MOBILE AGENT AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING IDENTIFYING INFORMATION TO MOBILE AGENTS AND SUBSEQUENT GENERATION AGENTS

• US 20030084090A1
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: SUZUKI, TOSHIHIRO, MINAMI, KAZUHIRO
• Granted Patent: US 6,615,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4868 with creation or replication

Abstract

A mobile agent is provided with ancestor gene information and self gene information. The self gene information is encrypted information which indicates how many generations the mobile agent is descendant from the original agent. When the mobile agent creates a clone (creates a child agent), it generates gene information of its self generation+1 and implants it in the child agent. The mobile agent moving on the network and encountering another mobile agent on a same place obtains gene information from that agent, converts the obtained gene information by a predetermined algorithm, and determines if the agents are descended from the same ancestor.

Claims

1. A mobile agent adapted to communicate with at least one other mobile agent comprising:

(a) self gene information from which ancestor gene information and generation information can be derived by a predetermined conversion logic;

(b) a gene conversion module for applying a predetermined conversion logic to derive ancestor gene information and generation information from said self gene information and from gene information obtained from said at least one other agent; and

(c) a gene comparison module for comparing the result of the conversion of the gene information obtained from said at least one other agent to said ancestor gene information derived from said self gene information.

2. The mobile agent of claim 1 further comprising a child agent generating module for generating child agent gene information from said self gene information, said child agent gene information comprising information from which said ancestor information and said generation information can be derived, and for implanting said child agent gene information when creating at least one child agent of said mobile agent.

3. An object held by a mobile agent adapted to communicate with at least one other mobile agent comprising:

(a) self gene information from which ancestor gene information and generation information can be derived by a predetermined conversion logic;

(b) a gene conversion module for applying a predetermined conversion logic to derive ancestor gene information and generation information from said self gene information and from gene information obtained from said at least one other agent; and

(c) a gene comparison module for comparing the result of the conversion of the gene information obtained from said at least one other agent to said ancestor gene information derived from said self gene information.

4. The object of claim 3 further comprising a child agent generating module for generating child agent gene information from said self gene information, said child agent gene information comprising information from which said ancestor information and said generation information can be derived, and for implanting said child agent gene information when creating at least one child agent of said mobile agent.

5. A method for a mobile agent having self gene information and ancestor gene information to create a child agent based on said mobile agent, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) deriving generation information of said mobile agent based on self gene information and ancestor gene information;

(b) generating child agent self gene information based on said derived generation information; and

(c) creating a child agent having said child agent self gene information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said generating child agent self gene information comprises the steps of:

(a) obtaining said self gene information;

(b) determining from said self gene information the generation value for said mobile agent;

(c) incrementing said generation value by one to create a child generation value; and

(d) providing said child generation value and said ancestor gene information as child agent self gene information.

7. A method of allowing a mobile agent to identify at least one other mobile agent, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining gene information from said at least one other mobile agent;

(b) converting said obtained gene information by a predetermined conversion logic; and

(c) determining whether the result of said converting corresponds to said ancestor gene information held in said mobile agent.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said converting comprises deriving ancestor gene information from said gene information.

9. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for allowing a mobile agent to identify at least one other mobile agent, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining gene information from said at least one other mobile agent;

(b) converting said obtained gene information by a predetermined conversion logic; and

(c) determining whether the result of said converting corresponds to said ancestor gene information held in said mobile agent.

10. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a mobile agent having self gene information and ancestor gene information to create a child agent based on said mobile agent, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) deriving generation information of said mobile agent based on self gene information and ancestor gene information;

(b) generating child agent self gene information based on said derived generation information; and

(c) creating a child agent having said child agent self gene information.