Rule processing method, apparatus and computer-readable medium to provide improved selection advice

• US 8,055,604 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mineral Lassen LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Verde Sabor Assets LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Mair, Douglas M., Huelsman, David L., Love, Sharon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Lut
• Application Number:
  US12/467,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 706/47
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, apparatus or computer-readable medium to provide selection advice during rule processing to help a user choose desired specifications of a product, service, or other rule-based system characterized by a ZDD rule model having one or more Include and/or Exclude rules. One aspect includes displaying on a monitor or other I/O device multiple attributes having multiple enumerations that identify possible feature, specifications, or conditions of a product; selecting multiple alternative enumerations of the attributes; determining a selection advice for each enumerations selected combining the selection advice for each numerations in order to produce result; communicating the result to an end user; and then using the result to choose a product having desired compliant specifications or conditions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, using a processing device, a central component having a pending value of an enumeration not yet selected in a Zero-suppressed Decision Diagram (ZDD) rule model defining at least one attribute or enumeration of a product or service characterized with one or more rule components;

determining, using the processing device, selection advice for at least one enumeration of at least one rule component directly related to the central rule component based on possible selections of enumerations of other rule components directly related to the central rule component, the at least one rule component being but only indirectly related to others of the at least one rule components; and

displaying on a display device the selection advice based on the possible selections of the enumerations to enable selection among the possible selections of the enumerations that render the product or service compliant;

wherein each of the one or more rule components directly relates to the central rule component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises combining an attribute relation ZDD representative of the central rule component with an attribute relation ZDD of the ZDD rule model.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the central rule component has a mutually exclusive Exclude relationship with one other rule component;

and

wherein the determining comprises assigning a negative selection value to rule components related to the central rule component when a negative selection is denoted for the one other rule component.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the central rule component for which a selection is pending relates to other rule components through an Exclude relationship;

and

wherein the determining comprises propagating a negative selection value to enumeration values of a rule component under examination when the other rule components also have the negative selection value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises searching through Exclude rules to remove non-essential information by removing covers detected therein.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises searching through Exclude rules to remove cyclic covers.

7. A device, comprising:

an interface to enable selection of at least one enumeration from at least one attribute of a product or service; and

a processor configured to;

identify a common rule component of a Zero-suppress Decision Diagram (ZDD) rule model defining one or more attributes or enumerations of a product or service characterized with one or more rule components;

determine selection advice for at least one enumeration of at least one rule component directly related to the common rule component based on possible selections of enumerations of other rule components directly related to the common rule component, the at least one rule component being only indirectly related to others of the at least one rule component; and

cause communication of the selection advice to enable choosing among other enumerations that render the product or service compliant.

8. The device of claim 7,

wherein the common rule component has a mutually exclusive Exclude relationship with at least one other rule component;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to assign a negative selection value to entire selections of other rule components related to the common rule component when a negative selection is denoted for the one other rule component.

9. The device of claim 7,

wherein the common rule component for which a selection is pending relates to other rule components by an Exclude relationship;

and

wherein the processor is further configured to propagate a negative selection value to entire enumeration values of a rule component under examination when other components related to the common rule component have the negative value asserted.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to effect searching through Exclude rules to remove non-essential information by removing covers detected therein.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to effect searching through Exclude rules to detect and remove cyclic.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:

utilizing a ZDD rule model to define compliant features including attributes and enumerations of a product or service;

providing selection advice to guide selection of a desired set of compliant features characterized by multiple rule components of the ZDD rule model;

identifying a common one of the rule components having a pending selection of an enumeration;

determining selection advice for at least one enumeration of at least one rule component directly related to the common one of the rule components based on possible selections of enumerations of other rule components directly related to the common one of the rule components, the at least one rule component being but only indirectly related to others of the at least one rule components; and

communicating the selection advice based on the possible selections of the enumerations whereby to enable choosing among enumerations that render features of the product or service compliant.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the common one of the rule components has a mutually exclusive Exclude relationship with one other rule component;

and

wherein the method further comprises assigning a negative selection value to entire selections of other rule components related to the common central one of the rule components when a negative selection value is denoted for the one other rule component.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the common one of the rule components for which a selection is pending relates to other rule components by an Exclude relationship;

and

wherein the method further comprises propagating a negative selection value to entire enumeration values of a rule component under examination when other components related to the common one of the rule components have negative advice asserted.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises searching through Exclude rules to remove nonessential information by removing covers detected therein whereby to reduce the complexity of the Exclude rules.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises searching through Exclude rules to detect and remove cyclic covers whereby to reduce the complexity of the Exclude rules.

17. A system, comprising:

a memory device means for storing instructions; and

a processing means configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device means to;

allow selection, via an interface displayed on a display device, of multiple enumerations of at least one attribute of a product or service;

identify a common one of the rule components having a pending selection of an enumeration;

determine selection advice for at least one enumeration of at least one rule component directly related to the common one of the rule components based on possible selections of enumerations of other rule components directly related to the common one of the rule components in response to the identifying, wherein the at least one rule component is only indirectly related to each of the other rule components; and

communicate the selection advice based on the possible selections of the enumerations whereby to enable choosing among enumerations that render features of the product or service compliant.

18. The system of claim 17,

wherein the common one of the rule components has a mutually exclusive Exclude relationship with one other rule component;

and

wherein the processing means is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to cause the processing means to assign a negative selection value to entire selections of other rule components related to the common central one of the rule components when a negative selection value is denoted for the one other rule component.

19. The system of claim 17,

wherein the common one of the rule components for which a selection is pending relates to other rule components by an Exclude relationship;

and

wherein the processing means is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to cause the processing means to propagate a negative selection value to entire enumeration values of a rule component under examination when other components related to the common one of the rule components have negative advice asserted.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing means is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to cause the processing means to search through Exclude rules to remove nonessential information by removing covers detected therein whereby to reduce the complexity of the Exclude rules.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing means is further configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to cause the processing means to search through Exclude rules to detect and remove cyclic covers whereby to reduce the complexity of the Exclude rules.