Remote configuration of intelligent software agents

• US 7,925,984 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kugel, Jacob, Dunbar, Anthony M., Awe, Jeffrey T., Bigus, Joseph P., Schlosnagle, Donald A., Hintermeister, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDHURI, ANITA
• Application Number:
  US10/403,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,934 Days
• Field of Search: 715/762, 715/763, 715/760, 715/744, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to intelligent software agents. Each agent has an associated user interface panel through which the agent may be configured/customized. A remotely located user desiring to configure a particular agent issues a request for the associated user interface panel. The user interface panel may be provided to the user via, for example, a network connection. The user may then make the desired changes to the agent via the user interface panel. In this way, remote configuration of an agent is possible.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a user interfaces for customizing one or more intelligent software agents, comprising:

receiving a first request for an agent customization panel from a client, wherein the client is remotely located relative to the one or more intelligent software agents;

in response to the first request, and by operation of one or more computer processors, transmitting first panel information to the client, wherein the first panel information defines a first user interface panel capable of being rendered at a site of the client, wherein the first user interface panel provides a first plurality of agent customization elements for customizing the one or more intelligent software agents, and wherein the agent customization elements are selected based on a first state of the one or more intelligent software agents;

receiving a second request for the agent customization panel from the remotely located client; and

in response to the second request, transmitting second panel information to the client, wherein the second panel information defines a second user interface panel capable of being rendered at a site of the client, wherein the second user interface panel provides a second plurality of agent customization elements for customizing the one or more intelligent software agents, wherein the agent customization elements are selected based on a second state of the one or more intelligent software agents, and wherein the second user interface panel contains at least one different agent customization element from the first user interface panel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, user-selected agent customization input, wherein the user-selected agent customization input was input via the user interface panel by a user at the site of the client; and

configuring an intelligent software agent according to the user-selected agent customization input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the second panel information further comprises transmitting a customizer panel definition describing a layout of the user interface panel and a panel resource bundle describing elements of the user interface panel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting the second panel information, generating the second panel information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting the second panel information, retrieving the second panel information from a storage location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent customization panel request is specific to a particular intelligent software agent and further comprising, prior to transmitting the second panel information, generating the second panel information based on a state of the particular intelligent software agent at a time the agent customization panel request is received.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, subsequent to transmitting the second panel information:

receiving user-selected agent customization information, wherein the user-selected agent customization information was input via the user interface panel by a user at the site of the client; and

configuring an intelligent software agent according to the user-selected agent customization input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving and transmitting are performed via a network connection.

9. A method of providing an interface for customization of intelligent software agents on a computer remotely located relative to the intelligent software agents, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of requests for an agent customization panel for one or more intelligent software agents to a remotely located system;

receiving a plurality of agent customization panel information from the remotely located system, wherein each received agent customization panel information corresponds to a respective request from the plurality of requests; and

for each received agent customization panel information, outputting for display a user interface panel defined by the received agent customization panel information, by operation of one or more computer processors, wherein the user interface panel provides a plurality of agent customization elements based on a state of the one or more intelligent software agents at a time of the respective request and for customizing one or more remotely located intelligent software agents, and wherein at least two of the user interface panels contain at least one different agent customization element relative to one another.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each request is specific to a particular one of the remotely located intelligent software agents and wherein the panel information is generated at the remotely located system based on a state of the particular intelligent software agent at a time the agent customization panel request is processed by the remotely located system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the agent customization panel information is specific to a particular one of the remotely located intelligent software agents.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the user-selected agent customization input to the remotely located system, wherein the user-selected agent customization input is used to customize the particular one of the remotely located intelligent software agents.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving user-selected agent customization input via the displayed user interface panel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the user-selected agent customization input to the remotely located system, wherein the user-selected agent customization input is used to customize the one or more remotely located intelligent software agents.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs a panel presentation operation, comprising:

receiving a plurality of agent customization panel requests issued by a remotely located client; and

in response to each of the requests;

preparing panel information defining a user interface panel capable of being rendered and displayed at a site of the client, and wherein the user interface panel provides a plurality of agent customization elements for customizing one or more intelligent software agents remotely located relative to the client, wherein the agent customization elements are selected based on a current state of at least one of the intelligent software agents; and

transmitting the panel information to the client,

wherein at least two of the transmitted panel information contain different agent customization elements relative to one another.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the steps of receiving, preparing and transmitting are performed by an intelligent software agent.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving user-selected agent customization input, wherein the user-selected agent customization input was input via the user interface panel by a user at the site of the client; and

configuring an intelligent software agent according to the user-selected agent customization input.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein transmitting the panel information comprises transmitting a customizer panel definition describing a layout of the user interface panel and a panel resource bundle describing elements of the user interface panel.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising, prior to transmitting, generating the panel information.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising, prior to transmitting, retrieving the panel information from a storage location.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the agent customization panel request is specific to a particular intelligent software agent and further comprising, prior to transmitting, generating the panel information based on a state of the particular intelligent software agent at a time the agent customization panel request is received.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising, subsequent to transmitting:

receiving user-selected agent customization information, wherein the user-selected agent customization information was input via the user interface panel by a user at the site of the client; and

configuring an intelligent software agent according to the user-selected agent customization input.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the agent customization panel request is received via a network and wherein the panel information is transmitted via the network.

24. A computer, comprising:

a network connection allowing communication with a plurality of clients; and

a user interface provider configured to;

present a first agent customization panel to one or more of the plurality of clients in response to a first request received from one of the clients, wherein the first agent customization panel provides a first customization element for customizing one or more intelligent software agents, and wherein the first customization element is included based on a first state of an intelligent software agent; and

present a second agent customization panel to one or more of the plurality of clients in response to a second request received from one of the clients, wherein the second agent customization panel provides a second customization element for customizing the one or more intelligent software agents, wherein the second customization element is included based on a second state of the intelligent software agent, and wherein the first customization element is different from the second customization element.

25. The computer of claim 24, wherein the one or more intelligent software agents are resident on the computer.

26. The computer of claim 24, wherein the user interface provider is an intelligent software agent.

27. The computer of claim 24, wherein the user interface provider is configured to generate a agent customization panel upon receiving the request from the client.

28. The computer of claim 24, wherein the user interface provider is configured to generate the agent customization panel based on a state of a particular intelligent software agent at a time the request is received.

29. The computer of claim 24, wherein the user interface provider is configured to retrieve the first agent customization panel from a storage location upon receiving the request from the client.

30. The computer of claim 24, wherein the user interface provider is configured to receive, via the network connection, user-selected agent customization information, input via the agent customization panel while being displayed at a site of the one or more of the clients, the user-selected customization information describing customizations applicable to the one or more intelligent software agents.

31. The computer of claim 30, wherein the user interface provider is an intelligent software agent.