Patent ID: 7849200

Claim:
A data processing system for calculating a distribution of a quantity over a number of receiver objects, the data processing system comprising: a number of application programs, each of the application programs being adapted to generate a distribution request; storage means for storing a number of rules, each rule being adapted for distribution of at least a portion of the quantity over the receiver objects and for storing an assignment of a sub-set of the rules to each application program, each rule within one of the sub-sets of rules having an assigned priority of execution and each sub-set of rules having an assigned identifier; and distribution calculation means for receiving the distribution request from one of the application programs, the distribution request comprising the identifier of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs, the quantity to be distributed, and the identifiers of receiver objects over which the quantity is to be distributed, the distribution calculation means being adapted to (i) access the storage means for execution of the sub-set of rules assigned to the one of the application programs in the order of the priorities assigned to the rules within the sub-set of rules, (ii) generate a table containing a distribution result per receiver object identified in the distribution request, and (iii) return the table to the one of the application programs.