Method and apparatus for scalable meetings in a discussion synthesis environment

Abstract

The techniques of the present invention provide mechanisms for enabling a new type of interactive online discussion where any number of people can participate in a discussion of a topic and having the impression of following a coherent discussion. By following a novel process described in the present invention, eventually they would collectively generate a set of statements that the majority of the participants have agreed to. Moreover, a participation performance of the participants is being kept so as to potentially regroup those best performers in a future meeting with a similar topic.

1 . A communications network based system for providing mechanisms for enabling a discussion about a chosen topic, wherein a group of a plurality of participants participate in the group, the system comprising: means for contributing a statement on a topic, means for allowing this statement to be sent to an initial subset of the participants, each participant of the group being provided with means to rate a statement by assigning a value or code to that statement, a controlling mechanism for controlling whether a statement of a participant on said topic is propagated to an ever increasing number of the rest of the participants according to a first criterion that depends upon the values or codes assigned to the statement by the participants to whom the statement has been sent, means to determine the extent the statement has propagated through the group, and means to determine that at least one statement has been collectively selected, whereby determining selection of the at least one statement depends on the extent the at least one statement has propagated through the group. 
     
     
         2 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mechanism has: means to group the participants in initial subsets, means to allow each member of an initial subset to receive statements submitted for the first time by only a member of that initial subset, means for selecting the initial subsets such that there are at least two subsets whose member participants differ by less than 5 participants, preferably less than 3 participants, more preferably less than 2 participants and most preferably less than one participant. 
     
     
         3 . The network according to  claim 2 , the means for selecting the initial subsets selects the subsets such that for each first initial subset there is at least one other subset whose member participants differ from the first initial subset by less than 5 participants, preferably less than 3 participants, more preferably less than 2 participants and most preferably less than one participant. 
     
     
         4 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for selecting the initial subsets selects the subsets such that if a first participant can receive a statement from a second participant, the second participant can receive a statement from the first participant. 
     
     
         5 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for assigning of a code or value to a statement includes means for assigning one of two or more codes. 
     
     
         6 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for assigning of a code or value to a statement includes means for assigning one of a plurality of values between two extreme values. 
     
     
         7 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein control mechanism controls further propagation of a statement depends upon a second criterion. 
     
     
         8 . The network according to  claim 7 , wherein the control mechanism has means for determining the fraction of the initial subset that have assigned a value or code to the relevant statement and the second criterion is related to the fraction of the initial subset that have assigned a value or code to the relevant statement. 
     
     
         9 . The network according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for string addresses of participants in a communications network for the network based discussion, the control mechanism organising the addresses in a logical ring. 
     
     
         10 . The network according to  claim 9 , wherein the control mechanism associates each address of a participant to a slot in the logical ring and the initial subset to which a participant belongs is selected as being plus/minus a certain number to slots starting from the slot assigned to the participant. 
     
     
         11 . The network according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for determining whether a participant is still actively present in the group. 
     
     
         12 . The network according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for rating a participant depending upon statements submitted by the participant to the discussion. 
     
     
         13 . The network according to  claim 12 , wherein means for rating a participant rates a participant based on the success of statements made by the participant being propagated to the rest of the group. 
     
     
         14 . The network according to  claim 1 , wherein the control mechanism determines a rate at which statements are propagated to the ever increasing number of the rest of the participants to be arithmetically or algebraically or geometrically or exponentially increasing. 
     
     
         15 . A method providing mechanisms for enabling a network based discussion about a chosen topic, wherein a group of a plurality of participants participate in a group discussion, participants being provided with means for contributing a statement on a topic and means for allowing this statement to be sent to an initial subset of the participants, each participant of the group being provided with means to rate a statement by assigning a value or code to that statement, wherein a statement of a participant on said topic is propagated to an ever increasing number of the rest of the participants according to a first criterion that depends upon the values or codes assigned to the statement by the participants to whom the statement has been sent, to thereby collectively select at least one statement, whereby selection of the at least one statement depends on the extent the at least one statement has propagated through the group. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the group of participants is grouped in initial subsets, each member of an initial subset receiving statements submitted for the first time by only a member of that initial subset, further comprising the step of selecting the initial subsets such that there are at least two subsets whose member participants differ by less than 5 participants, preferably less than 3 participants, more preferably less than 2 participants and most preferably less than one participant. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , the initial subset selecting step being such that for each first initial subset there is at least one other subset whose member participants differ from the first initial subset by less than 5 participants, preferably less than 3 participants, more preferably less than 2 participants and most preferably less than one participant. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the group of participants is grouped in initial subsets and selection of initial subsets is such that if a first participant can receive a statement from a second participant, the second participant can receive a statement from the first participant. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein assigning of a code or value to a statement includes assigning one of two or more codes. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein assigning of a code or value to a statement includes assigning one of a plurality of values between two extreme values. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein further propagation of a statement depends upon a second criterion. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the second criterion is related to the fraction of the initial subset that have assigned a value or code to the relevant statement. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein addresses of participants in a communications network for the network based discussion are organised in a logical ring. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein each address of a participant is assigned a slot in the logical ring and the initial subset to which a participant belongs is selected as being plus/minus a certain number to slots starting from the slot assigned to the participant. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising determining whether a participant is still actively present in the group. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising rating a participant depending upon statements submitted by the participant to the discussion. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the rating of a participant is based on the success of statements made by the participant propagating to the rest of the group. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein a rate at which statements are propagated to the ever increasing number of the rest of the participants is arithmetically or algebraically or geometrically or exponentially increasing. 
     
     
         29 . A software computer product comprising code which when executed on a processing engine controls a group of communications between a plurality of participants participating in a group discussion about a chosen topic, comprising code for: providing the participants with means for contributing a statement on a topic and means for allowing this statement to be sent to an initial subset of the participants, providing each participant of the group with means to rate a statement by assigning a value or code to that statement, propagating a statement of a participant on said topic to an ever increasing number of the rest of the participants according to a first criterion that depends upon the values or codes assigned to the statement by the participants to whom the statement has been sent. 
     
     
         30 . The software computer product according to  claim 30  further comprising code for: determining that at least one statement has been collectively selected, whereby selection of the at least one statement depends on the extent the at least one statement has propagated through the group. 
     
     
         31 . A machine readable data carrier storing the computer program product of  claim 29 . 
     
     
         32 . A network element for use in a communications network providing mechanisms for enabling a discussion about a chosen topic, wherein a group of a plurality of participants participate in the group using terminals in communication with the network, the network element comprising: means for receiving a statement on a topic from a participant terminal, means for sending this statement to an initial subset of the participant terminals, means for receiving from a participant terminal a value or code rating a statement, a controlling mechanism for controlling whether a statement of a participant on said topic is propagated to an ever increasing number of the rest of the participants according to a first criterion that depends upon the values or codes assigned to the statement by the participants to whom the statement has been sent, means to determine the extent the statement has propagated through the group, and means to determine that at least one statement has been collectively selected, whereby determining selection of the at least one statement depends on the extent the at least one statement has propagated through the group.