| 摘要 |
A flexible, intelligent electronic procurement method and system that emulates and learns from the adaptive behavior of a user trying to find a product in an electronic catalog. In contrast to existing methods and systems, the invention does not require the pre-loading of index hierarchies, it does not impose fixed structures on the user, it does not require the user to start "from scratch' when looking for a new item, and it does not force the user to think like someone else. Instead, the invention allows the user to choose his own way to navigate catalogs of items, and then, by remembering successful search scenarios, and storing that knowledge in a dynamic, growing database (or "forest') of collected search paths, or "trees', the invention evolves "organically' over time. Thus, the utility of the invention increases over time once implemented in a given environment. Further, the invention is able to do this in a time- and space-efficient manner (that is, without the forest growing too tangled, dense or large) not only because of its method and architecture, but also through the use of autonomous background processes that continually prune and update the tree structures for optimum storage and navigation.
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