Method and apparatus for inspecting the properties of a computer
First Claim
1. A process, comprising the steps of:
- providing a processor and a user interface module at a consumer terminal having an associated user, wherein the processor is programmed to maintain a plurality of watcher applications;
receiving a plurality of assertions at the consumer terminal;
maintaining a database of the received assertions at the consumer terminal for each of the watcher applications, wherein each entry in the database names a file or directory, a list of specified attributes of an object, a specified watching frequency, and a pointer to a message and action associated with failure of the assertion;
evaluating each of the received assertions with a corresponding watcher application by checking that each entry has an asserted status, wherein the evaluation step comprises a comparison of each of the received assertions with the actual state of the environment, by inspecting the internal properties of the consumer terminal and by checking if the received assertions point towards or away from relevance;
passing information about any assertion that does not have the asserted status to the user interface module, along with the message and actions associated with the assertion; and
presenting information to the user through the user interface module, wherein the information comprises information about the failure of the asserted condition, the relayed associated message, and the recommended response.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention disclosed herein enables a collection of computers and associated communications infrastructure to offer a new communications process which allows information providers to broadcast information to a population of information consumers. The information may be targeted to those consumers who have a precisely formulated need for the information. This targeting may be based on information which is inaccessible to other communications protocols. The targeting also includes a time element. Information can be brought to the attention of the consumer precisely when it has become applicable, which may occur immediately upon receipt of the message, but may also occur long after the message arrives. The communications process may operate without intruding on consumers who do not exhibit the precisely-specified need for the information, and it may operate without compromising the security or privacy of the consumers who participate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A process, comprising the steps of:
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providing a processor and a user interface module at a consumer terminal having an associated user, wherein the processor is programmed to maintain a plurality of watcher applications; receiving a plurality of assertions at the consumer terminal; maintaining a database of the received assertions at the consumer terminal for each of the watcher applications, wherein each entry in the database names a file or directory, a list of specified attributes of an object, a specified watching frequency, and a pointer to a message and action associated with failure of the assertion; evaluating each of the received assertions with a corresponding watcher application by checking that each entry has an asserted status, wherein the evaluation step comprises a comparison of each of the received assertions with the actual state of the environment, by inspecting the internal properties of the consumer terminal and by checking if the received assertions point towards or away from relevance; passing information about any assertion that does not have the asserted status to the user interface module, along with the message and actions associated with the assertion; and presenting information to the user through the user interface module, wherein the information comprises information about the failure of the asserted condition, the relayed associated message, and the recommended response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system implemented over a network, comprising:
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an advice site connected to the network, the advice site comprising any of a server and a computer; an advice consumer terminal for gathering assertions from the advice site over the network, the advice consumer terminal having a user associated therewith; and a processor and a user interface associated with the advice consumer terminal, wherein the processor is programmed to maintain a plurality of watcher applications, wherein each of the watcher applications maintains a database of the received assertions, wherein each entry in the database names a file or directory, a list of specified attributes of an object, a specified watching frequency, and a pointer to a message and action associated with failure of the assertion, evaluates each of the received assertions with a corresponding watcher application by checking that each entry has an asserted status, wherein evaluation comprises a comparison of each of the received assertions with the actual state of the environment, by inspecting the internal properties of the consumer terminal; and
by checking if the received assertions point towards or away from relevance;passes information about any assertion that does not have the asserted status to the user interface module, along with the message and actions associated with the assertion; and presents information to the user through the user interface module, wherein the information comprises information about the failure of the asserted condition, the relayed associated message, and the recommended response. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An advice site implemented on any of a computer and a server connected to a network, the advice site comprising:
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a storage for storing advisories placed by an advice provider, each of the advisories comprising an assertion about the internal state of a consumer terminal, the assertion for comparison by one of a plurality of watcher applications at the consumer terminal to determine if the advisory is relevant to inspected properties of the internal state of the consumer computer, and means for synchronizing the advisories between the advice site and the consumer terminal, wherein the synchronization is performed any of continuously, automatically and manually, and wherein the synchronization comprises maintaining a one-to-one correspondence between advisories stored on the consumer terminal with advisories located at the advice site. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification