US 2011/0213767 A1 · System and Method for Automatic Matching of Contracts Using a Fixed-Length Predicate Representation

Abstract

A method for automatic matching of contracts to inventory using a fixed-length complex predicate representation. An item of inventory is described as a Boolean expression, which is converted into a multi-level, alternating AND/OR impression tree representation with leaf nodes representing conjuncts. Processing the conjuncts of the tree through a contract index results in retrieving a set of candidate contracts that match the at least some but not necessarily all impression tree leaf node predicates. Next, an AND/OR contract tree representation is constructed with each contract tree leaf node having a label representing a projection onto a discrete set of ordered symbols. Contracts with projections that cover the entire range of discrete set of ordered symbols are deemed to satisfy the item of inventory. Implementation of the contract index includes retrieval techniques to support multi-valued predicates as well as confidence threshold functions using a multi-level tree representation of multi-valued predicates.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for matching of contracts using a fixed-length complex predicate representation comprising:

storing, in memory, an impression opportunity profile in the form of a Boolean expression;
converting said impression opportunity profile into a list including at least one impression conjunct;
retrieving, at a server, a set of candidate contracts that match the at least one impression conjunct;
constructing, within a computer memory, an AND/OR contract tree representation of at least one contract from among the set of candidate contracts, said contract tree comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes including at least one contract tree leaf node predicate, the contract tree leaf node predicates having a label representing a projection onto a discrete set of ordered symbols;
marking, for producing at least one marked contract tree leaf node predicate, the at least one contract tree leaf node predicate based on comparing the at least one contract tree leaf node predicate to the at least one said impression conjunct;
projecting, using the at least one marked contract tree leaf node predicate, the label assigned to the marked contract tree leaf node predicates over the discrete set of ordered symbols.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and Method for Automatic Matching of Contracts Using a Fixed-Length Predicate Representation

Life of this patent

System and Method for Automatic Matching of Contracts Using a Fixed-Length Predicate Representation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20