Patent ID: 6826541
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method for facilitating user selection among complex alternatives using conjoint analysis, the method comprising:using a software-implemented selector tool: (a) obtaining demographic information from a user; (b) executing a criteria matching heuristic, wherein the criteria matching heuristic automatically selects products or services and attributes associated with the products or services that are available to the user by accessing a first table that associates the demographic information with criteria identifiers and accessing a second table that matches criteria identifiers with products or services; (c) presenting the user with a list of the attributes associated with the products or services available to the user and requiring the user to select among the attributes those which are of importance to the user; (d) presenting the user with a first series of choices requiring the user to input or select first values indicating the relative importance of a best setting and a worst setting for each of the attributes selected by the user; (e) presenting the user with a second series of choices requiring the user to input or select second values indicating the relative importance of the user's preference between first and second pairings of the selected attributes, wherein each pairing includes a best setting of one attribute and a worst setting of another attribute; (f) responsive to receiving the first and second values from the user, applying automated conjoint analysis to the first and second values, wherein applying automated conjoint analysis includes: (i) interpreting each of the second values as a mathematical difference between the relative importance of a best setting and a worst setting for one attribute and a best setting and a worst setting for another attribute; and (ii) calculating, based on the first values and the mathematical differences, a final importance value for each of the attributes; (g) in response to completion of the automated conjoint analysis, rating the products or services available to the user based on the final importance values for the attributes linked to the corresponding stored product or service alternatives; and (h) in response to completion of the calculating and the rating, automatically providing feedback from the conjoint analysis to the user, wherein providing feedback includes presenting the user with data indicating the relative utility to the user of each of the products or services.