Patent ID: 8078562
Filing Date: 2011-12-13
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A system for configuring an artifact whose constituting components and features are selectable via parameters in an interrelated set of parameters, a range of consistent configurations for the artifact being defined by a set of constraints restricting which variable values that are simultaneously selectable, the system comprising: a storage means arranged to store: the part-of hierarchy including at least two different parts and each step definition including a pointer to a respective part in the part-of hierarchy, a processing means arranged to solve constraint satisfaction problems in response to input data designating parameter settings, and an application module arranged to create and execute step instances which are based on the list of step definitions, the step instances being executed sequentially and the execution of each step instance involving: the application module being arranged to repeatedly prompt a user to enter input data to represent user-committed settings until all the step instances in said sequence have been executed.