Architecture for a system of portable information agents
View Patent ↗A method and system for providing enhanced intelligent agents that are moveable by a user from a browser application to a desktop. In specific embodiments, agents provide advanced interactive graphics and communications back to a server.
1. A method of interacting with an information agent comprising:
providing a first information agent as part of a first composition accessed by a first application, said first information agent comprising a software object, said first composition providing a first execution context for said first information agent;
providing a second information agent as part of a second composition accessed by a second application, said second information agent comprising a software object, said second composition providing a second execution context for said second information agent;
composing said second information agent into said first information agent;
allowing a user to select said first information agent and relocate said first information agent outside of said first application;
upon detecting said relocating, determining if sufficient infrastructure logic exists to allow said first information agent to operate in a new location;
if said determining indicates that sufficient infrastructure does not exist, contacting an agent server to request necessary infrastructure logic;
downloading and installing necessary infrastructure logic; and
thereafter moving said first information agent to said new location such that said first information agent becomes part of a third composition that provides a third execution context for said first information agent, wherein said first application comprises a web browser and said first composition comprises a web page.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said new location is selected from the group consisting of: a desktop provided by an operating system, a different application, and a different computer platform with a different operating system.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first information agent is associated with a graphic object constructed from presentation primitives that allows user interaction with said graphic object.
4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first information agent includes logic allowing communication with a data server for tracking user interaction.
5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said first information agent and said infrastructure allow communication with a data server for tracking user interaction after said first information agent has been moved to a new location.
6. A system for interacting with an information agent comprising:
a first information agent that is part of a first composition accessed by a first application, said first information agent comprising a software object, said first composition providing a first execution context for said first information agent, wherein said first application comprises a web browser and said first composition comprises a web page;
a second information agent that is part of a second composition accessed by a second application, said second information agent comprising a software object, said second composition providing a second execution context for said second information agent, wherein said second information agent is composed into said first information agent;
wherein the system further configured for:
allowing a user to select said first information agent and relocate said first information agent outside of said first application;
determing if sufficient infrastructure logic exists to allow said first information agent to operate in a new location;
contacting an acient server to request necessary infrastructure logic:
downloading and installing necessary infrastructure logic; and
moving said first information acient to said new location.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein said first application is an email client and said first composition is an email message.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein said second application is an email client and said second composition is an email message.
9. The system of claim 6 further comprising determining if sufficient infrastructure logic exists to allow said first information agent to operate in a new location.
10. The system of claim 6 further comprising contacting an agent server to request necessary infrastructure logic.
11. The system of claim 6 further comprising downloading and installing necessary infrastructure logic.
12. The system of claim 6 further comprising moving said first information agent to a new location.