Method and apparatus for idea development and evaluation

• US 6,466,928 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Blasko, Kelly Ann, Crabtree, Walden Blaine, White, Lester Lynn, OʼDriscoll, Tony Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Starks, Jr., Wilbert L.
• Application Number:
  US08/777,593
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46, 345/338, 345/337, 345/13, 345/326, 345/333, 345/340, 707/505, 348/13, 434/336, 364/528
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for evaluating a business proposal in which a computer is used to perform the steps of presenting questions regarding the business proposal, using information gathered from responses to these questions to determine a score for the proposal, and then providing this information and score for evaluation of the proposal.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating a business proposal comprising the steps, performed by a computer, of:

presenting a set of predefined questions regarding the proposal;

obtaining a set of information about the proposal from responses to the questions;

determining a score from the information in the set;

determining, from the score, whether the set meets a predetermined minimum specification; and

outputting the score and the obtained information for the purposes of evaluating the proposal.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of

providing, from the obtained responses, feedback regarding the information; and

obtaining additional information about the proposal from responses received after the feedback is provided.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of outputting the information and score includes the step of displaying the information and score.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of obtaining information about a generator of the proposal.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing a first level of help including general information on using the program and information about the status of the proposal.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of providing a second level of help including context specific information regarding the set of questions.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of storing the proposal information in a database.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of

receiving information about the proposal from a plurality of sources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of questions include questions regarding a level of agreement with a set of predefined statements;

wherein the obtained set of information includes a numeric rating of the level of agreement with each statement; and

wherein the information provided for evaluation includes the obtained ratings.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the obtained score meets the minimum specification, the steps of

presenting a second set of predefined questions that includes questions regarding a level of agreement with a second set of predefined statements, and

obtaining a second set of information that includes responses to the second set of questions including a numeric rating indicating a person'"'"'s level of agreement with each statement in the second set of statements, and a numeric rating indicating the person'"'"'s level of confidence in the numeric rating indicating the person'"'"'s level of agreement with the second set of statements;

and

wherein the outputting step includes the step of outputting the second set of information and ratings for the purposes of evaluating the proposal.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of

displaying a graphical representation of the ratings.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of

determining a score for the second set of information.

13. A computer for evaluating a business proposal, comprising:

means for presenting a set of predefined questions regarding the proposal;

means for obtaining a set of information about the proposal from responses to the questions;

means for determining a score from the information in the set;

means for determining, from the score, whether the set meets a predetermined minimum specification; and

means for outputting the score and the obtained information for the purposes of evaluating the proposal.

14. The computer of claim 13, further comprising

means for providing, from the obtained responses, feedback regarding the information; and

means for obtaining additional information about the proposal from responses received after the feedback is provided.

15. The computer of claim 13, wherein the means for outputting the score and information includes

means for displaying the information and score.

16. The computer of claim 13, further comprising

means for obtaining information about a generator of the proposal.

17. The computer of claim 13, further comprising

means for providing a first level of help including general information on using the program and information about the status of the proposal.

18. The computer of claims 13, further comprising

means for providing a second level of help including context specific information regarding the set of questions.

19. The computer of claims 13, further comprising

means for storing the proposal information in a database.

20. The computer of claim 13, further comprising

means for receiving information about the proposal from a plurality of sources.

21. The computer of claim 13, wherein the set of predefined questions includes questions regarding a level of agreement with a set of predefined statements, and

wherein the obtained set of information includes a numeric rating of the level of agreement with each statement.

22. The computer of claim 21, further comprising:

means for presenting a second set of predefined questions including questions regarding a level of agreement with a second set of predefined statements, and

means for obtaining a second set of information including responses to the second set of questions, the responses including a numeric rating indicating a level of agreement with each statement in the second set of statements, and a numeric rating indicating a level of confidence in the numeric rating indicating the level of agreement with the second set of statements; and

wherein the outputting means includes means for outputting the second set of information and ratings for the purposes of evaluating the proposal.

23. The computer of claim 21, further comprising

means for providing a graphical representation of the ratings.

24. The computer of claim 22, further comprising

means for determining a score for the second set of obtained information.