Open ended question analysis system and method

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of updating said stored coding structure in said data processor for providing an accumulative coding structure for said input open-ended respondent answers.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of varying the coding structure of at least one of said net key phrases.

Claim 5

A method in accordance with claim 1 comprising performing said classifying step, dictionary updating step converting step, scanning step, file creating step, sorting step, counting step, displaying step, grouping step, and coding structure storing step, for each of a plurality of said open-ended respondent answers input to said data processor for providing an accumulative coding structure for said plurality of input open-ended respondent answers.

Claim 6

A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the step of updating said stored coding structure in said data processor for each input open-ended respondent answer for providing said accumulative coding structure.

Claim 7

A method in accordance with claim 5 further comprising the step of varying the coding structure of at least one of said net key phrases.

Claim 8

A method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the step of varying the coding structure of at least one of said net key phrases.

Claim 9

A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein each input open-ended respondent answer is associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 10

A method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of inputting respondent closed-end respondent answers to said data processor, each of said closed-end respondent answers being associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 11

A method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of merging said input closed-end answer with said coded input respondent open-ended answers in accordance with said associated respondent identification codes for accumulatively processing both said open-ended and closed-ended respondent answers.

Claim 12

A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said input closed-end respondent answers comprise pre-coded responses.

Claim 13

A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of varying the coding structure of at least one of said net key phrases.

Claim 14

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said extracting step comprises the step of extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in said corresponding binary defined sentence in accordance with a pre-defined rule structure for interpreting said sentence.

Claim 15

A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said extracting step further comprises the step of dynamically modifying said pre-defined rule structure for overriding said pre-defined rule structure for extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in accordance with said dynamically modified rule structure.

Claim 16

A method in accordance with claim 13 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that every sentence must have at least one of said keywords.

Claim 17

A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that skip words and words which are unknown from said dictionary are ignored.

Claim 18

A method in accordance with claim 16 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that two of said keywords may not exist next to each other and must be separated by at least one modifier word or connector word.

Claim 19

A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that a key phrase may comprise one keyword, O-n preceding modifier words and a preceding negative word.

Claim 20

A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that a connector word must have a key phrase on the left and right of said connector word.

Claim 21

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that any trailing modifier words are attached to the preceding keyword.

Claim 22

A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein said extracting step further comprises the step of dynamically modifying said pre-defined rule structure for overriding said pre-defined rule structure for extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in accordance with said dynamically modified rule structure.

Claim 23

A method in accordance with claim 20 comprising performing said classifying step, dictionary updating step converting step, scanning step, file creating step, sorting step, counting step, displaying step, grouping step, and coding structure storing step, for each of a plurality of said open-ended respondent answers input to said data processor for providing an accumulative coding structure for said plurality of input open-ended respondent answers.

Claim 24

A method in accordance with claim 22 further comprising the step of updating said stored coding structure in said data processor for each input open-ended respondent answer for providing said accumulative coding structure.

Claim 25

A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein each input open-ended respondent answer is associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 26

A method in accordance with claim 24 further comprising the step of inputting respondent closed-end respondent answers to said data processor, each of said closed-end respondent answers being associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 27

A method in accordance with claim 25 further comprising the step of merging said input closed-end answer with said coded input respondent open-ended answers in accordance with said associated respondent identification codes for accumulatively processing both said open-ended and closed-ended respondent answers.

Claim 28

A method in accordance with claim 36 wherein said input closed-end respondent answers comprise pre-coded responses.

Claim 29

A method in accordance with claim 24 all commas are replaced by the AND connector word.

Claim 30

A method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising the step of inputting respondent closed-end respondent answers to said data processor, each of said closed-end respondent answers being associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 31

A method in accordance with claim 29 further comprising the step of merging said input closed-end answer with said coded input respondent open-ended answers in accordance with said associated respondent identification codes for accumulatively processing both said open-ended and closed-ended respondent answers.

Claim 32

A method in accordance with claim 30 wherein said put closed-end respondent answers comprise pre-coded responses.

Claim 33

A method in accordance with claim 19 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprising a rule that all commas are replaced by the AND connector word.

Claim 34

A method in accordance with claim 32 wherein said extracting step further comprises the step of dynamically modifying said pre defined rule structure for overriding said pre-defined rule structure for extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in accordance with said dynamically modified rule structure.

Claim 35

A method in accordance with claim 32 comprising performing said classifying step, dictionary updating step converting step, scanning step, file creating step, sorting step, counting step, displaying step, grouping step, and coding structure storing step, for each of a plurality of said open-ended respondent answers input to said data processor for providing an accumulative coding structure for said plurality of input open-ended respondent answers.

Claim 36

A method in accordance with claim 34 further comprising the step of updating said stored coding structure in said data processor for each input open-ended respondent answer for providing said accumulative coding structure.

Claim 37

A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein each input open-ended respondent answer is associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 38

A method in accordance with claim 36 further comprising the step of inputting respondent closed-end respondent answers to said data processor, each of said closed-end respondent answers being associated with a respondent identification code.

Claim 39

A method in accordance with claim 37 further comprising the step of merging said input closed-end answer with said coded input respondent open-ended answers in accordance with said associated respondent identification codes for accumulatively processing both said open-ended and closed-ended respondent answers.

Claim 40

A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein said input closed-end respondent answers comprise pre-coded responses.

Claim 41

A method in accordance with claim 37 wherein said put closed-end respondent answers comprise pre-coded responses.

Claim 42

A data processor system for processing open-ended respondent answers to open-ended questions for providing reproducible categorized dynamically variable coding of said open-ended respondent answers to said open-end questions, said data processor system comprising display means for providing a display, means for retrievably storing a dictionary of words, said open-ended answers comprising words; means for inputting said words comprising an open-ended respondent answer to said data processor; means for classifying said words comprising said input open-ended respondent answer into corresponding word types selected from a group of word types comprising keywords, modifier words, skip words, connector words and negative words, said keywords comprising words which are keys to conveying a true meaning of said input open-ended respondent answer, said modifier words comprising words attached to said keywords in said input open-ended respondent answer to form key phrases, said skip words comprising words unimportant to said conveying of said true meaning of said input open-ended respondent answer, said connector words comprising words which are conjunctions which connect said key phrases within said input open-ended respondent answer, said negative words comprising words which turn said key phrases into negative statements in said input open-ended respondent answers; means for updating said word dictionary means for converting said words comprising said input open-ended respondent answer into corresponding binary coded words, said word dictionary comprising dictionary words stored as corresponding binary coded words, said converting means comprising means for converting said input words into said corresponding binary coded words corresponding to said binary coded words stored as said updated dictionary words for providing a binary defined sentence corresponding to said input open-ended respondent answer; means for scanning said corresponding binary defined sentence and extracting said keywords and said modifier words associated with said keywords in said corresponding binary defined sentence; means for creating a retrievable file comprising key phrases formed from said extracted keywords and said extracted associated modifier words, and said keywords per se; means for sorting said key phrases in said created file; means for counting occurrences of said sorted key phrases and eliminating duplicates in said sorted key phrases for providing a net key phrase file, said net key phrase file being displayable on said associated display means; means for grouping said displayed net key phrases into a coding structure; and means for storing said coding structure in said data processor system.

Claim 43

A data processor system for processing open-ended respondent answers to open-ended questions for providing reproducible categorized dynamically variable coding of said open-ended respondent answers to said open-end questions, said data processor system comprising display means for providing a display, means for retrievably storing a dictionary of words, said open-ended answers comprising words; means for inputting said words comprising an open-ended respondent answer to said data processor; means for classifying said words comprising said input open-ended respondent answer into corresponding word types selected from a group of word types comprising keywords, modifier words, skip words, connector words and negative words, said keywords comprising words which are keys to conveying a true meaning of said input open-ended respondent answer, said modifier words comprising words attached to said keywords in said input open-ended respondent answer to form key phrases, said skip words comprising words unimportant to said conveying of said true meaning of said input open-ended respondent answer, said connector words comprising words which are conjunctions which connect said key phrases within said input open-ended respondent answer, said negative words comprising words which turn said key phrases into negative statements in said input open-ended respondent answers; means for updating said word dictionary means for converting said words comprising said input open-ended respondent answer into corresponding binary coded words, said word dictionary comprising dictionary words stored as corresponding binary coded words, said converting means comprising means for converting said input words into said corresponding binary coded words corresponding to said binary coded words stored as said updated dictionary words for providing a binary defined sentence corresponding to said input open-ended respondent answer; means for scanning said corresponding binary defined sentence and extracting said keywords and said modifier words associated with said keywords in said corresponding binary defined sentence; means for creating a retrievable file comprising key phrases formed from said extracted keywords and said extracted associated modifier words, and said keywords per se; means for sorting said key phrases in said created file; means for counting occurrences of said sorted key phrases and eliminating duplicates in said sorted key phrases for providing a net key phrase file, said net key phrase file being displayable on said associated display means; means for grouping said displayed net key phrases into a coding structure; and means for storing said coding structure in said data processor system.

Claim 44

A system in accordance with claim 41 further comprising means for varying the coding structure of at least one of said net key phrases.

Claim 45

A system in accordance with claim 41 wherein said means for extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in said corresponding binary defined sentence comprises means for extracting said keywords and said associated modifier words in accordance with a pre-defined rule structure for interpreting said sentence.

Claim 46

A system in accordance with claim 43 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that every sentence must have at least one of said keywords.

Claim 47

A system in accordance with claim 44 wherein said pre-defined rule structure further comprises a rule that skip words and words which are unknown from said dictionary are ignored.

Claim 48

A system in accordance with claim 45 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that two of said keywords may not exist next to each other and must be separated by at least one modifier word or connector word.

Claim 49

A system in accordance with claim 46 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that a key phrase may comprise one keyword, O-n preceding modifier words and a preceding negative word.

Claim 50

A system in accordance with claim 47 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that a connector word must have a key phrase on the left and right of said connector word.

Claim 51

A system in accordance with claim 48 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that any trailing modifier words are attached to the preceding keyword.

Claim 52

A system in accordance with claim 49 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that all commas are replaced by the AND connector word.

Claim 53

A system in accordance with claim 43 wherein said pre-defined rule structure comprises a rule that further comprises means for inputting respondent closed-end answers to said data processor system, and means for merging said input respondent closed-end answers with said coded input respondent open-ended answers for accumulatively processing both said open-ended and closed-ended respondent answers.