CONDITIONAL REPLY PROCESSING METHOD, CONDITIONAL REPLY GIVING AGENT SYSTEM DEVICE, AND PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20020019818A1
• Filed: 03/23/1998
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: SATO, AKIRA, MASUOKA, RYUSUKE, SUGASAKA, TAMAMI, KITAJIMA, HIRONOBU
• Granted Patent: US 6,704,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

If an intermediary agent device or a database agent device cannot uniquely reply to an inquiry message issued from a user agent device, it generates a conditional reply message and returns the generated message to the user agent device. When receiving the conditional reply, the user agent device presents the conditions required for the conditional reply or a reply to a user.

Claims

1. A conditional reply processing method for use in a system composed of a plurality of agent devices which transmit/receive messages, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an inquiry message from a first agent device to a second agent device;

generating a conditional reply message if the second agent device cannot make a unique reply due to the insufficiency of conditions for replying to the inquiry message from the first agent device;

transmitting the generated conditional reply message from the second agent device to the first agent device; and

presenting conditions required for the conditional reply or a reply to a user in the first agent device which receives the conditional reply massage.

2. A conditional reply giving agent system for use in a system composed of a plurality of agent devices which transmit/receive messages, comprising:

means for obtaining a conditional reply other than a direct reply to a request issued from a certain agent device; and

means for presenting contents of a reply including the conditional reply to a user in an agent device which receives the reply.

3. A conditional reply giving agent system for use in an agent system including a first agent device having a user interface unit and a second agent device which processes a request issued from another agent device, wherein

the second agent device comprises a means for integrating a direct reply and a conditional reply to the request issued from another agent device, and making a reply;

and

the first agent device comprises a means for presenting contents of a reply including the conditional reply to a user by using a user interface unit, when receiving the reply including the conditional reply to the request issued from another agent device.

4. The conditional reply giving agent system according to claim 3, wherein:

said means for presenting the contents of the reply comprises a means for displaying a condition if the reply includes the conditional reply, and presenting details of the conditional reply according to a user instruction, in the first agent device.

5. The conditional reply giving agent system according to claim 3, wherein

said means for presenting the contents of the reply comprises a means for satisfying all or part of conditions in the conditional reply if the reply includes the conditional reply, in the first agent device.

6. The conditional reply giving agent system according to claim 4, wherein

said means for presenting the contents of the reply comprises a means for satisfying all or part of conditions in the conditional reply according to preregistered information if the reply includes the conditional reply, in the first agent device.

7. A conditional reply giving agent system for use in an agent system including a first agent device having a user interface unit, a second agent device for processing a request from another agent device, and a third agent device for intermediating the request from another agent device to another agent device, wherein

the third agent device comprises a means for obtaining a conditional reply and transmitting a conditional reply message to the first agent device, if a unique reply cannot be obtained from the second agent device due to insufficiency of conditions for replying to the request when the third agent device transmits a request message from the first agent device to the second agent device;

and

the first agent device comprises a means for presenting contents of the reply including the conditional reply by using the user interface unit, when receiving the conditional reply message from the third agent device.

8. The conditional reply giving agent system according to claim 7, wherein

the third agent device comprises a means for satisfying all or part of conditions in the conditional reply according to preregistered information if the reply obtained from the second agent device includes the conditional reply.

9. A program storage medium for storing a program, which is to be executed in an agent device intermediating a request and a reply between agent devices, for directing a computer to perform the functions of:

transferring a request from a first agent device to a second agent device which can process the request; and

obtaining a conditional reply and transmitting the conditional reply if a unique reply cannot be obtained from the second agent device due to insufficiency of conditions for replying to the transferred request.

10. The program storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the program further directs the computer to perform the function of:

satisfying all or part of conditions in the conditional reply according to preregistered information, if the reply obtained from the second agent device includes the conditional reply.

11. An information retrieving device, comprising:

data storing means for storing a plurality of pieces of data to be searched;

conditional expression inputting means for inputting a conditional expression for retrieving desired data;

determining means for determining whether or not conditions of the conditional expression input by said conditional expression inputting means are insufficient; and

answering means for answering that the conditions are insufficient if the conditions are determined to be insufficient by said determining means.

12. The information retrieving device according to claim 11, further comprising:

notifying means for notifying an insufficient portion of the conditional expression whose conditions are insufficient based on contents answered by said answering means.

13. An information retrieving method, comprising the steps of:

inputting a conditional expression for retrieving desired data;

retrieving the desired data from the data to be searched by using the conditional expression;

determining whether or not conditions of the conditional expression are insufficient; and

answering that the conditions of the conditional expression are insufficient if the conditions are insufficient.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing an information retrieving program for directing a computer to perform the functions of:

inputting a conditional expression for retrieving desired data;

retrieving the desired data from the data to be searched by using the conditional expression;

determining whether or not conditions of the conditional expression are insufficient; and

answering that the conditions of the conditional expression are insufficient if the conditions are insufficient.

15. An information retrieving method between agent devices in a system composed of a user agent device to which at least a user makes a direct access, and a database agent device which accesses an information database, comprising the steps of:

transmitting an inquiry message from the user agent device to the database agent device;

generating a conditional reply message to which an insufficient condition is added, by the database agent device if a unique reply cannot be given due to insufficiency of conditions for replying to the inquiry message;

transmitting the conditional reply message from the database agent device to the user agent device; and

presenting the received conditional reply message or the insufficient condition by the user agent device.