Patent ID: 7363292

Claim:
A data processing system for selecting objects from a set of objects stored in said system, wherein each one of said set of objects belongs to a set of predefined categories and each one of said predefined categories is defined by a predefined attribute-value pair comprising an attribute and a value of said object, said system comprising: a first storing means for storing a tree-structured table of all said predefined attribute-value pairs associated with said stored objects, said attributes and said values being classified hierarchically in several levels in said table, each said attribute in a subordinate level being attached to one of said values of a higher-level attribute and each said attribute-value pair being associated with a specific binary code, a second storing means for storing a record for each stored object, said record comprising a list of all the specific binary codes attached respectively to said attribute-value pairs belonging to said stored object, and a computation and interface means for, in response to a search request from an enquirer, performing the operations of: i) constructing a first table containing all the stored records relating to said request, ii) constructing, by means of said binary codes, and in accordance with said tree-structure of said predefined attribute-value pairs, a second table of the values present in any of said records of said first table, iii) showing successive choices of attributes and values to said enquirer, in the hierarchical order defined in said second table, iv) updating said first table in response to the choice by said enquirer of an attribute-value pair consecutively to said operation iii), by selecting in said first table the records including said selected attribute-value pair, v) repeating said operations ii), iii), and iv) until at least one predetermined condition is satisfied, and vi) showing the result of said search to said enquirer when said condition is satisfied.