Priority-Weighted Selection to Match a Panelist to a Market Research Project

• US 20140188554A1
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Research Now Group, Inc (Dynata)
• Original Assignee: e-Rewards
• Inventors: Myers, Stephen Allen, Herfield, Eric Steven, Moneta, Daren, Harter, James Sterling Shapiro, Antoniuk, Jeremy Scott, Courtright, Melanie Denise, Flower, Peter David
• Application Number:
  US13/733,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188554A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A method of matching a panelist to a market research project includes accessing, by one or more computer processors, a set of quota cells identified for the panelist and having priorities assigned thereto. The method additionally includes selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a market research project by weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist. The method further includes matching, by the one or more computer processors, the panelist to the market research project based on the selection.

Claims

1. A method of matching a panelist to a market research project, the method comprising:

accessing, by one or more computer processors, a set of quota cells identified for the panelist and having priorities assigned thereto;

selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a market research project by weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist; and

matching, by the one or more computer processors, the panelist to the market research project based on the selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist includes associating the market research projects with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist includes randomly selecting a segment of the bell curve.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a segment associated with market research projects of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist includes randomly selecting a market research project of the selected segment of the bell curve.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the set of quota cells for the panelist by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to profile parameter value vertices identified for the panelist.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graph database relates profile parameter value vertices to quota cell vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying quota cell criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning priorities to the quota cells, by the one or more computer processors, based at least in part on percentage of progress of market research projects associated therewith.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning priorities to the quota cells, by the one or more computer processors, based at least in part on elapsed effective field time for completion of market research projects associated therewith.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning priorities to the quota cells, by the one or more computer processors, based at least in part on scarcity of quota cell criteria.

11. An apparatus for matching a panelist to a market research project, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing, by one or more computer processors, a set of quota cells identified for the panelist and having priorities assigned thereto;

means for selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a market research project by weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist; and

means for matching, by the one or more computer processors, the panelist to the market research project based on the selection.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said means for selecting includes means for associating the market research projects with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for selecting includes means for randomly selecting a segment of the bell curve.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a segment associated with market research projects of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting includes means for randomly selecting a market research project of the selected segment of the bell curve.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for identifying the set of quota cells for the panelist by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to profile parameter value vertices identified for the panelist.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the graph database relates profile parameter value vertices to quota cell vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying quota cell criteria.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for assigning the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on percentage of progress of market research projects associated therewith.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for assigning the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on elapsed effective field time for completion of market research projects associated therewith.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for assigning the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on scarcity of quota cell criteria.

21. A computer program product, comprising:

a nontransitory computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer processor to access a set of quota cells identified for the panelist and having priorities assigned thereto;

code for causing a computer processor to select a market research project by weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist; and

code for causing a computer processor to match the panelist to the market research project based on the selection.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said code for causing a computer processor to select includes code for causing a computer processor to associate the market research projects with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein said code for causing a computer processor to select includes code for causing a computer processor to randomly select a segment of the bell curve.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein a segment associated with market research projects of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein said code for causing a computer processor to select includes code for causing a computer to randomly select a market research project of the selected segment of the bell curve.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said nontransitory computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer processor to identify the set of quota cells for the panelist by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to profile parameter value vertices identified for the panelist.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the graph database relates profile parameter value vertices to quota cell vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying quota cell criteria.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said nontransitory computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer to assign the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on percentage of progress of market research projects associated therewith.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said nontransitory computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer to assign the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on elapsed effective field time for completion of market research projects associated therewith.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said nontransitory computer-readable medium further comprises:

code for causing a computer processor to assign the priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on scarcity of quota cell criteria.

31. A market research apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to panelists and market research projects; and

a processor configured to;

access a set of quota cells identified for the panelist and having priorities assigned thereto;

select a market research project by weighting random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist; and

match the panelist to the market research project based on the selection.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said processor is further configured to weight random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist by associating the market research projects with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said processor is further configured to weight random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist by randomly selecting a segment of the bell curve.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein a segment associated with market research projects of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said processor is further configured to weight random selection of market research projects according to the priorities assigned to their respective quota cells identified for the panelist by randomly selecting a market research project of the selected segment of the bell curve.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said processor is further configured to:

identify the set of quota cells for the panelist by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to profile parameter value vertices identified for the panelist.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the graph database relates profile parameter value vertices to quota cell vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying quota cell criteria.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said processor is further configured to:

assign priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on percentage of progress of market research projects associated therewith.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said processor is further configured to:

assign priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on elapsed effective field time for completion of market research projects associated therewith.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said processor is further configured to:

assign priorities to the quota cells based at least in part on scarcity of quota cell criteria.

41. A method of finding a first data item within a set based on a second data item, the method comprising:

accessing, by one or more computer processors, a set of criteria data items identified for the second data item, wherein the criteria data items represent criteria for matching the second data item to the first data items, and wherein the criteria data items have priorities assigned thereto;

selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a first data item by weighting random selection of first data items according to the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item; and

matching, by the one or more computer processors, the second data item to the first data item based on the selection.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein weighting random selection of first data items according to the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item includes associating the first data items with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein weighting random selection of first data items according to the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item includes randomly selecting a segment of the bell curve.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein a segment associated with first data items of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein weighting random selection of first data items according to the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item includes randomly selecting a first data item of the selected segment of the bell curve.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the set of criteria data items for the second data item by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to parameter value vertices identified for the second data item, wherein the graph database relates value vertices to criteria vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying the criteria for matching the second data item to the first data items.

47. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

assigning priorities to the criteria data items, by the one or more computer processors, based at least in part on at least one of;

scarcity of their respective first data items;

schedules for finding their respective first data items;

or

scarcity of second data items that satisfy the criteria of the criteria data item.

48. An apparatus for finding a first data item within a set based on a second data item, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing, by one or more computer processors, a set of criteria data items identified for the second data item, wherein the criteria data items represent criteria for matching the second data item to the first data items, and wherein the criteria data items have priorities assigned thereto;

means for selecting, by the one or more computer processors, a first data item by weighting random selection of first data items according to the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item; and

means for matching, by the one or more computer processors, the second data item to the first data item based on the selection.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein said means for selecting includes means for associating the first data items with segments of a segmented bell curve based on the priorities assigned to their respective criteria data items identified for the second data item.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, includes means for randomly selecting a segment of the bell curve.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein a segment associated with first data items of higher priority than those of another segment has a greater chance of being selected than the other segment.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said means for selecting includes randomly means for selecting a first data item of the selected segment of the bell curve.

53. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising:

means for identifying, by the one or more computer processors, the set of criteria data items for the second data item by traversing a graph database in a manner constrained to parameter value vertices identified for the second data item, wherein the graph database relates value vertices to criteria vertices by edges corresponding to Boolean expressions for satisfying the criteria for matching the second data item to the first data items.

54. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising:

means for assigning priorities to the criteria data items, by the one or more computer processors, based at least in part on at least one of;

scarcity of their respective first data items;

schedules for finding their respective first data items;

or

scarcity of second data items that satisfy the criteria of the criteria data item.