Method, and system for product configuration
AssigneeSiebel Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Cram, Ming-Tao Liou, Christopher Stauber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of configuring a complex composite product a: from a partial composite product and an enumeration of unsatisfied requirements of the complex composite product, said complex composite product being subject to rules.
Claims16
A method of configuring a complex composite product from a partial composite product and an enumeration of unsatisfied requirements of the complex composite product, said complex composite product being subject to rules,
- a ordering the enumeration of unsatisfied requirements;
- b choosing an item in the ordered list of unsatisfied requirements;
- c within the selected item of the ordered list:
- i) determining if there is a list of subordinate unsatisfied requirements, and if a subordinate list of unsatisfied requirements exists, recursively returning to step b;
- ii) if no subordinate lists of unsatisfied requirements exists, matching components currently unsatisfied requirement to create a list of components;
- iii) ordering the list of components;
- iv) changing the quantity of components ordered in step iii) to satisfy the unsatisfied requirement for the component;
- and
- b returning to step a if there are remaining unsatisfied requirements.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing configuration of a complex composite product from a partial composite product and an enumeration of unsatisfied requirements of the complex composite product, said complex composite product being subject to rules, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect ordering the enumeration of unsatisfied requirements;
- b computer readable program code means for causing selection of an item in the ordered list of unsatisfied requirements;
- c computer readable program code means for causing, within the selected item of the ordered list:
- i) determining if there is a list of subordinate unsatisfied requirements, and if a subordinate list of unsatisfied requirements exists, recursively returning to step b;
- ii) if no subordinate lists of unsatisfied requirements exists, matching components currently unsatisfied requirement to create a list of components;
- iii) ordering the list of components;
- iv) changing the quantity of components ordered in step iii) to satisfy the unsatisfied requirement for the component;
- and
- d computer readable program code means returning to enumeration of unsatisfied requirements if there are remaining unsatisfied requirements.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for configuring a complex composite product from a partial composite product and an enumeration of unsatisfied requirements of the complex composite product subject to rules and preferences said method steps comprising:
- a ordering the enumeration of unsatisfied requirements;
- b choosing an item in the ordered list of unsatisfied requirements;
- c within the selected item of the ordered list:
- i) determining if there is a list of subordinate unsatisfied requirements, and if a subordinate list of unsatisfied requirements exists, recursively returning to step b;
- ii) if no subordinate lists of unsatisfied requirements exists, matching components currently unsatisfied requirement to create a list of components;
- iii) ordering the list of components;
- iv) changing the quantity of components ordered in step iii) to satisfy the unsatisfied requirement for the component;
- and
- d returning to step a if there are remaining unsatisfied requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.