Network system extensible by users

• US 20050091305A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Byteweavr, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: General Magic, Inc., Ben Franklin Patent Holding LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC), Intellectual Ventures Patent Holding I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Su, Jing, Nelson, Barbara, White, James E., Lange, Danny
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

In one aspect, a network system includes a user interface which allows a user to interact with the network system. An agent server is coupled to the user interface. The agent server manages the operation of the network system. Furthermore, the agent server in conjunction with the user interface is operable to create or modify an agent in response to interaction by the user. In another aspect, a network system includes an agent server which manages the operation of the network system. An agent is operable to utilize a service within the network system. A service wrapper, associated with the service, cooperates with the agent server to mediate interaction between the service and the agent.

Claims

1-76. -76. (canceled)

77. A system for performing user customized network-based operations, comprising:

an agent associated with a user, wherein the agent is configured to perform an operation on behalf of the user; and

an agent server coupled to the agent and coupled to the user via a network communications link, wherein the agent server manages the execution of the operation by the agent,

wherein the agent is operable to use a service and a service resource associated with the service when performing the operation on behalf of the user.

78. The system of claim 77, further comprising a service wrapper associated with the service, wherein the service wrapper is configured to mediate the interaction between the service and the agent.

79. The system of claim 77 wherein the network communications link is a communications link in a public-switched communications network.

80. The system of claim 77, wherein the agent server comprises:

an engine, wherein the engine is configured to control the operation of the agent server;

a scheduler coupled to the engine, wherein the scheduler is configured to trigger the execution of the agent upon occurrence of one or more events; and

an agent object coupled to the agent, wherein the agent object includes data and executable instructions associated with the agent.

81. The system of claim 80, wherein the agent object comprises:

a permission associated with the agent; and

an event handler, wherein the event handler includes data and executable instructions for directing the operation of the engine upon the occurrence of the one or more events.

82. The system of claim 81, wherein the permission is a computational permission defining one or more computational resources that the agent is permitted to use.

83. The system of claim 82, wherein the computational permission further defines the extent to which the agent is permitted to use the one or more computational resources.

84. The system of claim 81, wherein the permission is a service permission defining one or more services that the agent is permitted to use.

85. The system of claim 84, wherein the service permission further defines the extent to which the agent is permitted to use the one or more services.

86. A system for performing user customized network-based operations, comprising:

means for allowing a user to create a network-based agent associated with the user, wherein the network-based agent is configured to perform an operation on behalf of the user;

means for invoking the execution of the network-based agent on the occurrence of an event;

means for using a service and a service resource when performing the operation on behalf of the user; and

means for communicating the result of the operation to the user over a network communications link.

87. The system of claim 86, wherein the network communications link is a communications link in a public-switched communications network.

88. The system of claim 87, further comprising:

means for mediating the interaction between the means for using the service and the service.

89. The system of claim 88, wherein the means for mediating comprises:

means for monitoring the amount of the service resource used by the network-based agent.

90. The system of claim 89, wherein the means for mediating further comprises:

means for converting between a first messaging protocol used by the network-based agent and a second messaging protocol used by the service.

91. The system of claim 86, further comprising:

means for allowing the user to modify the network-based agent associated with the user.

92. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to perform user customized network-based operations, comprising:

means for enabling the processor to allow a user to create a network-based agent associated with the user, wherein the network-based agent is configured to perform an operation on behalf of the user;

means for enabling the processor to invoke the execution of the network-based agent on the occurrence of an event;

means for enabling the processor to use a service and a service resource when performing the operation on behalf of the user; and

means for enabling the processor to communicate the result of the operation to the user over a network communication link.

93. The system of claim 92, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to allow the user to modify the network-based agent associated with the user.

94. A method for performing user customized network-based operations, comprising:

(a) receiving data for creating an agent customized to perform a task for a user upon the occurrence of an event;

(b) creating the agent, wherein the agent has a plurality of executable instructions for performing the task;

(c) executing the agent instructions upon the occurrence of the event, wherein step (c) includes;

(i) providing instructions to a service to define the operations supported by the service required to perform the task,

(ii) receiving a response from the service including parameters required by the agent to complete task, and

(iii) providing an output associated with the task to the user over a network communications link.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the response received from the service includes data.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein the instructions include a request to access a service resource.

97. The method of claim 94, wherein the network communications link is a communications link in a public-switched communications network.