US 4,908,758 A · Method of operating a computer for rank ordering and weighting category alternatives

Abstract

A user interactive method of operating a computer is provided for producing a user-weighted ordinal rank order preference scale of rank ordered expression alternatives associated with a plurality of expressions. In the preferred method, the user interacts with the computer system to initially rank all of the alternatives and then assigns point values to the alternatives whereupon the computer calculates a point value weight for each factor level.

Drawings

Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO

Drawings

Claims10

Dependent claims

A user-interactive method of operating a computer for producing an overall ranking of data items such as job factor levels, alternatives, and the like making up a data set, the computer including a memory for storing data including said data set, an input device for entering data, and an output device for displaying data, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing said data set in said memory whereby said data items included in said data set are arranged into a plurality of categories with the data items included in each category having a category rank relative to one another and presenting a pair of terminal items respectively representing the highest and lowest ranked items in the category;
(b) retrieving from the memory and displaying on the output device a data display including a terminal data item of corresponding category rank from selected ones of the categories;
(c) entering into the computer data representative of the user's selection of the one of the items included in said display;
(d) assigning in the computer a sequential rank to said user's selection and storing said sequential rank in the memory;
(e) retrieving from the memory a previously non-displayed replacement data item from the same category as said selection and nearest in category rank to said selection, and replacing said selection on said display with said replacement data item;
and
(f) repeating steps (c) and (e) until a sequential rank has been assigned and stored for each item from said selected ones of the categories thereby producing an overall ranking of the data items thereof.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description4,327 words

Summary1,411 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a user interactive method of operating a computer system for producing a weighted ordinal rank order preference scale of selected alternatives. More particularly, the invention hereof relates to a method wherein a computer system prompts the user to rank alternatives making up a variety of categories and to provide point values whereby the computer system then calculates a weighted point value consistent with the rank and point value of the alternatives.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

Brief description of the drawings2 figures

#FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C represent a computer program flowchart illustrating the preferred method for implementing the present invention; and

#FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the preferred computer system of the present invention.

Detailed description2,881 words

#FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred computer system 10 of the present invention. Computer system 10 preferably includes a conventional microcomputer 12 such as a personal computer, an input device preferably in the form of conventional keyboard 14, an auxiliary memory unit preferably in the form of a conventional floppy disk drive and hard disk system 16, an output device in the form of a conventional CRT display 18, and a second output device preferably in the form of a conventional printer 20.

#Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the method of the present invention is applicable to operating virtually all types of computers and the preferred computer system as described herein is merely illustrative of the preferred environment.

#The method of the present invention for operating a computer system is preferably embodied in the form of a computer program fixed in the medium of a conventional hard disk system which, by means of hard disk drive 16, can be used to transfer parts of the computer program from the hard disk to the internal memory (not shown) of microcomputer 12 as needed. Data is transferred to the hard disk system before each session and in turn is copied to internal memory as needed.

Facts

Application

07/133,959Filed 17 Dec 1987

Granted

13 Mar 1990

Term ended

17 Dec 2007

Estimated · how

Pre-1995 term; greater of 17 years from grant or 20 years from filing when eligible. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification3 codes

G06F 16/38
Of unstructured textual data: retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
G06F 7/22
Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled: arrangements for sorting or merging…
G06F
Computing and data processing

Method of operating a computer for rank ordering and weighting category alternatives

Life of this patent

Method of operating a computer for rank ordering and weighting category alternatives

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims10

Description4,327 words

Drawings

Classification3 codes

Life of this patent

Description4,327 words