Generation of Automated Reports and Matching Using Online Surveys and Collaborative Filtering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing targeted online compensation reports that accounts for unique individual job characteristics by using dynamic profiles is described. The invention uses a survey engine having a collaborative filtering engine that determines appropriate questions to ask the user during the survey, and may further provide suggested possible answers. A collection of user profiles is used for comparison purposes and to produce additional individualized compensation reports.

1 . A computer implemented method for a survey that surveys a plurality of responders to the server with a sequence of questions that is automatically tailored per responder to enable the creation of an individualized report for each responder, comprising the steps of:
 creating, with a computer implemented survey engine, for each of said responders responsive of answers provided by each of said responders to a tailored sequence of questions a corresponding profile containing said tailored sequence of questions and corresponding answers, said tailored sequence of questions directed towards collection of responder related information;   creating, with said computer implemented survey engine, at least periodically, one or more affinity groups for said plurality of responders responsive of each of said corresponding profiles, each of said one or more affinity groups having at least one profile in an affinity group, said one or more affinity groups being created independent of the order of presenting questions to each of said responders in said tailored sequence of questions;   associating, with said computer implemented survey engine, each profile with at least one affinity group;   presenting to each responder, with said computer implemented survey engine, a sequence of questions from a source containing a plurality of different questions, said sequence of questions and order of each question in said sequence of questions being independently, asynchronously, and dynamically tailored for each and every responder on an individual basis responsive to both an answer received from each individual responder to a question previously presented to said individual responder and a particular affinity group or combination of affinity groups to which a profile of said individual responder is associated;   storing each of said profiles in a storage associated with said computer implemented survey engine;   the steps repeated at least once more per responder;   generating a report for a responder relative to said tailored sequence of questions responsive of a request from said responder to generate said report responsive of at least said profile attributes; and   creating, by the computer implemented survey engine, when applicable, new affinity groups as additional responders respond to respective tailored sequences of questions.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an affinity group is pre-stored in said storage. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one particular subsequent question from said sequence of questions is presented because of at least one of:
 popularity of said subsequent questions within said particular affinity group or combination of said affinity groups;   as a most frequently answered subsequent question within said particular affinity group or combination of said affinity groups; and   as a most recently answered subsequent question within said particular affinity group or combination of said affinity groups.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said corresponding answers to a question from said sequence of questions are presented because of at least one of:
 popularity of an answer within a particular affinity group or combination of affinity groups;   as a most frequent answer within a particular affinity group or combination of affinity groups; and   as a most recent answer within a particular affinity group or combination of affinity groups.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 filtering each of said profiles, with a collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, wherein said filtering further comprises the application of a rules engine that compares each of said profiles to a set of predefined criteria;   determining, with said collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, when no additional questions are to be presented to said individual responder based upon said individual's response to a corresponding said tailored sequence of questions; and   capturing, with said collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, profile attributes comprising targeted variables with regard to said individual responder's profile responsive to an individual's answers to said sequence of questions.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining validity of each of said profiles; and   tagging a user profile as inactive if determined to be invalid.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said filtering step further comprises the step of:
 modifying, with a collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, an answer to said question based on at least one of: predetermined criterion; at least one filtering rule; consistency with previously answered questions; consistency with all answered questions; and, consistency with answers of said particular affinity group or combination of said affinity groups.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating of a report is constrained by one or more constraints comprising at least one of: one or more attributes of said user profile; and, a reporting goal. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said goal comprises at least one of: a profile attribute value; a range of profile attribute values; a Boolean value reflective of a set of values; a Boolean value reflective of a set of non-values; a date range; a minimum count of matching profiles; a maximum count of matching profiles; a question filter; an affinity filter; and, a match score threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , said step of providing said report comprising the steps of:
 matching between at least a matchfield of said goal and a corresponding matchfield of at least one of an affinity group and a user profile, and   generating a match score.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
 determining at least one best match from a plurality of possible matches.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said goal is any of: a personal goal, wherein said personal goal is a result of a plurality of user inputs pertaining to personal aspirations; and, an external goal, wherein said external goal is a result of a plurality of arbitrary inputs. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating, with a computer implemented survey engine, a goal profile created responsive of answers provided to a tailored sequence of questions for said foal profile, said goal profile containing said tailored sequence of questions for said goal profile and corresponding answers, said tailored sequence of questions for said goal file directed towards collection of information related to said goal;   storing said goal profile in a storage associated with said computer implemented survey engine;   comparing said goal profile to the plurality of said profiles that are stored in said storage for the purpose of determining similarities between one or more of said plurality of profiles to said goal profile; and   determining which of said plurality of profiles is similar to said goal profile;   wherein said report is generated responsive of said goal profile.   
     
     
         14 . A method for determining a match between a profile and a plurality of profiles being associated to one or more affinity groups comprising:
 creating, with a computer implemented survey engine, a goal profile created responsive of answers provided to a tailored sequence of questions, said goal profile containing said tailored sequence of questions and corresponding answers, said tailored sequence of questions directed towards collection of responder related information;   storing said goal profile in a storage associated with said computer implemented survey engine;   comparing said goal profile to the plurality of profiles that are stored in said storage for the purpose of determining similarities between one or more of the plurality of profiles to said goal profile;   determining which of the plurality of profiles is similar to said goal profile; and   generating a report responsive of said goal profile.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said report includes a list of profiles from the plurality of profiles that were determined to be similar to said profile goal. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein determination of similarity of a profile from the plurality of profiles to said goal profile comprises:
 determining a score of similarity for at least an attribute of said profile from the plurality of profiles to a corresponding attribute of said goal profile or one or more of the affinity groups of said profile from the plurality of profiles.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 aggregating scores of each of said score of similarity for each attribute and affinity group of said profile from the plurality of profiles to a corresponding attribute of said goal profile into a similarity score between said profile of the plurality of profiles and said goal profile.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said aggregation is a weighted aggregation, such that each said score of similarity may have a different weight in said weighted aggregation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of different scoring mechanism are used to determine similarity of different types of attributes. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said goal profile is one of the plurality of profiles. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said tailored sequence of questions is enabled to accept answers to a subset of said tailored sequence of questions for the purpose of creating said goal profile. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said answers provided with respect of each question of said tailored sequence of questions further comprise an indication for: an answer to a profile from the plurality of profiles may have a variability from a corresponding answer to a question from said tailored sequence of questions; or, an answer to a profile from the plurality of profiles must be similar to a corresponding answer to a question from said tailored sequence of questions. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more affinity groups are generated by:
 creating, with said computer implemented survey engine, for each of a plurality of responders responsive of answers provided by each of said responders to a responder tailored sequence of questions a corresponding profile containing said responder tailored sequence of questions and corresponding answers, said responder tailored sequence of questions directed towards collection of responder related information;   creating, with said computer implemented survey engine, at least periodically, one or more affinity groups for said plurality of responders responsive of each of said corresponding profiles, each of said one or more affinity groups having at least one profile in an affinity group, said one or more affinity groups being created independent of the order of presenting questions to each of said responders in said responder tailored sequence of questions;   associating, with said computer implemented survey engine, each profile with at least one affinity group;   presenting to each responder, with said computer implemented survey engine, a responder sequence of questions from a source containing a plurality of different questions, said sequence of questions and order of each question in said sequence of questions being independently, asynchronously, and dynamically tailored for each and every responder on an individual basis responsive to both an answer received from each individual responder to a question previously presented to said individual responder and a particular affinity group or combination of affinity groups to which a profile of said individual responder is associated;   storing each of said profiles in said storage;   the steps repeated at least once more per responder of said plurality of responders;   creating, by the computer implemented survey engine, when applicable, new affinity groups as additional responders respond to respective responder tailored sequences of questions.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 filtering each of said profiles, with a collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, wherein said filtering further comprises the application of a rules engine that compares each of said profiles to a set of predefined criteria;   determining, with said collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, when no additional questions are to be presented to said individual responder based upon said individual's response to a corresponding said tailored sequence of questions; and   capturing, with said collaborative filtering engine of said computer implemented survey engine, profile attributes comprising targeted variables with regard to said individual responder's profile responsive to an individual's answers to said sequence of questions.