Method and apparatus for interactive evolutionary algorithms with respondent directed breeding

• US 9,785,995 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Malek, Kamal M., Telller, David B., Al-Atraqchi, Waleed M. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US14/208,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/126 Evolutionary algorithms, e.g. genetic algorithms or genetic programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method comprises displaying visual representations of a plurality of product alternatives each including at least one attribute variant to a respondent, receiving from the respondent an indication of a preferred one of the plurality of product alternatives, transmitting a request to the respondent to identify at least one attribute variant of a non-preferred product alternative that is preferred by the respondent to the corresponding attribute variant of the preferred one of the plurality of product alternatives and receiving a response from the respondent identifying at least one attribute variant of a non-preferred product alternative that is preferred by the respondent to the corresponding attribute variant of the preferred one of the plurality of product alternatives.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, via a user interface and by executing an instruction with a processor, visual representations of product alternatives, respective ones of the product alternatives including at least one attribute variant;

receiving, via the user interface and by executing an instruction with the processor, an indication of a preferred one of the product alternatives from a user;

transmitting, by executing an instruction with the processor and via the user interface, a request to identify at least one attribute variant of a non-preferred product alternative that is preferred by the user to the corresponding attribute variant of the preferred one of the product alternatives;

receiving, via the user interface and by executing an instruction with the processor, a response from the user indicating the requested identified variant;

utilizing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the response to select a breeding mate for generating additional product alternatives;

performing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a breeding operation utilizing the breeding mate and at least one attribute of the preferred one of the product alternatives to produce an offspring, the performing of the breeding operation to include applying a set of rules to prevent production of an offspring including an unpermitted attribute variant;

repairing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the offspring; and

outputting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the offspring for display via a presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the utilizing of the response includes selecting the identified attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative as the breeding mate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the repairing of the offspring includes changing an attribute variant of the offspring to the preferred attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a probability of repairing the offspring is between approximately 0.3 and 1.0.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the probability is approximately 0.6.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving, via the user interface, a selection to lock in at least one of the attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or at least one of the attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative; and

mutating respective ones of the plurality of products to include the at least one of attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative based on the selection.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

receiving, via the user interface, a selection to lock out at least one of the attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or at least one of the attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative; and

modifying the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative in respective ones of the plurality of products.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modifying of the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative in respective ones of the plurality of products includes mutating the respective one of the plurality of products to include one or more different attribute variants for the at least one of the selected attribute variant of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative.

9. A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

display, via a user interface, visual representations of product alternatives, respective ones of the product alternatives including at least one attribute variant;

receive, via the user interface, an indication of a preferred one of the product alternatives;

transmit, via the user interface, a request to identify at least one attribute variant of a non-preferred product alternative that is preferred by a user to the corresponding attribute variant of the preferred one of the product alternatives;

receive, via the user interface, a response indicating the identified requested attribute variant;

utilize the response to select a breeding mate for generating additional product alternatives;

perform a breeding operation utilizing the breeding mate and at least one attribute of the preferred one of the product alternatives to produce an offspring, the performing of the breeding operation to include applying a set of rules to prevent production of an offspring including an unpermitted attribute variant;

repair the offspring; and

output the offspring for display via a presentation device.

10. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 9 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to utilize the response by selecting the identified attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative as the breeding mate.

11. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 9 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to repair the offspring by changing an attribute variant of the offspring to the preferred attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative.

12. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 11 wherein a probability of repairing the offspring is between approximately 0.3 and 1.0.

13. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 12 wherein the probability is approximately 0.6.

14. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive, via the user interface, a selection to lock in at least one of the attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or at least one of the attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative; and

mutate respective ones of the plurality of products to include the at least one of attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative based on the selection.

15. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive, via the user interface, a selection to lock out at least one of the attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or at least one of the attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative; and

modify the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative in respective ones of the plurality of products.

16. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to modify the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variants of the non-preferred product alternative in respective ones of the plurality of products by mutating the respective one of the plurality of products to include one or more different attribute variants for the at least one of the selected attribute variant of the preferred one of the product alternatives or the at least one of the selected attribute variant of the non-preferred product alternative.