Patent Document ID: 9842294
Application ID: 14692602
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: identifying at least two priority groups of members having an interest in one or more variables within a solution to a problem, the at least two priority groups each having a defined relative priority in relation to at least one other group of the at least two priority groups; obtaining a first set of model-constraints, where the first set of model-constraints restrict choices that can be submitted by respective members of each of the at least two priority groups; receiving the choices from the respective members of each of the at least two priority groups, the choices including chosen values that can be assigned to a respective variable of the one or more variables; populating the chosen values into a first set or a second set according to a membership in a priority group of the member from whom the choice was received, the first set corresponding to a first priority group and the second set corresponding to a second priority group; determining the solution by assigning chosen values from the first set and then by assigning chosen values from the second set, wherein a particular constraint restricts a choice that can be submitted by a higher priority member with respect to a relatively lower priority member; and wherein the method is performed by one or more computers.