Method and apparatus for negotiating contract terms for execution of a mobile software agent on a host computer
First Claim
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1. A computing apparatus, comprising:
- a user computer for generating a mobile software agent (MSA), said MSA including a contract terms component, said contract terms component including contract terms parameters related to a user'"'"'s desired access of a host computer; and
a host computer coupled to receive said MSA from said user computer, said host computer including;
logic that attempts to form an agreement with said MSA that defines contract terms related to the processing of said MSA, said contract terms being within the contract terms parameters included in said contract terms component; and
mobile software agent (MSA) service logic that services said MSA in accordance with a formed agreement, if one is formed; and
wherein said contract terms include one or more term from the group of terms including;
time of use;
cost of use;
ability to fulfill MSA request;
resources to be made available; and
payment method.
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Abstract
A contract-based mobile software agent (MSA) arrangement for use between a user and host computer to permit a defined, secure and accountable access of the host computer by a user. The agent message (AM) propagated by the host (or alternatively provided on the host itself) preferably includes terms related to the remote host access. The AM also preferably includes enhanced AM code that provides sufficient intelligence for the AM to negotiate terms with complementary software at the host machine.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A computing apparatus, comprising:
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a user computer for generating a mobile software agent (MSA), said MSA including a contract terms component, said contract terms component including contract terms parameters related to a user'"'"'s desired access of a host computer; and
a host computer coupled to receive said MSA from said user computer, said host computer including;
logic that attempts to form an agreement with said MSA that defines contract terms related to the processing of said MSA, said contract terms being within the contract terms parameters included in said contract terms component; and
mobile software agent (MSA) service logic that services said MSA in accordance with a formed agreement, if one is formed; and
wherein said contract terms include one or more term from the group of terms including;
time of use;
cost of use;
ability to fulfill MSA request;
resources to be made available; and
payment method. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of processing a mobile software agent (MSA), comprising the steps of:
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including within said MSA a contract terms component, said contract terms component including contract terms parameters related to a user'"'"'s desired access of a host computer;
receiving said MSA at said host computer;
automatically attempting at said host computer to form an agreement with said MSA that defines contract terms related to the processing of said MSA, said contract terms being within the contract terms parameters included in said contract terms component; and
processing said MSA at a host computer in accordance with a formed agreement, if one is formed; and
wherein said contract terms include one or more term from the group of terms including;
time of use;
cost of use;
ability to fulfill MSA request;
resources to be made available; and
payment method. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
monitoring processing of said MSA for which a processing agreement has been formed to determine if a threshold value of a contract term of said agreement has been reached.
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Specification