JP2000132523A - Distributed agent processing system, distributed agent system, and recording medium recording distributed agent program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distributed agent processing method which can easily add and change a service function to an agent and also can generate an agent at an optional node in a distributed object system. SOLUTION: An agent that is defined corresponding to a real world has a service object that is defined corresponding to the service of the real world and also has a function object to attain a function. A agent acquires a service object from another agent and generates the service of the service object. When an agent or object is generated, a factory is previously generated as an instance in an object environment at an optional node, and a new instance is generated from the factory.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a distributed agent processing method using a distributed object technology, a distributed agent system, and a recording medium on which a distributed agent program is recorded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an agent using a conventional object technology. Here, the agent is an object having an intelligent function or a movement function (operation function), and performs processing dynamically, and performs processing in cooperation with another agent. As shown in FIG. 1, in the object environment 10 owned by an individual, when a function is added, a method is used in which agents 11 to 14 having necessary functions are added when necessary.

[0003] When an object having a certain function is generated, the generation destination is basically a node at which an object called a factory for generating an instance of the object exists. Also, when configuring a distributed object environment on the Internet, with regard to Web technology, which is a main technology for providing information and services, data can be transmitted by creating a homepage, but it can be transmitted on an individual's homepage. When adding a service, a CGI program must be created.

[0004]

However, in the distributed object environment according to the prior art, objects are dynamically generated and generated in units of functions. Therefore, functions are mixed in a flat manner. what agent is difficult to understand what has been generated, the generated object environment others are not readily available for.

[0005] Since it is not easy to dynamically update the service of the agent, as an individual environment,
It is not easy to distinguish between agents that provide services to others and agents such as personal secretaries that provide services only to themselves, and update them. There is a problem. Further, according to the prior art, the generation destination of the agent depends on the factory. Therefore, it is not possible to generate an object at an arbitrary node.

[0006] Since it is not possible to manage its own factory, security is not guaranteed. There is also a problem.
Due to these problems, ・ Agents in the authority of local residents (for example, Yokosuka residents) can respond to requests such as their own house, agents as office workers can be in offices, etc. A business owner who owns a shop in the real world and conducts business places the terminal in the same shop, where the same service as in the real world is also provided electronically, that is, the entire personal object environment Service provision, AP development, AP sales,
It is not possible to flexibly perform service consumption, service operation and maintenance on the node, and the like. In addition, the agents that provide services to other companies are open to the public and are accessed by others, so there are few obstacles in terms of hardware, machines connected easily and there are few connection failures Machines that are always connected to the network, etc. An agent that is placed on a machine with a high degree of sharing (a machine such as a network provider) and embeds the object environment for each authority is always accessed from the mobile environment by an agent with an interface function, and dynamically assigned IP It manages the address, directs the request received from the third party by the agent providing the service during the connection time to the terminal, and furthermore, the personal agent puts it on a terminal such as a PDA and manages the schedule. , From an agent with the interface function of another person Cannot be flexibly performed.

Further, according to the conventional Web technology, any end user cannot flexibly and securely upgrade his / her environment. That is, in particular, it is difficult to have a service providing environment as an arbitrary service transmission environment, and it is necessary to easily have an environment such as an AP development environment, an AP sales environment, a service consumption environment, a service operation and maintenance environment, and the like. If it is not possible (the end user computing environment cannot be easily constructed) and it is realized, advanced CG
With the great difficulty of having to create I programs.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a service function to an agent easily.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a distributed agent processing method, a distributed agent system, and a recording medium on which a distributed agent program is recorded, in which a change can be made and an agent can be generated in any node.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows. The invention according to claim 1 is a distributed agent processing method in which a function is performed by an agent in a distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on a distributed node. An obtaining step in which a specified agent has a service object defined corresponding to a service in the real world, and one agent obtains the service object of the other agent from another agent; and the one agent Is a service generation step of generating a service of the service object.

The distributed agent processing method according to claim 2, wherein the obtaining step includes at least a step of accessing the other agent to obtain information of a service published by the other agent, wherein the service object To obtain factory information, and generating a factory for the service object in the one agent.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the distributed agent processing method, the service generating step includes a step of generating an instance of the service object from a factory of the service object. In the distributed agent processing method according to a fourth aspect, the agent and the service object have a function object for realizing the function of the agent and the service object.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the distributed agent processing method, the object environment of each node in the distributed node has a step of providing a service to another agent, and a user of each node. A personal agent having a step of providing a service to a personal computer, an interface agent having a step of accessing another service agent and consuming a service of the access destination, and a step of managing an agent in an object environment of each node And a self-management agent having

The distributed agent processing method according to claim 6, wherein when the agent or the object is generated, a factory is previously generated as an instance in an object environment in an arbitrary node in the distributed node; Generating a new instance from. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on a distributed node, wherein the distributed agent system performs a function process using an agent, and is defined corresponding to the real world. An agent to be provided has a service object defined corresponding to a service in the real world, the agent comprises: an acquisition unit for acquiring the service object of the other agent from another agent, and a service of the service object. This is a distributed agent system having service generation means for generating.

[0014] In the distributed agent system according to the present invention, the acquisition unit may access the other agent to acquire information of a service published by the other agent, and may access the service object. Means for obtaining factory information; and means for generating a factory for the service object in the agent.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the distributed agent system, the service generating means has means for generating an instance of the service object from a factory of the service object. In the distributed agent system according to the tenth aspect, the agent and the service object have a function object for realizing the function of the agent and the service object.

In the distributed agent system according to the eleventh aspect, the object environment of each node in the distributed node includes a service agent having means for providing a service to another agent, and a user of each node. Personal agent having a means for providing a service to the user, an interface agent having a means for accessing another service agent and consuming the service of the access destination, and a means for managing an agent in the object environment of each node. Have a self-management agent.

In the distributed agent system according to the present invention, when the agent or the object is generated, a factory is previously generated as an instance in an object environment of an arbitrary node in the distributed node, and Means for generating a new instance. According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in a distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on distributed nodes, a computer readable recording medium recording a distributed agent program for performing a function process by an agent. Then, the program recorded on the recording medium is executed at each node in the distributed node, and the agent of each node defined corresponding to the real world is defined by the program corresponding to the service of the real world. And a distributed agent program for acquiring the service object of the other agent from another agent and generating a service of the service object.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium storing the distributed agent program, when the service object is acquired by the program, the other agent accesses the other agent and stores information of a service published by the other agent. At least obtaining, accessing the service object to obtain factory information, and generating a factory of the service object in the agent.

[0019] In the recording medium storing the distributed agent program according to claim 15, when the service is generated by the program, an instance of the service object is generated from a factory of the service object. A recording medium recording the distributed agent program according to claim 16, wherein the agent and the service object have a function object for realizing the function of the agent and the service object by the program.

[0020] According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium recording the distributed agent program, wherein the object environment of each node is a service agent for providing a service to another agent, and a service agent for each node. A personal agent that provides a service to a user, an interface agent that accesses another service agent and consumes the service of the access destination, and a self-management agent that manages an agent in an object environment of each node. Having.

A recording medium on which the distributed agent program according to claim 18 is recorded, when the agent or the object is generated by the program,
A factory is generated in advance in the object environment of each node as an instance, and a new instance is generated from the factory. According to the present invention, since an agent and a service provided by the agent and a function realizing the agent or the service can be generated as separate objects, the service addition / change to the agent, the function addition / change to the agent, and the function to the service can be easily performed. Addition / change is possible. In particular, agents correspond to real-world people / organizations, and services correspond to real-world services, so if they know real-world information in the form of “who and what kind of service,” they can use that information. Originally, since the service can be specified, the flexibility of the operation of the object environment and the flexibility of the navigation of the object environment are guaranteed.

Further, according to the present invention, the addition of the service object can be distinguished from a service addition for another person and a service addition for oneself. Further, according to the present invention, since the factory itself is under the control of the user, security is easily guaranteed. Further, according to the present invention,
Various agents and objects can be properly used according to their uses.

[0023]

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an object configuration. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, the object environment owned by the individual is a service agent 21 (abbreviation is SA), a personal agent 22 (abbreviation is PA), an interface agent 23 (abbreviation is IA), a self-management agent. 24 (abbreviated as AA), the service agent 21 has a function of providing a service to another agent's agent, the personal agent 22 has a function of providing a service to itself, and the interface agent 23 Has a function of accessing the service agent of another person and consuming the service of another person, and the self-management agent 24 has a function of managing these agents.

It should be noted that the personal agent and the service agent may be the same, and a determination may be made based on the identifier of each agent. If the agent is a personal agent, a service for the user may be displayed. The service agent 21 includes service objects 25 and 26 defined corresponding to services in the real world and function objects 27 to 29 for realizing agent functions.
The service object is composed of function objects 30 to 32 for realizing a service function. The other agents 22, 23, and 24 have the same configuration.

These objects including the agent are not only generated in their own environment using the factory object of another person, but also generated in advance in their own environment as an instance of the factory object.
From there you can create your own environment. Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described specifically.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an object configuration according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a user A40 who is a liquor store downloads a liquor sales package which is an application 42 developed by a user B41 who is also a liquor store and also sells a liquor sales package at the same time. This is an example in which the liquor sales service is started from the application by the service agent 44 (SA44) of the user A40.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of this embodiment. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. Note that the step numbers are commonly used in FIG. 3 and FIG. First, user B:
Using the AP development service of one's own personal agent 45 (PA45) provided in advance as a development environment service, the interface agent 46 is used.
Through (IA46), a package for liquor sales, which is an application, is developed (step 1) and registered in its own service agent 47 (SA47) (step 2). Next, the liquor sales package is stored in the service object 42 of the liquor sales package sales service.
It is activated as (SO (AP)), exists as an instance in the object system, and is released to the outside (step 3). Note that the factory for performing the instance is created by createFactory (). Subsequently, the SA transmits the information of the service object 42 to a self-management agent 48 which is its own management agent.
(AA4) in the directory (step 4,
5). With the above, the development of the package for liquor sales of the user B and the release of its sales service are completed.

The personal environment of the user B41 includes his / her own identity certificate (ID), right certificate (exchange right certificate (for example, electronic cash), execution right certificate (for example, ticket), ownership certificate (for example, ticket). Data / information, program / package)) and a right transfer certificate, and the like, and when the user A40 purchases the application, a right transfer certificate or a guarantee is issued.

Next, when the user A knows the user B as in the real world, the user A executes a necessary search and specifies the user B. This search exists in, for example, Yokosuka City (base designation) because all objects are linked by relationships and roles as in the real world (Relatio
n: Location, Role: LocatedIn, number of search hops: infinity), sells spirits (Keywords: spirits), X
It can be executed by an ambiguous search method such as X sake ~ (Name: XX sake).

Next, the user A40 acquires the service agent 47 (SA47) information of the user B41 via the interface agent 49 (IA49).
Access is made (step 6), and information on the service provided by the service agent 47 (SA47) is obtained (step 7). Thereby, the user A40 can know that the user B41 provides the liquor sales package sales service. It is also possible to search for a service from the beginning.

Subsequently, the user A 40 has a service object 42 which is a liquor sales package sales service provided by the service agent 47 (SA 47) of the user B.
(SO (AP)) (step 8), and the application is transferred to the service agent 44 of the user A40.
(SA44). More specifically, first, when the service object 42 (SO (AP)) SO is accessed (step 8), factory generation information is first obtained (step 9), and the user A 40 side receives his / her own service agent 44 (SA 44). ) Is sent (S10), the service agent 44 (SA44) copies the service object 42 (SO (AP)), which is a liquor sales package sales service.
Send a copy request as Object () (steps 11, 1
2), a factory 51 for liquor sales service under his control
Is first created by createFactory () (step 1
3), generated factory 51 (SO (Factory))
Information is stored in the self-management agent 5 of the user (user A40)
2 (AA52) (steps 14 and 15).

Finally, the user A 40 sends a factory 51 (S 44) to the service agent 44 (SA 44).
O (Factory)) to send a service generation request (steps 16 and 17), factory 51 (SO (Factory))
Is a service object 43 created by createInstance ().
An SO (Service) is generated (Step 18), and the result is received by the service agent 44 (SA44) (Step 19), and the self-management agent 52 (AA5) is received.
2) a new service object (SO (Service
)) Is registered (step 20), and the service generation processing ends. The service object 43SO (Service) is created by createOb
ject (), and the above copy in createObject ()
Object (), createFactory () and createInstance () are executed.

Thereafter, since the user B is the same kind of trader, he or she comes to see temporarily (step 21) or
The other user uses the search mechanism as described above and uses the service agent 44 (SA4
4) to access the service agent 44 (SA4
The service provided by 4) can be used. Next, the recording medium of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a computer system including a CPU 60, a memory 61, an external storage device 62, a display 63, a keyboard 64, and a communication processing device 65. The recording medium on which the distributed agent program according to the present invention is recorded is It corresponds to one or both of the memory 61 and the external storage device 62 shown in FIG. Further, a portable medium such as a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic disk, and a magnetic tape, or an electronic memory, a hard disk, and the like also correspond to the recording medium of the present invention, and the distributed agent program of the present invention stored in these recording media is loaded. By distributing the computer systems shown in FIG. 5 and connecting them to the network through the communication processing device 65, the distributed agent system of the present invention can be configured and distributed agent processing can be performed.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily add / change a service function to an agent, and to generate an agent at an arbitrary node. It is possible to construct a distributed object environment that is more compatible with the real world.

Further, according to the present invention, as the most effective application example, it is possible to realize a sophisticated Web environment. That is, by simply creating a service agent for accessing the conventional Web, an application package based on the object configuration according to the present invention existing on the network can be easily downloaded to the Web, and only necessary information is input. , An instance can be generated as it is, that is, a service can be added.
Therefore, there is no need to create a CGI program as in the related art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an object configuration of a personal environment according to the related art.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an object configuration of a personal environment in the distributed agent system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a distributed agent system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a service generation processing flow in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a computer system in a recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 20 Object environment 11 to 14 Function agent 21, 44, 47 Service agent (SA) 22, 45 Personal agent (PA) 23, 46, 49 Interface agent (I
A) 24, 52 Self-Administration Agent (AA: self-Admin)
istration Agent) 25, 26 Service object (SO) 27-32 Function object (FO) 40 User A 41 User B 42 Application 43 Service 51 Factory 60 CPU 61 Memory 62 External storage device 63 Display 64 Keyboard 65 Communication processing device

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A distributed agent processing method in which a function is processed by an agent in a distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on a distributed node, the agent being defined corresponding to the real world. Has a service object defined corresponding to a service in the real world, wherein one agent obtains the service object possessed by the other agent from another agent; and And a service generating step of generating a service. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining includes at least a step of accessing the other agent and obtaining information of a service published by the other agent, and a step of obtaining factory information by accessing the service object. 2. The distributed agent processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a factory of the service object in the one agent. 3. The distributed agent processing method according to claim 2, wherein the service generating step includes a step of generating an instance of the service object from a factory of the service object. 4. The distributed agent processing method according to claim 1, wherein said agent and service object have a function object for realizing the functions of said agent and service object. 5. The object environment of each node in the distributed node includes a service agent having a step of providing a service to another agent, and a step of providing a service to a user of each node. A personal agent, an interface agent having a step of accessing another service agent and consuming a service of the access destination, and a self-management agent having a step of managing an agent in an object environment of each node. 2. The distributed agent processing method according to claim 1, wherein: 6. When the agent or the object is generated, a step of generating a factory in advance as an instance in an object environment of an arbitrary node in the distributed node, and a step of generating a new instance from the factory 2. The distributed agent processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: 7. A distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on a distributed node, wherein the agent is a distributed agent system which performs a function process by an agent, wherein the agent defined corresponding to the real world is an agent. A service object defined corresponding to a service in the real world, the agent comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring the service object of the other agent from another agent; and a service for generating a service of the service object. A distributed agent system comprising: generating means. 8. The obtaining means, wherein the agent accesses the other agent to obtain information of a service published by the other agent, and obtains factory information by accessing the service object. The distributed agent system according to claim 7, further comprising: means for generating a factory of the service object in the agent. 9. The distributed agent system according to claim 8, wherein said service generating means includes means for said agent generating an instance of said service object from a factory of said service object. 10. The distributed agent system according to claim 7, wherein said agent and service object have a function object for realizing the function of said agent and service object. 11. The object environment of each node in the distributed node includes a service agent having a means for providing a service to another agent, and a means for providing a service to a user of each node. It has a personal agent, an interface agent having means for accessing another service agent and consuming the service of the access destination, and a self-management agent having means for managing an agent in the object environment of each node. The distributed agent system according to claim 7, wherein: 12. When the agent or the object is generated, means for generating a factory in advance as an instance in an object environment of an arbitrary node in the distributed node, and means for generating a new instance from the factory The distributed agent system according to claim 7, comprising: 13. A computer-readable recording medium recording a distributed agent program for performing a function process by an agent in a distributed object system for exchanging messages between a plurality of objects existing on distributed nodes. The program recorded in the medium is executed in each node in the distributed node, and the agent of each node defined corresponding to the real world by the program creates a service object defined corresponding to the service in the real world. A recording medium storing a distributed agent program, wherein the distributed agent program acquires the service object of the other agent from another agent and generates a service of the service object. 14. Obtaining the service object, accessing the other agent to obtain at least information of a service published by the other agent, accessing the service object to obtain factory information, 14. The recording medium according to claim 13, wherein a factory of a service object is generated in the agent. 15. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein when the service is generated, an instance of the service object is generated from a factory of the service object. 16. The recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the agent and the service object have a function object for realizing the functions of the agent and the service object by the program. 17. The program according to claim 17, wherein the object environment of each node includes: a service agent for providing services to other agents; a personal agent for providing services to users of each node; 14. The distributed agent according to claim 13, further comprising: an interface agent that accesses the service agent and consumes a service of the access destination; and a self-management agent that manages an agent in an object environment of each node. A recording medium on which a program is recorded. 18. The method according to claim 18, wherein when the agent or the object is generated by the program, a factory is previously generated as an instance in an object environment of each node, and a new instance is generated from the factory. 14. A recording medium on which the distributed agent program according to 13 is recorded.