System, method, and computer program product for comparing decision options

• US 9,202,243 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Four Charm Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: dSide Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Kellogg, Rawdon W., Mikell, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): COUGHLAN, PETER D
• Application Number:
  US13/838,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/00 Computing arrangements based on specific mathematical models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0627 using item specifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0629 for generating comparisons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method for comparing decision options includes storing a set of decision options. The method includes determining for each decision option of the set of decision options, a plurality of factors, wherein each of the plurality of factors defines a respective metric. The method includes receiving a plurality of user preference indicators, each indicator corresponding to a respective factor of the plurality of factors. The method includes ranking the set of decision options in response to receiving a first user preference indicator. The method includes providing the user with a ranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the first user preference indicator. The method includes reranking the set of decision options in response to receiving a second user preference indicator and providing the user with a reranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator.

Claims

1. A method for comparing decision options, the method comprising:

presenting to a user, via the one or more processors, a plurality of factors for a set of decision options corresponding to at least one category of goods/services, wherein each of the plurality of factors defines a respective attribute of the set of decision options, the respective attribute corresponding to at least one of;

a physical attribute, a financial attribute, and a service attribute;

receiving, via the one or more processors, a user preference value indicator for at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the user preference value indicator providing an importance metric corresponding to the at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the importance metric providing a weight the user places on the at least one factor, independent of other factors, when determining whether to select at least one decision option from the set of decision options;

normalizing attribute values of each of the plurality of factors;

calculating a user preference score for each decision option of the set of decision options as a function of the user preference value indicator and the normalized attribute value for each factor of each decision option of the set of decision options;

ranking, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a first user preference indicator, wherein the rank of a subject decision option is based on the calculated user preference score for the subject decision option relative to each decision option of the set of decision options;

providing the user with a ranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the first user preference indicator;

reranking, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a second user preference indicator; and

providing the user with a reranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of user preference indicators is a value associated with an importance of the respective factor in the user'"'"'s overall decision to select at least one decision option from the set of decision options.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein normalizing the values of each of the plurality of factors:

determining a minimum value of the values of each of the plurality of factors;

determining a maximum value of the values of each of the plurality of factors; and

applying a scaling transform using the determined minimum and maximum values to generate the normalized values for each of plurality of factors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein reranking the set of decision options includes:

calculating a revised user preference score for each of the decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator; and

reordering the set of decision options based on the revised user preference score.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein ranking the set of decision options includes:

calculating a weighted score for each factor of the plurality of factors using the user preference indicators; and

calculating a user preference score for each of the decision options, wherein the user preference score is a sum of the weighted score for each factor of the corresponding decision options.

6. An apparatus configured to compare decision options, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a factorization module configured to present to a user, via one or more processors, a plurality of factors for a set of decision options corresponding to at least one category of goods/services, wherein each of the plurality of factors defines a respective attribute of the set of decision options, the respective attribute corresponding to at least one of;

a physical attribute, a financial attribute, and a service attribute;

an interface configured to receive, via the one or more processors, a user preference value indicator for at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the user preference value indicator providing an importance metric corresponding to the at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the importance metric providing a weight the user places on the at least one factor, independent of other factors, when determining whether to select at least one decision option from the set of decision options;

a normalizing module configured to normalize attribute values of each of the plurality of factors;

a user preference module configured to calculate a user preference score for each decision option of the set of decision options as a function of the user preference value indicator and the normalized attribute value for each factor of each decision option of the set of decision options;

a ranking module configured to rank, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a first user preference indicator, wherein the rank of a subject decision option is based on the calculated user preference score for the subject decision option relative to each decision option of the set of decision options;

the interface further configured to provide the user with a ranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the first user preference indicator;

the ranking module further configured to rerank, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a second user preference indicator; and

the interface further configured to provide the user with a reranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of user preference indicators is a value associated with an importance of the respective factor in the user'"'"'s overall decision to select the at least one decision option from the set of decision options.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the normalizing module is further configured to:

determine a minimum value of the values of each of the plurality of factors;

determine a maximum value of the values of each of the plurality of factors; and

apply a scaling transform using the determined minimum and maximum values to generate the normalized values for each of the plurality of factors.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the user preference module is further configured to calculate a revised user preference score for each of the decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator and wherein the ranking module is further configured to reorder the set of decision options based on the revised user preference score.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the user preference module is further configured to calculate a weighted score for each factor of the plurality of factors using the user preference indicators and calculate a user preference score for each of the decision options, wherein the user preference score is a sum of the weighted score for each factor of the corresponding decision options.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program codes embodied thereon for comparing decision options, the computer readable program codes including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

present to a user, via the one or more processors, a plurality of factors for a set of decision options corresponding to at least one category of goods/services, wherein each of the plurality of factors defines a respective attribute of the set of decision options, the respective attribute corresponding to at least one of;

a physical attribute, a financial attribute, and a service attribute;

receive, via the one or more processors, a user preference value indicator for at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the user preference value indicator providing an importance metric corresponding to the at least one factor of the plurality of factors, the importance metric providing a weight the user places on the at least one factor, independent of other factors, when determining whether to select at least one decision option from the set of decision options;

normalize attribute values of each of the plurality of factors;

calculate a user preference score for each decision option of the set of decision options as a function of the user preference value indicator and the normalized attribute value for each factor of each decision option of the set of decision options;

rank, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a first user preference indicator, wherein the rank of a subject decision option is based on the calculated user preference score for the subject decision option relative to each decision option of the set of decision options;

provide the user with a ranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the first user preference indicator;

rerank, via the one or more processors, the set of decision options in response to receiving a second user preference indicator; and

provide the user with a reranked list of the set of decision options in response to receiving the second user preference indicator.