Information Processing Method, Information Processing Apparatus, and Program Product

• US 20080183797A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Hisashi, Kase, Naoki, Cho, Kenta
• Application Number:
  US12/056,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183797A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Each of a plurality of network-connected information processing apparatuses stores restriction information defined for each agent in order to restrict the operation of the agent which moves to the self apparatus and runs. When the agent is to move from the first information processing apparatus as one of the information processing apparatuses to the second information processing apparatus as another information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus receives restriction information corresponding to the agent from the second information processing apparatus. The first information processing apparatus selects at least one of the components in correspondence with the second information processing apparatus on the basis of the restriction information, and moves the agent holding the selected component to the second information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a first information processing apparatus as one of a plurality of network-connected information processing apparatuses and a second information processing apparatus as another one of the plurality of network-connected information processing apparatuses, the system comprising:

means for selecting a first plan to handle a user request, the first plan including a sequence of sub-goals, wherein the sub-goals are achieved by a plurality of program-components, each program-component including authority standard information relating to a component function of whether the program-component communicates with an external device or reads/writes private information in a device;

means for generating an agent containing the plurality of program-components in the first information processing apparatus;

means for storing, in the second information processing apparatus, restriction information used for selecting authorized program-components contained in the agent, of which executions are authorized within the second information processing apparatus, the restriction information including at least one of a creation source, an authentication source, a quality of a program-component capable of running on the second information processing apparatus, authority standard by which the program-components are authorized, and a processing content performed by the program-component;

means for transferring the restriction information from the second information processing apparatus to the first information processing apparatus before the agent moves from the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus;

means for modifying, in the first information processing apparatus, the agent by removing at least one program-component from the plurality of program-components, of which execution is not authorized within the second information processing apparatus when said authority standard information does not match said authority standard included in the restriction information transferred from the second information processing apparatus;

means for moving the modified agent from the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus if the first plan can be executed by the modified agent; and

means for selecting a second plan when the first plan cannot be executed by the modified agent.

2. An information processing apparatus which executes processing on an information device to handle a user request by use of another information processing apparatus storing restriction information used for selecting authorized program-components of which executions are authorized within the another information processing apparatus, comprising:

means for selecting a first plan to handle a user request, the first plan including a sequence of sub-goals, wherein the sub-goals are achieved by a plurality of program-components, each program-component including authority standard information relating to a component function of whether the program-component communicates with an external device or reads/writes private information in a device;

means for generating an agent containing the plurality of program-components;

means for receiving the restriction information with respect to the agent from the another information processing apparatus, the restriction information including at least one of a creation source, an authentication source, a quality of a program-component capable of running on the another information processing apparatus, authority standard by which the program-components are authorized, and a processing content performed by the program;

means for modifying the agent by removing at least one program-component from the plurality of program-components, of which execution is not authorized within the another information processing apparatus when said authority standard information does not match said authority standard included in the restriction information received by the receiver; and

means for transmitting the modified agent to the another information processing apparatus if the first plan can be executed by the modified agent, and

wherein the means for selecting selects a second plan when the first plan cannot be executed by the modified agent.

3. An information processing system including a first information processing apparatus as one of a plurality of network connected information processing apparatuses and a second information processing apparatus as another one of the plurality of network connected information processing apparatuses, the system comprising:

means for selecting a first plan to handle a user request, the first plan including a sequence of sub-goals, wherein the sub-goals are achieved by execution of a plurality of program-components, each program-component including authority standard information relating to a component function of whether the program-component communicates with an external device or reads/writes private information in a device;

means for generating an agent containing the plurality of program-components in the first information processing apparatus;

means for storing, in the second information processing apparatus, restriction information used for selecting authorized program-components contained in the agent, of which executions are authorized within the second information processing apparatus, the restriction information including two or more of a creation source, an authentication source, performance, quality of a program-component capable of running on the second information processing apparatus, authority standard by which the program-components are authorized, and processing content performed by the program-component;

means for transferring the restriction information from the second information processing apparatus to the first information processing apparatus before the agent moves from the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus;

means for modifying the agent by removing at least one program-component from the plurality of program-components, of which execution is not authorized within the second information processing apparatus, when the authority standard information does not match the authority standard in the restriction information transferred from the second information processing apparatus;

means for moving the modified agent from the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus if the first plan is executable by the modified agent; and

means for selecting a second plan when the first plan is not executable by the modified agent.

4. An information processing apparatus which executes processing on an information device to handle a user request by use of a second information processing apparatus storing restriction information used for selecting authorized program-components of which executions are authorized within the second information processing apparatus, comprising:

means for selecting a first plan to handle a user request, the first plan including a sequence of sub-goals, wherein the sub-goals are achieved by execution of a plurality of program-components, each program-component including authority standard information relating to a component function of whether the program-component communicates with an external device or reads/writes private information in a device;

means for generating an agent containing the plurality of program-components;

means for receiving the restriction information with respect to the agent from the second information processing apparatus, the restriction information including two or more of a creation source, an authentication source, performance, quality of a program-component capable of running on the second information processing apparatus, authority standard by which the program-components are authorized, and processing content performed by the program;

means for modifying the agent by removing at least one program-component from the plurality of program-components, of which execution is not authorized within the second information processing apparatus, when the authority standard information does not match the authority standard in the restriction information received by the receiver; and

means for transmitting the modified agent to the second information processing apparatus if the first plan is executable by a modified agent, and

wherein the means for selecting selects a second plan when the first plan is not executable by the modified agent.