METHODS, APPARATUSES, AND SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING SOLUTIONS

• US 20150134543A1
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GroupSolver, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GroupSolver, Inc.
• Inventors: Ivanic, Rastislav, Ivanic, Maros
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

One feature pertains to a computer-readable storage medium having instructions for generating group solutions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by at least one processor causes the processor to receive a plurality of solution statements from a plurality of users, determine that two or more solution statements of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated with each other, and generate a group solution that includes the two or more solution statements determined to be positively and significantly correlated with each other. The two or more solution statements having the positive and significant correlation tending to be included concurrently in the plurality of solution statements received from the plurality of users.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions for generating group solutions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by at least one processor causes the processor to:

receive a plurality of solution statements from a plurality of users;

determine that two or more solution statements of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated with each other; and

generate a group solution that includes the two or more solution statements determined to be positively and significantly correlated with each other.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the two or more solution statements that are positively and significantly correlated tend to be included concurrently in the plurality of solution statements received from the plurality of users.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

(a) identify a most common solution statement from the plurality of solution statements received from the plurality of users;

(b) insert the most common solution statement identified in (a) into a primary group solution;

(c) identify a next most common solution statement from the plurality of solution statements that has not yet been inserted into the primary group solution and is positively correlated with all other solution statements of the primary group solution;

(d) insert the next most common solution statement identified in (c) into the primary group solution; and

(e) repeat (c) and (d) until no next most common solution statement is identified, thereby generating the primary group solution.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

(a) identify those solution statements of the plurality of solution statements that are negatively and significantly correlated to the most common solution statement;

(b) identify and insert a most common negatively correlated solution statement from the solution statements identified in (a) into an alternative group solution;

(c) identify a next most common negatively correlated solution statement from the solution statements identified in (a) and that has not yet been inserted into the alternative group solution and is positively correlated with all other solution statements of the alternative group solution;

(d) insert the next most common negatively correlated solution statement identified in (c) into the alternative group solution; and

(e) repeat (c) and (d) until no next most common negatively correlated solution statement is identified, thereby generating the alternative group solution.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the plurality of solution statements from the plurality of users includes:

receive from each of the plurality of users at least one solution statement of the plurality of solution statements; and

receive from at least one or more of the plurality of users a set of solution statements that includes two or more solution statements from the plurality of solution statements.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining that two or more solution statements of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated includes:

determining that the two or more solution statements have a correlation value that is greater than or equal to a preselected positive correlation threshold value.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein determining that two or more solution statements of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated includes:

determining that a correlation value associated with the two or more solution statements has a confidence interval that is greater than or equal to a preselected confidence interval threshold value.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solution statements and the group solution are directed at providing solutions to a project that the plurality of users are attempting to solve.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

receive a first solution statement of the plurality of solution statements from a first user of the plurality of users;

analyze semantics of the first solution statement and determine that the first solution statement is similar in meaning to a second solution statement of the plurality of solution statements, the second solution statement having been received by a greater number of users than the first solution statement; and

prompt the first user to replace the first solution statement with the second solution statement.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

transmit one or more queries to the plurality of users;

receive one or more responses to the one or more queries from the plurality of users; and

assign at least two or more of the plurality of users to a plurality of sub-groups based on the one or more responses received.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

generate at least a first sub-group solution based on the solution statements received from a first sub-group of users of the plurality of users assigned to a first sub-group; and

generate at least a second sub-group solution based on the solution statements received from a second sub-group of users assigned to a second sub-group.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

receive one or more changes to one or more solution statements received from at least one user of the plurality of users; and

regenerate the group solution based on the one or more changes received.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein regenerating the group solution based on the one or more changes received includes:

determine that at least one of the changed solution statements and at least one other solution statement of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated with each other; and

regenerate the group solution to include the at least one changed solution statement and the at least one other solution statement of the plurality of solution statements determined to be positively and significantly correlated with each other.

14. The computer-readable-storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

provide the group solution to at least a portion of the plurality of users.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

grant a license to select users of the plurality of users, the license allowing the select users to at least one of view other user solution statements, view the group solution, and/or receive updates to the group solution.

16. A server comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a plurality of client devices;

a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the processing circuit configured to;

receive a plurality of solution statements from the plurality of client devices, wherein the plurality of solution statements received includes at least one solution statement from each of the client devices and one or more sets of solution statements from one or more of the client devices, the sets of solution statements each including two or more solution statements;

determine that at least two solution statements of the plurality of solution statements are positively and significantly correlated with each other in that the at least two solution statements are included in at least one set of solution statements received; and

generate a group solution that includes the at least two solution statements determined to be positively and significantly correlated with each other.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

provide the plurality of users with a project solution interface, the project solution interface configured to be displayed on a display of a client device associated with each of the plurality of users, the project solution interface enabling each of the plurality of users to perform at least one of;

at least one of view, submit, and/or modify one or more of their own solution statements provided to and received at the server;

view one or more solution statements associated with other users of the plurality of users; and

/or

view the group solution.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the project solution interface further enables each of the plurality of users to:

select at least one of a solution statement associated with another user of the plurality of users as their own solution statement; and

transmit the selected solution statement to the server.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

determine popularity percentage values for one or more of the solution statements of the plurality of solution statements, the popularity percentage values indicating the percentage of the plurality of users that submitted the one or more solution statements to the server, and wherein the popularity percentage values are displayed within the project solution interface for at least one of;

(a) the one or more of their own solution statements provided to and received at the server;

(b) the one or more solution statements associated with other users of the plurality of users; and

/or (c) the group solution.

20. The server of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

provide the plurality of users with a dashboard interface, the dashboard interface configured to be displayed on a display of a client device associated with each of the plurality of users, the dashboard interface enabling each of the plurality of users to perform at least one of;

view and select one or more projects accessible to the user;

view and select one or more groups the user is part of; and

/or

search for terms within one or more projects accessible to the user.

21. The server of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to perform at least one of the following processes:

determine the average use of each solution statement among the plurality of users;

determine the correlation among solution statement use across the plurality of users based on user characteristics received from the plurality of users;

rate the semantic similarity of solution statements in relation to other solution statements;

group solution statements of the plurality of solution statements together based on their rated semantic similarity;

tag portions of a solution statement of the plurality of solution statements by identifying key words characterizing the solution statement; and

/or

link one or more solution statements submitted by a user of the plurality of users to at least one of their user name and/or user profile.

22. The server of claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:

receive a first set of solution statements from a first user of the plurality of users;

compare the first set of solution statements received to sets of solution statements received from other users of the plurality of users;

determine that the first set of solution statements does not include at least one solution statement included in the sets of solution statements received from the other users; and

prompt the first user to add the at least one solution statement included in the sets of solution statements received from the other users.

23. A method of generating group solutions to a project, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of solution statements from a plurality of users;

(b) identifying a most common solution statement from the plurality of solution statements;

(c) inserting the most common solution statement identified in (b) into a primary group solution;

(d) identifying a next most common solution statement from the plurality of solution statements that has not yet been inserted into the primary group solution and is positively and significantly correlated with all other solution statements of the primary group solution;

(e) inserting the next most common solution statement identified in (d) into the primary group solution; and

(f) repeating (d) and (e) until no next most common solution statement is identified, thereby generating the primary group solution.

24. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising:

(g) identifying those solution statements of the plurality of solution statements that are negatively and significantly correlated to the most common solution statement;

(h) identifying and inserting a most common negatively correlated solution statement from the solution statements identified in (g) into an alternative group solution;

(i) identifying a next most common negatively correlated solution statement from the solution statements identified in (g) and that has not yet been inserted into the alternative group solution and is positively and significantly correlated with all other solution statements of the alternative group solution;

(j) inserting the next most common negatively correlated solution statement identified in (i) into the alternative group solution; and

(k) repeating (i) and (j) until no next most common negatively correlated solution statement is identified, thereby generating the alternative group solution.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the solution statements of the primary group solution are ranked and arranged in at least one of a numerical order and/or a hierarchical order consistent with the numerical order and/or hierarchical order most commonly found in the received plurality of solution statements.