US Patent 7536315 Self-balancing of idea ratings

Computer-implemented methods and computer program products implement techniques for rating ideas in an idea management system. The techniques include circulating an idea to one or more users in an organization, receiving from one or more of the users in the organization an opinion of the idea, weighting each of the grades based on a first weight, and determining a grade of the idea based on the weighted grades. The first weight represents a characteristic of the corresponding user. The opinion includes a rating of the idea and the rating of the idea comprises a grade based on a first pre-determined scale.