Interactive rule based system with selection feedback that parameterizes rules to constrain choices for multiple operations

U.S. Patent Number: 5874955

Abstract: A rule based system and method interacts with a user to provide the user a series of interim results. The system has a set of one or more operations. Each of these operations in turn has a set of one or more choices, called a choice set, associated with an operation. Rule based intelligence is applied to the operations set and/or one or more operation choice set by a set of rules associated with its respective operation and/or choice set. When one or more rules in a rule set are applied to the operation set, an offered operation set is created which is a subset of the operation set. Only the operations in the offered operation set are offered to the user. When one or more rules in a rule set are applied to a choice set, an offered choice set is created which is a subset of the choice set. Only those operation choices in the offered choice set are offered to the user. The operations (operation choices) that are in the offered operation set (offered choice set) are those that conform to the constraints of the rules that are applied. The user selects operations (operation choices) from the offered operation set (offered choice set). Information about the user selections feeds back to the rules and is used to constrain the next offered operations and operation choices. The user is also permitted to change rules, rule specific metadata, and rule specific metadata algorithms as well as the data in the system. Interacting with the system this way, the user preference, knowledge, and judgment is incorporated in each of a series of interim results and is used to further develop the next interim result in the series of iterations.

Inventors: Rogowitz; Bernice Ellen (Ossining, NY), Rabenhorst; David Alan (Woodcliff Lake, NJ), Treinish; Lloyd Alan (Yorktown Heights, NY)

Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)

Application Number: 08/615,578

Issued: 1999-02-23

Expired: 2007-02-23

Classes: 345/589 ; 345/467; 700/49; 706/60

Field of search: 345/326-358 364/148.04,468.1 706/60

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