Method and system for dynamic variation of decision tree architecture

• US 7,155,421 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Haldar, Debashis
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Sunray
• Application Number:
  US10/272,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 706/12, 706/45, 706/46, 705/12
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/01 Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound

Abstract

A method and system for selecting and presenting questions to users is provided. The method and system provides for a decision-tree architecture that functionally changes form as users traverse the tree, depending on the responses provided by the users.

Claims

1. In a computer system that is provisioned with a decision tree that defines a first question with a plurality of possible answers, and that defines, respectively for each answer of the plurality of possible answers, a second question, a method comprising:

with respect to at least one user of multiple users in a group, the computer system presenting the first question to the user, receiving from the user a particular one of the plurality of possible answers, and then presenting to the user a particular second question that the decision tree defines respectively for the particular answer;

the computer system making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question; and

responsive to the determination, the computer system modifying the decision tree to eliminate the first question, so that the computer system thereafter skips presentation of the first question to any remaining users in group and instead proceeds to present the particular second question.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the first question to the user comprises sending the first question to the user as an instant message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving from the user a particular one of the possible answers comprises receiving the particular one of the possible answers as an instant message from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a number of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a percentage of users in the group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for at least one user, weighting the particular one of the plurality of possible answers received; and

wherein the computer system, when performing the step of making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question, applies the weighted answer toward the threshold quantity of users.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein weighting the particular one of the plurality of possible answers received comprises:

assigning user-specific weights for the computer system to apply to the particular one of the plurality of possible answers selected by the at least one user; and

programmatically linking the assigned user-specific weights to the decision tree.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning to at least one user final say power over the first question;

programmatically linking the assigned final say power to the decision tree;

the computer system making a determination that at least one user with final say power over the first question has selected one of the possible answers to the first question; and

responsive to the determination, the computer system modifying the decision tree to eliminate the first question, so that the computer system thereafter skips presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceeds to present the particular second question.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a subsequent user that the computer system modified the decision tree to eliminate the first question and notifying the subsequent user of the common one of the possible answers to the first question that the group selected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question comprises the computer system making a determination that the difference between a first quantity of users in the group that have selected a first most popular answer to the first question and a second quantity of users in the group that have selected a second most popular answer to the first question is greater than a third quantity of users in the group that have not yet selected an answer to the first question.

11. A system comprising:

a processor;

data storage; and

machine language instructions stored in the data storage and executable by the processor;

(i) to provision a computer system with a decision tree that defines a first question with a plurality of possible answers, and that defines, respectively for each answer of the plurality of possible answers, a second question;

(ii) with respect to at least one user of multiple users in a group, to present the first question to the user, to receive from the user a particular one of the plurality of possible answers, and then to present to the user a particular second question that the decision tree defines respectively for the particular answer;

(iii) to make a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question; and

(iv) responsive to the determination, to modify the decision tree to eliminate the first question, so that the computer system thereafter skips presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceeds to present the particular second question.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instructions executable by the processor to present the first question to the user are further executable by the processor to send the first question to the user as an instant message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instructions executable by the processor to receive from the user a particular one of the possible answers are further executable by the processor to receive the particular one of the possible answers as an instant message from the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a number of users.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a percentage of users in the group.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instructions are further executable by the processor to provision at least one of the plurality of possible answers with a threshold quantity of users.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instructions are further executable by the processor to weight, for at least one user, the particular one of the plurality of possible answers received;

and

wherein the machine language instructions executable by the processor to make a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question, are further executable by the processor to apply the weighted answer toward the threshold quantity of users.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instructions are further executable by the processor:

(i) to assign to at least one user final say power over the first question;

(ii) to programmatically link the assigned final say power to the decision tree;

(iii) to make a determination that at least one user with final say power over the first question has selected one of the possible answers to the first question; and

(iv) responsive to the determination, to modify the decision tree to eliminate the first question, so that the computer system thereafter skips presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceeds to present the particular second question.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the machine language instruction executable by the processor to make a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question are further executable by the processor to make a determination that the difference between a first quantity of users in the group that have selected a first most popular answer to the first question and a second quantity of users in the group that have selected a second most popular answer to the first question is greater than a third quantity of users in the group that have not yet selected an answer to the first question.

20. A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor to carry out functions to administer a decision tree that defines a first question with a plurality of possible answers, and that defines, respectively for each answer of the plurality of possible answers, a second question, comprising:

with respect to at least one user of multiple users in a group, presenting the first question to the user, receiving from the user a particular one of the plurality of possible answers, and then presenting to the user a particular second question that the decision tree defines respectively for the particular answer;

making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question; and

responsive to the determination, modifying the decision tree to eliminate the first question to thereafter skip presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceed to present the particular second question.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein presenting the first question to the user comprises sending the first question to the user as an instant message.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein receiving from the user a particular one of the possible answers comprises receiving the particular one of the possible answers as an instant message from the user.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a number of users.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the threshold quantity of users is a percentage of users in the group.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

for at least one user, weighting the particular one of the plurality of possible answers received; and

wherein, when performing the function of making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question, applying the weighted answer toward the threshold quantity of users.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein weighting the particular one of the plurality of possible answers received comprises:

assigning user-specific weights to apply to the particular one of the plurality of possible answers selected by the at least one user; and

programmatically linking the assigned user-specific weights to the decision tree.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising:

assigning to at least one user final say power over the first question;

programmatically linking the assigned final say power to the decision tree;

making a determination that at least one user with final say power over the first question has selected one of the possible answers to the first question; and

responsive to the determination, modifying the decision tree to eliminate the first question to thereafter skip presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceed to present the particular second question.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the computer system making a determination that more than a threshold quantity of users in the group have selected a common one of the possible answers to the first question comprises the computer system making a determination that the difference between a first quantity of users in the group that have selected a first most popular answer to the first question and a second quantity of users in the group that have selected a second most popular answer to the first question is greater than a third quantity of users in the group that have not yet selected an answer to the first question.

29. In a computer system that is provisioned with a decision tree that defines a first question with a plurality of possible answers, and that defines, respectively for each answer of the plurality of possible answers, a second question, a method comprising:

with respect to at least one user of multiple users in a group, the computer system presenting the first question to the user, receiving from the user a particular one of the plurality of possible answers, and then presenting to the user a particular second question that the decision tree defines respectively for the particular answer;

making a determination that the difference between a first quantity of users in the group that have selected a first most popular answer to the first question and a second quantity of users in the group that have selected a second most popular answer to the first question is greater than a third quantity of users in the group that have not yet selected an answer to the first question; and

responsive to the determination, the computer system modifying the decision tree to eliminate the first question, so that the computer system thereafter skips presentation of the first question to any remaining users in the group and instead proceeds to present the particular second question.