Participant response system for the team selection and method therefor

Abstract

A method for selecting teams from a group of participants using a participant response system comprises the steps of collecting participant information and selecting teams of participants by comparing the collected participant information with team requirement information using a computer-implemented numerical optimization technique.

1 . A method for selecting teams from a group of participants using a participant response system comprising the steps of:
 collecting participant information; and   selecting teams of participants by comparing the collected participant information with team requirement information using a computer-implemented numerical optimization technique.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the collected participant information and the team requirement information are numeric. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selecting comprises calculating possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selecting one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  comprising:
 creating at least one profile for each participant; 
 comparing the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants; and 
 using the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said creating comprises creating a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising eliminating possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the participant information is collected from one or more of: responses to at least one participant questionnaire, a facilitator, and past participant information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the responses to the at least one participant questionnaire are collected electronically from remote units associated with participants. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising prompting participants to respond to said at least one participant questionnaire. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the participant questionnaire and the team requirement information are defined by the facilitator. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said selecting comprises calculating possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selecting one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  comprising:
 creating at least one profile for each participant; 
 comparing the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants; and 
 using the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said creating comprises creating a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising eliminating possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the team requirement information represents desired team characteristics. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the team requirement information comprises at least one weight associated with the participant information, the at least one weight being defined in accordance with the desired team characteristics. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the team requirement information comprises desired team size. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the desired team size is determined by one of the numerical optimization technique and a facilitator. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each discrepancy value is determined by calculating pair-wise scores for the teams of the possible team combinations. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said selecting comprises calculating possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selecting one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said calculating comprises enumerating a set of all possible team combinations. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said selecting comprises calculating possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selecting one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  comprising:
 creating at least one profile for each participant; 
 comparing the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants; and 
 using the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said creating comprises creating a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising eliminating possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said calculating comprises randomly generating a subset of possible team combinations. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said selecting comprises calculating possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selecting one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  comprising:
 creating at least one profile for each participant; 
 comparing the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants; and 
 using the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said creating comprises creating a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising eliminating possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         36 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program code executable by a processing device for performing the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . A participant response system comprising:
 a plurality of remote units, each remote unit configured to generate data in response to participant questionnaire input; and   processing structure communicating with the remote units, said processing structure comparing said data collected from said remote units with team requirement information using a numerical optimization technique and selecting teams of participants based on the comparison.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the collected data and the team requirement information are numeric. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the participant questionnaire and the team requirement information are defined by a facilitator. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the team requirement information is represents desired team characteristics. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the team requirement information comprises at least one weight associated with the participant information, the at least one weight being defined in accordance with the desired team characteristics. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the processing structure calculates possible team combinations, each of the team combinations having an associated discrepancy value, and selects one team combination thereby to select the teams of participants at least based on the discrepancy values. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the team combination selecting comprises selecting the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein each discrepancy value is determined by calculating pair-wise scores for the teams of the possible team combinations. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the processing structure calculates all possible team combinations. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein the processing structure selects the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 45  wherein the processing structure creates at least one profile for each participant, compares the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants and uses the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the processing structure creates a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48  wherein the processing structure eliminates possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the processing structure calculates a subset of possible team combinations. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50  wherein the processing structure creates at least one profile for each participant, compares the profiles of the participants to yield scores for the participants and uses the scores to calculate the possible team combinations. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51  wherein the processing structure creates a plurality of profiles for each participant. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein the processing structure eliminates possible team combinations that fail to satisfy the team requirement information prior to selecting the teams of participants. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 53 , wherein the processing structure selects the team combination associated with the lowest associated discrepancy value.