Abstract: A configuration system, method, and software program is provided for enabling users to create and use rule patterns to generate custom product-configuration rules. The method includes enabling a designer to submit example rules or template rules for a rule pattern. The designer is then able to select which variables will be customizable in instances of the rule pattern. A modeler is able to select the rule pattern from a rule pattern library as a basis for creating custom configuration rules for a product. In response to the modeler selecting the rule pattern from the library, a user interface is generated in which the customizable fields for each template rule in the rule pattern are displayed and the modeler is able to enter values for the customizable fields. Configuration rules are then generated for the product from the template rules and the values entered by the modeler for the customizable fields.

Abstract: A configuration system, method, and software program is provided for enabling users to create and use rule patterns to generate custom product-configuration rules. The method includes enabling a designer to submit example rules or template rules for a rule pattern. The designer is then able to select which variables will be customizable in instances of the rule pattern. A modeler is able to select the rule pattern from a rule pattern library as a basis for creating custom configuration rules for a product. In response to the modeler selecting the rule pattern from the library, a user interface is generated in which the customizable fields for each template rule in the rule pattern are displayed and the modeler is able to enter values for the customizable fields. Configuration rules are then generated for the product from the template rules and the values entered by the modeler for the customizable fields.

Abstract: The present invention provides a configuration system, method, and software program for efficiently configuring products with dynamic components. Component definitions in the configuration system can include both static and dynamic attributes. Static attributes are fixed and are defined prior to the user configuring a product. Dynamic attributes are defined during a configuration session, and the values of dynamic attributes are unique to a configuration session. When an attribute of a dynamic component is specified or changed during the configuration process, the configurator creates only a partial instance of the component with the specified dynamic attribute, and it associates a state of the configuration process with such partial instance. When the configurator executes a constraint that involves a component with one or more dynamic attributes, the configurator uses, for each dynamic attribute, the most recent partial instance of the component with a value for that attribute.

Abstract: A change and update system for network-based knowledgebase (KB) sales and service facilities has a user interface (UI) system for accessing the facility over the network, software at the facility for negotiating with the user interface, and a state component at the facility storing state data for a configured order or service at the facility, the state data including a summary of the order or service and information regarding allowable alterations and effects of alterations. A user communicates through the user interface with the software at the facility, which negotiates changes to an existing order or service configuration using data from the state component, and the software, as a result of the negotiation, updates the configured order or service configuration with the negotiated changes.

Abstract: A system for integrating multiple related knowledge base files into a single file keeping all of the parameters and constraints of the multiple files operates by identifying two or more common parameters among the files, and merging the two or more parameter statements into a single statement in the integrated file, the single statement listing all of the values of the several statements in the multiple files. Additional constraints are added to the new, smaller file to properly relate the values to a characteristic of the original files. The resulting single file is also optimized by combining value and activity constraints into single constraint statements. The resulting smaller file is more efficient for transfer and use in knowledge base systems of many sorts.

Abstract: A system for selling products and services over the Internet, or other wide area network, comprises a knowledge base and a knowledge base configurator both executing on a network-connected server hosted by the enterprise offering products and/or services. A GUI user interface application is downloaded from the server to any platform used by a client wishing to purchase products or services. Having downloaded the user interface, the client can manipulate the configurator over a data link between the client's station and the server to configure the knowledge base to define products and/or services to be orders, and can complete orders. A preferred implementation is with the server as an enterprise-hosted server connected to the Internet, and clients as users connected typically through Internet Service Providers to the Internet.

Abstract: A system for selling products and services over the Internet, or other wide area network, comprises a knowledge base and a knowledge base configurator both executing on a network-connected server hosted by the enterprise offering products and/or services. A GUI user interface application is downloaded from the server to any platform used by a client wishing to purchase products or services. Having downloaded the user interface, the client can manipulate the configurator over a data link between the client's station and the server to configure the knowledge base to define products and/or services to be orders, and can complete orders. A preferred implementation is with the server as an enterprise-hosted server connected to the Internet, and clients as users connected typically through Internet Service Providers to the Internet.

Abstract: A system for integrating multiple related knowledge base files into a single file keeping all of the parameters and constraints of the multiple files operates by identifying two or more common parameters among the files, and merging the two or more parameter statements into a single statement in the integrated file, the single statement listing all of the values of the several statements in the multiple files. Additional constraints are added to the new, smaller file to properly relate the values to a characteristic of the original files. The resulting single file is also optimized by combining value and activity constraints into single constraint statements. The resulting smaller file is more efficient for transfer and use in knowledge base systems of many sorts.

Abstract: A method for creating and disseminating knowledge-based object models converts object models created on a source platform to a first human-readable flat file prior to transmission on a network, allowing object models to be transported across differing platforms incorporating different languages. At a network receiving station, a transmitted flat file is read and the object model is recreated by a run-time engine. In some embodiments flat files created on the source platform are used by a graphical user interface (GUI) model builder to create a GUI object model associated with the first object model, which is converted to a second flat file to be transported to a receiving station along with the first flat file. Both flat files in this embodiment are used at the receiving station to recreate the associated object models. In further embodiments multimedia files are generated on the source platform and associated with the GUI object model, and transported to the receiving station along with the flat files.