Patent · US Expired

Method and system for matching consumers to events

US6216132A · kind A · utility

69Cited by
16References
72Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 1997
Grant dateApr 10, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99948
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A generalized search data structure is used to match consumers to events in event computing systems. The search data structure includes one or more paths from a root of the structure to one or more leaves of the structure. Each path has at least one level and each level corresponds to a filter attribute. The value of at least one filter attribute in at least one path is a don't care value indicating traversal of that path is guaranteed to proceed. In addition to following the path with the don't care value, one or more additional paths may also be followed. Thus, traversal of the search data structure may yield zero or more results, indicating that zero or more consumers match the specified event. Various optimizations of the search data structure are possible.

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