Generating receptivity scores for cohorts

• US 8,219,554 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Angell, Robert Lee, Friedlander, Robert R., Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US12/335,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/702, 707/803, 706/45
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for generating receptivity cohorts. A receptivity cohort is identified. The receptivity cohort includes a set of members and conduct attributes for the set of members. Each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes describes at least one of a facial expression, vocalization, body language, and social interactions of a member in the set of members. Each conduct attribute is an indicator of receptiveness to a proposed future change in a set of circumstances associated with the set of members. Events metadata is received. The events metadata describes the set of circumstances associated with the set of members. The set of conduct attributes and the events metadata is analyzed to generate a receptivity score for the receptivity cohort. The receptivity score indicates a level of receptiveness of the set of members to the proposed future change in the set of circumstances. The set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change based on the result of a comparison of the receptivity score to a threshold score.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating receptivity scores for cohorts, the computer implemented method comprising:

identifying a receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity cohort comprises a set of members and a set of conduct attributes of the set of members, wherein each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes describes at least one of a facial expression, vocalization, body language, and social interactions of a member in the set of members, and wherein the each conduct attribute is an indicator of receptiveness to a proposed future change in a set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

responsive to receiving events metadata, analyzing the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for the receptivity cohort, wherein the events metadata describes the set of circumstances associated with the set of members, wherein the receptivity score indicates a level of receptiveness of the set of members to the proposed future change in the set of circumstances;

identifying the set of members of the receptivity cohort as receptive to the proposed future change based on a result of a comparison of the receptivity score to a threshold score; and

comparing the set of conduct attributes with known patterns of expected conduct associated with a person that is receptive to the proposed future change to generate the receptivity score, wherein each known pattern is assigned a receptivity value, and wherein values for known patterns that match conduct attributes for the receptivity cohort are weighted and aggregated to generate the receptivity score.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the threshold score comprises an upper threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score exceeds the upper threshold.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the threshold score comprises a lower threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score falls below the lower threshold.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for each member of the receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity score for said each member is compared to a threshold score to determine whether said each member of the receptivity cohort is receptive to the proposed future change.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the set of members is receptive to the proposed future change, presenting, the proposed future change to the set of members.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining description data for an individual from the set of individuals is available, retrieving the description data, wherein the description data comprises at least one of identification information, past history information, and current status information for the individual; and

analyzing the description data with the conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for each member in the set of members.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the proposed future change is at least one of a proposed future change in work location requiring that an employee relocate or commute across a greater distance, a proposed offer to sell goods or services to a customer at a given price, an offer to purchase goods or services from a person, a proposed request that a person leave a particular location, and a request that a person stop performing a given action.

8. A computer program product for generating receptivity scores for cohorts, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to identify a receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity cohort comprises a set of members and a set of conduct attributes for the set of members, wherein each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes describes at least one of a facial expression, vocalization, body language, and social interactions of a member in the set of members, and wherein the each conduct attribute is an indicator of receptiveness to a proposed future change in a set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

computer usable program code configured to receive events metadata, wherein the events metadata describes the set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for the receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity score indicates a level of receptiveness of the set of members to the proposed future change in the set of circumstances;

computer usable program code configured to identify the set of members of the receptivity cohort as receptive to the proposed future change based on a result of a comparison of the receptivity score to a threshold score; and

computer useable program code configured to, responsive to a determination that granular demographic information for the set of members is available, process the granular demographic information with the events metadata and the set of conduct attributes to generate a weighted receptivity score for each member of the receptivity cohort, wherein the weighted receptivity score indicates a normalized level of receptivity of said each member to the proposed future change.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the proposed future change is at least one of a proposed future change in work location requiring that an employee relocate or commute across a greater distance, a proposed offer to sell goods or services to a customer at a given price, an offer to purchase goods or services from a person, a proposed request that a person leave a particular location, and a request that a person stop performing a given action.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the threshold score comprises an upper threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score exceeds the upper threshold.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the threshold score comprises a lower threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score falls below the lower threshold.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to analyze the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for each member of the receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity score for said each member is compared to a threshold score to determine whether said each member of the receptivity cohort is receptive to the proposed future change.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to;

identify a receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity cohort comprises a set of members and a set of conduct attributes for the set of members, wherein each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes describes at least one of a facial expression, vocalization, body language, and social interactions of a member in the set of members, and wherein the each conduct attribute is an indicator of receptiveness to a proposed future change in a set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

receive events metadata, wherein the events metadata describes the set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

analyze the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for the receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity score indicates a level of receptiveness of the set of members to the proposed future change in the set of circumstances;

identify the set of members of the receptivity cohort as receptive to the proposed future change based on a result of a comparison of the receptivity score to a threshold score;

assign as value to each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes; and

aggregate the value of each conduct attribute associated with said each member in the set of members to generate the receptivity score, wherein the receptivity score is an aggregation of the values for the set of members.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the threshold score comprises an upper threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score exceeds the upper threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the threshold score comprises a lower threshold, and wherein the set of members of the receptivity cohort are identified as receptive to the proposed future change in response to a determination that the receptivity score falls below the lower threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the proposed future change is at least one of a proposed future change in work location requiring that an employee relocate or commute across a greater distance, a proposed offer to sell goods or services to a customer at a given price, an offer to purchase goods or services from a person, a proposed request that a person leave particular location, and a request that a person stop performing a given action.

17. A receptivity analysis system comprising:

a set of multimodal hardware sensors, wherein the set of multimodal hardware sensors generates multimodal sensor data associated with a set of individuals;

an analysis server, wherein the analysis server generates a receptivity cohort based on the multimodal sensor data, wherein the receptivity cohort comprises a set of members and a set of conduct attributes for the set of members, wherein each conduct attribute in the set of conduct attributes describes at least one of a facial expression, vocalization, body language, and social interactions of a member in the set of members, and wherein the each conduct attribute is an indicator of receptiveness to a proposed future change in a set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

receives events metadata, wherein the events metadata describes the set of circumstances associated with the set of members;

analyzes the set of conduct attributes and the events metadata to generate a receptivity score for the receptivity cohort, wherein the receptivity score indicates a level of receptiveness of the set of members to the proposed future change in the set of circumstances; and

identifies the set of members of the receptivity cohort as receptive to the proposed future change based on a result of a comparison of the receptivity score to a threshold score; and

compares the set of conduct attributes with known patterns of expected conduct associated with a person that is receptive to the proposed future change to generate the receptivity score, wherein each known pattern is assigned a receptivity value, and wherein values for known patterns that match conduct attributes for the receptivity cohort are weighted and aggregated to generate the receptivity score.