Intelligent end user gateway device

• US 20030217125A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Brancati, Thomas S., Moganti, Madhav, Knittel, Steven F.
• Application Number:
  US10/146,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217125A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method of providing network intelligence between an intelligent end-user gateway (IEUG) device and a plurality of intelligent network layers. The method includes generating an end-user diary including goals, goal-related plans, and tasks to fulfill the plans. The end-user diary is sent to at least one of the plurality of intelligent network layers, where the at least one of the plurality of intelligent network layers update a user profile from the end-user diary and send goal related information to the IEUG device. The IEUG performs the tasks and plans to fulfill the goals based on the goal related information.

Claims

1. A method of providing network intelligence between an intelligent end-user gateway (IEUG) device and a plurality of intelligent network layers, comprising:

a) generating an end-user diary including goals, goal-related plans, and tasks to fulfill the plans;

b) forwarding said end-user diary to at least one of said plurality of intelligent network layers;

c) updating a user profile from said end-user diary at said at least one of said plurality of intelligent network layers;

d) sending goal related information to said IEUG device; and

e) performing said tasks and plans to fulfill said goals based on said network related information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating step a) comprises:

a1) encoding an end-user information request into said end-user diary;

a2) updating a world model regarding the network environment;

a3) generating said goals, plans and tasks to achieve said goals;

a4) evaluating said goals, plans, and tasks;

a5) selecting particular goals, plans, and tasks of said evaluated goals, plans, and tasks;

a6) updating said world model regarding said selected goals, plans, and tasks; and

a7) updating said end-user diary including said selected goals, plans, and tasks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said updating the world model step a2) comprises storing information regarding local end-user network and environment information.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said updating the world model step a2) comprises generating predictions regarding local network resources, operations, and usages.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said generating said goals, plans, and tasks step a3) comprises:

generating hypothesized plans;

predict results of said hypothesized plans;

evaluate the predicted results of said plans;

selecting hypothesized plans having highest evaluation; and

selecting tasks to achieve said selected plans.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said evaluating step a4) comprises determining preferences, benefits, importance, risks, costs of an existing state of said world model and predicted results of said hypothesized plans.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the updating a user profile step c) comprises implementing steps a1 through a7 at each of the plurality of intelligent network layers receiving said end-user diary.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein after receiving said network related information of step d) said method comprises repeating steps a1 through a6 by the IEUG device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said performing step e) comprises selecting network routes and application servers among available alternatives for service.

10. An intelligent end-user gateway (IEUG) device for providing end-user device intelligence to an intelligent network, comprising:

a plurality of functional layers for providing respective functions within a hierarchy of functions, each of said functional layers including a respective agent for vertically propagating information between hierarchically adjacent layers, each of said functional layers including at least one element for implementing at least one respective layer function;

wherein

each functional layer agent, in response to a respective task-indicative subset of said vertically propagated information, horizontally propagating to respective functional layer elements at least that information necessary to perform an indicated task; and

each functional layer agent vertically propagating information pertaining to said indicated task.

11. The IEUG device of claim 10, wherein said plurality of functional layers comprises:

a first hardware layer;

a second real-time operating system (RTOS) layer adjacent and interfacing with said hardware layer;

a third protocol layer adjacent and interfacing with said second real-time operating system layer;

a fourth intelligent resource management layer adjacent and interfacing with said third protocol layer, said fourth intelligent resource management layer further interfacing with said second real-time operating system layer;

a fifth device server layer adjacent and interfacing with said fourth intelligent resource management layer;

a sixth media layer adjacent and interfacing with said fifth device server layer, said sixth media layer further interfacing with said second real-time operating system layer; and

a seventh application layer adjacent and interfacing with said sixth media layer.

12. The IEUG device of claim 11, wherein said second RTOS layer further comprises operating system specific software and a plurality of drivers.

13. The IEUG device of claim 11, wherein said third protocol layer further comprises a TCP-UDP/IP stack and specific protocol implementations.

14. The IEUG device of claim 11, wherein said fourth intelligent resource management layer comprises intelligence modules having an input and response (IRP) module, a world model (WM) module, a behavioral generation (BG) module, and a value assessment (VA) module in communication with each other.

15. The intelligent network of claim 14, wherein said IRP module receives inputs to the intelligent network system, compares input observations with expectations generated by the WM module, and communicates observed entities, events, and perceived situations to the VA modules.

16. The intelligent network of claim 15, wherein the BG module hypothesizes plans, the WM module predicts results of such plans, and the VA module evaluates those results.

17. The intelligent network of claim 16, wherein said WM module further comprises a database for storing information regarding about the network and network environment.

18. The intelligent network of claim 17, wherein said WM module generates expectations and predictions about network resources, operations, usage;

and responds to requests for information about present, past, and probable future states of the world.

19. The intelligent network of claim 18, wherein said IRP, WM, BG and VA modules contribute to a hierarchal intelligence across the network.

20. The intelligent network of claim 19, wherein the intelligence modules at each node utilize historical information gathered as each node to formulate decisions for future actions.

21. The intelligent network of claim 20, wherein the intelligence modules select goals and plans, and executes tasks, said tasks are recursively decomposed into subtasks, and said subtasks are sequenced to achieve said goals.

22. The IEUG device of claim 11, wherein said fifth device server layer comprises:

a session control element;

a message support element; and

a service specific element;

wherein said session control, message support, and service specific elements establish services between said IEUG device and a service provider.

23. The IEUG device of claim 22, wherein said sixth media layer comprises:

an operations/administration/management (OAM) element interfacing with said message support element;

a media handler interfacing with said OAM element, said message support element, and said second RTOS layer; and

a user interface element interfacing with said media handler and said second RTOS layer.

24. The IEUG device of claim 11, wherein said seventh application layer comprises a plurality of middleware abstraction libraries for supporting middleware.

25. A method of providing intelligence to end-user devices communicating with a network having a plurality of network layers, at each layer said method comprising:

a) establishing goals to be performed by an intelligent end-user gateway (IEUG) device coupled to said end-user devices at a first network layer;

b) providing input to a database storing information regarding the network and network environment;

c) hypothesizing plans to accomplish said goals at said IEUG device;

d) predicting results of said hypothesized plans;

e) evaluating said predicted results;

f) selecting plans with the highest evaluations for execution;

g) updating said database;

h) sending an output response to at least one of a superior and subordinate layer to said first layer;

i) repeating steps a through h for all of the network layers; and

j) executing said selected plans.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

monitoring said selected plans; and

modifying said selected plans as required.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

defining a plurality of tasks defining said selected plans.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

decomposing said plurality of tasks into subtasks that become task commands for a subordinate network layer.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

providing feedback regarding completion of said tasks and subtasks from subordinate network layers up to superior network layers.