System and method for using a mobile agent object to collect data

• US 7,437,733 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topia Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Topia Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Manzano, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seye; Abdou K
• Application Number:
  US10/630,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 719/315, 719/317, 718/100, 709/202, 709/223
• US Class Current: 719/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services

Abstract

Method and system for collecting and filtering messages received at an event source platform and delivering the filtered messages to a collection host platform. According to one embodiment, the system uses a mobile agent object to filter messages received at an event source platform. The mobile agent object determines a filtered set of messages that match predetermined parameters and then delivers the filtered messages to a collection host platform for storage or redirection.

Claims

1. A method for collecting message objects using a mobile agent object, the method comprising:

configuring a mobile agent object at a control device platform;

delivering the mobile agent object to an event source platform;

receiving a plurality of message objects at the event source platform, the message objects being generated by a user able to access the event source platform;

filtering the received message objects with the mobile agent object executing in the event source platform to determine a filtered set of message objects, the mobile agent object operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device;

delivering the filtered message objects over a network to a collection host platform; and

delivering the filtered message objects to a display device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the mobile agent object to the event source platform from the collection host platform via a network connection prior to the filtering.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the mobile agent object to the event source platform via a network from a control device platform via a network connection prior to the filtering.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the mobile agent object to a second event source platform from the first event source platform via a network connection prior to delivering the filtered message objects to the collection host platform.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the filtered message objects to a control device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the filtered message objects to a message database in the collection host platform.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering is in response to an event trigger.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the event trigger is the receiving of a message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the message objects comprise voice-mail messages.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the message objects comprise electronic-mail messages.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the message objects comprise digitally encoded text messages.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering comprises passing message objects to the filtered set of message objects that have a predetermined recipient.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering comprises passing message objects to the filtered set of message objects that have a predetermined subject matter.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering comprises passing message objects to the filtered set of message objects that have a predetermined source.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering comprises passing message objects to the filtered set of message objects that have a predetermined time and date stamp.

16. A method for collecting message objects from multiple event source platforms, the method comprising:

filtering message objects resident within a first event source platform with a first mobile agent object to determine a first filtered set of message objects, the message objects being generated by a user able to access the first event source platform;

sending the first set of filtered message objects over a network to a database in a collection host platform;

filtering message objects resident within a second event source platform with a second mobile agent object to determine a second filtered set of message objects;

sending the second set of filtered message objects to the database in the collection host platform, wherein the first mobile agent object is operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device;

delivering the first and second sets of filtered message objects to a control device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection; and

delivering the first and second sets of filtered message objects to a display device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising delivering the first and second set of filtered message objects to a display device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

18. A method for managing message objects, the method comprising:

configuring a mobile agent object to execute in an event source platform and to identify and filter message objects received by the event source platform, the message objects being generated by a user able to access the event source platform, the mobile agent object operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device;

assembling message objects identified and filtered by the mobile agent object in the event source platform;

delivering the identified and filtered message objects over a network to a collection host platform; and

redirecting the identified and filtered message objects from the collection host platform to a display device platform.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the configuring further comprises configuring the mobile agent object to respond to a plurality of event triggers and to filter the events with a plurality of message property requirements such that the mobile agent object delivers information about a plurality of filtered events to a predetermined address in response to any one of the plurality of events matching predetermined conditions during the filtering.

20. A method for configuring a mobile agent object, the method comprising:

configuring a mobile agent object to filter an event and to deliver information about the event to a predetermined address in response to the event matching predetermined conditions during the filtering, wherein the predetermined address resides in a collection host platform coupled with the event source platform by a network connection;

delivering the mobile agent object over a network to an event source platform operable to execute the mobile agent object, the even being generated by a user able to access the event source platform, the mobile agent object operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device, wherein the mobile agent object is configured in a platform other than the event source platform by a mobile agent object toolkit; and

delivering the filtered message objects to a display device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the event is a message being received by the event source platform.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the platform other than the event source platform is a control device platform.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the mobile agent object toolkit is controlled by a control vector initiated by a user of the platform.

24. A system having at least one computer processing unit and for collecting messages received at a plurality of event source platforms, the system comprising:

at least one electronic device comprising at least one event source platform operable to receive a plurality of events and having a mobile agent object executing therein, the events being generated by a user able to access the event source platform, the mobile agent object operable to filter the events in response to receiving the events, the mobile agent object further operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device;

at least one electronic device comprising a collection host platform operable to receive over a network filtered events from the mobile agent object executing in the event source platform;

at least one electronic device comprising a control device platform operable to configure a mobile agent object and operable to deliver the mobile agent object to an event source platform; and

at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform coupled to the collection host platform and operable to display filtered events received from the collection host platform.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of events comprise receiving at least one electronic mail.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of events comprise receiving at least one voice mail.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of events comprises receiving at least one digitally encoded test message.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform is a personal computer.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform is a fax machine.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform is a POP3 email account.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform is a mobile communication device.

32. The system of claim 24 wherein the control device platform further comprises a mobile agent object toolkit operable to configure a mobile agent object in response to a control vector initiated from a user of the control device platform.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a control device platform comprises a personal computer.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a control device platform comprises a server computer.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a control device platform comprises a touchpad device.

36. The system of claim 32 wherein the at least one electronic device comprising a display device platform comprises a mobile communication device.

37. The system of claim 24, further comprising an event database resident in the collection host platform, the event database operable to store filtered events received by the collection host platform.

38. A computer-readable medium including a mobile agent object operable to execute in a first electronic device, halt execution in the first electronic device at an execution state, be transplanted to a second electronic device, and resume execution from the execution state in the second electronic device, the mobile agent object having computer-executable instructions for:

navigating to an event source platform, the mobile agent object being configured at a control device platform;

monitoring events that occur in the event source platform for a predetermined type of event;

if a predetermined type of event occurs;

filtering the predetermined type of event to determine if the event matches a predetermined parameter, the event being generated by a user able to access the event source platform;

if the event matches the predetermined parameter, sending information about the event over a network to a collection host platform; and

delivering the information to a display device platform from the collection host platform via a network connection.

39. The medium of claim 38 wherein the predetermined type of event is the receiving of a message object in the event source platform.

40. The medium of claim 38 wherein the predetermined types of events are configured according to an event trigger set of instructions.

41. The medium of claim 38 wherein the predetermined parameter is configured according to a set of message property requirements.