Method and apparatus for performing computer-based on-line commerce using an intelligent agent
First Claim
1. A method of performing computer-based on-line commerce in which a client computer issues a commercial request and a plurality of server computers is available to service said request, said method, performed by an intelligent agent, comprising steps of:
- receiving said request from said client computer;
reviewing content-related information and business policies of each server computer of said plurality of server computers; and
making decisions as to which server should serve the request based on said content-related information and said business policies,wherein the request issued by the client computer is made up of a group of inter-related sub-requests, and said intelligent agent decides which server should serve each sub-request based on said content-related information and said business policies;
wherein said business policies of each server include cancellation conditions concerning consequences of cancelling service by that server once a decision is made by the intelligent agent to use that server to serve a particular sub-request, said conditions ranging from a first extreme where cancellation is most difficult to a second extreme where cancellation is easiest; and
wherein, after making preliminary decisions as to which server should serve which request based on said content related information, said intelligent agent makes final decisions on said group of requests in the order such that a sub-request matched with a server with a cancellation condition closest to or at said second extreme is decided upon first.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, computer program product and system, for performing computer-based on-line commerce in which a client computer issues a commercial request and a plurality of server computers is available to service said request, said method, performed by an intelligent agent, comprising steps of: receiving said request from said client computer; reviewing content-related information and business policies of each server computer of said plurality of server computers; and making decisions as to which server should serve the request based on said content-related information and said business policies.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of performing computer-based on-line commerce in which a client computer issues a commercial request and a plurality of server computers is available to service said request, said method, performed by an intelligent agent, comprising steps of:
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receiving said request from said client computer; reviewing content-related information and business policies of each server computer of said plurality of server computers; and making decisions as to which server should serve the request based on said content-related information and said business policies, wherein the request issued by the client computer is made up of a group of inter-related sub-requests, and said intelligent agent decides which server should serve each sub-request based on said content-related information and said business policies; wherein said business policies of each server include cancellation conditions concerning consequences of cancelling service by that server once a decision is made by the intelligent agent to use that server to serve a particular sub-request, said conditions ranging from a first extreme where cancellation is most difficult to a second extreme where cancellation is easiest; and wherein, after making preliminary decisions as to which server should serve which request based on said content related information, said intelligent agent makes final decisions on said group of requests in the order such that a sub-request matched with a server with a cancellation condition closest to or at said second extreme is decided upon first. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7)
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4. An intelligent agent computer program product, stored on a computer readable storage medium, which performs computer-based on-line commerce in which a client computer issues a commercial request and a plurality of server computers is available to service said request, said intelligent agent comprising:
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means for receiving said request from said client computer; means for reviewing content-related information and business policies of each server computer of said plurality of server computers; and means for making decisions as to which server should serve the request based on said content-related information and said business policies; wherein the request issued by the client computer is made up of a group of inter-related sub-requests, and said intelligent agent decides which server should serve each sub-request based on said content-related information and said business policies; wherein said business policies of each server include cancellation conditions concerning consequences of cancelling service by that server once a decision is made by the intelligent agent to use that server to serve a particular sub-request, said conditions ranging from a first extreme where cancellation is most difficult to a second extreme where cancellation is easiest; and wherein, after making preliminary decisions as to which server should serve which request based on said content related information, said intelligent agent makes final decisions on said group of requests in the order such that a sub-request matched with a server with a cancellation condition closest to or at said second extreme is decided upon first. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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5. A system for performing computer-based on-line commerce in which a client computer issues a commercial request and a plurality of server computers is available to service said request, said system having an intelligent agent comprising:
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means for receiving said request from said client computer; means for reviewing content-related information and business policies of each server computer of said plurality of server computers; and means for making decisions as to which server should serve the request based on said content-related information and said business policies; wherein the request issued by the client computer is made up of a group of inter-related sub-requests, and said intelligent agent decides which server should serve each sub-request based on said content-related information and said business policies; wherein said business policies of each server include cancellation conditions concerning consequences of cancelling service by that server once a decision is made by the intelligent agent to use that server to serve a particular sub-request, said conditions ranging from a first extreme where cancellation is most difficult to a second extreme where cancellation is easiest; and wherein, after making preliminary decisions as to which server should serve which request based on said content related information, said intelligent agent makes final decisions on said group of requests in the order such that a sub-request matched with a server with a cancellation condition closest to or at said second extreme is decided upon first. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification