Patent ID: 8650144

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for transforming numerical values for a plurality of objects that each have a plurality of features having a plurality of features values that are to be analyzed by a rule based or a decision tree system having a plurality of conditional elements for comparing feature values to threshold values in order to generate a specified solution to a problem, comprising: for a first feature of the plurality of objects, a feature value of the first feature having a numerical format, using one or more computing devices, identifying conditional elements that pertain to the first feature, the identified conditional elements for comparing feature values of the first feature to threshold values for the first feature; for each of the identified conditional elements that pertain to the first feature, using the one or more computing devices, identifying a plurality of intervals that are bounded by the threshold values of the corresponding one of the identified conditional elements that pertain to the first feature and assigning an integer value to each of the identified plurality of intervals, the integer value assigned to each of the identified plurality of intervals being independent from the feature values of the first feature; using the one or more computing devices, transforming, for each of the plurality of objects, the feature value of the first feature into the integer value that was assigned to one of the intervals that was identified for the first feature and into which the feature value belongs; and storing in a data store each transformed feature value for use by the rule based or decision tree system.