Mobile agent system and method for controlling a mobile agent system

• US 6,915,129 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kovacs, Ernö
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Persino, Raymond B.
• Application Number:
  US09/494,158
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/432.1, 455/432.3, 455/433, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/445, 455/461, 455/524, 370/328, 370/331, 370/338, 707/10, 707/104.1, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/221, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 709/238, 709/317, 719/317, 719/310
• US Class Current: 455/432.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4875 with migration policy, e.g. auction, contract negotiation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile agent system (1) for a communication unit (5, 6, 7) of a communication system, with at least one mobile agent (3) comprising an allocated agent policy (8), in which migration parameters of the respective mobile agent (3) are defined, migration control means (16) for controlling the migration behavior of a mobile agent (3) in the communication system on the basis of a current migration policy of the mobile agent (3) and current parameters of the communication system. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling such a mobile agent system (1) and allows a flexible way of controlling the migration behavior of mobile agents (3) depending on system parameters.

Claims

1. Mobile agent system (1) for a communication unit (5, 6, 7) of a communication system, comprising:

at least one mobile agent (3) comprising an allocated agent policy (8), in which migration parameters of the respective mobile agent are defined;

migration control means (16) for controlling the migration behavior of a mobile agent (3) in the communication system on the basis of a current migration policy of the mobile agent (3) and current parameters of the communication system,

wherein the current migration policy of the mobile agent defines the way the mobile agent system checks current network parameters; and

policy control means for selecting the current migration policy of the mobile agent on the basis of the allocated agent policy of the mobile agent and a system policy, which is a policy selected from a default system policy or an agent type specific policy, said policy control means operating to overrule the selected current migration policy with a user command when the user command defining the current migration policy is received.

2. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by

policy managing means (17) for storing the system policy (11), in which migration behavior parameters for mobile agents (3) of the mobile agent system (1) are defined.

3. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in,

that the policy control means (18) selects the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) depending on the type of the provided policies.

4. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in,

that the policy control means (18) selects the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) depending on additional priority parameters of the provided policies.

5. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 2, characterized in,

that the policy control means (18) selects the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) depending on weighting parameters of the provided policies.

6. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 2, characterized by

user input means (21) for inputting a migration policy which is taken as the current migration policy for a mobile agent (3), whereby said policy control means (18) always returns to a normal mode for the next migration policy to be selected.

7. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 2, characterized by

user input means (21) for inputting a migration mode for the mobile agent system (1), whereby said input migration mode is kept by said policy control means (18) until a new migration mode is input.

8. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by

user operation means (22) for changing the allocated agent policy (8) of a mobile agent (3), and/or the system policy (11).

9. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by

an application programming interface (13) connected to the migration control means (16) for retrieving the current parameters of the communication system.

10. Mobile agent system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in,

that said migration control means (16) decides on the basis of a comparison of the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) and the current parameters of the communication system, if the migration of the mobile agent (3) is allowed, suspended or rejected.

18. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 1, characterized by

providing a user operation means (22) for changing the allocated agent policy (8) of a mobile agent (3) and/or the system policy (11).

11. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) in a communication unit of a communication system, the mobile agent system (1) including at least one mobile agent (3), the method comprising:

defining an allocated agent policy (8), in which migration parameters of the respective mobile agent (3) are defined;

controlling the migration behavior of a mobile agent (3) in the communication system on the basis of a current migration policy of the mobile agent (3) and current parameters of the communication system,

wherein the current migration policy of the mobile agent defines the way the mobile agent system checks current network parameters;

selecting the current migration policy of the mobile agent on the basis of the allocated agent policy of the mobile agent and a system policy, which is a policy selected from a default system policy or an agent type specific policy; and

overruling the selected current migration policy with a user command when the user command defining the current migration policy is received.

12. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized by

storing a system policy (11), in which migration behavior parameters for mobile agents (3) of the mobile agent system (1) are defined.

13. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in,

that current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) is selected depending on the type of the provided policies.

14. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in,

that the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) is selected depending on additional priority parameters of the provided policies.

15. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in,

that the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) is selected depending on weighting parameters of the provided policies.

16. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in,

that upon inputting a migration policy which is taken as the current migration policy for a mobile agent (3), the agent system (1) always returns to a normal mode for the next migration policy to be selected.

17. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized in,

that upon inputting a migration mode for the mobile agent system (1), said input migration mode is kept until a new migration mode is input.

19. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized by

retrieving the current parameters of the communication system over an application programming interface (23).

20. Method for controlling a mobile agent system (1) according to claim 11, characterized by

deciding on the basis of a comparison of the current migration policy of a mobile agent (3) and the current parameters of the communication system, if the migration of the mobile agent (3) is allowed, suspended or rejected.