Apparatus and method for communicating between an intelligent agent and client computer process using disguised messages

• US 6,085,178 A
• Filed: 03/21/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian John, Bigus, Joseph Phillip, Delp, Helen Roxlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALVAREZ, RAQUEL
• Application Number:
  US08/822,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.32, 706/25, 380/25, 380/3, 380/21, 380/56, 380/59, 705/50, 705/80, 283/17, 283/56, 283/73, 283/901
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data

Abstract

An intelligent agent and its client communicate using a selector known by both parties to generate and interpret messages and thereby effectively disguise confidential information transmitted in the messages from third parties. Moreover, a neural network is used to implement the decision logic and/or the message disguising functions of an agent such that the logic employed in such functions is not readily reverse compiled or scanned by third parties.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a message from a plurality of messages based upon a selector and information to be transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process to disguise the information from discovery by a third party; and

(b) transmitting the selected message between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting and transmitting steps are performed in the intelligent agent, and wherein the method further comprises the step of determining the information to be transmitted using a neural network into which has been programmed a decision logic for the intelligent agent.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting step includes the step of selecting the message using a neural network into which has been programmed a transform table for matching a message with the information to be transmitted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the intelligent agent is configured to conduct negotiations in an electronic commerce application, wherein the decision logic for the intelligent agent includes a negotiation strategy, and wherein the information to be transmitted by the intelligent agent includes at least one of the group consisting of probable acceptable alternative do you accept, iterations exceeded recommend continue, iterations exceeded recommend withdrawal, recommend immediate withdrawal, request approval to increase offer, and a dummy transmission to motivate negotiation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selector includes a predetermined parameter known to both of the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selector is changed after a predetermined number of transmissions between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selector is transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selector is derived from an existing parameter having another purpose.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selector is derived from a time stamp appended to the selected message transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of messages has a plurality of alternate meanings which are selected based upon the selector.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes the step of selecting at least one additional message from the plurality of messages, and wherein the transmitting step includes the step of additionally transmitting the additional message between the intelligent agent and the client computer process;

whereby the selector controls which of the transmitted messages includes the information to be transmitted.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes the step of selecting each message from the plurality of messages with the exception of an omitted message corresponding to the information to be transmitted, and wherein the transmitting step includes the step of transmitting every message in the plurality of messages except for the omitted message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting step includes the step of determining the message to select using a transform table indexed by the selector and the information to be transmitted.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the message transmitted in the transmitting step is unscrambled.

15. A method of communicating with an intelligent agent computer program, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) processing with a neural network an input received from an external source and thereby generating an output therefrom;

(b) disguising the output in an output message selected from a plurality of messages based upon the output and a selector; and

(c) transmitting the output message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the disguising step is performed using a neural network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the processing and disguising steps are performed using the same neural network.

18. A method of communicating between an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a disguised message transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process, the disguised message selected from a plurality of messages, each of which is related to predetermined information based upon a selector;

(b) determining the selector; and

(c) interpreting the disguised message using the selector to determine the predetermined information transmitted in the disguised message.

19. A program product comprising:

(a) a program configured to perform a method of communicating between an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) selecting a message from a plurality of messages based upon a selector and information to be transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process to disguise the information from discovery by a third party; and

(2) transmitting the selected message between the intelligent agent and the client computer process; and

(b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein the signal bearing media is transmission type media.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the signal bearing media is recordable media.

22. An apparatus for communicating with one of an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a decision logic mechanism, configured to receive an input from an external source and generate therefrom an output; and

(b) a message disguising mechanism, configured to receive the output of the decision logic mechanism and output a selected message from a plurality of messages as a disguised message in response to a selector and the output of the decision logic mechanism.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the decision logic mechanism is incorporated in an intelligent agent computer program, and wherein the decision logic mechanism includes a neural network into which has been programmed a decision logic for the intelligent agent.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the message disguising mechanism includes a neural network into which has been programmed a transform table for matching a message with the information to be transmitted.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the decision logic mechanism and the message disguising mechanism are incorporated into the same neural network.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the decision logic mechanism further comprises a plurality of neural network filters for conditioning inputs and outputs to and from the neural network.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the intelligent agent is configured to conduct negotiations in an electronic commerce application, and wherein the neural network is programmed with a negotiation strategy for the intelligent agent.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the selector includes a predetermined parameter known to both of the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the selector is transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the selector is derived from an existing parameter having another purpose.

31. A method of communicating between an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining information to be transmitted using a neural network into which has been programmed a decision logic for the intelligent agent;

(b) selecting a message from a plurality of messages based upon a selector and the information to be transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process; and

(c) transmitting the selected message between the intelligent agent and the client computer process;

wherein the selecting and transmitting steps are performed in the intelligent agent.

32. A method of communicating between an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a message from a plurality of messages based upon a selector and information to be transmitted between the intelligent agent and the client computer process, wherein each of the plurality of messages has a plurality of alternate meanings which are selected based upon the selector; and

(b) transmitting the selected message between the intelligent agent and the client computer process.

33. An apparatus for communicating with one of an intelligent agent computer program and a client computer process, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a decision logic mechanism incorporated in an intelligent agent computer program, the decision logic mechanism configured to receive an input from an external source and generate therefrom an output, and the decision logic mechanism including a neural network into which has been programmed a decision logic for the intelligent agent computer program; and

(b) a message disguising mechanism, configured to receive the output of the decision logic mechanism and output one of a plurality of messages as a disguised message in response to a selector and the output of the decision logic mechanism.