System and Method of Prioritizing Items in a Queue
A system and method of prioritizing items in a queue is provided. The system and method includes the creation of a document queue comprising a plurality of items and the assignment of a queue position to each of the plurality of items based upon one or more determining factors, such as the date of receipt of each item. A fee can be calculated for moving an item to a different priority queue position and a right-of-first refusal can be provided for one or more items that would have their respective queue positions changed as a result of payment of the fee.
1 . A method comprising:
creating a document queue comprising a plurality of items;
assigning a queue position to each of the plurality of items based upon one or more determining factors;
calculating a fee for moving an item to a different priority queue position;
providing a right-of-first refusal for one or more items that would have their respective queue positions changed as a result of payment of the fee; and
moving said item to the different priority queue position in the document queue upon payment of the fee and a waiver of one or more right-of-first refusals.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the different priority queue position is a higher queue position.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising allowing commentary from applicants representing the one or more items that have had their queue position changed when the item that has been moved to the higher queue position is being processed.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the right-of-first refusal includes a payment of a fee.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the waiver of a right-of-first refusal includes acceptance of a fee.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising denying the movement of an item to a different queue position based upon a particular level of relevancy between the item to be moved and one or more items which would have their queue position changed.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning the document queue including the plurality of items to a particular agent for processing.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each of the items in the assigned document queue encompasses related subject matter.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the assigned document queue assigned to the agent includes items in a priority queue position and items not in a priority queue position.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising distributing at least a portion of the fee for moving an item to a different priority queue position to applicants representing one or more items to be processed.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the applicants representing one or more items to be processed includes those whose items have had their queue position changed.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more determining factors includes time of receipt of at least one of the items.
13 . A method comprising:
creating a document queue comprising two or more items to be processed;
assigning a queue position to each of the two or more items in the document queue based upon one or more determining factors;
determining a processing date for each item;
calculating a movement cost value for moving a particular item to one or more higher queue positions in the document queue; and
providing a right-of-first refusal for each item which would have its respective queue position lowered as a result of an accepted payment of a movement cost value.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising moving an item higher in the document queue upon a failure to exercise one or more right-of-first refusals and the payment of the movement cost value.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein failing to exercise one or more right-of-first refusals includes the acceptance of one or more fees, respectively.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising allowing commentary from the one or more corresponding items that have been moved down in the document queue when the item that has been moved higher is being processed.
17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising denying the movement of an item higher in the document queue based upon a particular level of relevancy between the item to be moved higher and one or more items that would have their respective queue position lowered.
18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the determination of a processing date for each item is based upon the number of items having a higher queue position in the document queue.
19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the calculation of the movement cost value includes a determination of a range of cost values each corresponding to a number of queue positions an item can be moved.
20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more determining factors includes a date of receipt of at least one item with respect to a date of receipt of at least one other item.
21 . A system of prioritizing items having filing dates comprising:
an assignment component capable of receiving two or more items filed by respective applicants and assigning a queue position for each item;
a document queue component capable of ordering the two or more items in a document queue by the assigned queue position, the document queue component being associated with an agent capable of processing the items;
a processing time component capable of ascertaining and notifying an applicant of a resolution date for each respective item in the document queue; and
a priority resolution component capable of determining whether an item has qualified to move to a different queue position based upon the payment of a priority queuing fee and the exercise of one or more right-of-first refusals by applicants who would have their respective queue positions changed as a result of payment of the priority queuing fee.
22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the exercise of a right-of-first refusal by an applicant includes the payment of a fee.
23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein a failure to exercise a right-of-first refusal by an applicant includes acceptance of a fee.
24 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the priority resolution component is further capable of resolving the priority of a plurality of items in which priority queuing fees have been paid.