US 12,244,431 B2
Systems and methods for providing live online focus group data
Scott Brickner, Washington, DC (US)
Assigned to Mercury Analytics, LLC, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by Mercury Analytics, LLC, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/108,889.
Application 18/108,889 is a continuation of application No. 17/197,731, filed on Mar. 10, 2021, granted, now 11,582,051.
Prior Publication US 2023/0188373 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 12/18 (2006.01); G06F 16/9035 (2019.01); G06Q 30/0203 (2023.01); H04L 65/1093 (2022.01); H04L 65/401 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 12/1822 (2013.01) [G06F 16/9035 (2019.01); G06Q 30/0203 (2013.01); H04L 65/1093 (2013.01); H04L 65/4015 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a network server, a request from a first user device for a focus group associated with a topic, wherein a first user associated with the first user device is not part of the focus group and wherein at a time of receiving the request, the focus group has not been formed and wherein when the focus group is formed, all participants in the focus group join together to form the focus group;
presenting, via the network server and after the time of receiving the request, a group of screened and qualified potential focus group participants;
receiving, via the network server and prior to establishing the focus group, a selection of a subgroup of participants from the group of screened and qualified potential focus group participants, and the selection of a subgroup of participants from the group of screened and qualified potential focus group participants comprising the focus group, the selection performed by at least one of a selection algorithm, the first user or a second user;
placing each participant in the subgroup of participants in a waiting room environment prior to establishing the focus group;
establishing a respective testing video conference between each participant in the subgroup of participants in the waiting room environment and the second user;
confirming, via the network server, a respective technical ability to carry out a video conference at a respective location for a respective participant from the subgroup of participants to yield a respective confirmed participant;
establishing the video conference comprising each respective confirmed participant as the focus group and the second user;
receiving respective data as part of the focus group from each respective confirmed participant on the video conference;
running, via the network server and based on the selection of the subgroup of participants from the group of screened and qualified potential focus group participants, the focus group, wherein each participant of the subgroup of participants in the focus group uses a respective participant device to communicate with the network server in order to run the focus group; and
presenting live data associated with the video conference of the focus group to the first user at a user device on one or more of an individual basis of one member of the focus group, a segmented basis of the focus group or a focus group basis.