# US 8,544,109 B2 · Methods and systems involving survey administration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,544,109 B2 - Document ID: US8544109B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/539,670 - Filed: 2009-08-12 - Published: 2010-02-18 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-12 - Assignees: So-Net M3 USA - Applicants: Craig Alan Overpeck - Inventors: Craig Alan Overpeck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8544109B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - H04L 9/0822: {using key encryption key} - H04L 9/0894: {Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage} - H04L 9/3271: {using challenge-response} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method includes authorizing a user to participate in a survey, generating a key associated with a user identifier and a survey identifier, sending the key to a user terminal, directing the user terminal to a survey uniform resource locator (URL), connecting communicatively with the user terminal via a second URL, determining whether the second URL designates the survey as completed, retrieving the encrypted key from the user terminal responsive to determining that the second URL designates the survey as completed, and updating the status of the survey in a memory responsive to verifying the integrity of the encrypted key. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: authorizing a user to participate in a survey; generating a key associated with a user identifier and a survey identifier; encrypting the key; sending the encrypted key to a user terminal; directing the user terminal to a survey uniform resource locator (URL); connecting communicatively with the user terminal via a second URL; determining whether the second URL designates the survey as completed; retrieving the encrypted key from the user terminal responsive to determining that the second URL designates the survey as completed; verifying the integrity of the key; updating a status of the survey in a memory as completed responsive to verifying the integrity of the key; terminating without updating the status of the survey in the memory as completed if the integrity of the key is not verified. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises retrieving the encrypted key from the user terminal responsive to determining that the second URL designates the survey as not-completed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the key is sent to the user terminal in a cookie. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether a user identifier is associated with an email address in a database; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user identifier and the email address are not associated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has been invited to the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has not been invited to the survey. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has previously completed the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has previously completed the survey. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has previously terminated the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has previously terminated the survey. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has initiated the survey using another user account; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has initiated the survey using another user account. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is not a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has previously terminated the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has previously terminated the survey. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is not a member if an in-house panel: comparing metadata associated with the user identifier with metadata associated with other user identifiers; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the metadata associated with the user identifier matches metadata associated with other user identifiers. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a user terminal; and a processor operative to perform operations including: authorizing a user to participate in a survey; generating a key associated with a user identifier and a survey identifier; encrypting the key; sending the encrypted key to a user terminal; directing the user terminal to a survey uniform resource locator (URL); connecting communicatively with the user terminal via a second URL; determining whether the second URL designates the survey as completed; retrieving the encrypted key from the user terminal responsive to determining that the second URL designates the survey as completed; verifying integrity of the key; updating a status of the survey in a memory as completed responsive to verifying the integrity of the key; terminating without updating the status of the survey in the memory as completed if the integrity of the key is not verified. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operative to retrieve the encrypted key from the user terminal responsive to determining that the second URL designates the survey as not-completed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the key is sent to the user terminal in a cookie. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether a user identifier is associated with an email address in a database; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user identifier and the email address are not associated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has been invited to the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has not been invited to the survey. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has previously completed the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has previously completed the survey. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has previously terminated the survey; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has previously terminated the survey. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the authorizing the user to participate in the survey includes: determining whether the user is a member of an in-house panel; and responsive to determining that the user is a member if an in-house panel: determining whether the user has initiated the survey using another user account; and denying the user access to the survey responsive to determining that the user has initiated the survey using another user account.