Method to know the reaction of a group respect to a set of elements and various applications of this model

Abstract

The present invention can use too in some cases, secondary algorithms for specific cases.

1 . A computer aided method for estimating the reaction of an agent set comprising a plurality of agents that are presented with an opportunity to provide an agent reaction to one or more options, said method comprising:
 providing a first option set comprising a plurality of options; dividing, with aid of a computer processor, the agent set into a first plurality of agent subsets, wherein the agents belonging to one or more individual agent subset of the agent set are randomly selected;   dividing the option set into a plurality of option subsets that comprehends the first option set;   assigning one or more different option subsets to each respective agent subset; providing all the options in every assigned option subset to each agent within the respective agent subset;   receiving an agent reaction to all the options in every assigned option subset from each agent within the respective agent subset; and   inferring, with aid of a computer processor, a statistical estimation of the reaction of the agent set to each and every option in the first option set, based on a selected analysis of the agent reactions in the respective agent subsets to the assigned option subsets,   wherein the ratio of the total number of options in the first option set to the number of options in the assigned option subsets provided to an individual respective agent subset is greater than or equal to 2:1.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein information about the selected analysis to be conducted using the agent reactions is made available for sharing with the agents before giving the agents the opportunity to provide a reaction. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a parallel evaluation occurs between the agent subsets of the agent set, wherein the evaluation includes evaluation of all the options in every assigned option subset provided to the respective agent subset. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the statistical estimation includes a confidence interval. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the options are proposals, and the statistical estimation includes an acceptance rate of the proposals by the agents. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the proposals are presented by two or more communities, and the statistical estimation includes the acceptance rate of said proposals by the two or more communities. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the two or more communities are opposing interests communities and the methods are used as part of a negotiation technique, wherein a short list of proposals comprising one or more proposals is generated based on said acceptance rates. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising utilizing the statistical estimation to create a subsequent option set, with aid of a processor, comprising one or more options from the first option set that are selected for the subsequent option set if the acceptance rate exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising utilizing the statistical estimation to create a subsequent option set, with aid of a processor, comprising one or more options from the first option set, that comprises the most preferred option according to the agent set, at a predetermined confidence level. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising utilizing the statistical estimation to create a subsequent option set, with aid of a processor, comprising one or more options from the first option set, that contains a selected number of most preferred options according to the agent set, at or exceeding a predetermined confidence level. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the one or more options are one or more queries to be presented, wherein a limited number of queries may be presented and said subsequent option set includes the limited number of queries. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: determining a conclusion based on the reaction of the agent set if a predetermined objective is attained. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising, if the predetermined objective is not attained:
 (a) utilizing the statistical estimation to create a subsequent option set, with aid of a processor, comprising one or more options from the first option set; 
 (b) dividing, with aid of a processor, the agent set into a plurality of subsequent agent subsets, wherein the agents belonging to one or more individual subsequent agent subset of the agent set are randomly selected; 
 (c) dividing the subsequent option set into a plurality of subsequent option subsets that constitute the subsequent option set; 
 (d) assigning one or more different subsequent option subsets to each respective subsequent agent subset; 
 (e) providing all the options in every assigned subsequent option subset to each agent within the respective subsequent agent subset; 
 (f) receiving an agent reaction to all the options in every assigned subsequent option subset from each agent within the respective subsequent agent subset; and 
 (g) determining a conclusion based on the reaction of the agent set if the predetermined objective is attained, or repeating steps (a)-(g) if the predetermined objective size is not attained. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said conclusion includes a limited
 number of options and said objective is attained if this limited number of options contains a selected   number of most preferred options according to the agent set, at a predetermined confidence level.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more options are one or more queries to be presented, wherein a limited number of queries may be presented and said conclusion includes the limited number of queries and said predetermined objective is attained if the limited number of queries contains a selected number of most preferred queries according to the agent set, at a predetermined confidence level. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conclusion includes a subsequent option set that is selected based on target acceptance and/or size of the subsequent option set. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the number of the first plurality of agent subsets is determined based on the number of options in the first option set. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the ratio is greater than or equal to 10:1, 100:1, 1,000:1, or 10,000:1. 
     
     
         19 - 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for determining opinions on a total set of options in a community comprising a plurality of agents, the process comprising:
 defining a number of groups based on a number of options in the total set of options or an expected number of options;   assigning each agent of said plurality to one of the groups;   for each group, presenting to each agent within the group for evaluation a number of options fewer than the number of options in the total set of options;   for each group, receiving from each agent an evaluation of each option presented to the agent; and   determining a best option or set of options according to community opinion using the evaluations received from each of the agents in each of the groups.   
     
     
         47 . A computer device that determines opinions on a total set of options in a community
 comprising a plurality of agents, the computer system comprising:   a programmable processor configured to:   define a number of groups based on a number of options in the total set of options or an expected number of options;   assign each agent of said plurality to one of the groups;   for each group, present to each agent within the group for evaluation a number of options fewer than the number of options in the total set of options;   for each group, receive from each agent an evaluation of each option presented to the agent; and   determine a best option or set of options according to community opinion using the evaluations received from each of the agents in each of the groups; and   a display device configured to display the best option or set of options.