Intelligent software agent system architecture

• US 7,861,252 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tribridge Holdings LLC (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Bot, Inc. (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Kunstman, Pawel, Uszok, Andrzej
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Li B
• Application Number:
  US09/814,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,569 Days
• Field of Search: 719/317, 719/318, 709/202, 709/223
• US Class Current: 719/317
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A software architecture supports deployment of mobile software agents over the Internet. Mobile software agents or “bots” are bifurcated into two parts, a first part executable on a user'"'"'s client platform (“mBot”), and a corresponding second part, called “sBot,” executable on a remote “bot server”. botServer implements virtual “meeting places” for visiting bots, and provides event notification, plug-ins and other services. The new system further includes a component called “botBox” executable on another server (which may be the same as the bot server), that tracks the status and locations of running bots, handles communications, and enables continuing operation while the user is off-line. Knowledge about the user, including private information, is finely controlled by custom user profiles which are defined by the user, but made available to the remote-executing sBot only through the botBox intermediary.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a. a first server platform executing at least one processor for operating a botserver computer program;

b. a botserver core software component operating a botserver, said botserver core software component comprising a botExecutor component configured to generate an sBot;

c. a botExecutor component synchronizing a Bot system under direction of said botserver core software component;

d. a bot software component bifurcated into two parts, said bot software component comprising;

a first software component [mBot] executing on a local client platform and interoperating with a local client botMaster comprising an ontology encoded user profile;

a second software component [sBot] associated with the first software component [mBot] of said bot software component;

wherein said second software component [sBot] self-executing on said first server platform remote from said client platform and operating an sBot Knowledge Manager comprising a bot Ontology encoded user profile;

wherein said self-executing sBot interoperating with;

said first software component [mBot], a network, a plurality of 3rd party sBots, and a third [botBox] software component for execution on said first server platform;

wherein said botBox providing a means of communication between said local client botMaster and said sBot;

e. a communication component for providing communications between the core component and at least one external program; and

f. the botExecutor includes means for instantiating a specified sBot from a corresponding sBot class stored in an sBot repository responsive to a loading message from the botserver core.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 and further comprising an event registry service available to provide event services to an executing sBot.

3. The computer system according to claim 2 including means for directing the botExecutor component to activate a specified idle sBot in response to an occurrence of a selected event previously entered in the event registry.

4. The computer system according to claim 2 wherein the event registry implements a predetermined priority scheme applicable when more than one sBot registers for the same event.

5. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the botExecutor implements a container for safe execution of an sBot.

6. The computer system according to claim 5 wherein the botExecutor implements an interaction controller for limiting interactions among two sBots executing in the container.

7. The computer system according to claim 5 wherein the botExecutor implements a resource controller for controlling allocation of computing resources to an sBot executing in the container.

8. The computer system according to claim 1 and further comprising the sBot repository for storing at least one sBot class code;

and wherein the botExecutor maintaining an inventory of sBot classes stored in the sBot repository.

9. The computer system according to claim 8 and further comprising a bot verifier component to check the repository for the existence of executable code [sBot] corresponding to a launch request message received by the botExecutor.

10. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the communication component includes a botBox communication means for exchanging messages with a botBox account realized on a remote server and associated with an sBot executing on the botServer.

11. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the communication component includes a botMaster communication means for exchanging messages with a botMaster program that manages an mBot sibling associated with an sBot executing on the botServer.

12. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the communication component includes a botServer communication means for exchanging messages with a second botServer program located on a second server platform thereby enabling coordination between sBot programs executing on the first and second server platforms.

13. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a plug-ins manager component for managing one or more software interfaces, each interface arranged for interacting with a resource external to the botServer;

and wherein the core includes means for passing messages between the plug-ins manager and the botExecutor so as to afford an executing sBot access to the external resource via the corresponding interface.

14. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a code loader component for acquiring bot sBot code.

15. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a botBox manager component for creating and managing at least one botBox account associated with a remote user.

16. The computer system according to claim 15 wherein the botBox manager maintains at least one user profile associated with the botBox account on behalf of the remote user.

17. The computer system according to claim 15 wherein the botBox manager includes a process for implementing migration of an sBot.

18. The computer system according to claim 16 wherein the botBox manager maintains a plurality of predetermined user profiles associated with a given botBox account, and the botBox manager associates a designated one of the user profiles with a designated bot.

19. The computer system according to claim 1 further comprising a plug-ins manager to provide access to external services for an sBot executing on the botServer.

20. A computer system comprising:

a. a first server platform executing at least one processor for operating a botserver computer program;

b. a botserver core software component operating the botserver computer program, the botserver core software component [the core component] providing an event registry;

c. a botExecutor component synchronizing one or more bot software components partially under direction of the core component;

d. each of said bot software components bifurcated into two parts, said bot software components each comprising;

a first software component [mBot] executing on a local client platform and interoperating with a local client botMaster comprising an ontology encoded user profile;

a second software component [sBot] associated with the first software component [mBot] of said bot software components;

wherein said second software component [sBot] self-executing on said first server platform remote from said client platform and operating an sBot Knowledge Manager comprising a bot Ontology encoded user profile;

wherein said self-executing sBot interoperating with;

said first software component [mBot], a network, a plurality of 3rd party sBots, and a third [botBox] software component for execution on said first server platform;

wherein said botBox providing a means of communication between said local client botMaster and said sBot;

e. the botExecutor implementing a container for safe execution of said sBot;

f. the core including means for directing the botExecutor component to notify a specified executing sBot in response to an occurrence of a selected event previously entered in the event registry;

g. the botserver further comprising an sBot repository for storing at least one sBot class code;

h. wherein the botExecutor maintains an inventory of sBot classes stored in the repository, and the botExecutor includes means for instantiating a specified sBot from a corresponding sBot class stored in the repository responsive to a loading message from the botserver core.

21. The computer system according to claim 20 wherein the botServer implements at least one general meeting place for execution of visiting sBots.

22. The computer system according to claim 20 wherein the botServer implements at least one specialized meeting place for execution of visiting sBots only in accordance with a first predetermined interaction protocol.

23. The computer system according to claim 22 wherein the botServer implements a child meeting place that inherits the interaction protocol of the said specialized meeting place.

24. The computer system according to claim 22 wherein the botServer implements at least one virtual proctor to oversee activities of sBots executing in the said specialized meeting place.

25. The computer system according to claim 22 wherein the specialized meeting place implements at least one local service.

26. The computer system according to claim 25 wherein the local service comprises a publisher/subscriber service.

27. The computer system according to claim 20 including a security registry.

28. The computer system according to claim 27 wherein the security registry includes at least one of a trusted user list and a not trusted user list.

29. The computer system according to claim 27 wherein the security registry includes at least one of a trusted developer list and a not trusted developer list.