Patent ID: 7716230

Claim:
A computer implemented method for identifying defective product, the method comprising: identifying by a processor, in a data processing system, a product status for products comprising at least one range of serial numbers, wherein the product status identifies each of the products as a good product or a defective product; identifying by the processor, a first serial number for a first product, the first product having a first status, wherein the first serial number is within the at least one range of serial numbers; responsive to receiving the first serial number, narrowing by the processor, the at least one range of serial numbers using a range flattening algorithm, wherein the step of narrowing the at least one range of serial numbers using the range flattening algorithm comprises creating a base range of serial numbers, splitting by the processor, the at least one range of serial numbers into a plurality of ranges of serial numbers, and merging by the processor, adjacent ranges of serial numbers; wherein the step of creating the base range of serial numbers comprises: identifying a beginning serial number of the at least one range of serial numbers and an ending serial number of the at least one range of serial numbers, identifying a beginning range of serial numbers that begins with the beginning serial number and ends with a serial number immediately preceding the first serial number, identifying an ending range of serial numbers that begins with a serial number immediately subsequent to the first serial number in the at least one range of serial numbers and ends with the ending serial number, and inverting the product status for the beginning range of serial numbers and for the ending range of serial numbers; and applying by the processor, a conditional mask algorithm to the at least one range of serial numbers to narrow the at least one range of serial numbers.