US6049819A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Communications network incorporating agent oriented computing environment
Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC
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Filing: 1998-01-13
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Granted: 2000-04-11
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Expires: 2018-01-13
Abstract
Abstract An agent oriented computing environment is disclosed comprising an "agent shell" means which can be used by developers for constructing agent computing entities according to their own functionality requirements; an agent enabling layer, providing basic communication, brokering, and negotiation facilities between agent computing entities; and an underlying transport mechanism based on a prior art CORBA platform. Agents communicate with each other using an agent communication language enabling them to interact to domain specific problems. Agents can pass information to each other in ACL messages describing their own vocabularies concerning logic (ontologies). Various services for locating and connecting agents are provided in the agent oriented environment, such as a broker service for locating and finding agents. A collection of agents may communicate with each other where the agents remain static, maintaining their physical locations on their corresponding host physical resource devices, or alternatively agents may be transported across a plurality of physical resources, through the CORBA platform. The environment supports encapsulation of legacy objects, databases, standard and proprietary protocols and interfaces.
Inventors
- 👤 Phillip Jonathan Buckle
- 👤 Robert George Hadingham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 20:47
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/465; G06F9/48; G06F9/4806; G06F9/4843; G06F9/485; G06F9/4856; G06F9/4862; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/10; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L67/02; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A communications network providing a distributed computing environment and comprising: a plurality of physical resources comprising a plurality of processors, and a plurality of memory means associated with the physical resources; a plurality of agent computing entities, each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, and residing, the physical resources; a means for communicating between the physical resources; and means for interfacing the agent computing entities to the communicating means such that the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other over said communications network using a common set of syntax and common set of message exchanges.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A communications network providing a distributed computing environment and comprising: a plurality of physical resources comprising a plurality of processors, and a plurality of memory means associated with the physical resources; a plurality of agent computing entities, each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, and residing, the physical resources; a means for communicating between the physical resources; and means for interfacing the agent computing entities to the communicating means such that the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other over said communications network using a common set of syntax and common set of message exchanges.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said communicating means comprises a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) platform.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises means for interfacing an agent computing entity representation to said communicating means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises an agent communication language.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises a Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA) agent communication language.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises KQML (Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity is configured to perform a predetermined task autonomously of other ones of said plurality of agent computing entities.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity comprises an intelligence component.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity comprises a human factor component.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity comprises an object oriented representation of a system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity is adapted to cooperate with at least one other of said agent computing entities.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a said agent computing entity is configured to receive details of functionality provided by another said agent computing entity over said communicating means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
The network as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first said agent computing entity corresponds with a second said agent computing entity via a third said agent computing entity, said third agent computing entity configured to perform a teach functionality in which said third agent computing entity communicates an ontology data between said first and second agent computing entities.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
104 words
A computing infrastructure means for supporting a population of agent computing entities in a distributed computing environment, each agent computing entity incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, said infrastructure comprising: a communications platform supporting communications between the agent computing entities; a shell means for said agent computing entity, said shell means comprising: an agent communications language element; and an interface means for interfacing between said agent communications language element and said communications platform, wherein the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
104 words
A computing infrastructure means for supporting a population of agent computing entities in a distributed computing environment, each agent computing entity incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, said infrastructure comprising: a communications platform supporting communications between the agent computing entities; a shell means for said agent computing entity, said shell means comprising: an agent communications language element; and an interface means for interfacing between said agent communications language element and said communications platform, wherein the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computing infrastructure means as claimed in claim 14, wherein said communications platform comprises a CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) platform.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computing infrastructure means as claimed in claim 14, wherein said agent communication language comprises a Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA) agent communication language.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computing infrastructure means as claimed in claim 14, wherein said agent communication language comprises a KQML (Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computing infrastructure means as claimed in claim 14, wherein said interface means comprises an object capable of encapsulation of agent communication language messages in an interface description language.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computing infrastructure as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a broker agent arranged for introducing a plurality of said agents within said computing infrastructure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
40 words
The computing infrastructure as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a physical resource configured as an agent naming service, said agent naming service containing data signals describing locations of a plurality of agent computing entities connected with said computing infrastructure.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
128 words
A distributed computing environment comprising a plurality of physical resources configured as a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, each said physical resource comprising: at least one data processor; at least one memory means capable of storing data signals; a set of control instructions configured for controlling said at least one processor to perform data processing operations on said stored data signals; and a communications platform; wherein the agent computing entities each comprise a means for interfacing with said communications platform and one or more object representations of a modelled system wherein the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
128 words
A distributed computing environment comprising a plurality of physical resources configured as a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component, each said physical resource comprising: at least one data processor; at least one memory means capable of storing data signals; a set of control instructions configured for controlling said at least one processor to perform data processing operations on said stored data signals; and a communications platform; wherein the agent computing entities each comprise a means for interfacing with said communications platform and one or more object representations of a modelled system wherein the agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The distributed computing environment as claimed in claim 21, wherein said communications platform comprises a CORBA (common object request broker architecture) platform.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The distributed computing environment as claimed in claim 21, wherein said interface means comprises an agent communications language.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The distributed computing environment as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least some physical resources incorporate negotiation means, intelligence means and persistent storage means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
133 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, each physical resource comprising a processing means, a data storage means, and a control signal storage means; a method of transporting an agent computing entity incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component between a first physical resource at a first location, and a second physical resource at a second location, said method comprising the steps of: representing said agent entity as a message in an agent communications language; transporting said message over a CORBA platform between said first and second locations; and converting said message back to code representing said agent computing entity, wherein agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
133 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, each physical resource comprising a processing means, a data storage means, and a control signal storage means; a method of transporting an agent computing entity incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component between a first physical resource at a first location, and a second physical resource at a second location, said method comprising the steps of: representing said agent entity as a message in an agent communications language; transporting said message over a CORBA platform between said first and second locations; and converting said message back to code representing said agent computing entity, wherein agent computing entities are able to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
160 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, each said physical resource comprising a processor means, and a data storage means, wherein a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component are resident on said plurality of said physical resources; a method of data processing comprising: interacting a first agent computing entity with a second agent computing entity by: i) said first agent computing entity packaging a set of data signals into one or more agent communication language messages; ii) transporting said one or more agent communication language messages to said second computing entity over a CORBA platform; and iii) said second computing entity receiving said one or more agent communication language messages and recovering said data signals therefrom wherein said first and second agent computing entities are enabled to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
160 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, each said physical resource comprising a processor means, and a data storage means, wherein a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component are resident on said plurality of said physical resources; a method of data processing comprising: interacting a first agent computing entity with a second agent computing entity by: i) said first agent computing entity packaging a set of data signals into one or more agent communication language messages; ii) transporting said one or more agent communication language messages to said second computing entity over a CORBA platform; and iii) said second computing entity receiving said one or more agent communication language messages and recovering said data signals therefrom wherein said first and second agent computing entities are enabled to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said step of transporting said data over said CORBA platform comprises containing said messages of said agent communication language into an interface definition language capable of interfacing with said CORBA platform.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said step of recovering said data signals from said agent communication language messages comprises: receiving signals in the form of a CORBA event encoded in an interface definition language syntax from said CORBA platform; and converting said interface definition language syntax signals to agent communication language messages containing said data signals.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said data signals define an agent computing entity.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, physical resource comprising a processor means and a data storage means, wherein a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component are resident on said plurality of physical resources, a method of interacting first and second agent computing entities with each other comprising the steps of: said first agent entity sending a message to said second said agent entity, said message containing data describing functionality available at said first agent entity; and said second agent entity responding to said first agent entity by sending a message signal containing data describing functionality available at said second agent entity, wherein said first and second agent computing entities are enabled to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a computing environment comprising a plurality of distributed physical resources, physical resource comprising a processor means and a data storage means, wherein a plurality of agent computing entities each incorporating a set of one or more objects and a messaging component are resident on said plurality of physical resources, a method of interacting first and second agent computing entities with each other comprising the steps of: said first agent entity sending a message to said second said agent entity, said message containing data describing functionality available at said first agent entity; and said second agent entity responding to said first agent entity by sending a message signal containing data describing functionality available at said second agent entity, wherein said first and second agent computing entities are enabled to communicate with each other using a common set of syntax and a common set of message exchanges.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein said data describing functionality comprises ontology data describing meanings of agent communication language messages.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein a said agent computing entity performs a predetermined task autonomously of other ones of said plurality of agent computing entities.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein a said agent computing entity allow use of its functionality to at least one other of said agent computing entities.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein said message signals comprise agent communications language messages sent asynchronously over an externalization service of a CORBA platform.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-04-11 | 2003-10-11 | 2004-04-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-04-11 | 2007-10-11 | 2008-04-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-04-11 | 2011-10-11 | 2012-04-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |