Patent ID: 7013242

Claim:
A method of conducting representative sampling, the method comprising: scheduling a plurality of human observation prompts at bias-controlled times; executing the scheduled observation prompts; accepting a selection of at least one input item, from a human user, based upon the observation prompts; maintaining tick counts for the selected items; using the tick counts for representative sampling purposes; and further including at least one additional step selected from the group consisting of: a. allowing users to control the items presented for selection at the observation prompts, b. attracting attention for the observation prompts with an attention-getting device, c. determining the bias-controlled times according to least one observation parameter such that the observation prompts will only be scheduled at the bias-controlled times that meet at least one of the observation parameters, d. counting the number of observation prompts upon which none of the items is selected, e. contemporaneously executing the observation prompts for more than one batch of items, f. storing circumstantial data regarding at least some of the observation prompts, g. presenting analysis of the counts after a plurality of observation prompts has been executed, and h. combinations thereof.