking was a relatively new technology before the World-Wide-Web (Web) gained popularity.  
           [0005]    Prior art survey utility programs usually allow a designer to create a survey comprised of limited question types, such as multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, rating scale (with a maximum of two-dimensions), essay-type and ranking choice. Prior art surveys can be mailed to list of recipients, who can usually activate an attachment in their e-mail program, which brings up a client program that displays the survey. After responding to the survey, the survey takers send the responses to the e-mail box of the designer. The prior art usually analyzes the responses and looks for a proprietary tag, which identifies the survey and the response data, collates them and summarizes the responses. However, the prior art suffers from a number of limitations.  
           [0006]    The prior art usually requires a client program to be launched from every survey respondent&#39;s desktop in order to display the survey and enable the respondent to reply. This is fine in a networked environment where every computer desktop has access to a server upon which the client program resides, but it can only work if every single potential respondent has had the client program distributed to their desktop. The prior art does not take advantage of the fact the Web browser has become a de facto “universal client”—it is ubiquitous on peoples&#39; desktops.  
           [0007]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it is tied to proprietary operating system environments.  
           [0008]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it is usually tied to a proprietary windowing system environment.  
           [0009]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it is not linked to a Web server or Web browser in any way. It cannot be associated with the Web, if required to make the survey distribution more targeted or more like a broadcast.  
           [0010]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it has no capability of associating, delivering or receiving multimedia objects such as video clips, audio clips and images to or from survey recipients.  
           [0011]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it has limited analysis capability-only summary reporting for most question types and second order cross-tabulation for rating questions. The prior art cannot support summary tabulation and nth order cross-tabulation with associated graphical display of two or more variables.  
           [0012]    Another limitation of the prior art is that is has no interface to databases or existing survey packages. The prior art does not tie in to Object-Relational Databases.  
           [0013]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it supports only limited types of questions, and even in the common types of questions supported, it has limited flexibility in adding choice types. Many more question types with the ability to mix-and-match choice types between the base question types are not supported by the prior art.  
           [0014]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it does not support “intelligent” survey behavior such as branching or piping. The prior art does not support a survey programming language called “Survey Intermediate Form” which uses common programming language constructs such as macro expansion, conditional and unconditional branching, iterative loops, procedure calls and so forth.  
           [0015]    Another limitation of the prior art is that it works only with proprietary e-mail programs. It does not support Internet mail standards such as MIME.  
           [0016]    A practical survey network system should provide high-capability in gathering of information across a network. Therefore, what is needed is a high-capability system for performing survey communications across a network.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0017]    One object of the invention is to allow the display of the survey and the response to the survey without requiring a client program to be distributed to and launched from every survey respondent&#39;s desktop.  
           [0018]    Another object of the invention is to link the survey system to a Web server or Web browser, so that it can be associated with the Web, or it can be unlinked from the Web if required, to make the survey distribution more targeted or more broadcast-like.  
           [0019]    Another object is to provide a capability to operate independently of proprietary operating system environments and proprietary windowing environments.  
           [0020]    Another object is to provide the capability of associating, delivering or receiving multimedia objects such as video clips, audio clips and images to or from survey recipients.  
           [0021]    Another object is to provide greater analysis capability for most question types, such as supporting summary tabulation and nth order cross-tabulation with associated graphical display of two or more variables.  
           [0022]    Another object is to provide an interface to databases or existing survey packages and tie in to Object-Relational Databases.  
           [0023]    Another object is to provide support for more types of questions, with more flexibility in adding choice types and to allow many more question types with the ability to mix-and-match choice types between the base question types.  
           [0024]    Another object is to provide support for “intelligent” survey behavior such as branching or piping and to provide support for survey programming languages using common programming language constructs such as macro expansion, conditional and unconditional branching, iterative loops and procedure calls.  
           [0025]    Another object is to support Internet mail standards such as MIME.  
           [0026]    The present invention comprises a survey network system for performing surveys across a communications network including a computer network, a questionnaire server, a client and a response processor. The questionnaire server includes a communication interface, a questionnaire library, a questionnaire designer and a questionnaire distributor. The client includes a communication interface, a browser, a response engine and a local dedicated profile. The response processor includes a communication interface, an analysis engine and a prior response database. This provides a high-capability survey network system.  
           [0027]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 is a diagram of a survey network system for performing survey communications across a network such as the Internet/World-Wide-Web;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the details of the questionnaire designer and distributor;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the details of the client; and  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the details of the analysis engine of the response processor shown in FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0032]    Survey Communication Across a Network  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a survey network system  100  for performing survey communications across a network  110  such as the Internet/World-Wide-Web. The network system  100  includes a questionnaire server  105  coupled via the computer network  110  to a client  115  and to a response processor  120 .  
         [0034]    The server  105  includes a communications interface  125  coupled to a questionnaire distributor  130  coupled in turn to a multimedia questionnaire designer  135  coupled in turn to a questionnaire library  140 . The multimedia questionnaire designer  135  enables a user to retrieve multimedia questions from the question library  140  and to generate a multimedia-based questionnaire. Examples of multimedia include text, sound, still images, moving pictures, animation, VRML and hyperlinks to other pieces of information. The distributor  130  uses e-mail or a Web server to forward the questionnaire as a self-configurable applet via the communications interface  125  and network  110  to the client  115 .  
         [0035]    The client  115  includes a communications interface  145  coupled to a Java-enabled browser  150  coupled in turn to a response engine  155  coupled in turn to a local dedicated profile  160 . The communications interface  145  receives the questionnaire via the computer network  110  from the questionnaire server  105 . The Java™-enabled browser  150  enables the client user to read the questionnaire. The response engine  155  enables the user to generate and send a response to the response processor  120 . The response may also be multimedia-based. For example, a question may request and the response may include a digital photograph or digital voice sample. The local dedicated profile  160  is a data file storing client user information such as previous responses and user information for authenticating the user. The local dedicated profile  160  may accompany the response for use by the response processor  120 .  
         [0036]    The response processor  120  includes a communications interface  165  coupled to an analysis engine  170  coupled in turn to a prior response database  180 . The communications interface  165  receives the multimedia-based response from the client  115 . The analysis engine  170  retrieves relevant prior responses from the prior response database  180  and performs statistical analyses from the prior responses and current response to generate graphical representations such as pie charts or bar graphs of the results. The analysis engine  170  includes a reaction engine  175  to respond to the client by, for example, sending to the client  115  a customized information package via e-mail to the client or to other individuals based on the client&#39;s specific response or sending an applet which adds additional functionality to an application program operated by the client  115 .  
         [0037]    Further, the multimedia questionnaire designer  135  may include means for linking questions so that, based on a response, selected questions are presented. That is, based on the response from the client, the questionnaire may include links to present related questions or may include links to skip unnecessary questions. Thus, more realistic dialogues can be achieved. For example, to the question “Do you have a pet?” if a client responds “no” then the question “Would you be interested in buying a pet?” would be appropriate but the question “What type of pet?” would be inappropriate. This process is termed “branching.” Also, based on actual prior responses from the client, substitutions in later questions can be provided. For example, if the question is “What is your favorite pet?” and the client responds “dog” then later questions can automatically insert “dog” wherever specifics are requested such as “Why do you like dogs so much?” This process is termed “piping.” 
         [0038]    Details of the Questionnaire Designer and Distributor  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating details of the distributor  130  and questionnaire designer  135 . Questionnaire designer  135  includes a questionnaire editor  205 , an artificial intelligence module  210  and a logic processor  215 . The questionnaire editor  205  includes a questionnaire processor  220  coupled to a user interface  225 , a library interface  230 , a multimedia objects library  235 , a questionnaire parser  240 , a question wizard  245 , a spell checker  250 , an HTML protocol engine  255  and a branching engine  257 . The artificial intelligence module  210  includes an inference engine  260  and a question rules database  265 .  
         [0040]    The questionnaire editor  205  is much like a conventional word processor that enables a user to generate and format a multimedia-based questionnaire, preferably in outline or graphical form. More particularly, the user interface  225  enables a user to generate questions or to use the library interface  230  to select questions or parts of questions from the question library  140  (FIG. 1). The multimedia objects library  235  enables the user to include multimedia objects in the questionnaire. The questionnaire parser  240  parses the questionnaire for proper grammar. The question wizard  245  examines the syntax of the questions in the questionnaire. The spell checker  250  checks the spelling in the questionnaire. The HTML protocol engine  255  converts the questionnaire to an HTML format for publication on the computer network  110 . The branching engine  257  enables the user to link related questions so that, based on real-time responses by a client, only appropriate questions will be presented. The piping engine  258  enables the user to substitute the client responses to prior questions in later questions thus tailoring the wording of later questions to suit the client. The object-relational database interface  259  stores the questionnaire information in a persistent storage area for future retrieval and querying.  
         [0041]    The inference engine  260  cooperates with questionnaire editor  205  to use and generate rules in questionnaire rules database  265  for checking question consistency. The logic processor  215  is used to insert links to actions corresponding to the questions for enabling the reaction engine  175  (FIG. 4) to make efficient use of the question responses.  
         [0042]    The distributor  130  consists of a Web server interface  131 , an e-mail interface  132  and an object-relational database interface  133 . The Web server interface  131  enables the questionnaire to be published on a Web site for general deployment whereas the e-mail interface  132  enables the questionnaire to be sent as an e-mail attachment to a targeted audience. The database interface  133  sends information about the distribution (to whom the questionnaire was sent, when it was sent, what are the access passwords to the questionnaire for each respondent, and so on).  
         [0043]    Links to multimedia associated with the questionnaire as well as the piping branching and reaction logic are also sent at the time the questionnaire is distributed. When the questionnaire is implemented as a self-configuring Java applet, it is an intelligent program.  
         [0044]    Details of the Client  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating details of the client  115 , which includes a CPU  305 , a communications interface  310 , an operating system  315 , a Graphical User Interface (GUI)  320 , a data storage device  325  and random access memory  330 .  
         [0046]    The data storage device  325  stores the local dedicated profile  160 , the questionnaire  340  created by the multimedia questionnaire designer  135 , response data  345  for use by the response engine  155  in generating a response, and common multimedia objects  350  such as sound clips, pictures, etc. for use by the response engine  155  when viewing the questionnaire  340 .  
         [0047]    RAM  330  stores the Java™-enabled browser  150 , which includes an e-mail reader  365  for reviewing an e-mail-based questionnaire  340 , an HTML engine  370  for reviewing an HTML-based questionnaire  340  and an applet engine  375  for reviewing a Java™-based questionnaire  340 .  
         [0048]    RAM  330  also stores a response engine  155 , which includes questionnaire response applets  380  and a response generator  385 . The questionnaire response applets  380  may have been included in the questionnaire  340  by the multimedia questionnaire designer  135  so that the client  115  could easily respond to the questions. For example, if a question were multiple choice, the corresponding questionnaire response applet  380  may, via the applet engine  375 , poll for one of the proper responses and add the selected response to the response data  345 . Otherwise, the response generator  385  would use a predetermined protocol for generating the response. To control branching, the questionnaire response applets  380  may examine client  115  responses and may instruct the browser  150  to present subsequent questions based on links included in the questionnaire  340 . To control piping, the questionnaire response applets  380  may examine the client  115  responses and may instruct the response engine  155  to substitute the specific response to prior questions in later questions.  
         [0049]    Analysis Engine of the Response Processor  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating details of the analysis engine  170  of the response processor  120 . The analysis engine  170  includes a response reader  405 , a statistical analysis engine  410 , a graphics engine  415 , a reaction engine  175  and a response buffer  465 .  
         [0051]    The response reader  405  includes a response validation processor  420  for performing security services to authenticate responses. The statistical analysis engine  410  includes a math library  430  for performing statistical analyses, a prior response database interface  435  for communicating with the prior response database  180  and a statistical package interface  440  for communicating with a commercially available statistical package, for example SAS™ or SPSS™ or a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel™. For example, if the question requested a digital sample of the client  115  user&#39;s voice, then the digital sample response is stored in the response buffer  465  for current use and then into the prior response database  180  for future use and analysis. The statistical analysis engine  410  sends its results to the graphics engine  415  and to the reaction engine  175 .  
         [0052]    The graphics engine  415  includes a graphics display engine  440  for presenting the results as a graphical representation such as a pie chart or bar graph. Graphics engine  415  also includes graphics objects  445  for establishing the proper formats of the graphical representations.  
         [0053]    The reaction engine  175  selects and performs a proper reaction to the response or to the results of the statistical analysis. The reaction engine  175  includes policies  455  for selecting the proper reaction based on the response or on the statistical analysis. For example, the reaction engine  175  includes an applet launcher  450  for launching applets to perform the selected reaction. The applets may add additional functionality to the client  115  or may draft a “thank you” letter. The reaction engine  175  also includes an e-mail launcher  460  for forwarding information back to the client  115  or to other individuals to trigger actions that need to be taken based upon the client response. Other modules may be included in the reaction engine  175  for performing other proper reactions.  
         [0054]    Those skilled in the art will recognize that the network survey system described above can be implemented with a variety of configurations, depending on the application. Therefore, the present invention is limited only by the following claims.