1. A computer implemented method for at least one grading, measuring, classifying entities andor ranking entities, andor designating a winner among entities, with each entity assigned n grades of an ordered language of evaluation, where n is an integer greater than 1, the method comprising:
a) sorting the grades assigned each entity according to a first ordering rule to obtain a first list of ordered grades,
b) for i=1, . . . , n generating for each entity a second list of ordered grades from the first list by assigning an ith grade of the first list to a place in the second list according to a second ordering rule,
c) at least one of assigning a first grade of an entity’s second list to that entity, ranking the entities based on comparisons of the second lists, designating the winner among the entities as the one that is the first in the ranking, and classifying the entities based on the second lists.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the entities are selected among persons, objects, services, institutions, companies, investment portfolios, measurements or legal entities.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the grades are numerical values.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the grades are non-numerical ordered attributes.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ordering rule lists the grades from highest to lowest.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first ordering rule lists the grades from lowest to highest.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein for a given parameter q from 0 to less than 1, the second ordering rule comprises:
a) initializing a first current ordered list as the first list of ordered grades,
b) the ith grade of the second list for i=1, . . . , n is the kth grade of the ith current ordered list, where k=q(n\u2212i+1)+1, and the (i+1)th current ordered list is obtained from the ith ordered current list by dropping the grade just designated.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein q=0.5 and the first ordering rule lists the grades from highest to lowest.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparisons of the second lists is lexicographic.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the entities have initially different numbers of grades and the entities that do not have as many grades as the other are assigned supplementary grades as many times as necessary so that all the entities have the same number of grades.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein when the entities have initially different numbers of grades, the first grade of the second list of each entity that does not have as many grades as the other is adjoined as many times as necessary so that all the entities have the same number of grades in their second lists, the adjoined grades being either all adjoined at the beginning of the second lists or all adjoined at the end of their second lists.
12. The method of claim 1, with each entity evaluated by a set of characteristics, each characteristic of each entity assigned grades, a rule that assigns an entity’s grade to any set of the entity’s characteristic grades, and the method is applied to the entity’s grades.
13. The method of claim 1, with each entity evaluated by a set of characteristics, each characteristic of each entity assigned grades, the method of claim 1 being used to obtain a second ordered list of characteristic grades for each characteristic of each entity, and the ith grade of the second list of grades of each entity is obtained with a rule that assigns a grade to the set of the entity’s second ordered list of ith characteristic grades.
14. A computer implemented method for either grading entities, andor ranking entities, andor classifying entities, andor designating a Sinner among entities, with each entity assigned many grades of an ordered language of evaluations, the method comprising.
a) determining percentages of the different grades assigned to each entity,
b) determining, for any q between 0 and 1, a qualified-majority-grade g of each entity such that at least 100 q % of the entity’s grades is g or higher,
c) ranking the entities, and designating the winner as the first in the ranking, according to the rule: an entity with a higher qualified-majority-grade than another is ranked higher; otherwise, a tie-breaking rule is used.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the entities are selected among persons, objects, services, institutions, companies, investment portfolios, measurements, or legal entities.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the grades are numerical values.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the grades are non-numerical ordered attributes.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein q=0.5.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein ties in the ranking of entities are resolved by determining p+(g), the percentage of an entity’s grades higher than g and p\u2212(g) the percentage of the entity’s grades lower than g, and of two entities with an equal qualified-majority-grade g, ranking higher the entity for which (1\u2212q)p+(g)\u2212qp\u2212(g) is bigger.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein ties in the ranking of entities are resolved by determining p+(g) the percentage of the entity’s grades higher than g and p\u2212(g) the percentage of the entity’s grades lower than g, and
assigning the entity a modified-majority-grade g+ if (1\u2212q)p+(g)>qp\u2212(g),
assigning the entity a modified-majority-grade g\u2212 if (1\u2212q)p+(g)<qp\u2212(g),
an entity with a modified-majority-grade of g+ is ranked higher than one with a modified-majority-grade of g\u2212,
between two entities with a modified-majority-grade of g+, the entity with the greater p+(g) is ranked higher,
between two entities with a modified-majority-grade of g\u2212, the entity with the greater p\u2212(g) is ranked lower,
otherwise a further tie-breaking rule is used.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein ties in the ranking of entities are resolved according to the rule:
assign the entity a modified-majority-grade g= if (1\u2212q)p+(g)=qp\u2212(g),
an entity with a modified-majority-grade of g+ is ranked higher than one with a modified-majority-grade of g=,
an entity with a modified-majority-grade of g= is ranked higher than one with a modified-majority-grade of g\u2212,
between two entities with a modified-majority-grade of g+ and the same p+(g), the entity with the smaller p\u2212(g) is ranked higher,
between two entities with a modified-majority-grade of g\u2212 and the same p\u2212(g), the entity with the greater p+(g) is ranked higher,
otherwise, a tie-breaking rule is used.
22. The method of claim 14, wherein b) is replaced by:
b) determining, for any q between 0 and 1, the qualified-majority-grade g of each entity, namely, g such that at least 100(1\u2212q) % of the entity’s grades is g or lower.
23. The method of claim 14, wherein when the entities have different numbers of grades, those that do not have the greatest number are assigned supplementary grades as many times as necessary so that all the entities have the same number of grades.
24. A computer system for at least one of grading, measuring, classifying entities andor ranking entities, andor designating a winner among entities, with each entity assigned n grades of an ordered language of evaluations, where n is an integer greater than 1, the system comprising processor means configured for:
a) sorting the grades assigned each entity according to a first ordering rule to obtain a first list of ordered grades,
b) generating for each entity a second list of ordered grades from the first list by assigning an ith grade of the first list for i=1, . . . , n to a place in the second list according to a second ordering rule,
c) displaying a result, the result comprising at least one of assigning a first grade of an entity’s second list to that entity, ranking the entities based on comparison of the second lists, designating the winner among the entities as the one that is the first in the ranking, and classifying the entities based on the second lists.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A stent comprising:
a plurality of interconnected framework members defining a plurality of cells, a portion of the interconnected framework members comprising a side branch structure defining an inner side branch cell, the inner side branch cell being shaped differently than other cells of the stent;
the side branch structure comprising:
a first serpentine ring extending around the inner side branch cell, the first serpentine ring comprising alternating inner turns and outer turns connected by straight struts, the inner turns being distributed around a reference circle centered upon a side branch center point;
a second serpentine ring extending around the first serpentine ring, the second serpentine ring comprising alternating inner turns and outer turns connected by straight struts, the second serpentine ring having the same number of inner turns and outer turns as the first serpentine ring; and
a plurality of inner side branch connectors, each inner side branch connector spanning between the first serpentine ring and the second serpentine ring in a side branch radial direction.
2. The stent of claim 1, wherein each inner side branch connector spans between an inner turn of the first serpentine ring and an inner turn of the second serpentine ring.
3. The stent of claim 1, wherein each outer turn of the first serpentine ring is aligned with an outer turn of the second serpentine ring in a side branch radial direction.
4. The stent of claim 1, the interconnected framework members further comprising a support ring extending continuously around the side branch structure, the support ring comprising an average strut width greater than an average strut width of the first serpentine ring.
5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the support ring is continuously concave with respect to the side branch center point.
6. The stent of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of outer side branch connectors, each outer side branch connector spanning between the second side branch ring and the support ring.
7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the first serpentine ring comprises a plurality of strut pairs, the struts of a strut pair being parallel to one another and connected by an outer turn.
8. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of outer side branch connectors having a first straight portion oriented perpendicular to a second straight portion.
9. The stent of claim 8, further comprising an ancillary side branch structure strut connected between two outer side branch connectors.
10. A stent comprising:
a plurality of interconnected framework members defining a plurality of cells, a portion of the interconnected framework members comprising a side branch structure defining an inner side branch cell, the inner side branch cell being shaped differently than other cells of the stent;
the side branch structure comprising a first plurality of arcuate struts aligned along a first reference circle centered upon a side branch center point, the first plurality of arcuate struts collectively comprising at least half of a circumference of the first reference circle.
11. The stent of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of arcuate struts collectively comprises at least three-fourths of the circumference of the first reference circle
12. The stent of claim 10, the side branch structure further comprising a second plurality of arcuate struts aligned along a second reference circle centered upon the side branch center point, the second plurality of arcuate struts collectively comprising at least half of a circumference of the second reference circle.
13. The stent of claim 10, the side branch structure further comprising a serpentine ring extending around the inner side branch cell.
14. A stent comprising:
a plurality of interconnected framework members defining a plurality of cells, a portion of the interconnected framework members comprising a side branch structure defining an inner side branch cell, the inner side branch cell being shaped differently than other cells of the stent;
the side branch structure comprising a serpentine ring extending around the inner side branch cell, the serpentine ring comprising alternating inner turns and outer turns connected by straight struts, the inner turns comprising first inner turns and second inner turns, each first inner turn comprising a central angle that is greater than 180 degrees.
15. The stent of claim 14, wherein each second inner turn comprises a central angle that is less than 180 degrees.
16. The stent of claim 14, wherein the serpentine ring comprises alternating first inner turns and the second inner turns.
17. The stent of claim 14, wherein the first inner turns are aligned around a first reference circle centered upon a side branch center point.
18. The stent of claim 17, wherein the second inner turns are aligned around a second reference circle centered upon the side branch center point.
19. The stent of claim 14, wherein the serpentine ring comprises a plurality of strut groups, each strut group comprising four adjacent parallel struts.
20. A stent comprising:
a plurality of interconnected framework members defining a plurality of cells, a portion of the interconnected framework members comprising a side branch structure defining an inner side branch cell, the inner side branch cell being shaped differently than other cells of the stent;
the side branch structure comprising a serpentine ring extending around the inner side branch cell, the serpentine ring comprising alternating petals and linking members, each linking member comprising a plurality of parallel struts connected by turns.