AU2003271394B2 - Computer network structure and cybernetic device - Google Patents

Description

COMPUTER NETWORK STRUCTURE AND CYBERNETIC DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to computer networks and devices for forming computer networks.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Over the last two decades, a number of domains of economic activity related to the use of networks have entered a phase of rapid technological change. These domains include applications requiring the use of networked computers and/orparallel computing, networks of electronic devices of various kinds, and various forms of artificial intelligence and expert systems such as in banking, education, entertainment, health, scientific research, various forms of telecommunications, energy supply and use, water distribution and many facets of local and international commerce and trade.

Changes in these domains are requiring a fast expansion of network throughput capacity, quality of service, such as rates of data transmission and latency, and the range of services capable to be delivered by networked systems. In parallel, there is also a rapidly increasing demand for the supply of services through mobile units (handheld, carried on or by a person such as cellular phone, laptop computer, or installed in a vehicle) that are comparable or equivalent to those provided through fixed units (such as fixed phone devices or desk top computers).

Conventional telecommunications and/or media networks, and related industries, are seeking to respond to the new demands by developing new interactive systems capable of delivering video-phone, video-conferencing, video-on-demand, and Internet services in addition to existing data and voice services. These improvements, however, do not fully meet the emerging new demands. The long term trend is towards the provision of low-cost, high reliability telesthesia, telekinesis, telepresence, telemetry, telemanagement, and telecommunication services based on network systems endowed with distributed artificial intelligence. These services or forms of functionality are closely interrelated. In order to stress this interrelationship, and to facilitate the description of this invention, in the remainder of the text these services are abbreviated as telhex services. This functionality is defined as follows: Telesthesia functionality refers to remote sensing, including television in the sense broadcasting audio-visual images and remote collection of audiovisual material. It also includes the other human senses such as touch and smell, albeit in limited forms at present, such as through various so-called virtual reality devices and systems. Beside broadcasting applications in the entertainment industry (such as various forms of television), telesthesia applications include the remote monitoring and surveillance of areas, such as a central business district (CBD) and of premises.

Telemetry is an extension of telesthesia that refers to the remote carrying out of specific measurements of physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, force, mass, pH, voltage, current, harmonics, digital states, geographical location, and so on. Specific applications include the remote measurement and recording of supply and/or use of energy (power, gas), operating fluids (water, effluents, gases), discrete masses and devices (particles, powders, objects, and so on), monitoring of movements, tracking of vehicles, navigation, and related operations, remote operation of medical and health related devices for remote patient monitoring, remote operation of scientific instruments, and the like.

Telekinesis refers to remote mechanical action by way of actuating mechanical, electronic, or chemical devices or a combination of these.

Specific applications include remote operation of safety and/or health related devices such as railway crossings, traffic lights, health care equipment such as home breathing equipment, remote surgical operations, security of premises and vehicles (like operation and locking of doors), remote operation of machinery in difficult or dangerous environments.

Telepresence is a further extension of telesthesia, telemetry and telekinesis for personal interactions at distance with other people, objects, devices or animals. Telepresence functionality includes audio and videophony but also extends into uses of a wide range of networked virtual reality techniques and robotics to achieve as comprehensive as might be required a human presence at a distance.

Telemanagement refers to the remote management of devices or systems such as the remote operation and control of complex plants, the remote management of distributed energy supply and use networks, or the autonomous operation of intelligent networked robotics.

Telecommunications is understood in the broadest sense to mean the transfer of information of any kind across distances by wired, cabled, or wireless means.

Telhex services also include the integration of part or all of the above forms of functionality such as required for the provision of services to, or by, third parties. These applications, for example, may be limited in scope to specific categories like surveillance and security of premises, provision of multimedia entertainment, or encompass large and complex ranges of networked activities such as in the operation of a hospital, a university campus, an assembly plant, a chemical processing plant, or a whole industrial estate. These activities also encompass the provision of networked administrative consumer services such as banking and insurance, and the facilitation of business transactions of all kinds (from video conferencing to means of electronic payments that preserve full privacy).

Beside the availability of the necessary technology, the development of networked systems endowed with distributed artificial intelligence and telhex functionality is driven by major independent economic and societal change trends. The two main aspects of these trends are: the globalisation of the world economy and its implications for the way economic transactions and information exchanges take place; and related changes in people's social and working life, their lifestyles, work environments, and work practices.

The former of these trends is characterised by the delocalisation of economic transactions. While physical aspects of production, transport, and consumption processes take place at specific geographical locations or routes, the corresponding social, economic and commercial transactions themselves increasingly take place in an informational space that is logically non-local, that is, not geographically located. This non-geographical space is now commonly referred to as "cyberspace" Here social, economic and commercial transactions include orders, purchases, sales, marketing, collection, storage and exchanges of information of all kinds, and in particular production, storage, and exchange of units or amounts of monetary value as in contemporary banking and financial systems, but also new and emerging various forms of electronic cash, creation and handling of legal and commercial instruments (such as contracts, tender documents, bills of lading, and so on), creation and operation of commercial or not-for-profit organisations, and other agencies (such as limited liability companies, cooperatives, associations, incorporated institutions, government agencies, and so on), and engaging in the full range of human social and cultural interactions when these are taking place in a distributed manner beyond ordinary earshot and eyesight.

Such non-local transactions, exchanges or interchanges increasingly take place by networked electronic media rather than face-to-face. Such electronic means, already in existence or under development, are limited in scope and capacity relative to emerging market requirements.

The latter of the trends referred to above is characterised by the rapid destruction of traditional neighbourhoods, work practices and work environments, which until recently provided in rich and varied ways the core facets of people's social life. In the new social and economic environment traditional patterns are fast replaced with personal networks that are geographically distributed over wide areas (such as sprawling suburbs, other cities, other countries). These networks encompass family, friends, work partners and associates, clients, suppliers, competitors, and so on that are specifically geographically located, and, increasingly, non-local organisations and agencies as described above.

These networks are extremely complex, loosely structured and forever changing. At the corporate, national, and international levels, the corresponding infrastructures increasingly require extensive and intensive use of networked telhex services as well as the assistance of artificial intelligence and expert systems (for example, in the cases of the operation of large telecommunications networks, distance education,: networked health agencies, transnational or multinational commercial operations, in particular by way of intranets).

The functionality requirements are increasingly defined in terms of selfmanagement, self-routing, and robotics. The overall characteristic of systems meeting such demands is called autopoiesis, meaning literally "self-maker" in the sense of self-creation and self-construction.

In essence, the major contemporary trends referred to earlier require a wide range of electronic networked autopoietic systems to mediate between local and non-local social and economic activities. This mediation is a historically new development that is not well addressed by existing technology or technology currently under development.

Further, the emergent forms of social and economic organisation and ways of doing business increasingly rely on modes of communication that differ profoundly from the dominant modes of organisation found in existing network technology. The latter are still predicated on historical waves of technology development that have traditionally imposed topologies that are characterised by some form of hierarchy, including some central controlling agency, and that incorporate some tree-like structure (see Figure In contrast, the former rely on loose ever-changing networks that are inherently non-hierarchical, and require various forms of co-operation among local and non-local agencies.

New approaches in the cognitive sciences and related domains of communication, social and economic research are being developed which provide improved understandings of the changes. In particular Varela et al.

(The Embodied Mind, Cognitive Science and Human Experience, The MIT Press (1992)) have pointed out the convergence between, and the considerable advantages that could be found in integrating, recent developments in the fields of artificial intelligence, networked systems, cybernetics, robotics, and cognitive sciences on the one hand (referred to as cognitive network research in the remainder of this description), and the longstanding epistemological traditions found in Zen, Vajrayana, Madhyamika and Abidharma on the other hand (referred to in summary form as Zen in the remainder of this description).

At the heart of this convergence is a renewed understanding of the fundamentals of communications between people and the structural coupling of cognitive or intelligent networks with their environment. The consequential integration of cognitive network research outcomes and Zen referred to above is carried out in the present invention in the form of a new paradigm that enables the development of non-hierarchical models. In turn this new paradigm serves as the basis for the specification of the apparati and methods described in the present invention that enable the design, production and deployment of non-hierarchical autopoietic networks that are endowed with distributed artificial intelligence, and are able to meet the new demands through telhex functionality. These paradigm, apparati and methods constitute a radical departure from present development trends and stand in marked contrast with current sate of the art.

The latter show a profound inadequacy relative to the new demands resulting in an increasing divergence between the two. In the case of telecommunications, for example, state of the art technology tends to connect end-users through sets of hierarchically organised and layered exchanges that are structured according to tree-like patterns. Figure 1 describes a path linking subscribers A and B through a typical complex and extensive route tracing back and forth through a series of tree nodes and/or exchanges while A and B are geographically contiguous. Most state of the art technologies do not allow the development of flexible direct routes between A and B.

These considerations apply also to prior art for mobile communications such as cellular phones that are structured as networks of cells. Such systems require an infrastructure of fixed antennas or cellular towers, central agencies or exchanges, and a limited number of interconnect points between competing networks that all impose a strong hierarchical structure on the overall system used to link mobile .units as they move from cell to cell. Such systems marginally add mobile functionality to pre-existing hierarchically structured wired or cabled networks. They do not meet telhex functionality requirements of the non-hierarchical networks customers are seeking to develop and use.

As a consequence of the prevalence of hierarchical and tree-based models in prior art, customers and users that are seeking to operate their own networks in co-operative ways that are inherently non-hierarchical and nonlocal are being forced to use systems and infrastructures that are profoundly hierarchical and increasingly constrained in their capacity, speed and throughput.

Faced with this situation, the response of network developers and service providers has been to keep adding to existing infrastructure and technology by increments without questioning the ongoing adequacy of rationale for prior art. This approach has perpetuated and worsened the problems associated with the hierarchical logic discussed above and has entrenched it instead of mitigating its effects.

Further, current hierarchical and tree-based network models are extremely rigid in their implementation. Nodes cannot be easily physically relocated without substantial costs. Increases in the density of nodes require extensive rewiring, cabling, and laying down of new lines. Overall such systems are capital infrastructure, operation and maintenance cost intensive, in particular, in the form of copper and/or optical fibre cabling, grids of towers and antennas, and layered networks of exchanges. Further, in situations where new networks are being established, such as in numerous developing countries, or where networks need to be re-developed as in previously centrally planned economies, and in areas with difficult terrain wired and/or, cabled systems are often unpractical and/or prohibitive.

Another complementary industry response is to develop multimedia networks with expanded broadband capacities. This is particularly the case in the telecommunications and cable TV industries with bandwidth requirements of at least 100Mb/s and preferably more than 200Mb/s. There are two competing approaches: wired and/or cabled, and wireless. The substantially asymmetrical throughput capabilities of broadband systems presently under development is a major disadvantage that is mostly inherited from underlying historical hierarchical structures. Increasingly, network users require to transmit and exchange large amounts of information bidirectionally and in real time with up-links of similar capacity as downlinks, that is, in largely symmetrical ways. The heavy infrastructure costs and, as a general rule, inherent tree-like character of wired or cabled broadband systems are further disadvantages. Because of this, wireless approaches are increasingly preferred, in particular, as noted above, for new developments, redevelopments, and in difficult terrain.

However, prior art for wireless systems has been and is being developed in ways that emulate existing wired and cellular systems and therefore exhibit similar underlying hierarchical tree-like topologies such as dense networks of fixed overlapping cells requiring heavy infrastructure investments in towers, antennas, and exchanges.

Because of the above, the major shifts towards increased bandwidth by wired and/or wireless means do not address the emerging market problems and demands outlined above.

Before presenting and discussing the fundamental premises of the present invention, a range of prior art solutions related to the problems described above will now be discussed with a particular focus on telecommunications as such technologies impinge on practically all aspects of the development of large networked systems.

US patent No. 5,583,914 (to Chang et al) describes an intelligent wireless signalling overlay for a telecommunication network. The system described is an add-on to an existing wired network and uses a database of locations of the terminations to define the routing used. A particular embodiment of the invention uses GPS devices to provide location data. The database however, is centralised and it is the central routing system that selects voice and data transmission paths. These are optimised according to pre-established criteria. Although the system makes heavy use of wireless links between nodes, the actual structure that implements a given optimised path remains hierarchical and tree-like.

A number of prior art documents implement neural networks for routing packets, (for example see US patent No. 5,577,028). In the field of cellular technology, for example, US patent No. 5,434,950 describes a method for making hand-over decisions in a radio communication network. The system uses a neural network that mirrors the network of each base station. The neural networks learn hand-over patterns from the actual network. This system is an add-on to existing tree-like systems based on a hierarchy of exchange centres. It does not alter the basic routing protocol and operation of the telecommunications system.

More relevant prior art relating to non-hierarchical network models may be found in satellite technologies such as the Iridium and Teledesic systems.

These are intended to provide universal and expanded telecommunications services wirelessly anywhere in the world. Satellite networks operate essentially as relays or bridges over large distances that interconnect users transparently with each other and existing telecommunication systems through gateways.

The Iridium system is controlled by a master control facility whereby each satellite is connected to four others. The overall system includes six orbital levels with eleven operational satellites each. The system is therefore a fixed grid of limited throughput capacity for the direct subscriber to subscriber portion and also functions as a long distance add-on to existing hierarchical telecommunication systems.

The Teledesic system is designed to provide a wireless, fibre-like universal telecommunication services with a capability that extends to video conferencing. The Teledesic system was developed as a global infrastructure, which is intended to allow local service providers to extend their existing networks. It is therefore essentially an add-on, which operates via gateways.

The Teledesic system is designed to minimise latency regardless of applications that can tolerate delays such as video-on-demand, versus applications that cannot tolerate such delays such as voice communications.

The Teledesic satellite network is designed to be isolated from terrestrial systems and operates under separate protocols. Thus, it is inherently separate from an end user network environment. Because of the distributed algorithm used independently by each node, this satellite system is described as a non-hierarchical mesh. However, the Teledesic system is, in effect, hierarchical in two ways. Firstly, it involves two layers that are clearly distinct by design and are hierarchically structured with respect to distribution of power and bandwidth capacity. Thus, speed of transmission and routing decisions are also hierarchically structured. Secondly, inside the satellite network itself, there is a logical hierarchy between adjacent communicating satellites and the others.

Further, the Teledesic satellite network system relies on overlapping coverage and on-orbit-spare satellites to maintain satellite system integrity. In this sense, its telecommunications model is comparable to overlapping cell systems developed for terrestrial broadband systems.

Networks of this type are also finite. They are not designed to be added to endlessly with nodes positioned at random locations.

US Patent 5,088,091 (Schroeder et al) describes a High Speed Mesh Controlled Local Area Network. This technique attempts to solve problems encountered in a mesh network with an arbitrary topology (that is, neither linear nor ring networks). These problems include deadlock, handling broadcast messages, network reconfiguration when a node fails and routing messages so that network throughput is higher than that of a single link. As such, Schroeder et al. addresses some of the same problems addressed by the present invention.

However, the proposed solution involves the use of cut-through nonblocking switches connected by series of point to point links with the mesh actually structured as a tree. Any change in the mesh necessitates a complete reconfiguration that recomputes all the legal paths for routing messages through the network. This latter feature appears cumbersome and would severely limit application of the method to large telecommunication networks.

The logical tree structure superimposed on the non-hierarchical topology serves to define routing rules for up and down links. For example, packets received downlinks can only be forwarded on downlinks. While such a structure solves the problems addressed by Schroeder et al., it does not fully address the broader problems identified by the present invention such as the seamless integration of mobile units in a non-hierarchical mesh and the development of large meshes. Schroeder et al. limit their invention to, at most, 1408 host computers.

To summarise, prior art relating to non-hierarchical telecommunication systems is generally concerned with improving routing through existing hierarchical networks. Such improvements are generally effected by methods such as overlaying a non-hierarchical trunk line mesh over part of a network for overflow handling; overriding a network hierarchy by using processes at control switch points to define alternative route choices; detecting and mitigating local exchange failure; or overlaying an expert system (such as a neural network) to operate a non-hierarchical part of an international network.

While some methods use a type of dynamic interaction between nodes, the generic approaches are similar to those analysed above in that nodes act like switching automatons using routing tables. The dynamic component is essentially a trial and error system adapted to identify alternative routes in an otherwise hierarchical system. To the applicant's knowledge, all prior art examples correspond to add-ons and are profoundly different from the present invention both in network structure and operating methodologies.

It is also known in the prior art to implement types of artificial intelligence in order to overcome present network limitations and to expand the capabilities of advanced intelligent networks. In particular, a consequence of the hierarchical structure of present networks is that a very large centralised computer package is needed to control them. An example of such a system is that used by British Telecom to manage its network. This system is reported to be approaching its operational limit. The use of software agents and developments in the expanding field of distributed artificial intelligence are being proposed to alleviate the network operating and management problems such as encountered by British Telecom. In this context, an interesting prior art technique, which seeks to overcome these network limitations, does so by the use of software agents called "ants". These approaches mimic, more or less closely, the routing behaviour of real ants. Ants are known to direct traffic flow of fellow ants towards the shortest route towards the food they have found by means of heuristic processes. Ants leave pheromone scent trails wherever they go. Other ants that follow such trails also leave scent. Thus, trails that prove the shortest route are more scented and become the favoured path. The trails of scent constitute a kind of distributed memory of the network status.

Ant software agents are endowed with properties that mimic this behaviour in various ways. British Telecom's ants for example, are hierarchical. A large programme wanders randomly across the network and assesses traffic at each node. At points of congestion, it creates smaller "worker ant" programmes that move to neighbouring nodes to assess routes with spare capacity and update the routing tables at each node accordingly, thus leaving behind them improved routing trails. This approach can however lead to circular routes.

Developments in this area have sought to expand the capabilities of ants both at the local level and at the overall level of network management (such as billing tasks). Related developments have explored the use of genetic algorithms and evolutionary protocols such as implementations of "survival of the fittest" strategies. This is intended to enable ant-software to evolve and develop their capabilities to a point where they can run an entire network autonomously. Major risks and disadvantages in the above approaches include the potential for damaging software at the nodes in the network in ways that cannot easily be corrected, ants evolving the capability to resist attempts at eradicating rogue ants, and ants escaping on a competitor's network.

Similar problems related to topology, telhex services, and the deployment and use of distributed artificial intelligence, are also encountered in numerous other commercial areas, such as computer networks, supercomputers and massively parallel machines, energy supply and use networks, networked machinery and processing chains used by a wide variety of manufacturing industries, as well as in the health, education, and entertainment industries.

An inadequate paradigm of subject-object relations and subject-subject communications is found at the heart of the above problems. While this has been known and studied for a long time in the epistemology of Zen, as discussed in detail by Varela et al. (1992) (op. cit.) for example, it is only recently that this issue has started to be recognised in cognitive science and the related fields of Artificial Intelligence, cybernetics and robotics. Yet, up to the present, the implications of the need to adopt a new paradigm in the latter domains, and in the broader field of communications, have not yet been systematically analysed. Based on the following discussion, the present invention offers a new communication paradigm and uses it to specify a set of network and network models, apparati, and a generic method for operating same.

Current and state-of-the-art relating to communications and handling of objects is based on a dual Aristotelian logic that, in its simplest expression, postulates two items, an emitter and a receiver. A relation between the two carries messages from emitter to receiver. This is shown in Schematic 1 where the emitter is E, the receiver R, and the message carrying relation f(m): Schematic 1

F

With reference to Teundroup (L'mmortait6 est la Mort des Illusions, in Question De, No. 71, pp 119-138, Paris (1987)), this structure is, in effect, a particular version of the more general subject/object dual postulates as described in Schematic 2: Shai f(r) Schematic 2I 0 S and 0 represent respectively any subject and object. The squares emphasise that they are perceived to be fixed in their nature and are independent and distinct from one another. f(r) represents any one-to-one relation between S and o. This structure is generally perceived as a fair representation of how people interact with things and other people around them, and of how, in particular, they communicate. In practice, however, this description can be seen to be, at best, a crude approximation, as is analysed below.

Fr Fr thus defines how any S interacts with its environment when it is perceived as distinct from self and composed of separate objects. 0 may be called the set of such objects, 0 Schematic 3 represents this more general description: Fr Schematic 3 F S's awareness of its own existence only occurs by virtue of distinctions from that which it is not. In this perspective, S's awareness of its own existence happens only through Fr. Similarly, for an external observer who abides by the same generic relational logic, the awareness of the existence of S is contingent on Fr-like sets. It effectively follows that S's ego, that is, S's sense of self, is identical with Fr. However, this also means that the existence of the elements of O, that is, the objects in S's environment, is contingent upon S's capture of them through Fr. This dual relationship is more accurately described by Schematic 4 that highlights the reciprocal determination of S and 0 by each other through Fr: Schematic 41 However, this means further that neither S nor O exist by and in themselves independently from one another. They are in some form of correlation with each other, and Fr is better expressed as a correlation function Fc. This can be represented more specifically by Schematic Schematic 5 S Fc

O

This means that, from a point of view that is independent from S and 0, and not predicated on the prior existence of subjects and objects as fixed independent entities, the only existence that can be stated conclusively is that of the operational capability of the correlation function as expressed in Schematic Fc O) Schematic 6

S-

In other words, objects and subjects experienced through such correlations are void of proper existence in and for themselves (notion of vacuity). Those items, the experiences expressed through Fc are called "dharmas" in Zen psychology and epistemology. A dharma is the coarising of both S and the endless series of objects o so that the awareness of S, that of 0, and of the relations S entertains with O are concomitant and cannot be dissociated. Given the infinite multiplicity of possible sets of objects, and the parallel multiplicity of possible subjects that can be defined in this way, in its most generic form, this awareness is the set c of relationship functions of which, in effect, S and 0 are sub-sets (see Schematic 7): Schematic 7 Schematic 6 and Schematic 7 are more accurate characterisations of how people interact with their environment and communicate with each other than Schematic 1 and Schematic 2.

However, prior art in the domains of artificial intelligence and cybernetics has developed in two main directions, symbolic versus connectionist, that both remain predicated on the paradigms expressed in Schematic 1 and Schematic 2. This relates in particular to the use of experts systems using symbolic processing of data, and approaches based on neural networks. It is being increasingly recognised that neither approach on its own can suffice to develop advanced forms of artificial intelligence and be applied reliably to operate large commercial networks (see in particular Minsky, M., 1990, "Logical vs Analogical or Symbolic vs Connectionist or Neat vs Scruffy", in Artificial Intelligence at MIT, Expanding Frontiers, Winston,

MIT

Press), and above discussion on software ants). A satisfactory integration of the two approaches or alternative route remains to be developed. The difficulty they face is that is neither integrates the above critique of subject/object relations.

Similarly, in the fields of robotics, and software agents, cognitive approaches have sought to structure systems through functional layers that are meant to mimic the human mind or the minds of less developed cognitive systems such as that of insects. Here again two main approaches can be found. Some, like Aaron Sloman (University of Birmingham) have adopted layers defined in terms of operational functions such as perception, central hierarchical systems of reaction, management, and metamanagement, and action sub-systems, while others like Rodney Brooks (MIT's Al Laboratory) have criticised the former and opted for approaches to the development of autopoietic cognisant systems through the definition of layers in terms of activities, such as identifying, monitoring, avoiding, rather than operational functions. Yet neither side has integirated the need to radically alter fundamental paradigms of cognition reflected in the above discussion of subject/object dialectics.

Further, Varela et al. (1992, Op. Cit.) have stressed that both autopoiesis and cognition, in cognitive networked systems like the brain, appear to be emergent properties of massive interconnections amongst networks of distributed systems that are also themselves networks of systems without any apparent hierarchy or centralised controlling system. In other words, autopoiesis and cognition are predicated on the dense dynamic interconnection of numerous simple components that each operate in their own local environment and that are structured as networks of networks where member networks have a degree of autonomy. In this respect, Varela et al.

have pointed out the incoherences and contradictions in much of the fields of cognitive science and artificial intelligence that result from failing to draw the full implications of the above considerations regarding cognitive networks. In contrast, they have shown how Abidharma and Zen have developed an extremely refined and coherent epistemology of cognition that matches the empirical findings of modern science and can serve as a starting point to develop more effective approaches that do not fall prey to the pitfalls and difficulties outlined above. Yet, up to the present, the potential of Zen epistemology for the development of autopoietic intelligent networks has not been effectively translated into practice.

23/02/07 10:56 SHELSTON IP 4 00262837999#9266 N0.798 004 It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least miti ate the C) disadvantages and problems encountered In prior art and discussed above or at least to provide the public with a useful alternative.

Any discussion herein of the prior art does not constitute an admission that such prior art was widely known or forms part of the common general Mn knowledge.

"-i e DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Ci| According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cornmputer network including a plurality of cybernetic devices that are each adapted t) communicate with at least one other cybernetic device in the computer nework, wherein when the structure of the network in terms of communication between cybernetic devices is considered, the computer network is substantially self similar at plural levels of aggregation so that the computer network displays fractal characteristics and Is structured as a network of networks that individually display the self similar characteristics.

Preferably, the computer network works through co-operative interaction among the cybernetic devices, co-operative interaction being defined as the cybe netic devices working together to carry out tasks without the interactions themselves being governed by a hierarchical structure.

Preferably, groups of said cybernetic devices containing two or more cybernetic devices co-operatively develop and evolve required network processes through iterative learning processes.

Preferably, a cybernetic device initiates co-operative operation of the network when it can not itself perform a network activity.

Preferably, interactions between networks in the computer network occur through symbolic information exchange and processing, while the mode of COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2007-02.23 operation of individual cybernetic devices is that of distributed non-symbolic forms of processing.

Preferably, the computer network includes computer memory readable by the cybernetic devices and containing a set of algorithms for execution by the cybernetic devices in order to perform network activities, wherein the cybernetic devices select algorithms for execution using an iterative process until predetermined criteria set by users and/or designers of the computer network is satisfied.

Preferably, the operation of the computer network and the cybernetic devices is proscriptive, thereby allowing the system to behave in any manner that is not proscribed in order to perform network activities.

Preferably, the cybernetic devices store in computer memory selections of algorithms for execution that satisfy specific predetermined criteria for use should the same predetermined criteria require satisfaction thereafter.

Preferably, each selection of algorithms stored in computer memory is deleted after a period of time according to at least one of the intensity of use of the selection of algorithms and the time elapsed since the selection of algorithms was stored.

Preferably, each selection of algorithms stored in computer memory is allocated a priority rating and the cybernetic devices are operable to determine what selections of algorithms to delete dependent also on the priority rating of the selection of algorithm under consideration.

Preferably, the cybernetic devices function as both the infrastructure of the network and the means by which network services are delivered to network users.

Preferably, the cybernetic devices at each level of aggregation have increased communication abilities in terms of one or both of bandwidth and communication range than the cybernetic devices in any lower level of aggregation.

Preferably, the cybernetic devices in operation supervise or mind one or more other cybernetic devices functioning at a lower level of aggregation and wherein the supervised or minded cybernetic devices are operable to request processing or communication functions from a cybernetic device at a higher level of aggregation when they can not individually or cooperatively perform a network activity.

Preferably, each cybernetic device operates in a region of space or in relation to a group of cybernetic devices with which they are associated in conjunction with facilitating communications from and to other cybernetic devices.

Preferably, the number of levels of aggregation is not limited.

Preferably,the cybernetic devices communicate with each other using a wireless communication means.

Preferably, the computer network includes three or more substantially self similar levels of aggregation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cybernetic device for use in a computer network structured as a network of networks displaying self-similar characteristics at each level of aggregation in terms of communication between cybernetic devices, the cybernetic device including communication means for receiving and transmitting information from and to other cybernetic devices respectively, processing means for performing local and network activities by executing algorithms stored locally in computer memory or readable through said communication means, wherein said algorithms stored locally include algorithms to perform at least one network activity by working cooperatively with other cybernetic devices at a first level of aggregation, being the level of aggregation in which the cybernetic device is located, establish whether the network activity is performable by cybernetic devices in the first level of aggregation and request additional processing and/or communication resources from cybernetic devices contained in a higher level of aggregation when the cybernetic device determines that the network can not adequately perform the network activity at the first level of aggregation.

Preferably, the only restriction defined by the algorithms on the identity of other cybernetic devices with which the cybernetic device may cooperate, is the aggregation level of the other cybernetic devices.

Preferably, the cybernetic device is operable to select from a set of algorithms formed by algorithms stored locally and/or communicated to the cybernetic device through said communication means, algorithms for execution by said processing means using an iterative process until predetermined criteria are satisfied.

Preferably, the operation the cybernetic devices is proscriptive, thereby allowing the processing means to execute any combination of algorithms to behave in any manner that is not proscribed.

Preferably, the cybernetic devices store in computer memory selections of algorithms for execution that satisfy specific predetermined criteria, for use should the same predetermined criteria require satisfaction thereafter.

Preferably, each selection of algorithms stored in computer memory has a lifetime and is deleted at the expiration of the lifetime.

Preferably, the cybernetic device includes means to define its geographical location of operation in relation to a region of space in conjunction with facilitating communications from and to other cybernetic devices.

23/02/07 10:56 SHELSTON IP 4 00262837999#9266 N0.798 24 Preferably, the cybernetic device includes means to define its logical loca ion of Coperation in relation to a group of cybernetic devices in conjunction with c facilitating communications from and to other cybernetic devices.

Preferably, the communication means is a wireless communication mean n According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of forming a computer network including: r n a) providing a first plurality of cybernetic devices having processing means for o 10 executing local and network activities and communication means for receiving and transmitting information from and to other cybernetic devices respect vely, said first plurality of cybernetic devices having a first level of communication abilities and forming a first level of aggregation for a computer network; b) providing a second plurality of cybernetic devices having processing means for executing local and network activities and communication means for rce lying and transmitting information from and to other cybernetic devices respectively, said second plurality of cybernetic devices having a second level of communication abilities, higher than said first level, the second plurality o cybernetic devices forming a second level of aggregation for said computer network; c) providing in computer memory readable by said first plurality of cybern tic devices algorithms executable by said first plurality of cybernetic devices to cause them to perform network activities by working cooperatively with other cybernetic devices forming the first level of aggregation and request addi tonal processing and/or communication resources from one or more of said se ond plurality of cybernetic devices forming the second level of aggregation w en the first plurality of cybernetic devices can not adequately perform said network activities.

Preferably, the method includes forming a third level of aggregation by providing a third plurality of cybernetic devices having higher communication abilities than said second plurality of cybernetic devices, providing in computer memory readable by said second plurality of cybernetic devices algorithms execu able by said second plurality of cybernetic devices to cause them to perform net ork activities by working cooperatively with other cybernetic devices in the second COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 200 7 -02 23 23/02/0? 23/02/07 10,56 SHELETON IP 4 00262837999tt9266 N.8 0 No.?9e DOG level of aggregation end request additional processing and/or communication resources from one or more of said third plurality of cybernetic devices cc ntained en in the third level of aggregation when the second plurality of cybernetic devices can not adequately perform said network activities, and providing further evals of aggregation as required until predetermined communication and process ng abilities for the computer network have been met.

Preferably. the method includes forming the computer network by providing three en or more levels of aggregation.

01 Preferably, the cybernetic devices forming each level of aggregation haye higher processing abilities over any cybernetic devices forming part of a lower level or aggregation.

Further aspects of the present invention may become apparent from the Iolowing description, given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described by way of example 5nly and with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1: illustrates a conceptual schematic of a prior art tree-like telecommunication network; Figure 2: illustrates the fractal structure of a network accordii to the present invention; Figure illustrates a conceptual schematic of an example of communication within a network according to the present invention; COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by P1 Australia: Time 10:59 Date 20O7-02 .23 Figure 4: illustrates the basic positioning of a minder inside physical premises; Figure 5: illustrates the component structure of a basic minder; Figure 6: illustrates the procedural steps involved in the function of an autopoietic networked system; Figure 7: illustrates a flowchart of the heuristic sequences involved in the interaction of the networked system with its environment; Figure 8: illustrates a procedural schematic outlining the distinctions from a priori approaches; Figure 9: illustrates schematically the fractal functional nature of a network and the interaction between the network and its environment; Figure 10: illustrates the layers of telhex functionality with reference to Zen forms of operation, the latter given by way of example; Figure 11: illustrates the non-local/local operational distinctions of the minders' functionality; Figure 12: illustrates schematically embodiments of minder connections in relation to networked systems hardware; Figure 13: illustrates schematically the internal structure of a Minder showing the generic location of programmable elements or components such as Dynamically Programmable Gate Arrays; Figure 14: illustrates schematically an outline of an evolution scheme for generating solutions; Figure 15: illustrates schematically an outline of an evolution scheme for generating solutions by means of proscriptive logic; Figure 16: illustrates schematically the creation of software entities which reflect the state of the network environment; and Figure 17: illustrates schematically the creation of software entities which reflect the state of the network environment responding to a users requests.

The present invention relates to computer networks and devices for forming computer networks. The invention may have application to methods and apparati involving distributed and networked autopoietic artificial intelligence systems with applications in a number of areas, including computing, industrial production, education, entertainment health, and telecommunication. The present invention may also have application to to methods and apparati adapted to create, establish, operate and maintain integrated network systems which provides functionality for distance sensing, action, management and communications operations and activities and referred to as telesthesia (remote sensing, including television), telemetry of remote spaces and devices (remote measurements of physical parameters), telekinesis (remote mechanical action), telepresence (interpersonal audiovisual interaction at distance), telemanagement of remote devices (such as remote operation and control of complex plants, remote management of energy supply and use), and telecommunications (transfer of information of any kind across distances), and enable the provision of related services to third parties.

As a preliminary point, a network model that may be developed using the computer network of the present invention is herein referred to as the IndraNet a name derived from Zen.

In Zen, and more broadly the Buddhist literature, Indra's net is a fractal structure such that each of its nodes is a jewel that owes its existence to, and reflects, every single other node jewel in the net, while at the same time it cocreates the whole net along with all the other nodes. This net is infinite (that is, it is not finished, not complete, and can always be extended with the addition of further jewel nodes). This metaphor serves as the starting point for the following description of the invention.

This particular epistemological stance stipulates that items in a specific universe do not have any fixed independent existence, entity or essence.

Each item co-arises with all the others, is a manifestation and co-creation of the whole, and at once is co-creating the whole along with all other items. In IndraNet this co-arising and creation is achieved through the IndraNet Paradigm.

In describing IndraNet, logical structures and software entities quite different from those currently used in the state of the art will be referred to.

Therefore, a specific terminology has been developed to assist in describing the system. This terminology is summarised as follows. With reference to Figure 2, it is noted that the lines illustrate mesh structure at each level of aggregation, not hierarchical relationships.

Cyberhood: a virtual space encompassed by IndraNet. As noted above, it refers to the non-local IndraNet space "inhabited" and used by IndraNet users to exchange information and provide local and non-local telhex functionality.

Netizens: entities humans, organisations, animals, cybernetic systems, machines and like devices) peopling the cyberhood.

IndraNet: a networked infrastructure formed by cybernetic netizens placed at the nodes of the said network, and that mediates local and non-local activities. These activities may be undertaken by people, machines or devices connected to the IndraNet, by Netizens, or by the IndraNet itself.

Minders: cybernetic netizens located at each node of the net. This expression imports the notion of "mindfulness" that is central to the operation of IndraNet. Minders preferably incorporate transceivers. Minders carry out both telecommunications and node specific functions. While carrying out a primary role of communications, minders also function as providers of node specific services based on telhex functionality. For this purpose, and as required for specific applications, minders are endowed with suitable telhex functionality.

Minders may have many physical forms. However, they will all share a number of specific features and capabilities that allow them to operate as nodes in the IndraNet mesh. Referring to Figure 6, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, minders incorporate a transceiver preferably operating in the LMDS or LMCS range. Minder range may be between 50m and 30km. Of course, minders will incorporate hardware such as memory, processing means, antennae, location acquisition such as GPS functionality and power supply. As noted above, minders may be constructed to perform a specific purpose. For example, in a security application, a minder may include motion sensors, video output, alarms, etc. to endow it with the required telhex functionality. A minder may be wired into a building or vehicle or be a movable unit able to be carried by a person or affixed on mobile goods, objects, or animals. An example of the siting of a minder is illustrated in Figure 4 with the addition of communication to another minder shown in Figure 12.

The specific communication mechanism, while generally being wireless, may be wired in certain embodiments and in some applications (for example; electrical power supply monitoring) this may involve physical connection to a utility or telemetry device. An example of a minder interface with a power supply utility and a communication network is shown in Figure Patch: a static piece of real estate house, garden, factory, warehouse, and the like), a static portion of geographic space (such as a forested area, wilderness area, part of a river, stream or estuary, and the like), a part of a city or inhabited environment (such as a road junction, a railway crossing, a car-park, and the like), or a mobile entity car, human, container, packaged goods) which is minded by a minder. The fractal structural relationships of a patch to the whole of an IndraNet are shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3.

Minder Types: while all minders are structured similarly there are various types of minders with more or less extensive capabilities: Standard Minders: a minder can be fixed or mobile. Standard minders are fixed and mind a fixed patch; Roamers: mobile minders. While basically similar to standard minders, roamers can have slightly different characteristics and capabilities as required for specific implementations, such as engine telemetry, tracking and navigation capabilities, and so on.

Personal Minders (PMs) and Goods Minders (GMs): PMs are simplified and miniaturised roamer minders that are hand-held. In their simplest form their functionality is that of a cell-phone. In a preferred embodiment of the invention PMs have videophone and other additional telhex capabilities. GMs are miniaturised simplified minders that can be affixed to or inserted in goods to carry out a range of networked and local services based on telhex functionality. Suitably designed GMs can also be attached to animals for specialised telhex services.

Assistants and Patch Meshes: basic minders co-ordinate miniaturised cybernetic devices called assistants to perform specialised tasks on the patch they mind (such as distributed/decentralised energy management tasks and functions). Assistants are localised and mostly confined to each minder's patch. Assistants are structured as a mesh networks like the rest of the IndraNet they belong to. Thus patch meshes are the finest manifestation of the fractal mesh structure of the IndraNet. While in a preferred embodiment assistants interact with their patch minder to communicate with the outer world, in the most general form of this invention there is no such limitation.

Assistants on different patches can cooperate directly with each other, and use the same communication methods and algorithms as standard minders.

The fractal structural relationships between assistants and patch meshes and the whole IndraNet are shown in Figure 2.

The physical structure of assistants may be likened to peripherals that complement one or several minders to assist it or them in local patch telhex functions. Assistants can be wired but are preferably wireless. A set of assistants is structured as a small mesh that is self-similar as is the whole of the IndraNet. Its function is to incorporate into the broader net, peripheral devices such as voice phones, video cameras, PCs, NCs, home electrical devices, item tags for article identification and similar, and more broadly any devices or means that can be usefully networked to satisfy the requirements of users.

Metaminders and Hyperminders: a metaminder is an enhanced minder that minds a group of basic minders. It is static. It has enhanced capabilities in terms of information throughput, bandwidth, CPU, RAM, and buffer permanent data storage. It occupies the next aggregation level up in the fractal mesh structure relative to minders. Similarly a hyperminder is a minder that minds metaminders, and is suitably enhanced. The fractal structural relationships between Metaminders and Hyperminders and the whole IndraNet are shown in Figure 2.

Location and Nodes: Every minder or minder-like cybernetic device is located at a node of the overall IndraNet network. Every node is specified by a number of characteristics including, most fundamentally, position. Thus it can be seen that the physical form of the network is dynamic reflecting the nature and characteristics of the minders. In a preferred embodiment, each minder is "aware" of the location of all other minders present in its vicinity (defined below) at its level of aggregation and relative to other levels. This functionality may be absent from assistants who "know" that they occupy a given patch and are minded by a given minder. It is envisaged that there may exist a variety of node types including patch nodes, basic nodes, roaming nodes, metanodes, and hypernodes. These latter type of node are nodes occupied by metaminders or hyperminders respectively, while roaming nodes are nodes occupied by roaming minders, that is minders endowed with functionality corresponding to their mobile nature. A metaminder at a metanode stands for all the minders located at the nodes the metaminder currently minds. Thus the operation and interaction between the metaminders can be viewed as mirroring the interaction between the minders at a lower level of aggregation and again reflects the fractal nature of the mesh. The distinction between the various types of minder is, to some extent, artificial, as their generic role in the network is essentially identical in terms of the network model and paradigm. The detail of their operation provides a distinction as does the aggregation level which minders and groups of minders occupy.

Similarly, hypernodes are occupied by hyperminders and correspond to the next level of aggregation in the fractal mesh. It is envisaged that more levels of aggregation can be added with minders and their nodes being distinguished by means of numbering or similar. Higher aggregation levels may be added depending on the complexity and function of the network environment. For example, as an IndraNet expands, higher levels of aggregation may be added to deal with coarse fractal aggregation at a global or national level.

The fractal structure of the IndraNet is illustrated in Figure 3. These aggregation levels are not to be confused with a hierarchical operational structure. The fractal nature of the IndraNet is designed to be combined with the metonymic character of the addressing system to simplify the self-routing procedures. At all aggregation levels, and between levels, routing occurs through a mesh or trellis and is not predicated upon a tree-like structure. This is schematically shown in Figure 3 with respect to the topological aspects of routing, Figure 9 with respect to the fractal non-hierarchical structural coupling of the IndraNet system and its environment.

As can be seen from the above discussion, an IndraNet does not have a fixed topology in that its nodes are not organised or fixed in any specific pattern. Their spatial distribution is essentially random, they are wherever customers require a patch to be minded.

Range: Minders, being communication capable netizens, are further characterised by having a range. That is, a region within which a minder can call directly any other minder, metaminder or hyperminder or similarly a metaminder can call directly any other minder, metaminder, and similarly for higher levels of aggregations.

Vicinity and Environ: Various organisational models can be established for the structure of the IndraNet, incorporating the concept of vicinity and environ. A vicinity is defined for a given node by a set of minders located at nodes that are directly within the range of that given node. A similar construct applies to metaminders and metanodes. An extended vicinity is known as an environ. An environ is a spatial region in which contact processes take place.

Contact processes are part of the Zen framework of the IndraNet Paradigm and will be discussed further below. Generally, an environ encompasses the vicinities of a set of minders that refer to the same metaminder or neighbouring metaminders. The notions of vicinity and environ are illustrated in Figure 3.

The nature of the IndraNet inherently requires an innovative communication model to implement the fractal, self-similar character of an IndraNet. To this end, the fundamentals of communications systems have been considered independently of established methods and models and an innovative network paradigm has been developed to implement the invention.

As noted earlier, present communication system models do not accurately reflect how people actually communicate. As a result, there is an increasing gap between the capability of present telecommunications and networked operations, and the requirements of the customers using such networks. One of the aims of the present invention is to create virtual cybernetic entities that parallel closely how people communicate. By analogy with the language of Zen, these cybernetic entities have been named dharmas. In the present context, dharmas are transient logical entities created at the level of a minder and/or through the co-operation between two or more minders for the purpose of carrying out specific operations or tasks. Dharmas are the means of implementing the autopoietic, and in particular selfmanaging, self-routing character of an IndraNet.

Dharmas are software entities created by evolutionary aggregation of simple algorithms drawn from a library or lexicon of such algorithms.

Algorithms drawn from the lexicon are aggregated by means of a suitable syntax and are installed in minders externally or learned as part of the normal operation of minders and of the endless process of creation and extinguishing of dharmas. In the latter case, they are essentially specific aggregations of simpler algorithms that have previously proved useful to individual minders or to the network as a whole and retained to be added to the lexicon. This process is shown schematically in Figures 7 and 14 to 17.

Dharmas are not bound by, and inherently do not use, the Aristotelian logic commonly used in known Distributed Artificial Intelligence. Although dharmas can be located in a given minder during their transient existence, they are inherently non-local and can manifest themselves across two or more minders.

The above terminology will now be used to describe the key features of the operation of an IndraNet: IndraNet operations occur preferably through distributed activity layers.

Distributed means that while the physical aspects of said layers are implemented at the level of minders, their software operations are distributed throughout the network as required in each specific instance and take place by way of dharmas.

An example of IndraNet Activity Layers is described below with reference to their Zen names and Figure Roku-Nyu: the activation of the telhex functionality through the cybernetic equivalents of the six sensory organs (such as sensors, video cameras, and so on, and collectively labelled Kon by reference to the Zen framework) corresponding to the six objects of perception (material or not, referred to as Kyo).

Shoku, Contact: refers to the processes through which the Kon devices providing telhex functionality interact with their Kyo objects of perception. Contact occurs primarily at the level of minders and assistants. It involves a set of dharmas (referred to as Shiki) that operate at the level of the sensory systems to select meaningful information from the streams of sensory data supplied by the sensory devices. Contact is used to relate to people, in particular users of the net, patches and objects on patches, and an IndraNet's own hardware and software. The set of Shiki dharmas also provide the system with awareness processes that ascertain that these sensory contact processes are happening.

Ju, Feeling: feeling integrates the sensory data into specific perceptions in ways enabling higher decision making and meaningful interaction with people. By analogy with human experience feeling, for example, can be basically structured as pleasurable, unpleasurable and neutral through suitable ranges of degrees. In particular embodiments feeling can be structured as relations of identity with sets of criteria modulo corresponding relationships (E K Modulo 91). The integration of the individual feelings (crudely such as a rating on a scale) gives an overall rating from pleasurable through neutral to displeasurable that can be expressed as a multidimensional vector. In an IndraNet Ju, feeling, encompasses the full set of telhex functionality.

So, Discernment or Conceptualisation: this set of dharmas translates perceptions into specific concepts and generates generic reflex responses to events. It does so on the basis of Ju and Shoku data by identifying relevant responses, selecting ranges of options for each in terms of levels or degree of action and scheduling. Depending on their nature and the situation (such as emergency or not) the responses are actuated directly or referred to the Gyo layer (see below); Gyo, Intent: in the specific sense of IndraNet "intent" refers to the manifestation of will from moment to moment by references to the objectives an IndraNet is required to achieve and data from So, Ju and Shoku. For example the intent to achieve a given overall objective, say minimise power use for a household on a patch, is translated into a series of intent dharmas of partial objectives that then lead to the creation of relevant action dharmas.

Intent mediates between So and Shiki; Shiki, Attention (Vijnana, Mana): focuses and holds the awareness of the network, or parts or aspects of it, at a local level (such as a patch) or in a non-local fashion (such as in order to manage communication routes) on some object of attention. There can be, of course, many parallel streams of attention, each with their networks of dharmas.

Shiryo, Consciousness: this refers to the judgement and discrimination capabilities of an IndraNet. Such capabilities include any suitable heuristic or expert system based decision making processes, including referring to human assistance and decision; Alaya, or Fushiyo, memorisation recollection: this layer watches the operation of the whole net. It stores and retrieves relevant data. Alaya is stored both locally at minder level, and non-locally with respect to the activities of the net a whole. Information stored by Alaya is experiential: It focuses on performance, quality of performance (such as degree of satisfaction of criteria), and selection of useful material for future reference and use.

Preferably the IndraNet layering is adapted to include layering of existing or new networking and telecommunications standards and protocols such as TCP/IP, ATM, GSM, Myrianet and the like.

Because IndraNets are designed to operate in symbiosis with human societies that are constantly changing, IndraNets' structure and operations must be evolutive. The IndraNet Paradigm, the dharma cybernetic software entities and their rules of operation through the Activity Layers, enable the system to evolve at all levels of fractal aggregation. This encompasses two forms of evolution: evolution by design, and evolution of operations. These evolution regimes are shown in diagrammatic form in figures 14 to 17.

The former refers to the evolution at the lower order layers such as the Roku-Nyu and Shoku layers illustrated in Figure 10 and relates to all aspects of telhex functionality. This form is based on the use of iterative programming methods that emulate Darwinian evolution. An example of this method was presented earlier by reference to the evolution of IndraNet transceivers. This method can be implemented by any suitable means such as genetic algorithms, simulated annealing algorithms, backpropagation of errors or other similar iterative procedures.

The latter, the evolution of operations with respect to any aspect of an IndraNet, is achieved through higher order layers such as the Shiki to Alaya layers illustrated in Figure 10 by way of suitable dharmas. Experiences assessed in terms of quality of performance are memorised and selected according to the proscriptive logic and method of evolutive satisfaction of the IndraNet Paradigm. This process is illustrated in Figures 6 and 8.

The layered functionality of IndraNet as exemplified above is used to implement communicative actions. Communicative actions are generic logical methods and processes designed to achieve cost effective operations at all levels of an IndraNet. They do not describe software operations or algorithms.

Rather they describe in logical plain language how the network functions.

These communicative actions are effected through networks of dharmas, which are themselves transient aggregates of basic algorithms. The set of communicative actions is not finite. New actions can be evolved by a specific IndraNet on the basis of its own prior experiences. The methods to develop dharmas and the distributed structure of activity layers are used to evolve and implement communicative actions throughout the network.

The following description of such communicative actions proceeds by way of examples regarding telecommunications. On the basis of those examples, people knowledgeable in the art will understand how the fundamental IndraNet principles can be implemented in similar ways to achieve all aspects of IndraNet functionality in specific applications.

Use of pilot links and minders' co-operation within an environ to establish, maintain and manage links: An environ is used co-operatively by minders to decide how to establish routes. An example is shown in Figure 3 whereby a communication link is established between A and B.

Minder A connects with distant minders C, E or B by establishing a pilot link, that is, it searches and finds heuristically a close to optimum route from A to B through a number of nodes, metanodes, and hyper nodes, with the assistance of other minders in the vicinity, and of meta and hyper-minders as required in each instance. This searching is carried out, for example, by A sending a pilot message interrogating minders as to availability for specific connection purposes, including to enlist minders to cooperate in establishing further links so as to reach a distant minder such as E, and monitoring responses to this query from minders in its vicinity.

When the pilot link has been established it is "booked" and "maintained" for a while, to effect a specific connection. The duration of the booking and maintenance of the link is defined according to the nature of the communication, and its priority ranking. Nature and priority ranking refer to the type of information being transferred such as digital data, voice, picture, video, one way, two ways, real time, and so on, and to the transmission requirements for such type of information. According to the present invention, nature of communication and priority ranking are generic logical entities used to describe the basic mode of operation of the net and its intrinsic logic. Actual definitions and categorisations of nature of communications and priority types for ranking purposes are specific to each implementation of this invention and represent specific alternative embodiments thereof.

For example, in a given IndraNet, a video-on-demand transmitted via buffer-memories in a string of the minders could be temporarily interrupted, relative to the size and status of the chain of buffers, to allow other traffic along the same link or part of link or cross traffic, using one or several nodes of the link. A voice or videophone communication, however, cannot be interrupted but can be multiplexed. In a given implementation, the duration of a given link is thus contingent upon the nature of the link, the status of the nodes involved, the definitions of priority in that particular net, and, optionally, contractual arrangements between the Core Agency or firm that has established and that operates an IndraNet and its subscribers. Once a link has been established between two or more distant minders (such as in the case of a video-teleconference), the connection is constantly updated according to the requirements of this particular connection (such as demand for bandwidth expansion to accommodate a shift from data to video), and according to the changing circumstances of the intermediary nodes for other traffic.

As will be described below, this is effected through the creation of nonlocal software entities that carry out the logical operations of link monitoring and updating and then vanish. In its preferred embodiment, IndraNet uses such entities to achieve packet switching-like capabilities to make optimum uses of any multiplicity of paths between the two or multiple ends of a link or connection. For example, a connection between A and B could be started through nodes X, Y and Z, say X, Y, Z, Through software entity monitoring and updating, it could be shifted and end-up being routed with an alternative set of nodes K, L, M, and N, thus becoming K, L, M, N, B}, and/or a combination of some of the original nodes and new ones, such as X, L, Z, thus becoming X, L, Z, Such shifts in individual packet routing occur while the information transfer is taking place. In other words, through the operation of dharmas, digital packets for a given communication are automatically routed via different node sequences depending on other traffic through the net. Priority rankings are stored in tables at the minder level, and updated according to each minder's prior experience and contractual arrangements at and for that minder.

Topological Self-Routing: when minder A calls minder B, it already knows where both A and B are (their respective addresses) either because the address of B was given to it or because it obtained it through a specific search. A uses the location part of both addresses to compute the overall distance and bearing of the intended link. If the distance is significantly higher than its own vicinity radius, A knows it needs help from minders in the vicinity or from its metaminder. It uses fuzzy logic algorithms to compare the absolute A-B distance with its vicinity radius, and that of its immediate neighbours (notion of environ) to gauge the best and second best options, such as hopping from node to node via neighbours in its vicinity and within its environ to establish a pilot link and manage the connection, or enlisting the assistance of its metaminder because B cannot be reached easily within the environ.

Minder A also learns from accumulated experience, that is, it monitors degrees of success, patterns and frequencies, in particular with respect to changing circumstances at various moments in time (such as daily, and seasonal cycles). The learned patterns can be memorised, for example, by caching processes. Figures 14 to 17 illustrate steps in an evolution scheme for generating such desired solutions. Minders, A in the above example, use the bearing to restrict and simplify the routing process. For example, A would preferably avoid looking south to establish a specific routing if the end-point of the completed link, B, is towards the north. However, this is corrected by selflearned experience with respect to the local topology and topography. If there is no direct way north because there is a hill or lake with no node on it, as shown in Figure 3, for example, A may have found out through accumulated experience that medium distance north-east, such as to contact minder F, is best reached by contacting first a set of nodes on the east, and that very distant north, such as to reach B, is best reached going south straight to local metaminder MA, actually located to the south-west. In the latter case MA in turn tends to establish a metalink through other metaminders distributed to the south-east, such as HA and east, such as HF, before reaching HB to the north, and completing a link with B, located due north from A but beyond the Obstacle.

Similarly, meta and hyper-minders learn and remember. In a particular embodiment of this invention, the dharmas that effect the self-routing use routing tables based on the numerical addresses of the minders, and their current locations. The minders learn and also forget, that is, the retention in memory of successful experience is indexed to sets of criteria such as intensity of use and priority ranking, and is time related, so that, for example, old patterns that are no longer relevant are routinely culled from memory.

Kidding in the vicinity: kidding is a particular example of applications of the Shoku (Contact) dharma-based set of processes through which IndraNet netizens such as minders interact with their environments. The vicinity and environ are defined mathematically in a fuzzy way. IndraNet makes use of this fuzzy status in its algorithmic decision process. A given minder A knows which other minders are in its vicinity and in its environ. With reference to Figure 4, if A wants to connect with C and C is in its vicinity, A establishes a link immediately at that level. If it wants to connect with E, and E is not in its vicinity but is nearby, in its environ or in MA'S environ, it uses bearing data to contact minders in its vicinity such as C, and asks for their co-operation to establish a link to E. This process is called kidding by analogy with children who often subconsciously like to test the adults who mind them to check out how far they can go, push things, bend the rules, be smart, and so on. Here, similarly, A kids around to test whether it can nudge some of its neighbouring minders to give it right of way to reach E nearby instead of asking its metaminder's assistance. If E is not in C's vicinity, C in turn kids around, and, say, finds that D, at this particular moment in time, has spare capacity and is able to connect to E in its own vicinity. Thus the link A-E is established by kidding C, D, The ability to do this depends on the nature and intensity of the local traffic at the time, and any particular topographic and environmental feature, such as creating shadowing effects. In particular kidding enables IndraNet to automatically resolve shadowing problems, such as created by a large building between, say, C and E. In this example C kids D, that has direct line of sight, to connect with E. As can be seen in this example, kidding is an elegant alternative to the overlapping multiple cell strategies currently developed for implementation of LMDC or LMCS based telecommunication services. The minders involved in establishing such links learn the lessons and remember (see Figure 7).

If, because of traffic at the time, the C, D, E} link is not feasible or no longer suitable, A might go to MA, and the link might be established via {A, MA, ME, However, it could also be MA, D, E} if MA finds it can kid D and E in its broader environ. This latter example illustrates further the co-operative, non-hierarchical nature of the IndraNet. In all cases, the minders involved keep kidding around in the background, while a metalink like MA, ME, E} has been established, in case circumstances in the vicinity have changed and/or a past learned lesson is no longer applicable, or if a more directly link becomes feasible, or a new longer link becomes required because some nodes become involved in other traffic with higher priority ranking.

The notion of environ is more particularly relevant when two nodes are at the edge of the vicinity of each of their respective metaminders, and are also relatively close to each other but not in the actual vicinity of each other.

This is when kidding minders located between two end minders of a particular connection can be more effective than these minders going to their respective metaminders for a metalink. As it can be seen from the above, the kidding strategy is extremely flexible. With minders of a suitably long range, it can be implemented with low-density networks. The low inherent cost of minders makes it easy to expand the network fast. Because at such low costs, minders are designed to embody substantial CPU and memory over capacity relative to the requirements of their patch, any new minder equipped node increases the overall capacity, resilience, and flexibility of the IndraNet. Further, increasing minder density facilitates the elimination of shadowing effects through kidding (as described above) at minimal costs to the net and its users.

The operation of IndraNet, and more specifically its above-described communicative actions are implemented through dharmas.

In complementary embodiments, the above described topological routing is implemented through topological and thermodynamic means whereby the dharma-like relationship between nodes A and B of a link is expressed through a specific surface or map of the space between A and B that reflects the state of minders between A and B according to a minimal set of physical parameters such as one or more scalar and or vector potentials reflecting the status and state of each node, temperature of transmitted data packets while at each minder, an index that, for example, reflects the quality of service parameters, such as latency, for a specific link, and attractive or repulsive charges affecting routes.

The surface linking A and B is defined by the potentials at each node in the mesh and the distances between nodes and the overall distance between A and B expressed by a suitable metric. Packets carry a destination address and a temperature, and optionally an index or set of indexes.

In particular embodiments of the above generic type, the node A originating the link has a higher potential than the end point B which has the lowest potential on the surface. The potentials of minders between A and B reflect their own particular state, such as affected by their patch minding functions and other data traffic. Packets flow from A to B automatically towards the lowest potential. The potential of minders encountered along the way increases as a function of their resource load. A high potential at a given node has the effect of routing traffic away from it. In its simplest form, this analogy is that of a marble rolling on slopes, roller coaster like, under the effect of gravity.

If and when a data packet is trapped in a low potential trough, its temperature increases in proportion to the duration of its stay at that location until it gains enough energy to escape the trough in a Brownian movementlike fashion and can then resume its flowing towards its destination point of lowest potential. More generally, packets will increase or decrease in temperature as a function of the difficulty they experience in escaping a region or vicinity relative to their point of destination.

The related algorithms amount to a stochastically modified surface descent algorithm. For example, at each node and for each packet, the potential of neighbours in the vicinity is evaluated based on their periodically updated potential, or through kidding processes described earlier, and probabilistically selects the next hop based on those potentials. Vector potentials may be used to bias such probabilities for packets travelling in various directions by applying a local tilt. Such means, as well as actual potential values at each node, can be used, for example, to implement the effects of previous memorised experience.

Vector and scalar potentials at each point of the IndraNet mesh may also be affected by functionality parameters, such as required quality of service with the effect that, for a given data packet, passage through a minder or a set of minders can be facilitated or hampered. This is achieved, for example, through algorithms building up an aggregate index from all the relevant parameters, that in turns increases or decreases the potential of a given minder.

Similarly indexes reflecting quality of service requirements can be attached to packets for a given transmission. Such indexes, for example, may place various levels of premium on using more or less loaded minders depending on their latency requirements. Indexes of packets with low latency requirements will also induce easier increases in packet temperature and facilitate exit from local troughs.

In complement, attractive and repulsive charges can be affected to data packets and aggregate data traffic flows to assist in local routing around obstacles and out of potential troughs.

In the above description of dharma topological routing, the topology is transient and specific to each data packet transmission between A and B and to A and B themselves. It expresses the specific transient relationship that cocreates A and B for each other for the purpose of this specific communication.

In parallel other such transient dharma relationships may co-exist between respectively A and B and other minders and other facets of their respective patches.

Further, the topology created by the local potentials is affected by the memory of the system and its learning abilities so that, as discussed earlier, memory and knowledge of effective routes at given moments in time, in the past, and recognised recurring patterns, selectively affect local potentials in the present transmission of data packets. Ineffective memories fade by way of having a reduced effect on local potentials while effective ones are reinforced. Memories are thus automatically corrected.

The above topological routing can be used in the establishment of pilot links described earlier as a prelude to more permanent links as might be required by some users or uses of the net, for example, to accommodate circuit switched protocols, or may be used as the sole means of routing packets through a multiplicity of routes distributed across the whole net.

The above routing example describes also how dharmas are specifically both local and non-local, such as specifying and co-dependently creating the states of minders and the relationships that co-create and maintain the whole net.

In this perspective, meta and hyperminders can be seen as providing the means of tunnelling or creating topological channels across large distances or, more generally, means of warping the topology so as to reduce distances between specific nodes.

Other aspects of dharma implementation are explained in more detail by way of examples as follows: Schematic8 and Schematic 10 describe how two minders are set to interact with each other, or one minder with objects in its environment. This communication model parallels people's interactions. More specifically, Schematic 8 characterises, for example, a specific link established between two minders or a minder and one of its assistants. It is by analogy with the above description, and to avoid thought patterns predicated on dualistic subject/objects analyses, in this invention, that such links, and all other modes and type of interactions within, with and between minders, are all called "dharmas".

While minders such as S or O comprise specific hardware and software components, the way they appear to users and their existence, in terms of the activities performed, is entirely contingent upon and the result of the series of relations created and annihilated between such components by way of dharmas. An IndraNet dharma is thus neither identical to S or 0, yet, for the purpose of carrying out a task or operation and relative to an operation between S and 0, a dharma can be taken as identical to S or O, or both, while simultaneously it is still some other entity that will vanish, be extinguished, as soon as the operation is completed. In terms of the logic of IndraNet operations, such a dharma is neither located at S or O. It is non-local.

The following simple example describes the function and effectiveness of dharmas to effect telecommunications, communications, and communicative actions. When a subscriber within the patch of a given minder S wants to call another subscriber on the patch of minder 0, say for a videophone conversation, and to do so interacts with S in any way consistent with making such a call, the interaction with S sets in train a whole series of dharma creations to effect the call.

For simplicity, we assume that the address of O is already known. S will first create a dharma D, to figure out where on earth O is located. D, will be created out of a sub-set of algorithms and will use the geographic coordinates in O's address. D, will then create a second dharma D2 to gauge O's remoteness from S's own location and having created D 2 D, will then extinguish itself, that is, vanish. Let's assume, for simplicity's sake, that this second dharma D2 has found out that O is in S's vicinity. Before extinguishing itself, D 2 will trigger the creation of D 3 to contact O. D3 gets S to send a signal calling for 0. Because O is in S's vicinity, it can, and does, respond directly, through suitable further dharma creation Dr. In effect, D 3 's call alters O's state relative to whatever O was doing up to this point (such as monitoring energy use, responding to subscribers on its patch, and answering other calls from other minders). By its response, dharma Dr. aggregating with D3, O immediately shares its state of minding with S, so that with respect to minding awareness (that is S and O knowing what each is presently doing) S and O are no longer distinct, a new dharma has arisen that is non-local even in a logical sense. This new dharma can be called S-Oa (a for "awareness"). S-Oa determines the capability of O to receive the call and, if feasible, such as if the called person is present and willing to receive the call, S-Oa creates further dharmas to effect the call. One of these dharmas will be the specific link S-0 1 between S and O. It will be created by allocating the required bandwidth, setting the priorities corresponding to video-phony relative to other traffic, allocating CPU resources in S and-O 0, and so on. Another dharma will be switching on and setting up the videophone equipment at O's end, and another dharma will be doing the same thing at S's end, at S-Oa's prompting.

Further dharmas will let both subscribers know that the call is active. S-Oa will extinguish itself to let other dharmas operate and monitor the parameters of the call (such as duration, data transmitted, latency, etc.) and charge for it.

This example illustrates that dharmas are ephemeral cybernetic entities. They are inherently non-local, but their actual existence and nature are particular to specific situations, time and places. In the above example, simultaneously with both S and O creating and dissolving dharmas, whole series of other dharmas may arise corresponding to other activities such as monitoring and managing their respective patches, enabling other through traffic, billing the relevant subscribers for those other activities, and similar.

According to the above example, it can also be seen that, beside their other advantages, dharmas provide extremely flexible means of monitoring and allocating system resources, for example bandwidth, monitoring use of the system, recording costs and other data relevant to billing users of the system as well as delivering telhex based services, in a non-hierarchical distributed way that is self-adaptive to changing circumstances and has inherently very short response times (essentially that of the CPU installed in each minder).

By extension, it can also be seen that the same generic process of dharma creation and extinguishing can involve more than two minders, with intermediary minders M, between S and 0, being involved in establishing the links and effecting the communications. In this latter case, while drawn from the same lexicon of algorithms, the dharmas created to involve S, Mn, O, would be very different from that of the simple S-O link. Dharmas, thus mediate the local and non-local aspects of net operation up to the whole of IndraNet, including all aspects of distributed non-hierarchical resource allocation across the whole net and net monitoring functions.

If, for example, S and O were not in the vicinity of each other, dharmas initiated originally from S would have interacted with other minders and/or metaminders in S's vicinity and environ to create strings of further dharmas that would eventually coalesce into one dharma linking S and O through a series of intermediary M, minders. Let's call Mn, this new dharma. {S, O}1 will exist for the whole duration of the link but may involve the transient co-operation of minders on parallel segments of the overall path. In other words, the nature of Mn, will vary throughout the communication, with each M, minder between S and O taking part in the transfer of only some data packets depending on traffic conditions, priorities and minders' resource availability's at each moment in time. Dharmas like O}1 have thus a multigraph nature.

A key aspect of the present invention is the existence of emergent capabilities and functionality. Emergent features, in the present context, are capabilities and functionality derived or arising from the nature and operation of the IndraNet itself. As will be appreciated from the discussion above, emergent features are not the direct product of individual interactions between elements governed by rules between those logical elements. Rather an emergent feature is one which spontaneously 'arises' out of the global cooperation between the elements of the logical space (cyberspace of IndraNet) and/or the physical network itself. An analogy may be found in the context of physics whereby the characteristics of the space-time locale, which govern the behaviour of physical elements of that locale, are effected by the combined existence of physical features in the locale and elsewhere, where such effects arise globally and non-locally.

The emergent features of the present invention correspond to the inherent behaviour observed in the operation of the IndraNet, this behaviour being derived from non-local, distributed effects arising from dharmas creating, coalescing and being destroyed. These emergent features, in particular with respect to the evolution of distributed and self-sustaining forms of cognition and intelligence, are considered an integral part of the invention.

This is more specifically the case with particular applications and embodiments whereby an IndraNet is self sufficient in energy such as, for example, by means of photovoltaic solar cells and suitable energy storage, and thus functions as a non-biological intelligent symbiont in close interaction with human agencies and individuals.

In the above context, it will be appreciated that, while dharmas are related to Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI), they are distinct from it. This is exemplified by known techniques whereby DAI makes use of pre-existing "agents". In contrast IndraNet ceaselessly creates and dissolves dharmas.

Some networked multi-processor systems make use of various methods for load distribution across nodes of their network through task/thread models. However, such threaded tasks are different from dharmas. They are more analogous to the basic algorithms used to create dharmas. While addressing some of the same issues, such techniques focus essentially on load allocation algorithms that move threads across processing units for the purpose of optimising or at least improving the overall computing performance of the network. Further, such methods are not concerned with forms of co-operation between nodes by creation of virtual transient entities for the different purpose of mediating between local and non-local activities and operations.

Of course, while any suitable algorithm operating and processing in a digital mode can be used to implement dharmas, this type of implementation does not limit the capability of the IndraNet approach. Non digital or partly digital machines could be used, thus considerably enhancing the potential of the approach.

Details of the IndraNet implementation, such as addressing and construction of the minder hardware are considered to be within the ambit of one skilled in the art and will not be discussed in detail.

Thus the present invention provides an integrated networked system, such as may be used for telecommunications or other network purposes, which operates according to an adaptive and innovative communication methodology. The invention does not rely on or implement hierarchical structures or tree-like state-of-the-art network models, such models not being a true reflection of the character of human interactions. Further, the network according to the invention is expandable, practically without limitation, and may be implemented in a cost and infrastructure effective manner.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to elements or integers having known equivalents, then such equivalents are included as if they were individually set forth.

Although the invention has been described by way of example and with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and/or improvements may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (23)

1. A computer network including a plurality of cybernetic devices that are each adapted to communicate With at least one other cybernetic device in the computer network, wherein when the structure of the network in terms of communication between cybernetic devices is considered, the computer network en is substantially self similar at plural levels of aggregation so that the camputer network displays fractal characteristics and is structured as a network of networks that individually display the self similar characteristics. Cl2. The computer network of claim 1 wherein the computer network works through co-operative interaction among the cybernetic devices, co-operativo Interaction being defined as the cybernetic devices working together to arr out tasks without the interactions themselves being governed by a hierarchiE 1 structure.

3. The computer network of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein groups of saic cybernetic devices containing two or more cybernetic devices co-operatively develop and evolve required network processes through iterative leaming processes.

4. The computer network of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a cybernetic device initiates co-operative operation of the network when it can not itself perfor a network activity. The computer network of any one of claims I to 4 wherein initeractions between networks in the computer network occur through symbolic information exchange and processing, while the mode of operation of individual cybernetic devices is that of distributed non-symbolic forms of processing.

6. The computer network of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the computer network Includes computer memory readable by the cybernetic devices and containing a set of algorithms for execution by the cybernetic devices in order to perform network activities, wherein the cybernetic devices select COMS ID No: SBMI-08362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2007 02 T 23 23/02/07 23/02/07 0:56 SHELSTON IP 4 00262837999U9266 N.9 0 No.?9e DOB 53 algorithms for execution using an iterative process until predetermined cr1teria set by users end/or designers of the computer network is satisfied.

7. The computer network of claim 6, wherein the operation of the computer network and the cybernetic devices Is proscriptive, thereby allowing the systern to behave in any manner that is not proscribed in order to perform network en activities. en8. The computer network of claim 6, or claim 7, wherein the cybernetic devices store in computer memory selections of algorithms for execution tat satisfy specific predetermined criteria for use should the same predetermined criteria require satisfaction thereafter.

9. The computer network of claim 8, wherein each selection of algorithims stored in computer memory is deleted after a period of time according to t least one of the intensity of use of the selection of algorithms and the time elapsed since the selection of algorithms was stored. The computer network Of claim 9, wherein each selection of algorithms stored in computer memory is allocated a priority rating and the cybernetic devices are operable to determine what selections of algorithms to delete dependent also on the priority rating of the selection of algorithm under consideration.

11. The computer network of any one of the preceding claims wherein the cybernetic devices function as both the Infrastructure of the network and the means by which network services are delivered to network users.

12- The computer network of any one of the preceding claims wherein the cybernetic devices at each level of aggregation have increased communication abilities in terms of one or both of bandwidth and communication range than the cybernetic devices in any lower level of aggregation.

13. A computer network as claimed in claim 12 wherein the cyberneti devices in operation supervise or mind one or more other cybernetic devi as COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2007 02 r 23 23/02/07 23/02/07 10:56 9I-ELSTOM IP 4 00262837999149266 N.9 0 NO.79e P09 54 functioning at a lower level of aggregation and wherein the supervised or Tinded C) cybernetic devices are operable to request processing or communication functions tram a cybernetic device at a higher level of aggregation when t ley can CI not individually or cooperatively perform a network activity.

14. The computer network of any one of the preceding claims wherein each en cybernetic device operates in a region of space or in relation to a group of cybernetic devices with which they are associated in conjunction with faci itating communications from and to other cybernetic devices. 01 The computer network as claimed in any one of the preceding clis wherein the number of levels of aggregation is not limited.

16. The computer network of any one of the preceding claims wherelr the cybernetic devices communicate with each other using a wireless communication means.

17. The computer network of any one of the preceding claims including three or more substantially self similar levels of aggregation.

18. A cybernetic device for use in a computer network structured as anetwork of networks displaying self-similar characteristics at each level of aggregation in terms of communication between cybernetic devices, the cybernetic device including communication means for receiving and transmitting informatlo from and to other cybernetic devices respectively, processing means for perfo -ing local end network activities by executing algorithms stored locally in cornputer memory or readable through said communication means, wherein said a gorithms stored locally include algorithms to perform at least one network activity by working cooperatively with other cybernetic devices at a first level of aggregation, being the level of aggregation in which the cybernetic device is located, stablish whether the network activity is performable by cybernetic devices in the frst level of aggregation and request additional processing and/or communication resources from cybernetic devices contained in a higher level of aggregation when the cybernetic device determines that the network can not adequae ly perform the network activity at the first level of aggregation. COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2007 02 F 23 23/02/07 10:56 SHELSTON IP 4 00262837999#9266 N0.798 0 0 Cl

19. The cybernetic device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the only restriction defined by the algorithms on the identity of other cybernetic devices with which Cl the cybernetic device may cooperate, is the aggregation level of the other cybernetic devices. cn 20. The cybernetic device of claim 18 or claim 19, operable to select fiom a set of algorithms formed by algorithms stored locally and/or communicated to the en cybernetic device through said communication means, algorithms for execution O 10 by said processing means using an iterative process until predetermined criteria Cl are satisfied.

21. The cybernetic device of claim 20, wherein the operation the cybe netic devices is proscriptive, thereby allowing the processing means to execute any combination of algorithms to behave in any manner that is not proscribed.

22. The cybernetic device of claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the cybern tic devices store in computer memory selections of algorithms for execution hat satisfy specific predetermined criteria, for use should the same predeter ined criteria require satisfaction thereafter.

23. The cybernetic device of claim 22, wherein each selection of algorithms stored in computer memory has a lifetime and is deleted at the expiration of the lifetime.

24. The cybernetic device of any one of claims 18 to 23, including me ns to define its geographical location of operation in relation to a region of space in conjunction with facilitating communications from and to other cybernetic devices.

25. The cybernetic device of any one of claims 18 to 23, including me ns to define its logical location of operation in relation to a group of cybernetic devices in conjunction with facilitating communications from and to other cybernetic devices. COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2 0 0 7 0 2 2 3 23/02/07 23/02/07 10:56 SF-ELSTON IP 4 00262e37999tt9266 N.9 NO. 79e IP1 I 56

26. The cybernetic device of any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein the communication means is a wireless communication means. Cl27. A method of forming a computer network including: a) providing a first plurality of cybernetic devices having processing means for executing local and network activities and communication means for receiving en and transmitting information from and to other cybernetic devices respecti ely, said first plurality of cybernetic devices having a first level of communication en abilities and forming a first level of aggregation for a computer network; b) providing a second plurality of cybernetic devices having processing means for ci executing local and network activities and communication means for receiving and transmitting information from and to other cybernetic devices respectively, said second plurality of cybernetic devices having a second level of communication abilities, higher than said first level, the second plurality of cybernetic devices forming a second level of aggregation for said computer network: o) providing in computer memory readable by said first plurality of cybern tic devices algorithms executable by said first plurality of cybernetic devices t cause them to perform network activities, by working cooperatively with other cybernetic devices forming the first level of aggregation and request additional processing and/or communication resources from one or more of said second plurality of cybernetic devices forming the second level of aggregation whe tthe first plurality of cybernetic devices can not adequately perform said networ activities.

28. The method of claim 27, including forming a third level of aggregat on by providing a third plurality of cybernetic devices having higher communicati ti abilities than said second plurality of cybernetic devices, providing in cornputer memory readable by said second plurality of cybernetic devices algorithmi executable by said second plurality of cybernetic devices to cause them te perform network activities by working cooperatively with other cybernetic cevices in the second level of aggregation and request additional processing and/or communication resources from one or more of said third plurality of cybernetic devices contained in the third level of aggregation when the second plurality of cybernetic devices can not adequately perform said network activities, and COMS ID No: SBMI-06362056 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 2007 02 r 23 23/02/0? 23/02/27 10:56 SHELETON IP 4 00262e37999#49266 N.9 1 NO. 79e IP12 57 providing further levels of aggregation as required until predetermined C) communication and processing abilities for the computer network have been met. Cl29. The method of claim 27, including forming the computer network by providing three or more levels of aggregation. The method of any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein the cybernetic devices forming each level of aggregation have higher processing abilities over any en cybernetic devices forming part of a lower level of aggregation. 01 Cl31. The computer network as claimed in any one of claims I to 17 and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 to 17 of the accompanying drawings.

32. The cybernetic device as claimed In any one of claims 18 to 26 and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 to 17 of the accompanying drawings.

33. The method as claimed in any one Of Claims 27 to 30 and substain ially as herein described. COMS ID No: SBMI-06362055 Received by IP Australia: Time 10:59 Date 20O7-02 23