U.S. patent application number 09/804595 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-17 for dynamic agent with embedded web server and mark-up language support for e-commerce automation.
Invention is credited to Chen, Qiming, Dayal, Umeshwar, Hsu, Meichun.
Application Number | 20020152260 09/804595 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25189364 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020152260 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen, Qiming ; et
al. |
October 17, 2002 |
Dynamic agent with embedded web server and mark-up language support
for e-commerce automation
Abstract
An agent computer program for use in an automated electronic
commerce infrastructure. A client-agent communication mechanism for
enabling communication between an agent computer program and at
least one client computer process is provided. The client-agent
communication mechanism includes a web server embedded in the agent
computer program that utilizes a predetermined Internet
communication protocol for communication between the agent computer
program and the client computer process. An inter-agent
communication mechanism is provided for enabling the agent computer
program to communicate with other agents. The inter-agent
communication mechanism employs documents written in a
predetermined markup language for communication.
Inventors: |
Chen, Qiming; (Sunnyvale,
CA) ; Dayal, Umeshwar; (Saratoga, CA) ; Hsu,
Meichun; (Los Altos Hills, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Intellectual Property Administration
P.O. Box 272400
Fort Collins
CO
80527-2400
US
|
Family ID: |
25189364 |
Appl. No.: |
09/804595 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/202 ;
709/208; 709/219; 709/220 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/202 ;
709/208; 709/219; 709/220 |
International
Class: |
G06F 015/16 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of communicating between a client computer process and
an agent computer program having an embedded web server comprising
the steps of: a) receiving a request for at least one web page
associated with the agent computer program; and b) in response to
the request, using the web server to provide the requested web page
for use by the client computer process to receive information from
the agent computer program or to issue an instruction to the agent
computer program.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: using the web server
to provide the requested web page for use by the client computer
process to issue an instruction to the agent computer program; and
modifying the behavior or status of the agent computer program
based on the instruction.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: the client computer
process initiating contact with the agent computer program by
utilizing a web address of at least one of web page of the agent
computer program.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising: the agent computer
program initiating contact with the client computer process by
specifying a web address associated with the client computer
process; and agent computer program requesting approval of the
client computer process for a proposed action by the agent computer
program.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent computer program
includes a profile web page for providing static information
associated with the agent computer program.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent computer program
includes a status web page for providing dynamic information
associated with the agent computer program.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent computer program
includes an instruction web page for receiving at least one
instruction from the client computer process.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is utilized by dynamic
agent computer programs in an automated electronic commerce
infrastructure.
9. A method of communicating between at least two dynamic agent
computer programs comprising the steps of: a) receiving a message;
b) accessing a document type description (DTD) of the message and
decoding the message by using the DTD; c) determining an
interpreter associated with the message; d) determining whether the
currently loaded interpreter in the agent computer program matches
the interpreter required for the current message; e) if no,
dynamically load the interpreter needed to interpret the current
message; and f) the loaded interpreter using an associated parser
to translate the contents of the message into executable machine
code.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein executable machine code comprises
a tree of Java objects that perform the program operations and
functions.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein executable machine code performs
the requested action and sends any requested information to the
requesting agent via a return message.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the method is utilized by dynamic
agent computer programs in an automated electronic commerce
infrastructure.
13. An agent computer program comprising: a) a mechanism for
enabling communication between the agent computer program and at
least one other computer process; and b) an inter-agent
communication mechanism for enabling the agent computer program to
communicate with other agents; wherein the inter-agent
communication mechanism employs documents written in a
predetermined markup language.
14. The agent computer program of claim 13 wherein the mechanism
for enabling communication between the agent computer program and
at least one other computer process includes a web server embedded
in the agent computer program for using a predetermined Internet
communication protocol to communicate with the computer process;
wherein the web server processes incoming and outgoing data that is
formatted according to the predetermined Internet communication
protocol; and at least one web page associated with the agent
computer program for use by a computer process to communicate
information therewith.
15. The agent computer program of claim 13 wherein predetermined
Internet communication protocol is the HyperText Transport Protocol
(HTTP).
16. The agent computer program of claim 13 wherein the
predetermined markup language is the extensive markup language
(XML).
17. The agent computer program of claim 13 further comprising: a
profile web page for providing static information associated with
the agent computer program.
18. The agent computer program of claim 13 further comprising: a
status web page for providing dynamic information associated with
the agent computer program.
19. The agent computer program of claim 13 further comprising: an
instruction web page for receiving at least one instruction from a
client computer process.
20. The agent computer program of claim 13 wherein the agent
computer program is a dynamic agent computer program that is
employed in an automated electronic commerce infrastructure.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is generally related to dynamic agent
computer programs executable on computer systems and the like, and
in particular, a dynamic agent computer programs having an embedded
web server and mark-up language support for e-commerce
automation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] To enable an automated electronic commerce infrastructure
that employs a plurality of dynamic agents, it is important to have
an effective manner in which to communicate information to and from
the agents.
[0003] There are two primary types of communication. First, there
is the communication between the client and its agent (i.e.,
client-agent communication). An example of client-agent
communication is the communication between a seller and the
seller's agent. Since the client is often a human user, it is
important that this type of communication feature a user-friendly
and intuitive interface.
[0004] Agents typically operate on different computer systems that
have different platforms (e.g., operating systems) and are remote
from each other. For example, a seller agent may conduct business
(e.g., sell products) on a computer system that is different from
the computer system of the seller. Unfortunately, prior art systems
require the seller to first log onto the computer system where the
agent is operating or executing in order to communicate with its
agent. As can be appreciated, it is inefficient to require a client
to log onto the computer system where the agent is operating and
wasteful of resources.
[0005] Moreover, it is also important for the communication
mechanism to flexibly provide convenient access for the client to
the agent from as many different computer systems, platforms, and
devices without encountering difficulty. In other words, it would
be highly desirable to have a communication mechanism that provides
ready access to the agent from as many different platforms,
computer systems, and devices as possible.
[0006] Second, there is the communication between agents (i.e.,
inter-agent communication). An example of inter-agent communication
is the communication between a seller agent and a buyer agent.
Since the agents may operate in different domains (e.g.,
entertainment versus banking), it is desirable for the facility for
inter-agent communication to effectively communication information
between different domains.
[0007] In addition, prior art inter-agent communication facilities
do not allow for inter-agent communication across different
domains. Instead, only agents from a common domain can communicate
with each other. As can be appreciated, this approach is
restrictive and severely limits the types of agents with which a
particular agent can communicate.
[0008] Furthermore, the prior art approaches typically require a
synchronous connection while communication occurs between agents or
between the client and the agent. For example, a client is required
to log onto the system where an agent of interest is currently
executing and maintain the connection in order to interact with the
agent. Unfortunately, in an automated electronic commerce system,
where one can imagine tens of thousands of agents conducting
business in a virtual marketplace, requiring a synchronous
connection negatively impacts one's computing resources and the
network through which the agents are connected. Consequently, it is
desirable for there to be communication mechanisms that use an
asynchronous connection, thereby saving resources. Unfortunately,
the prior art communication facilities provided by the prior art
electronic commerce systems are not asynchronous in nature.
[0009] Based on the foregoing, a significant need remains for an
apparatus and method for allowing an agent to communicate
information to others effectively, efficiently, and in an
asynchronous manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides an agent computer program
with communication mechanisms for use in an automated electronic
commerce infrastructure. A client-agent communication mechanism for
enabling communication between an agent computer program and at
least one client computer process is provided. The client-agent
communication mechanism includes a web server embedded in the agent
that utilizes a predetermined Internet communication protocol for
communication between the agent computer program and the client
computer process. An inter-agent communication mechanism is
provided for enabling the agent computer program to communicate
with other agents. The inter-agent communication mechanism employs
documents written in a predetermined markup language for
communication.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and
not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying
drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar
elements.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an automated electronic commerce
infrastructure in which the dynamic agent equipped with the
communication mechanisms of the present invention can be
implemented.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a networked computer system
environment, illustrating in greater detail the primary components
of an agent computer program configured in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary profile web page associated
with a seller agent computer program.
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary status web page associated
with seller agent computer program.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary instruction web page
associated with seller agent computer program.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed by
the client-agent communication mechanism of FIG. 2 to enable the
communication between an agent computer program and a client
computer process in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed by
the inter-agent communication mechanism of FIG. 2 to enable the
communication between agents in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] An apparatus and method for providing communication between
agent computer programs and between the agent computer program and
at least one client computer process are described. In the
following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent,
however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may
be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,
well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form
in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present
invention.
[0020] Automated Electronic Commerce Infrastructure 10
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an automated electronic commerce
infrastructure 10 in which dynamic agents equipped with
communication mechanisms of the present invention can be
implemented. The electronic commerce infrastructure 10 includes a
plurality of business participants, such as a buyer 20, a first
supplier 30, a second supplier 40, a third supplier 50, a first
reseller 60, a second reseller 70, and a broker 80. In a
non-automated environment, each of the business participants
conducts business by having human representatives or agents
represent the interests of the business participant.
[0022] In an automated environment, a cooperative system 14 that
has a plurality of software agents is provided.
[0023] The agents (e.g., agents 24-84) correspond to each of the
business participants. The communication mechanisms of the present
invention that may be embodied in each dynamic agent are described
in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2. Preferably, the agents
are dynamic agents that can, inter alia, carry application
programs, be loaded with new functions, dynamically change their
behavior, and exchange program objects. Dynamic agents and an
electronic commerce infrastructure in which the dynamic agents can
be deployed are described in greater detail in a publication
entitled, "Dynamic Agents", by Q. Chen, P. Chundi, Umesh Dayal, M.
Hsu, International Journal on Cooperative Information Systems,
1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
[0024] Agent Computer Program
[0025] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a networked computer system
environment, illustrating in greater detail the primary components
of an agent computer program 204 configured in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention and a client computer process
208.
[0026] The system 200 includes at least one client computer process
202, a browser 204 accessible to the client process 202, a
plurality of dynamic agents 206 interconnected via a network, such
as the Internet. Each dynamic agent 206 can have a mechanism 210
for enabling communication between the agent computer program 204
and at least one client computer process 202 and an inter-agent
communication mechanism 220 for handling communication between
agents 206.
[0027] The term, dynamic agent, is a computer program, which has
been delegated a degree of autonomy, but which are limited to
operating within constraints defined by its client. The client may
be, for example, another agent; a computer program, application or
system; or an individual interacting with the agent through a
computer--hereinafter a client computer process.
[0028] The mechanism 210 utilizes a predetermined Internet
communication protocol for communication between the agent computer
program 204 and the client computer process 208.
[0029] The client-agent communication mechanism 210 includes a web
server 214 for providing the web pages associated to the agent to a
client computer process upon request. A web server can be any
server process running at a web site that sends out web pages in
response to HTTP requests from remote browsers. For example, the
web server 214 can be an HTTP server that processes incoming and
outgoing data written according to a predetermined Internet
communication protocol, such as the HyperText Transport Protocol
(HTTP). Preferably, the web server 214 is embedded in the agent. By
embedding the web server 214 in the agent and having one or more
web pages associated with the agent, the agent program becomes a
web object that can be easily accessed by other computer processes
without the need of a custom interface. It is further noted that
computer processes can interact with the agent computer program
without having to maintain a persistent connection with the agent
computer program, thereby allowing asynchronous interaction and
saving system resources.
[0030] The client-agent communication mechanism 210 also includes
one or more web pages 218 (e.g., an HTML document) that are
associated with the agent. Exemplary web pages for a seller agent
are described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3-5. The steps
performed by the client-agent communication mechanism 210 are
described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIG.
6.
[0031] The agent computer program 204 can also have an inter-agent
communication mechanism 220 for enabling the agent 204 to
communicate with other agents. The inter-agent communication
mechanism 220 employs documents 226 written in a predetermined
markup language. The steps performed by the inter-agent
communication mechanism 220 are described in greater detail
hereinafter with reference to FIG. 7.
[0032] It is noted that one advantage of the communication
mechanisms of the present invention is that the mechanisms are
asynchronous and do not require a ongoing connection between either
the client and agent or among agents, thereby saving system
resources.
[0033] Exemplary Web Pages Associated with a Seller Agent Computer
Program
[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary profile web page 300
associated with agent computer program. This profile web page 300
can be identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) address of
"seller_agent_profile.html- ." The profile web page 300 includes a
plurality of fields for providing static information to the client
program process. These fields can include, but is not limited to, a
creator field 310 for specifying the creator of the agent, a date
of creation field 320 for specifying when the agent was created, an
agent purpose field 330 for specifying the purpose of the agent,
and a tasks field 340 for specifying the various tasks that the
agent can perform.
[0035] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary status web page associated
with agent computer program. This status web page 400 can be
identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) address of
"seller_agent_status.html." The status web page 400 includes a
plurality of fields for providing non-static (e.g., changing values
or parameters) information to the client program process. These
fields can be organized by products or by another criteria, such as
by date and time. These fields can include, but is not limited to,
a quantity sold field 410 for specifying the quantity of a first
product sold by the agent, a price sold field 420 for specifying
the price at which the quantities noted in field 410 were sold, an
buyers field 430 for specifying the buyers who have bought from the
agent, a current price field 440 for specifying the current price
of the product (e.g., the price of the product at the present stage
of negotiations), and a tasks field 450 for specifying the parties
or buyers that the agent is currently negotiating a sale.
[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary instruction web page
associated with agent computer program. This instruction web page
500 can be identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) address
of "seller_agent_instruction.html." The instruction web page 500
includes a plurality of fields for allowing the client program
process to provide at least one instruction or command to the agent
program. The fields can be organized by products, as shown, or by
another criteria, such as by date and time. These fields can
include, but is not limited to, a lowest price field 510 for
specifying the lowest acceptable price for the product, a price
range field 520 for specifying a preferred price range for the
product, an volume field 530 for specifying the minimum acceptable
volume per transaction.
[0037] Client-Agent Communication
[0038] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating communication between an
agent computer program and a client computer process performed by
the client-agent communication mechanism of FIG. 2 in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention. In step 610, a
request (e.g., an HTTP request) is received by the client-agent
communication mechanism 210. The request specifies at least one web
page that corresponds to the agent by using an address, such as a
URL address. In step 620, the dynamic agent then employs a web
server (e.g., an embedded HTTP server) to communicate or publish
the requested web page to a browser of the client computer process.
For example, the current status of the agent can be published to
the client computer process via one or more web pages.
[0039] In step 630, input (e.g., an instruction) is received from
the client computer process. For example, one or more commands can
be provided to control the actions of the agent. In step 640, the
agents behavior or status is modified based on the input, if
needed.
[0040] In step 650, the agent can optionally initiate contact with
the client computer process by specifying the client's web address.
One application where this may occur is approval for a proposed
action (e.g., a gray area is reached in the price of the product,
and the agent requests client's approval of proposed price).
[0041] Agents as Web Objects
[0042] The client-agent communication mechanism 210 allows a client
to monitor, manage, or interact with the agent remotely. When a
dynamic agent is configured with an embedded web server, the agent
can deliver a web page to a browser on a remote computer. The web
page can then be used by the client to interact with the agent
remotely. One advantage of the mechanism 210 is the provision of an
easy-to-use, intuitive, and flexible graphical user interface
(GUI), which is especially important when the client is a
human.
[0043] The main difference between treating agents as Web objects
and as other Java objects is that each agent has a Web page, which
is accessed via a URL. This Web page contains information about the
agent itself and about the task it is doing. With this mechanism we
can build a virtual market where clients and servers are all
connected to the Web, have Web-facing representations, and are able
to offer and participate in services on the Web.
[0044] As a Web object, an agent connected to the Internet is
accessible via HTTP or XML. This typically requires that the agent
embeds, or accesses, a web server. An agent is provided with at
least one web page (HTML or XML page) that provides an interface
for it to be accessed via any browser. The agent "publishes" on
that page, a set of control, maintenance and application operations
that can be accessed or invoked by using a Web browser.
[0045] For example, an agent carrying seller functionality has a
web page that shows what it sold, for which price, to whom, and
when. The control operations can be represented on the Web page. An
authorized person can adjust the price range via the Web page.
[0046] As with the agents' names, the URLs of the dynamic agents
are preferably maintained by a coordinator that has a stable URL
(i.e., having a stable host and port). In the event that the agents
move, the coordinator can be consulted to determine the URL of a
particular agent.
[0047] In one embodiment, operation requests issued from a Web
browser to a dynamic agent looks the same as a traditional form
request. For example, operation requests may be sent over HTTP
using the GET or POST method. In the case of a POST request, the
operation name and argument data can be sent in the body of the
request. Preferably, the arguments in the URL (including the
operation name and return value) are URL-encoded, which is a simple
text encoding scheme. However, it is noted that more complex
encoding schemes can be used to support integration with non-Web
based systems or for the passing of private information types.
[0048] It is noted that inter-agent communication using messages
does not require the involvement of a web server. For example, the
inter-agent communication facility can be an electronic mail
facility that supports messages in the form of electronic mail. In
this manner, electronic mail attachments, such as text, voice,
video data, may also be communicated.
[0049] Inter-Agent Communication
[0050] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating inter-agent
communication performed by the inter-agent communication mechanism
of FIG. 2 in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention. In step 700, a message (e.g., an XML document) is
received from another agent. In step 704, a DTD of the message is
accessed. For example, the DTD can be received with the message or
could have been received previously. As described previously, the
DTD is a template with which the message can be decoded correctly.
In step 708, the message is decoded by using the DTD. In this step,
the interpreter needed to interpret the current message is
determined.
[0051] In step 714, a determination is made whether the interpreter
currently loaded in the agent matches the interpreter needed to
interpret the message. If yes, processing proceeds to step 724.
Otherwise, in step 718, an appropriate interpreter that is
specified in the message, is dynamically loaded into the agent. In
step 724, the loaded interpreter uses an associated parser to
translate the contents of the message into executable machine code
(e.g., a tree of Java objects). The Java objects are executable
machine code that performs the program operations and functions. In
step 728, the code is executed, and the requested action is
performed and any requested information is sent to the requesting
agent via a return message.
[0052] A message can include the following: 1) envelope information
(e.g., name of sender, name of recipient, etc., 2) required
interpreter or ontology; 3) and the contents of the message (e.g.,
data etc.).
[0053] Multi-agent Cooperation with XML Messaging
[0054] Autonomous agents cooperate by sending messages and using
concepts from domain ontology. The inter-agent communication
mechanism 220 of the present invention provides a message format
with meaningful structure and semantics. The ontology switching
module 224 provides a mechanism for agents to exchange ontologies
and message interpreters.
[0055] Document-Driven Agent Cooperation
[0056] The messages can be in the form of a document that is
written in a markup language. Preferably, the document is created
by using an extensive markup language (XML) which is a standard for
data interchange on the Web. It is noted that other message formats
are acceptable provided that the selected message format is
accepted by the research community and the industry and likely to
be adopted by information providers.
[0057] In fact, an XML document is an information container for
reusable and customizable components, which can be used by any
receiving agent. This is the foundation for document-driven agent
cooperation. By making the Web accessible to agents with XML, the
present invention eliminates the need for custom interfaces for
each consumer and supplier. Agents may use an XML format to explain
their behavior, functions, interfaces, etc. by defining new
performatives in terms of existing, mutually understood ones. Based
on the commonly agreed tags, agents may use different style
document type descriptions (DTDs) to accommodate the taste of the
business units they mediate. Further, a dynamic agent can carry an
XML front-end to a database for data exchange, where both queries
and answers are XML encoded.
[0058] Although XML is well structured for encoding semantically
meaningful information, it must be based on the ontology. As
ontology varies from domain to domain, and may even be dynamic for
dynamically formed domains. A significant issue is how to exchange
the semantics of domain models, and how to interpret messages
differently in different problem domains. The ontology switching
module 224 of the present invention is provided to address this
issue and is discussed in greater detail hereinafter.
[0059] Generally, a domain ontology provides a set of concepts, or
meta-data, that can be queried, advertised and used to control the
behavior of cooperating agents. These concepts can be marked using
XML tags, and then a set of commonly agreed tags, underlie message
interpretation. The structures and the semantics of the documents
used in a particular problem domain are represented by the
corresponding DTDs and interpreters.
[0060] Preferably, different languages, all in XML format, are
utilized for different problem domains, such as product ordering,
market analysis, etc. Consequently, an individual interpreter for
each language is also used. Dynamic agents that include the
communication mechanisms of the present invention can exchange the
DTDs together with documents, and exchange the corresponding
interpreters as programming objects, in order to understand each
other.
[0061] DTD Based Program Generation
[0062] Since information sources are evolving, it is unlikely that
we can use fixed programs for information accessing and processing.
Our solution is to let a dynamic agent carry program tools that
generate XML oriented data access and processing programs based on
document type descriptions (DTDs). A DTD (like a schema) provides a
grammar that tells which data structures can occur, and in what
sequence. Such schematic information is used to automatically
generate programs for basic data access and processing (i.e., to
create classes that recognize and process different data elements
according to the specification of those elements).
[0063] For example, from an XML document including tag UNIT_PRICE,
a Java method "getUnitPrice" can be generated, provided that the
meanings of tags are understood, and an XML parser is appended to
the JDK classpath. In one embodiment, the XML parser that is
employed is a parser developed by Sun Microsystems that supports
SAX (Simple API for XML) and conforms to W3C DOM (Document Object
Model).
[0064] One advantage of automatic program generation from DTDs is
that tasks can be created on the fly, thereby handling the possible
change of document structures. For example, when a vendor publishes
a new DTD for its product data sheet, based on that DTD, an agent
can generate the appropriate programs for handling the
corresponding XML documents. Agents use different programs to
handle data provided by different vendors.
[0065] Ontology Model Switching
[0066] Different application domains have different ontology models
with different agent communication languages and language
interpreters although they are in XML format. In a particular
application domain, agents communicate using domain specific XML
language constructs and interpreters.
[0067] The inter-agent communication mechanism 220 of the present
invention enables a dynamic agent to participate in multiple
applications. For example, the dynamic agent communicates with
other agents for the business of one domain (D.sub.a) by employing
D.sub.a's language and language interpreter. Similarly, for the
business of another domain (D.sub.b) by employing D.sub.b's
language and language interpreter. A dynamic agent can carry
multiple interpreters and adapts to different application domains
and ontologies by employing the ontology switching module 224 to
detect the particular domain and automatically switch the DTD's and
interpreters, thereby enabling communication with agents in that
domain.
[0068] For example, the following message can be sent to load an
interpreter (e.g., a xml_shopping interpreter) to an agent:
1 <MESSAGE type = "LOAD" from = "A" to = "B" interpreter =
"xml.default"> <CONTENT> <LOAD_INTERPRETER class =
"da.XMLshoppingInterpreter" url = "file:host.hp.com/Dmclasses">
xml_shopping </LOAD_INTERPRETER> </CONTENT>
</MESSAGE>
[0069] In the foregoing specification, the invention has been
described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will,
however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be
made thereto without departing from the broader scope of the
invention. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be
regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
* * * * *