Computer system, message monitoring method and associated message transmission method

• US 20010016868A1
• Filed: 05/01/2001
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gaku Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Mima, Yuichi Nakamura
• Original Assignee: Gaku Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Mima, Yuichi Nakamura
• Inventors: Mima, Yoshiaki, Nakamura, Yuichi, Yamamoto, Gaku
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The customer agent 9 transmits a search request 15a to a manager 4, which in turn transmits a search request 15b to a shop agent 5. The shop agent 5 transmits a product information service message 16a to the manager 4. The manager 4 transmits a product information service message 16b to the customer agent 9 and a product information service message 16c to a shop agent 17. Based on the thus monitored product information service message 16c, the shop agent 17 generates an associated information service message 18a and transmits it to the manager 4. The manager 4 then transmits an associated information service message 18b to the customer agent 9.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising an execution environment for agents, wherein said execution environment includes a monitor mechanism for monitoring a message transmitted from one of said agents.

2. A computer system as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said monitor mechanism comprises a manager agent.

3. A computer system as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein said manager agent has a function for receiving a message from a source agent and for transferring said message to a destination agent.

4. A computer system as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein said manager agent has a function for transmitting messages from a specific agent to agents other than a destination agent.

5. A computer system as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein said manager agent has a registration function for registering an agent which has transmitted a registration message to said manager agent in response to receiving said registration message, said agent being operative to begin its activity within said execution environment.

6. A computer system as set forth in

claim 5

, wherein said registration message includes an agent type of a source agent of said registration message, and wherein said registration function of said manager agent performs a registration process in accordance with said agent type.

7. A computer system as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein said manager agent has a function for registering a source agent of a monitor registration message and a condition of messages to be transferred to said source agent and transmitted from another agent in response to receiving the monitor registration message from the source agent which begins its activity within said execution environment, said monitor registration message includes said condition.

8. A computer system according to

claim 7

, wherein said registering function includes:

means for determining whether said condition in said monitor registration message is registered in said manager agent; and

means for storing a source agent so as to correspond to said condition when said condition is registered.

9. A computer system according to

claim 7

, wherein, in response to the reception of a message transmitted from an agent, said transferring function searches for registered conditions by content of said message, and wherein when there exists a condition that matches the content of said message, said transferring function transmits said message to a registering source agent of said condition.

10. A computer system according to

claim 1

, wherein said execution environment is a virtual mall.

11. A computer system according to

claim 10

, wherein said message includes an agent type of said message, and wherein said agent type is comprised of one of a customer agent and a shop agent.

12. A computer system according to

claim 2

, wherein said computer system further comprising an agent that has means for transmitting a registration message for requesting its registration to said manager agent.

13. A computer system according to

claim 2

, further comprising an agent, said agent including:

a data storage for storing a condition of messages to be transferred to itself by said manager agent and transmitted by another agent; and

means for transmitting said condition as a monitor registration message to said manager agent.

14. A computer system according to

claim 13

, wherein said agent further comprises:

means for receiving a message from another agent;

means for, when said received message is a message addressed to a different agent, preparing an associated message that includes contents associated with said received message; and

means for transmitting said associated message to said different agent.

15. A computer system according to

claim 14

, wherein said means for preparing said associated message includes:

means for checking said contents of said received message and for extracting holding information concerning said contents of said received message; and

means for converting said holding information into said form of a message.

16. A method executed by a manager agent for monitoring a message transmitted from an agent in an execution environment for agents, said execution environment included in a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message transmitted from a specific agent;

searching for a registered condition by using contents of said message, and if there is a registered condition matched with said contents of said message, transmitting said message to an agent that registered said matched condition; and

transmitting said message to a destination agent of said message.

17. A method as set forth in

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a monitor registration message from a registering agent, the monitor registration message including a condition of the messages transmitted from another agent and to be transferred to the registering agent, the registering agent beginning its activity on the execution environment; and

in response to receiving the monitor registration message, registering the registering agent and the condition included in the monitor registration message.

18. A method as set forth in

claim 17

, wherein the registering step further includes the steps of:

determining whether the condition in the monitor registration message is registered in the manager agent; and

if the condition is register, storing the registering agent in correspondence with the condition.

19. A method according to

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a registration message from a source agent that has begun its activity within the execution environment; and

registering the source agent of the registration message.

20. An associated message transmission method executed by an agent in a computer system including an execution environment for agents, the execution environment executing a manager agent for monitoring a message transmitted from the agent, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a message from another agent;

if the received message is a message addressed to a different agent, preparing an associated message that includes contents associated with the received message; and

transmitting the associated message to the different agent.

21. An associated message transmission method as set forth in

claim 20

, wherein the preparing step further comprises the steps of:

checking the contents of the received message;

extracting holding information concerning the contents of the received message; and

converting the holding information into the form of a message.

22. An associated message transmission method as set forth in

claim 20

, further comprising the step of transmitting a condition of messages transmitted from another agent and to be transferred by the manager agent, as a monitor registration message to the manager agent.

23. An associated message transmission method as set forth in

claim 20

, further comprising the step of transmitting a registration message for requesting the registration of itself to the manager agent.

24. A storage medium storing a program for monitoring a message from an agent in a computer system including an execution environment for agents, said program enabling said computer system to perform the steps of:

receiving a message from a specific agent;

searching for a registered condition by using contents of said message, and if there is a registered condition matched with said contents of said message, transmitting said message to an agent registering said matched condition; and

transmitting said message to a destination agent of said message.

25. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 24

, wherein said program further comprises the steps of:

receiving a monitor registration message from a registering agent, said monitor registration message including a condition of messages transmitted from another agent and to be transmitted to the registering agent, said registering agent beginning its activity on said execution environment of said agents; and

in response to receiving said monitor registration message, registering said registering agent and said message condition included in said monitor registration message.

26. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 25

, wherein said registering step further includes the steps of:

determining whether said condition in said monitor registration message is registered in said manager agent; and

when said condition is registered, storing said registering agent in correspondence with said condition.

27. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 24

, wherein said program further comprises the steps of:

receiving a registration message from an agent that has begun its activity in said execution environment; and

registering the source agent of said registration message.

28. A storage medium storing an agent in a computer system including an execution environment for agents, said execution environment executing a manager agent for monitoring a message from said agent, said agent causing said computer system to perform the steps of:

receiving a message from another agent;

if the received message is a message addressed to a different agent, preparing an associated message that includes contents associated with the received message; and

transmitting said associated message to said different agent.

29. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 28

, wherein said preparing step further includes the steps of:

checking said contents of said received message;

extracting holding information concerning said contents of said received message; and

converting said holding information into said form of a message.

30. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 28

, wherein said agent further causing said computer system to perform a step of transmitting a condition of messages transmitted from another agent and to be transferred by said manager agent, as a monitor registration message to said manager agent.

31. A storage medium as set forth in

claim 28

, wherein said agent further causing said computer system to perform a step of transmitting a registration message for requesting the registration of itself to said manager agent.