Patent · US Expired

Two-step debugger for expert systems

US4941102A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
7References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 1988
Grant dateJul 10, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/3698
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for debugging a forward-chaining (rule-based) expert system are disclosed. A single STEP command controls the expert system and automatically presents prefire and postfire displays for observing the system's performance. The debugger alternates between prefire and postfire states. In the prefire state, before the selected rule is fired, the conflict set of rules eligible to be fired, the selected rule to be fired, and the data for that rule are displayed in separate windows. Entry of the STEP command fires the rule and changes the debugger's state to postfire. In the postfire state, the just-fired rule and data updated thereby are displayed. Entry of the STEP command in the postfire state changes the state to prefire and automatically presents the prefire display for the next selected rule.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.