Patent Document ID: 20020107821
Application ID: 09992347
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for performing a trade-off analysis using a computer, said method comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of candidate selection criteria from an input interface, certain of each of said plurality of candidate selection criteria being associated with each one of a plurality of candidates; (b) performing pair-wise comparisons for said each of said plurality of candidate selection criteria, each of said pair-wise comparisons accomplished by selecting each one of said plurality of candidate selection criteria and comparing it against each other of said plurality of candidate selection criteria to produce a like plurality of criteria comparisons; (c) assigning a degree of importance to each one of said criteria comparisons; (d) receiving a rationale for each said degree of importance; (e) weighting said plurality of candidate selection criteria using a pair-wise comparison algorithm, said weighting producing a computed criteria weight for said each one of said plurality of candidate selection criteria, each said computed criteria weight indicating an importance value for said each one of said plurality of candidate selection criteria; (f) displaying said plurality of candidates to a user and comparing each one of said plurality of candidates against each other of said plurality of candidates to produce a like plurality of candidate comparisons and assigning an importance measurement to each one of said candidate comparisons; (g) receiving a rationale for each one of said importance measurement; (h) applying another pair-wise comparison to each one of said importance measurement to produce a series of criteria compliance scores for said each one of said plurality of candidates; (i) multiplying each one of said series of criteria compliance scores with its respective said computed criteria weight to produce a series of modified criteria compliance scores for said each one of said plurality of candidates; (j) summing said series of modified criteria compliance scores for said each one of said plurality of candidates to produce a candidate weighted score for said each one of said plurality of candidates; and (k) utilizing said candidate weighted score for said each one of said plurality of candidates to select a particular one of said plurality of candidates.