Facilitating a decision-making process
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- detecting, at a server, a request from a user to facilitate a decision making process for a group of users, including the user, wherein, the group of users are participating in a communication thread via user devices;
assimilating, by the server, user information from the group of users relevant to identifying candidate suggestions towards which the decision is to be made;
using the user information, identifying relevant data of the candidate suggestions for the server to facilitate the decision making process among the group of users;
presenting the candidate suggestions to the group of users to advance the decision making process among the group of users; and
when the users of the group are unable to make a decision from among the candidate suggestions, making by the server the decision on behalf of the group of users by selecting one of the candidate suggestions.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for facilitating a decision-making process are disclosed. In one aspect of the present disclosure, in response to receiving a request to facilitate a decision making process, the decision-making agent participates in a communications thread where users are attempting to reach a decision regarding a business to frequent and/or an activity to partake. Since group activities are oftentimes scheduled via common communication threads, the decision-making agent can intervene in such communication threads, when requested, and assist the participating users in making a decision or making informed suggestions toward reaching an agreement.
79 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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detecting, at a server, a request from a user to facilitate a decision making process for a group of users, including the user, wherein, the group of users are participating in a communication thread via user devices; assimilating, by the server, user information from the group of users relevant to identifying candidate suggestions towards which the decision is to be made; using the user information, identifying relevant data of the candidate suggestions for the server to facilitate the decision making process among the group of users; presenting the candidate suggestions to the group of users to advance the decision making process among the group of users; and when the users of the group are unable to make a decision from among the candidate suggestions, making by the server the decision on behalf of the group of users by selecting one of the candidate suggestions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A computer-readable storage medium that is not a carrier wave containing computer-executable instructions for controlling a computing system to facilitate a decision making process among a group of users, the computer-executable instructions including:
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instructions that receive from a user a request to facilitate a group of users in deciding an activity to engage in, the group of users currently participating in a communication thread via their computing devices; instructions that receive, from one or more users of the group via sidebar communications to the communication thread, criteria for the activity, the criteria specifying preferences and limitations relating to the activity; instructions that retrieve additional criteria for the activity, the additional criteria previously received from a user of the group prior to being requested to facilitate the group of users in deciding the activity to engage in; instructions that search for candidate activities that satisfy the criteria for the activity; instructions that present the candidate activities to the users of the group as suggestions for the activity to engage in; instructions that, when the users are unable to reach a decision based on the candidate activities, refine the candidate activities by collecting additional criteria for the activity, searching for refined candidate activities based on the criteria for the activity, and presenting the candidate activities to the users of the group. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computing system for facilitating a decision making process among a group of users, the computing system comprising:
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a memory storing computer-executable instructions that; receive from a user a request to facilitate a group of users in deciding an activity to engage in, the group of users currently engaged in a communication thread via their computing devices; receive from one or more users of the group criteria for the activity; search for candidate activities that satisfy the criteria for the activity; present the candidate activities to the users of the group as suggestions for the activity to engage in; receive an indication that the users are unable to reach a decision on which candidate activity to engage in; and when the users are unable to reach a decision on which candidate activity to engage in, make a decision of an activity to engage in on behalf of the group by selecting one of the candidate activities for the group to engage in; and a processor that executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification