Decision making and implementation system

• US 20020133384A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PortBlue Corporation
• Original Assignee: PortBlue Corporation
• Inventors: Kirkland, Jane MacIntyre, Auburn, Mark Allen, Maas, Christian Alexander, Dimitruk, Paul Arthur, Long, Mark Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and method for generating recommendations of analyses of circumstances in business, accounting, science, medicine and other fields. An algorithm is generated using an interactive generation process based on decision tree type inquiries. The algorithm is translated into a computer language and code and loaded onto a computer, preferably on a network. A user inputs data concerning a particuilar topic, and the algorithm processes the data to generate and display a set of recommendations or analyses. The user inputs additional data which the system uses to refine the initial recommednations or analyses, and this process is repeated until arriving at a final set of recommendations or analyses. The organization and content of sets of display screens changes dynamically as data is input and processed. The data may include degrees of certainty relating to certain data, which is used in both determining a set of recommendations or analyses and expressing a degree of certainty about such recommendations or analyses.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a user in a process of decision-making or analysis involving a topic, with the aid of a computer and a display screen in association with the computer, comprising:

(a) establishing an algorithm and entering the algorithm into a computer;

(b) displaying a screen set having information concerning the topic;

(c) displaying a screen set soliciting a set of input data for input by the user, and inputting said set of input data;

(d) determining a recommendation by processing the input data through at least a portion of the algorithm;

(e) displaying a screen set showing the recommendation and a screen set soliciting additional input data for input by the user, the contents of said screen sets being determined by step (d), and inputting said additional input data;

(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until arriving at a final recommendation or analysis; and

(g) displaying a screen set showing the final recommendation or analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information screen set includes a first plurality of screens, the first plurality of screens being organized in accordance with a first organization scheme in which the screens are presented in a particular sequence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first organization scheme includes the viewing of one or more particular screens being a precondition to the viewing of one or more other particular screens.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information screen set includes a second plurality of screens, the second plurality of screens being organized in accordance with a second organization scheme different from the first organization scheme, and further comprising selecting for display the first organization scheme or the second organization scheme based upon the input data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen sets of step (e) include a plurality of screen sets being organized in accordance with a plurality of different organizations scheme, and further comprising selecting among said screen sets and organization schemes based on the input data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the algorithm includes computational logic for processing the input data and presentation logic for selecting the screen sets and organizations for display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the computational logic includes arithmetic logic for mathematically operating on numerical input data to derive numerical processed data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the computational logic includes operations logic for determining conclusions based at least in part on non-numeric input data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the presentation logic includes navigational logic for establishing a set of screens having a determined organization scheme based on results determined by the computational logic using the input data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the presentation logic includes display logic for establishing a format for display of the screen sets established in claim 9.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein step (a) includes establishing a preliminary decision tree, transforming said decision tree into an algorithm, and embodying the algorithm in a computer code.

12. The method of step 11, further comprising:

testing the algorithm with a set of test data to generate a test recommendation;

comparing the test recommendation to a predetermined recommendation;

revising the algorithm to correct for an undesired discrepancy between the test recommendation and the predetermined recommendation; and

repeating the foregoing steps of this claim 11 until there is no undesired discrepancy.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein at least some of the input data includes a degree of certainty regarding said input data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the degree of certainty data is utilized in producing recommendations.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the degree of certainty data is utilized in determining the degree of certainty of a recommendation.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the algorithm is used with a relational database.

17. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining at least one reason for a recommendation related to input data; and

displaying on the screen at least one said reason.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a plurality of reasons for the recommendation that are related to the user input; and

displaying on the screen a plurality of reasons for the recommendation.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying said plurality of reasons in an order corresponding to their importance in generating the set of information.

20. The method of claim 5, wherein the user input is a plurality of input, and further comprising:

displaying a screen inviting the user to change at least one item of input;

changing at least one item of input;

then using said changed input to regenerate a recommendation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the regenerated recommendation is based on said changed input together with items of input that are not changed.

22. The method of claim 5, wherein screen displays are presented as pages.

23. The method of claim 5, wherein screen displays are presented as pages, and at least one of the pages is displayed only after certain input is made by the user.

24. The method of claim 5, wherein the recommendation is based in part directly upon input from the user and in part upon information derived from input from the user.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a desired recommendation into the computer;

determining a discrepancy between a determined recommendation and a desired recommendation;

determining a type of changed input that would eliminate said discrepancy; and

displaying on a screen said type of changed input.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of determining a type of changed input includes determining a plurality of changed input, and said step of displaying on a screen said type of changed input includes displaying a plurality of said type of changed input.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a degree of importance to at least some of the input parameters; and

wherein said determined recommendation is based at least in part on said assigned degree of importance.

28. The method of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of a recommendation is to obtain expert advice.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said expert advice recommendation includes directions to information about an expert.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the computer is in communication with the Internet, and said directions include a link to an expert'"'"'s website.

31. The method of claim 5, wherein step (a) includes receiving expertise from a person or organization knowledgeable in the topic, and further comprising providing consideration to said person in exchange for said expertise.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said consideration includes the provision of identifying a person or organization on one or more displayed screens.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the computer is in communication with a network and said identified person or organization has a site also in communication with the network, and wherein said identifying includes a link from said displayed screens to said persons'"'"' site.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the network is the Internet.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein said consideration is based at least in part on the number of uses of the system.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein said person pays consideration in addition to the provision of expertise.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the consideration paid by said person is based at least in part on referrals to said person.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising charging users for use of the method.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein said consideration is based at least in part on revenue or profit realized from use of the method by users.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning degrees of importance to a plurality of potential recommendations.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising assigning degrees of importance to items of input data based at least in part on their importance in determining recommendations having assigned degrees of importance.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising selecting sets of screens for display based at least in part on the assigned degree of importance of input data solicited or used in said sets of screens.