Movement of an agent that utilizes a compiled set of canonical rules
View Patent ↗A method includes obtaining, at a first execution environment of a first device, an as-needed rule set. The as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of a second execution environment. The as-needed rule set is associated with an agent. The agent and the as-needed rule set are encoded into a transferable form. The encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set are sent from the first execution environment to the second execution environment.
1. A method comprising:
obtaining, at a first execution environment of a first device, an as-needed rule set, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of a second execution environment, and wherein the as-needed rule set is associated with an agent;
encoding the agent and the as-needed rule set into a transferable form; and
sending the encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set from the first execution environment to the second execution environment, wherein the second execution environment is associated with a second device, and wherein the first device comprises a server device and the second device comprises a client device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of context-specific rules is filtered from the total potential rule set based at least in part on one or more goals of the agent.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating movement of the agent from the first execution environment of the first device to the second execution environment, wherein the second execution environment is associated with a second device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the movement is initiated in response to receiving a move request from an application.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the move request is received through a third execution environment in which the application resides.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the as-needed rule set is obtained from a rule repository.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the rule repository resides in a third execution environment.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a notification from the second execution environment that indicates receipt of the encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set by the second execution environment; and
destructing the agent in the first execution environment in response to the notification.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first execution environment and the second execution environment are both embodied on the first device.
10. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to obtain an as-needed rule set at a first execution environment, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of a second execution environment, and wherein the as-needed rule set is associated with an agent;
instructions to encode the agent and the as-needed rule set into a transferable form; and
instructions to send the encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set to the second execution environment.
11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising instructions to process a request to move the agent from the first execution environment to the second execution environment.
12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the as-needed rule set is obtained from the request.
13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the request is received from an application that resides in a third execution environment.
14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to discard a rule engine, a working memory, and a rule set in the first execution environment in response to the request to move the agent.
15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the subset of context-specific rules are filtered from the total potential rule set based at least in part on one or more goals of the agent.
16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , further comprising:
instructions to process a notification received from the second execution environment, wherein the notification indicates receipt of the encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set by the second execution environment; and
instructions to destruct the agent at the first execution environment in response to the notification.
17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first execution environment and the second execution environment are embodied on a single computing device.
18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first execution environment is embodied on a first device and the second execution environment is embodied on a second device.
19. An apparatus comprising:
a memory associated with a first execution environment and configured to store an agent; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to:
obtain an as-needed rule set, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of a second execution environment, and wherein the as-needed rule set is associated with the agent;
encode the agent and the as-needed rule set into a transferable form; and
send the encoded agent and the encoded as-needed rule set to the second execution environment.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain the as-needed rule set from a rule repository in a third execution environment.
21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to process a request to move the agent from the first execution environment to the second execution environment.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the request includes a reference to a rule repository that includes the as-needed rule set.
23. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to discard, from the first execution environment, a rule engine, a working memory, and a compiled rule set associated with the agent.
24. A method comprising:
receiving, from a first execution environment of a first device, an agent and an as-needed rule set associated with the agent at a second execution environment, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of the second execution environment, wherein the second execution environment is associated with a second device, and wherein the first device comprises a server device and the second device comprises a client device;
identifying a rule engine that is configured to implement the as-needed rule set; and
executing, by the agent, the as-needed rule set.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first execution environment comprises a previous execution environment of the agent, and wherein the second execution environment comprises a target execution environment of the agent.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the agent and the as-needed rule set are encoded by the first execution environment, and further comprising decoding the agent and the as-needed rule set.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the identifying comprises:
searching for the rule engine; and
creating the rule engine if the searching does not locate the rule engine.
28. The method of claim 24 , further comprising using the rule engine to compile the as-needed rule set.
29. The method of claim 24 , further comprising creating a working memory for the agent at the second execution environment.
30. A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to receive, from a first execution environment, an agent and an as-needed rule set associated with the agent at a second execution environment, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of the second execution environment;
instructions to identify a rule engine that is configured to implement the as-needed rule set; and
instructions to use the agent to execute the as-needed rule set.
31. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the instructions to identify comprise instructions to:
search for the rule engine; and
create the rule engine if the search does not locate the rule engine.
32. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 30 , further comprising instructions to create a working memory for the agent at the second execution environment.
33. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 30 , further comprising instructions to compile the as-needed rule set using the rule engine.
34. An apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
a processor operatively coupled to the memory and configured to:
process, at a second execution environment, an agent and an as-needed rule set associated with the agent that are received from a first execution environment, wherein the as-needed rule set is a subset of context-specific rules filtered from a total potential rule set based at least on a hardware characteristic of the second execution environment;
identify a rule engine that is configured to implement the as-needed rule set; and
use the agent to execute the as-needed rule set.
35. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the processor is further configured to create a working memory for the agent at the second execution environment.
36. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the processor is further configured to compile the as-needed rule set using the rule engine.