Method for collective decision-making

• US 6,980,983 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Banerjee, Dwip N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEL JALIL, NEVEEN
• Application Number:
  US09/923,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 705/7, 705/9, 705/10, 705/45, 709/206, 706/45, 715/500.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method and a computer program product for promoting collaborative, consensus-driven decisions from a plurality of decision-making entities using electronic communications in a real-time forum. The inventive instant messaging application can be used for registering participants, developing forum pages, communicating queries, receiving messages and tallying responses that can enable implementation of online trading transactions. The application module and support databases are maintained by one or more central coordinators that reside as software objects on a server. Setpoint values are used for measuring the extent to which the participants'"'"' cumulative response satisfies one or more decision parameters. Arbitration and intra-group caucussing can also be initiated as a means to promote consensus and arrive at a collective decision. The collective decision can be used to initiate a specific course of action that may involve further communications with one or more remote trading networks.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

maintaining identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintaining a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicating a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receiving responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determining the cumulative support from the query responses received;

automatically communicating a second query to the plurality of decision-making entities if an additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint value is less than a second setpoint; and

automatically implementing the proposed action if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint by transmitting an instruction to one or more trading networks.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

imposing arbitration among the plurality of decision-making entities if the query responses provide cumulative support less than the minimum setpoint value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of support is of a type selected from qualitative, quantitative, functional or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a communication to each of the plurality of decision-making entities staring an amount of additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating an intra-group caucus between a plurality of the decision-making entities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the query is formulated by one of the plurality of decision-making entities and transmitted to a central coordinator for subsequent communication to the plurality of decision-making entities.

7. The method of claim 9, wherein the setpoint is established by the decision-making entity that formulates the query.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification of each decision-making entity includes a weighting factor;

and wherein the step of determining the cumulative support includes applying the weighting factor against each indicator of support for the decision.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the query responses include weighting factors or other criteria relevant to the level of support.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying one of the plurality of decision-making entities for authorization to implement the decision if the query responses provide cumulative support greater than the minimum setpoint.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining approval or denial to implement the decision.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of decision-making entities communicates through a personal digital assistant.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications occur over a wireless network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications utilize instant messaging.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a collaboration manager to interface between decision-making entities having different computer platforms or applications.

16. A computer implemented method, comprising:

maintaining identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintaining a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicating a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receiving responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determining the cumulative support from the query responses received;

automatically implementing the proposed action if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint;

imposing arbitration among the plurality of decision-making entities if the query responses provide cumulative support less than the minimum setpoint values;

communicating the cumulative support to the plurality of decision-making entities;

communicating a second query based on this cumulative support;

receiving responses to the second query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each of the second responses include a revised indication of support;

determining a revised cumulative support for the second query incorporating the revised indications of support; and

implementing the decision if the revised cumulative support is greater than the minimum setpoint.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identification of each decision-making entity includes a weighting factor, the step of determining the cumulative support further includes:

applying the weighting factor against each indicator of support for the decision.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a communication to each of the plurality of decision-making entities stating an amount of additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically communicating a second query to the plurality of decision-making entities if the additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint value is less than a second setpoint.

20. A computer implemented method, comprising:

maintaining identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintaining a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicating a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receiving responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determining the cumulative support from the query responses received; and

automatically implementing the proposed action if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint;

communicating the cumulative support to the plurality of decision-making entities;

communicating a second query based on this cumulative support;

receiving responses to the second query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each of the second responses include a revised indication of support;

determining a revised cumulative support for the second query incorporating the revised indications of support; and

implementing the decision if the revised cumulative support is greater than the minimum setpoint.

21. A computer program product including computer readable instructions embodied on a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

maintain identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintain a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicate a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receive responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determine the cumulative support from the query responses received;

automatically communicate a second query to the plurality of decision-making entities if an additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint is less than a second setpoint; and

automatically implement the decision if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint, including transmit an instruction to one or more trading networks.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

impose arbitration among the plurality of decision-making entities if the query responses provide cumulative support less than the minimum setpoint.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

formulate a decision of a type selected from qualitative, quantitative, functional or a combination of decisions thereof.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

send a communication to each of the plurality of decision-making entities stating an amount of additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint.

25. The of claim 21, further comprising initiate an intra-group caucus between a plurality of the decision-making entities.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

generate a query to one of the plurality of decision-making entities for authorization to implement the decision if the query responses provide cumulative support greater than the minimum setpoint.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

maintain a weighting factor for each of the decision-making entities; and

apply the weighting factor for each of the decision-making entities against the indication of support received from the corresponding decision-making entity.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the indication of support provides a graduated level of support.

29. A computer program product including computer readable instructions embodied on a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

maintain identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintain a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicate a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receive responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determine the cumulative support from the query responses received;

automatically implement the decision if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint;

impose arbitration among the plurality of decision-making entities if the query responses provide cumulative support less than the minimum setpoint; and

automatically communicate a second query to the plurally of decision-making entities if the additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint is less than a second setpoint.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising:

maintain a weighting factor for each of the decision-making entities; and

apply the weighting factor for each of the decision-making entities against the indicator of support received from the corresponding decision-making entity.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising:

identify a query that is formulated by one of the plurality of decision-making entities; and

transmit the query to the plurality of decision-making entities.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising:

identify a setpoint established by the decision-making entity that formulated the query.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising:

communicate the cumulative support to the plurality of decision-making entities;

communicate a second query based on this cumulative support;

receive responses to the second query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each of the second responses include a revised indication of support;

determine a revised cumulative support for the second query incorporating the revised indications of support; and

implement the decision if the revised cumulative support is greater than the minimum setpoint value.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising:

an amount of additional support necessary to reach the minimum setpoint value to each of the plurality of decision-making entities.

35. A computer program product including computer readable instructions embodied on a computer readable medium, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed on a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

maintain identification for a group of decision-making entities in a memory device;

maintain a setpoint representing a minimum cumulative support required to implement a proposed action;

communicate a query to the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the query includes a description of the proposed action;

receive responses to the query from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein each response includes an indicator of support for the proposed action;

determine the cumulative support from the query responses received;

automatically implement the decision if the cumulative support is greater than the setpoint;

communicate the cumulative response to the plurality of decision-making entities;

communicate a second query based on this cumulative response;

communicate second responses from the plurality of decision-making entities, wherein the second responses comprise revised weighting factors;

determine the cumulative response to the second query incorporating the revised weighting factors; and

implement the decision if the second query responses provide cumulative support greater than the minimum setpoint value.