Patent ID: 8005802

Claim:
A method for evaluating a set of rules, the method including the steps of: when at least one value of a plurality of values referenced by rules in said set of rules is available, but before a subset of said plurality of values is available, making a determination of whether said set of rules DOES or DOES NOT necessarily evaluate to a particular result; wherein each rule of said set of rules contains one or more rule conditions; wherein for each rule condition of each rule of said set of rules, the plurality of values includes each value referenced by said each rule condition; wherein each value of said plurality of values is referenced by a rule condition of a rule of said set of rules; when said determination of whether said set of rules DOES or DOES NOT necessarily evaluate to a particular result is that said set of rules DOES NOT necessarily evaluate to a particular result: generating one or more data structures that (1) hold said subset of said plurality of values and that (2) are needed to further evaluate said set of rules; and evaluating said set of rules based on said subset of said plurality of values; when said determination of whether said set of rules DOES or DOES NOT necessarily evaluate to a particular result is that said set of rules DOES necessarily evaluate to a particular result, then forgoing generating said one or more data structures; and wherein each step of said steps is executed by one or more computers.