Management training simulation method and system

• US 6,408,263 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tumbleweed Holdings LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gary J. Summers
• Inventors: Summers, Gary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Kyle J.
• Application Number:
  US09/364,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 703/6, 703/2, 705/7, 705/10, 434/107
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/18 Book-keeping or economics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A management training simulation system and method are disclosed. A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention is implemented on a computer and represents changes in design opportunities for objects in a simulated environment. The design opportunities can represent, for example, new or changed features in a product made by a particular firm. The objects are defined through an attribute-characteristic representation. A multipeaked value function is used to process designs throughout the simulation instead of a distance-value function as in conventional simulations. At some time during the simulation, the domain of one or more attributes, the number of attributes, or both are changed to thereby alter the set of valid designs for the objects in the simulation. Such changes can simulate technological advances including incremental and radical innovations, government regulation, shortages in raw materials, union strikes, and the like. Participants in the simulation acquire limited information concerning the marketplace to guide their going-forward decisions, preferably at a cost. In a further aspect of the invention, the participants actions are monitored and the performance of each participant is gauged against predetermined criteria. A network preferably interconnects plural simulation participants to a central computer which runs the simulation.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computer for representing changes in design opportunities in a management training simulation, comprising the steps of:

a) providing an attribute-characteristic representation of one or more objects;

b) processing said objects with a multipeaked value function; and

c) changing at least one of a domain of one or more attributes and the number of attributes of the attribute-characteristic representation by removing restrictions on the valid object designs in the attribute-characteristic representation during the course of the management training simulation, whereby a set of valid designs for said objects in the management training simulation is altered.

2. The methods as in claim 1, wherein only the domain of one or more of the attributes is changed.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the changing step includes the step of expanding the domain of one or more attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate a technological advance.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein only the number of attributes is changed.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the changing step includes the step of expanding the number of attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate a technological advance.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the changing step is automatically initiated in response to a determination of the amount of innovation in the processed object designs.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein a value of each valid design of said objects remain unchanged after the changing step.

8. The method as in claim 1, including the additional step of obtaining object designs for said objects from a user prior to the processing step.

9. The method as in claim 8, including the additional step of selectively providing the user with information concerning at least a subset of said set of products.

10. The method as in claim 9, including the additional step of charging the user for the provided information.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein the step of selectively providing the user with information includes providing marketplace information that satisfies a search query entered by the user.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the multipeaked value function exhibits strong frustration between at least two attributes.

13. A method implemented on a computer for representing changes in design opportunities in a management training simulation, comprising the steps of:

a) providing an attribute-characteristic representation of one or more objects;

b) processing said objects with a multipeaked value function; and

c) changing a domain of one or more attributes of the attribute-characteristic representation, whereby a set of valid designs for said objects in the management training simulation is altered,

wherein the changing step includes the step of constraining the domain of one or more attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate government regulation or a shortage of raw materials.

14. A method implemented on a computer for representing changes in design opportunities in a management training simulation, comprising the steps of:

a) providing an attribute-characteristic representation of one or more objects;

b) processing said objects with a multipeaked value function; and

c) changing the number of attributes of the attribute-characteristic representation, whereby a set of valid designs for said objects in the management training simulation is altered,

wherein the changing step includes the step of constraining the number of attributes in the attribute-characteristic representation that the user can vary in order to simulate government regulation or a shortage of raw materials.

15. A method implemented on a computer for effecting changes in object design values in a simulation, comprising the steps of:

a) providing an attribute-characteristic representation having attributes that are representative of one or more objects and at least one disturbance-attribute that is representative of a factor that influences the simulation;

b) processing said objects with a multipeaked value function; and

c) the computer automatically changing a system-set characteristic of the disturbance-attribute in the attribute-characteristic representation of the set of valid object designs, whereby one or more values of said set of valid object designs in the simulation is altered.

16. A method for diagnosing the cognitive approach of a student in responding to a design evaluation presented on a computer, comprising the steps of:

a) commencing a first round by obtaining from the student at least one of an object design and an object category that includes one or more object designs, each object design that is obtained from the student being represented by an attribute-characteristic representation;

b) evaluating the designs in the computer using a multipeaked value function;

c) outputting a value concerning the designs obtained from the student;

d) commencing a further round by obtaining a revised design for the one or more objects;

e) repeating steps b) through d) a number of additional rounds while recording each obtained design; and

f) comparing the value of the designs of the student to other data to gauge the student'"'"'s cognitive approach, in each round, in revising the design.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the repeating step further includes recording the value for each of the designs and associating the value and the design in a memory of the computer.

18. A management training system, comprising:

a) a first computer including a processor and memory and a network connection to a plurality of stations, the first computer being configurable to define a simulated business situation and to process inputs from users using a multipeaked value function;

b) a plurality of stations connected to the first computer and executing an application software program which permits a user at each station to design one or more objects thereat, each object having a valid object design defined using an attribute-characteristic representation; and

c) a connection between the plurality of stations and the first computer which permits object designs input at the plural stations to be forwarded to the first computer and permits data concerning the object designs that have been processed using the multipeaked value function to be transmitted from the first computer to the plural stations,

wherein the application software program is changeable by removing restrictions on the valid object designs in the attribute-characteristic representation during the course of the simulated business situation to increase the number or domain of the valid object designs defined by the attribute-characteristic representation.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein each station is identifiable by the first computer and wherein the first computer is configured to transmit to each particular station information concerning a current state of the of that user'"'"'s object designs.