Computerized system and method for simultaneously representing and recording dynamic judgments

Abstract

The computerized system and method represents judgments of a user and records the judgments and the judgment making process. In one embodiment, the computerized method displays multiple concept representations simultaneously, receives a user-manipulated adjustment to one or more of the concept representations to create a judgment representation, and records the judgment representation(s) and user-manipulated adjustment(s). The judgment representations and adjustments are preferably recorded continuously so that the judgment process can be reviewed and evaluated. The concept representations can be displayed relative to other concept representations and/or relative to a rating scale. In another embodiment, the computerized method displays a physical context representation and the judgments are represented and recorded as user designated locations in the physical context. One example of an application for the system and method is to record and evaluate a patient's judgments with respect to pain.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computerized method of representing judgments of a user and recording a judgment making process of said user, said method comprising: 
 displaying multiple concept representations to the user, wherein said concept representations represent concepts about which the user is asked to make a judgment by positioning said concepts together with other concepts that go together;    receiving user manipulations of selected concept representations resulting in user-designated locations of said concept representations relative to one another based on the judgment of the user as to said concepts that go together;    displaying said concept representations at said user-designated locations;    continuously recording user input information as the user manipulates said selected concept representations; and    recording said concept representations at final user-designated locations to provide a final judgment representation, wherein said user input information and said final judgment representation can be used to evaluate the judgments and the judgment making process of the user.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said user input information includes said user manipulations and the timing of said user manipulations.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further including replaying the judgment making process of the user using said user input information.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further including analyzing the distances between said concept representations at said final user-designated locations.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further including placing said concept representations in clustered groupings based on said distances.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said concept representations are words.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said concept representations represent at least one of physical items and abstract ideas.  
     
     
         8 . A computerized method of representing and recording judgments of a user in relation to a rating scale, said method comprising: 
 displaying multiple concept representations to the user, wherein each of said concept representations represents a concept about which the user is asked to make a judgment;    displaying at least one rating scale, wherein said rating scale provides a range of possible judgments applicable to said concepts;    receiving user manipulations of selected concept representations locating said concept representations relative to said rating scale and relative to other concept representations, thereby providing user input ratings of selected concepts;    displaying said selected concept representations relative to said rating scale and relative to said other concept representations in accordance with said user input ratings; and    recording at least a final location of said concept representations relative to said rating scale to provide a final judgment to be evaluated.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further including displaying an indication on said rating scale of said user input rating of a concept representation when said concept representation is being manipulated by the user.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said at least one rating scale is two-dimensional including a horizontal rating scale and a vertical rating scale, for representing two different types of judgments.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said at least one scale is represented as a two-dimensional polar coordinate system, for representing two different types of judgments.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said concept representations are words.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said rating scale includes numerical values for indicating said user input ratings.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further including continuously recording user input information as the user manipulates said concept representations, wherein said user input information allows an evaluation of a judgment making process of the user.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further including replaying said judgment making process of the user based upon said user input information.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8  further including dynamically adjusting a location of at least one other concept representation relative to said rating scale when each said selected concept representation is located relative to said rating scale such that a user can observe dynamically how a judgment with respect to one concept representation affects a judgment with respect to another concept representation.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said concept representations are dynamically adjusted according to a fixed resource technique such that a sum of user input ratings for each of said selected concepts remains constant.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said concept representations are positioned relative to said rating scale such that said concept representations can be dynamically adjusted without interfering with other said concept representations.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8  wherein said concepts include sensory symptoms, and wherein said judgment of the user is based on a degree to which the user experiences said sensory symptoms.  
     
     
         20 . A computerized method of representing and recording judgments and a judgment making process of a user in relation to a physical context, said method comprising: 
 displaying at least one physical context representation, wherein said physical context representation represents a physical context in which the user is asked to make judgments by designating locations in said physical context;    receiving a user input judgment associated with at least one location in said physical context;    displaying a location representation at said location in said physical context representation;    continuously recording user input information as the user designates said locations; and    recording each said location representation in said physical context representation to provide a final judgment representation, wherein said user input information and said final judgment representation can be used to evaluate the judgments and the judgment making process of the user.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 displaying multidimensional judgments pertaining to at least one of said location representations; and  
 receiving at least one user manipulation of at least one of said multidimensional judgments, for further characterizing said user input judgment.  
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said multi-dimensional judgments are dynamically adjusted in response to each said user manipulation.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein said multi-dimensional judgments are dynamically adjustable according to a fixed resource technique.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising replaying said judgment making process of said user using said user input information.  
     
     
         25 . A computerized method of representing and recording judgments of a user pertaining to sensory systems, said method comprising: 
 displaying at least one body representation, wherein said body representation represents at least a portion of the body of the user in which the user is asked to make judgments by designating locations of said sensory symptoms;    receiving a user input judgment associated with at least one location of a sensory symptom in said body;    displaying a location representation at said location in said body representation; and    recording said location representations in said body representation to provide a final judgment representation, wherein said final judgment representation can be used to evaluate the judgments of the user.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising continuously recording user input information as the user designates said locations, wherein said user input information allows an evaluation of a judgment making process of the user.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  further comprising replaying said judgment making process of the user using said user input information.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein different types of location representations are used for different types of said sensory symptoms.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein said sensory symptoms include pain symptoms, and wherein different colors are used to represent different intensities of pain.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  further including comparing said final judgment representation to a library of data to determine a diagnosis.  
     
     
         31 . A computer program product, stored on a storage medium, for representing and recording judgments of a user in relation to a rating scale, said computer program product comprising: 
 code for displaying multiple concept representations to the user, wherein each of said concept representations represents a concept about which the user is asked to make a judgment;    code for displaying at least one rating scale, wherein said rating scale provides a range of possible judgments applicable to said concepts;    code for receiving user manipulations of selected concept representations locating said concept representations relative to said rating scale and relative to other concept representations, thereby providing user input ratings of selected concepts;    code for displaying said selected concept representations relative to said rating scale and relative to said other concept representations in accordance with said user input ratings; and    code for recording at least a final location of said concept representations relative to said rating scale to provide a final judgment to be evaluated.    
     
     
         32 . A computer program product, stored on a storage medium, for representing and recording judgments and a judgment making process of a user in relation to a physical context, said computer program product comprising: 
 code for displaying at least one physical context representation, wherein said physical context representation represents a physical context in which the user is asked to make judgments by designating locations in said physical context;    code for receiving a user input judgment associated with at least one location in said physical context;    code for displaying a location representation at said location in said physical context representation;    code for continuously recording user input information as the user designates said locations; and    code for recording each said location representation in said physical context representation to provide a final judgment representation, wherein said user input information and said final judgment representation can be used to evaluate the judgments and the judgment making process of the user.