SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MIGRATING AGENTS BETWEEN MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20110136510A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Recursion Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Robert W., Gerard, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4862 the task being a mobile agent, i.e. specifically designed to migrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

Mobile agents can be deployed to location aware mobile devices within specific regions of interest to achieve specific goals in respect of events occurring in the region of interest. In order to ensure that the agent can persist within the region of interest until the agent goals are achieved, the agent is configured to locate other devices within the region of interest and to propagate itself, by moving or copying itself, to those other devices. When a device hosting the agent exits the region of interest, the agent is terminated, thereby freeing device resources.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a first processor of a first device to:

execute an agent application;

receive an agent participation request from a second processor of a second device, the agent participation request indicating a location of the second device;

compare the location of the second device to a region of interest; and

provide the agent application to the second processor in response to the second device being located within the region of interest.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to:

determine that the first device exited the region of interest; and

terminate execution of the agent application on the first device in response to the determination.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to:

identify a plurality of devices that can support the agent application;

select at least one of the identified plurality of devices located within the region of interest; and

propagate from the first device to the selected at least one of the identified plurality of devices.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to copy the agent application to the at least one of the plurality of devices.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to propagate the agent application to the at least one of the plurality of devices.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to determine a location of the at least one of the plurality of devices from a corresponding agent participation request.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to propagate the agent application to the at least one of the plurality of devices in response to detecting the first device leaving the region of interest.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to define a threshold of the region of interest.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to at least partially define the threshold by a plurality of coordinates.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to at least partially define the threshold by a signal strength between the first device and a base station that serves the region of interest.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to at least partially define the threshold by a battery power of the first device.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to operate in a standby mode in response to the determination that the first device is operating in the threshold of the region of interest.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to:

suspend at least one function of the agent application in response to the threshold; and

attempt to propagate the agent application to the second device when the second device is located within the region of interest.

32. The computer-readable medium according to claim 26, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the first processor of the first device to terminate operations on the first device in response to the determination that the first device is no longer located within the region of interest.

33. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store an agent application; and

a processing device configured to execute the agent application to;

receive an agent participation request from a second device, the agent participation request providing a location of the second device;

define a region of interest; and

provide the agent application to the second device in response to the second device being located within the region of interest.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to terminate execution of the agent application in response to determining that the device exited the region of interest.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to:

identify a plurality of devices that support the agent application; and

propagate the agent application to at least one of the identified plurality of devices that is located within the region of interest.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to copy the agent application to the at least one of the identified plurality of devices.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to propagate the agent application to the at least one of the identified plurality of devices.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to determine a location of the at least one of the identified plurality of devices from a corresponding agent participation request.

39. The device of claim 35, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to propagate the agent application to the at least one of the plurality of devices in response to detecting the device leaving the region of interest.

40. The device of claim 33, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to define a threshold associated with the region of interest.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to at least partially define the threshold by a plurality of coordinates.

42. The device of claim 40, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to at least partially define the threshold by a signal strength between the device and a base station that serves the region of interest.

43. The device of claim 40, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to at least partially define the threshold by a battery power of the device.

44. The device of claim 40, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to operate in a standby mode in response to the determination that the device is operating in the threshold of the region of interest.

45. The device of claim 40, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to:

suspend at least one function of the agent application in response to the threshold; and

attempt to propagate the agent application to a second device located within the region of interest.

46. The device of claim 35, wherein the processing device is further configured to execute the agent application to terminate operations in response to the determination that the device is no longer located within the region of interest.

47. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by a destination processor of a destination device to:

transmit an agent participation request providing a location of the destination device to a source device;

receive an agent application; and

execute the agent application in response to the destination device being located within a region of interest.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the destination processor of the destination device to activate the agent application in response to receiving an agent activation request from the source device.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the destination processor of the destination device to store the region of interest or agent history in response to the agent activation request.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the destination processor of the destination device to transmit an agent activation response to the source device.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, comprising computer-executable instructions for execution by the destination processor of the destination device, wherein the agent activation response comprises at least one of a device identification, an agent application identification, and a success indicator.

52. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store an agent application received from a source device responsive to an agent participation request; and

a processing device configured to;

transmit the agent participation request providing a location of the device to the source device; and

execute the agent application in response to the device being located within a region of interest.

53. The device of claim 52, wherein the processing device is further configured to activate the agent application in response to receiving an agent activation request from the source device.

54. The device of claim 53, wherein the processing device is further configured to store the region of interest or agent history in response to the agent activation request.

55. The device of claim 52, wherein the processing device is further configured to transmit an agent activation response to the source device.

56. The device of claim 55, wherein the agent activation response comprises at least one of a device identification, an agent application identification, and a success indicator.