Patent ID: 8805825

Claim:
A method for using computer assisted configuration technology to generate one or more attribute prioritized configuration answers to one or more attribute-based configuration queries, the method comprising: performing by a computer system programmed with code stored in a memory and executable by a processor of the computer system to configure the computer system into a machine for: receiving one or more attribute-based configuration queries from a client system, wherein the attribute-based configuration queries include a selection of one or more parts of a product; processing the one or more attribute-based configuration queries, configuration rules, and attribute based preference algorithm using a combined configuration rules-attributes model and a configuration-rules processing engine to calculate valid configuration answers in accordance with the combined configuration rules-attributes model, wherein a plurality of the configuration rules define relationships between parts of the product and a plurality of attributes represent details about the parts; predetermining values of one or more combinations of attributes associated with respective configuration answers; storing the predetermined values; retrieving the stored predetermined values associated with a particular valid configuration answer if the particular valid configuration is an answer to one or more of the attribute-based configuration queries; receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more product attributes to be prioritized; prioritizing the valid configuration answers by one or more of the plurality of attributes in the combined configuration rules-attributes model; and providing at least a subset of the valid configuration answers to the client system, wherein the provided valid configuration answers are prioritized by one or more of the plurality of attributes.