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Generating solutions to problems via interactions with human responders

  • US 7,899,694 B1
  • Filed: 06/30/2006
  • Issued: 03/01/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for managing generation of solutions for problems via repeated interactions with multiple unrelated humans who generate successively more defined refinements of the problem, the method comprising:

  • identifying a group of multiple unrelated humans who are available to perform tasks that include supplying requested information;

    receiving information from a user about an abstract problem for which a solution is desired, the abstract problem being such that the solution cannot be discerned without refinement to further define the problem, the receiving being performed by one or more configured computing systems;

    automatically managing generation of the solution to the problem by,identifying a first group of one or more first refinements to the problem that provide additional definition of the problem to be solved, the identifying of the first group being performed by the one or more configured computing systems and including interacting with some of the multiple humans of the group to obtain multiple proposed first refinements and interacting with other of the multiple humans of the group to obtain evaluations of the multiple proposed first refinements, the one or more first refinements of the identified first group being a subset of the multiple proposed first refinements that is selected based at least in part on the evaluations of the multiple proposed first refinements;

    determining by the one or more configured computing systems that the first refinements of the identified first group are not sufficiently defined to allow the solution to the problem to be discerned;

    identifying a second group of one or more second refinements to the problem that each provide additional definition relative to at least one of the first refinements of the identified first group, the identifying of the second group being performed by the one or more configured computing systems and including interacting with some of the multiple humans of the group to obtain multiple proposed second refinements and interacting with other of the multiple humans of the group to obtain evaluations of the multiple proposed second refinements, the one or more second refinements of the identified second group being a subset of the multiple proposed second refinements that is selected based at least in part on the evaluations of the multiple proposed second refinements;

    determining by the one or more configured computing systems that the second refinements of the identified second group are sufficiently defined to allow the solution to the problem to be discerned; and

    identifying one or more solutions to the problem that each are based on the definition provided by at least one of the second refinements of the identified second group, the identifying of the one or more solutions being performed by the one or more configured computing systems and including interacting with some of the multiple humans of the group to obtain multiple proposed solutions and selecting at least one of the multiple proposed solutions as the identified one or more solutions; and

    providing to the user the identified one or more solutions to the problem for use in implementing the identified solutions.

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