US5072385A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for gathering and classifying items of information
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1991-02-19
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Granted: 1991-12-10
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Expires: 2011-02-19
Abstract
Abstract The method for gathering items of information from persons representing a sample of the population comprises establishing a list of questions or propositions; inscribing each proposition on a distinct card; supplying to each of the persons of the sample a group of cards each bearing one of the propositions in respect of which these persons must give an opinion; placing each of these persons in front of a support comprising a given number of compartments assigned different values; each of the persons constituting the sample classifying the various propositions by disposing the corresponding cards in the various compartments of the support; then assigning to each proposition a "mark" or a "coefficient" in accordance with its position on the support. Such a method permits in particular establishing an exact order of importance among a certain number of propositions and operating with smaller but nonetheless representative samples.
Inventors
- 👤 Serge J. Rebeillard
- 👤 Cecile D. Kreweras
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:08
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B29/00; G09B3/00; G09B3/02; G09B3/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
212 words
A method for gathering and classifying items of information from persons representing a sample of a population, said method comprising: establishing a list of propositions; placing each proposition on a distinct card; supplying to each of the persons of the sample a group of cards each bearing one of the propositions on which these persons must give an opinion; providing a support having a plurality of compartments at respectively different locations arranged in a grid comprising rows and columns, the number of compartments being greater than the number of cards, each of said rows having the same number of columns; assigning a different value to each of the respective compartments such that said values increase along a direction of each of said rows and along a direction of each of said columns; placing all of the corresponding cards in various compartments of the support in accordance with selections made by each of the persons in the sample, whereby some of the compartments will contain at least one card and some of the compartments will remain empty such that each card containing its proposition can be placed at only one of said compartments; and assigning to each proposition a "mark" or a "coefficient" in accordance with the corresponding card's location on the support.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
212 words
A method for gathering and classifying items of information from persons representing a sample of a population, said method comprising: establishing a list of propositions; placing each proposition on a distinct card; supplying to each of the persons of the sample a group of cards each bearing one of the propositions on which these persons must give an opinion; providing a support having a plurality of compartments at respectively different locations arranged in a grid comprising rows and columns, the number of compartments being greater than the number of cards, each of said rows having the same number of columns; assigning a different value to each of the respective compartments such that said values increase along a direction of each of said rows and along a direction of each of said columns; placing all of the corresponding cards in various compartments of the support in accordance with selections made by each of the persons in the sample, whereby some of the compartments will contain at least one card and some of the compartments will remain empty such that each card containing its proposition can be placed at only one of said compartments; and assigning to each proposition a "mark" or a "coefficient" in accordance with the corresponding card's location on the support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
122 words
A method of according to claim 1, further comprising: assigning to each of the questions or propositions, submitted to the persons constituting the sample, a coefficient determined from the location of the compartment containing the corresponding card; effecting a classification of all of the questions or propositions for each of the persons of the sample; determining for each question or proposition or for a group of questions or propositions the real dispersion (σ) of the classifications effected by all of the persons constituting the sample; determining the maximum theoretical dispersion (Σ) for a sample of the same size; and calculating the value of a magnitude (C) by means of the formula: ##EQU4## in which K is a coefficient preferably equal to 100.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 2, comprising determining the maximum theoretical dispersion (maximum standard deviation) for a distribution having the same number of persons and the same mean as the observed distribution.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 2, comprising determining the maximum theoretical dispersion (maximum standard deviation) for a distribution having the same number of persons but independently of the observed mean.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4029943A
Cited
WO1987000798A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-12-09 | 1995-06-10 | 1995-12-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-12-09 | 1999-06-10 | 1999-12-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-12-09 | 2003-06-10 | 2003-12-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |