Tools and methods for determining relationship values

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods for correlating two items of interest, based on a plurality of data items and characteristics. The data items may include objective and quantitative data, as well as subjective and qualitative data. In one implementation, the relationship of an individual to a metric is determined. The system, apparatus, and methods may store characteristics describing individuals generally, along with metrics relevant to an organization; receive a plurality of data items; extract information associated with the individual from the data items; determine a number of relationships between the data items, individuals, metric, and characteristics; and use the relationships to determine an overall relationship between the individual and the metric, based on the data and characteristics. In addition, related groups of characteristics may be identified. Similarly, the relationships between any individual, metric, sub-metric, group of characteristics, data item, data source, characteristic, or groups thereof may also be determined.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A computer-implemented method of building characteristic-based profiles of individuals, comprising:
 electronically receiving;
 characteristics, describing categories of the individuals, generally; and 
 data items, related to the individuals; 
   calculating relationships between the characteristics and the data items;   calculating the strength of at least one of the relationships;   identifying groups of one or more of the characteristics, based on the strength; and   outputting the groups.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 27 , wherein the relationships comprise first relationships, comprising:
 electronically receiving descriptors of specific individuals;   calculating second relationships between the data items and specific ones of the individuals;   calculating third relationships between the groups and specific ones of the individuals, based on the first and second relationships; and   outputting the third relationships.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 27 , wherein the strength comprises a magnitude or direction. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 27 , wherein the relationships comprise an indication that the items are not related. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , comprising:
 receiving a plurality of metrics;   calculating fourth relationships between the groups and the metrics; and   outputting the fourth relationships.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 28 , comprising:
 receiving a plurality of metrics;   calculating fourth relationships between the groups and the metrics; and   calculating fifth relationships between the metrics and specific ones of the individuals, based on the third and fourth relationships; and   outputting the fifth relationships.   
     
     
         33 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions which, when executed on a processor, perform a method of building character-based profiles of individuals, the method comprising:
 electronically receiving;
 characteristics, describing categories of the individuals, generally; and 
 data items, related to the individuals; 
   calculating relationships between the characteristics and the data items;   calculating the strength of at least one of the relationships;   identifying groups of one or more of the characteristics, based on the strength; and   outputting the groups.   
     
     
         34 . The storage medium of  claim 33 , wherein the relationships comprise first relationships, wherein the method comprises:
 electronically receiving descriptors of specific individuals;   calculating second relationships between the data items and specific ones of the individuals;   calculating third relationships between the groups and specific ones of the individuals, based on the first and second relationships; and   outputting the third relationships.   
     
     
         35 . The storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein the first and second relationships comprise an indication that the items are not related. 
     
     
         36 . The storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving a plurality of metrics;   calculating fourth relationships between the groups and the metric; and   outputting the fourth relationships.   
     
     
         37 . The storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein the method comprises:
 receiving a plurality of metrics;   calculating fourth relationships between the groups and the metrics; and   calculating fifth relationships between the metrics and specific ones of the individuals, based on the third and fourth relationships; and   outputting the fifth relationships.   
     
     
         38 . A characteristic-based server to build characteristic-based profiles of individuals, the server comprising:
 a data collection module to gather data items and characteristics from a plurality of data sources;   a relationship analysis module to calculate:
 a first set of relationships between the characteristics and the data items; 
 a first strength of at least one of the first set of relationships; 
 a second set of relationships between the data items and specific ones of the individuals; and 
 a second strength of at least one of the second set of relationships; and 
   a grouping module to identify:
 groups of one or more of the characteristics, based on the first strength and the second strength. 
   
     
     
         39 . The server of  claim 38 , wherein the data sources comprise internal data sources. 
     
     
         40 . The server of  claim 38 , wherein:
 the data collection module is further operative to gather a plurality of descriptors of individuals;   the relationship analysis module is further operative to calculate:   second relationships between the data items and specific ones of the individuals; and
 third relationships between the groups and specific ones of the individuals, based on the first and second relationships. 
   
     
     
         41 . The server of  claim 38 , wherein:
 the data collection module is further operative to receive a plurality of metrics; and   the relationship analysis module is further operative to calculate fourth relationships between the groups and the metric.   
     
     
         42 . The server of  claim 38 , wherein:
 the data collection module is further operative to receive a plurality of metrics; and   the relationship analysis module is further operative to calculate:
 fourth relationships between the groups and the metric; and 
 fifth relationships between the metric and specific ones of the individuals.