Patent ID: 7640222

Claim:
A method of finding a rule for a specified objective and circumstance, the method comprising the steps of: with a program executing on one or more digital data processors, generating a request for a rule associated with a specified objective and a specified circumstance, with a rule finder executing on one or more of the digital data processors, performing the steps of (A) responding to the request by searching a rules base accessible by one or more of the digital data processors for a rule entry having an associated objective matching the specified objective and having an associated circumstance matching the specified circumstance, where the rules base comprises a plurality of rule entries, each rule entry having associated therewith (i) a rule, (ii) an objective and a circumstance, (B) responding to a failed search in step (A) by searching a translation table accessible by one or more of the digital data processors for a translation entry having an associated first circumstance matching the specified circumstance, where the translation table comprises a plurality of translation entries, each translation entry having associated therewith a first circumstance and a second circumstance, (C) responding to a successful search in step (B) of the translation table by searching the rules base for a rule entry having an associated objective matching the specified objective and having an associated circumstance matching the second circumstance associated with the translation entry found by the successful search in step (B), and (D) returning to the program at least one of i) a rule from the rules base associated with the rule entry found by a successful search of the rules base performed in step (C), ii) a value associated with the rule from the rules base associated with the rule entry found by a successful search of the rules base performed in step (C), iii) a location of the rule from the rules base associated with the rule entry found by a successful search of the rules base performed in step (C), or iv) an indication of the success of the search of the rules base performed in step (C).