Abstract: A semantic analysis apparatus includes a data obtaining unit that obtains data in which an item name and an item value belonging to the item name are represented in a predetermined data format; an item value extracting unit that extracts the item value from the data based on the data format; a concept storing unit that stores a concept which is a semantic notion to be attached to the item name and an instance which is specific data of the concept in association with each other; a concept specifying unit that specifies the concept, which is stored in the concept storing unit and which is associated with the instance which at least partially matches with a character string of the extracted item value, as the concept for the item name; and an associating unit that associates the concept with the item name.

Abstract: A service retrieval apparatus stores service data items, each including two words as input and output items and expression as condition, receives request data item including word as input item and expression as condition, acquires first word set which is set of words having meanings identical/similar to meaning of word as input item in request data item, retrieves group of service data items in each of which one word of first word set is included as input item, calculates condition similarity between meaning of expression in each one of group and meaning of expression in request data item, calculates priority of each one of group based on similarity between word as input item in each one of group and word as input item in request data item and condition similarity, and transmits list including priority and address of appliance which correspond to each one of group to first appliance.

Abstract: A service retrieval apparatus stores service data items, each including two words as input and output items and expression as condition, receives request data item including word as input item and expression as condition, acquires first word set which is set of words having meanings identical/similar to meaning of word as input item in request data item, retrieves group of service data items in each of which one word of first word set is included as input item, calculates condition similarity between meaning of expression in each one of group and meaning of expression in request data item, calculates priority of each one of group based on similarity between word as input item in each one of group and word as input item in request data item and condition similarity, and transmits list including priority and address of appliance which correspond to each one of group to first appliance.

Abstract: A semantic analysis apparatus includes a data obtaining unit that obtains data in which an item name and an item value belonging to the item name are represented in a predetermined data format; an item value extracting unit that extracts the item value from the data based on the data format; a concept storing unit that stores a concept which is a semantic notion to be attached to the item name and an instance which is specific data of the concept in association with each other; a concept specifying unit that specifies the concept, which is stored in the concept storing unit and which is associated with the instance which at least partially matches with a character string of the extracted item value, as the concept for the item name; and an associating unit that associates the concept with the item name.

Abstract: An apparatus collects information stored in a host computer through a network. A correspondence acquirement unit acquires a correspondence between an information identifier of requested information and host identifiers of a plurality of host computers each of which stores the requested information. A first decision unit decides at least one host computer to retrieve the requested information by referring to the correspondence. A second decision unit decides a retrieval method used for each host computer decided by the first decision unit from a plurality of retrieval methods. A retrieval unit indicates retrieval of the requested information based on the retrieval method decided by the second decision unit and each host computer decided by the first decision unit.

Abstract: An object management apparatus for managing an object which executes a process includes an execution conditions holding unit that holds the process and corresponding execution condition indicating a first status of the object as a prerequisite for executing the process; an execution instruction acquisition unit that acquires an execution instruction indicating the process; a status information acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating a second status of the object from the object; and a status determining unit that determines whether the process indicated in the execution instruction can be executed by the object, based on the first status indicated in the execution condition corresponding to the process indicated in the execution instruction and the second status indicated the status information.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: A planning means generates a plan to be executed by agents on a node. In the case where the plan generated uses an uncertain knowledge required to be processed in other nodes, a judging means judges the communication line connecting the node and a network is low or high in reliability. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is low, an agent management unit moves the agent for executing the plan to another node for processing the uncertain knowledge. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is high, on the other hand, a cooperation protocol realization means requests an agent on another node to process the uncertain knowledge. An agent execution means executes the plan generated.

Abstract: A planning means generates a plan to be executed by agents on a node. In the case where the plan generated uses an uncertain knowledge required to be processed in other nodes, a judging means judges the communication line connecting the node and a network is low or high in reliability. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is low, an agent management unit moves the agent for executing the plan to another node for processing the uncertain knowledge. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is high, on the other hand, a cooperation protocol realization means requests an agent on another node to process the uncertain knowledge. An agent execution means executes the plan generated.

Abstract: A context recognition unit decides a user's context by comparing context recognition rules to the user's information, and outputs context recognition data based on the user's context. A processing selection unit decides a contents type by comparing processing selection rules to the context recognition data, and outputs contents creation request data based on the contents type. A contents delivery unit obtains contents based on the contents creation request data, and delivers the contents to the user's terminal. A question creation unit creates a question about the contents delivery for the user. Each context recognition rule and each processing selection rule includes a priority degree. The question creation unit specifies the context recognition rule or the processing selection rule based on the user's answer to the question, and changes the priority degree of the specified rule.

Abstract: A service retrieval apparatus stores service data items, each including two words as input and output items and expression as condition, receives request data item including word as input item and expression as condition, acquires first word set which is set of words having meanings identical/similar to meaning of word as input item in request data item, retrieves group of service data items in each of which one word of first word set is included as input item, calculates condition similarity between meaning of expression in each one of group and meaning of expression in request data item, calculates priority of each one of group based on similarity between word as input item in each one of group and word as input item in request data item and condition similarity, and transmits list including priority and address of appliance which correspond to each one of group to first appliance.

Abstract: The result of the search from a temporary search section is given to a search condition item extracting section. The search condition item extracting section extracts registered information items for the retrieved Web service from a registry. The search condition item extracting section classifies the retrieved domains and checks the frequency of keywords, input and output items, and input and output restrictions. A condition item inquiry section transmits to the agent requesting the search the extracted information items in the form of a list of search condition items on the basis of such pieces of information as classification and frequency. As a result, the agent can make a re-search by specifying effective search keys and search values.

Abstract: A planning means generates a plan to be executed by agents on a node. In the case where the plan generated uses an uncertain knowledge required to be processed in other nodes, a judging means judges the communication line connecting the node and a network is low or high in reliability. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is low, an agent management unit moves the agent for executing the plan to another node for processing the uncertain knowledge. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is high, on the other hand,. a cooperation protocol realization means requests an agent on another node to process the uncertain knowledge. An agent execution means executes the plan generated.

Abstract: A Web service coordination plan creating method according to this invention includes a first step of matching the predicate of the precondition with the predicate of the user data and matching the predicate of the post condition with the predicate of the user's request in respect to one application program. The method further includes a second step of matching the predicate of the precondition with a first predicate including the predicate of the user data unmatched in the first step and matching the predicate of the post condition with a second predicate including the predicate of the user's request unmatched in the first step in respect to other application programs excluding the one application program.

Abstract: A planning means generates a plan to be executed by agents on a node. In the case where the plan generated uses an uncertain knowledge required to be processed in other nodes, a judging means judges the communication line connecting the node and a network is low or high in reliability. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is low, an agent management unit moves the agent for executing the plan to another node for processing the uncertain knowledge. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is high, on the other hand, a cooperation protocol realization means requests an agent on another node to process the uncertain knowledge. An agent execution means executes the plan generated.

Abstract: A planning means generates a plan to be executed by agents on a node. In the case where the plan generated uses an uncertain knowledge required to be processed in other nodes, a judging means judges the communication line connecting the node and a network is low or high in reliability. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is low, an agent management unit moves the agent for executing the plan to another node for processing the uncertain knowledge. In the case where the reliability of the communication line is high, on the other hand, a cooperation protocol realization means requests an agent on another node to process the uncertain knowledge. An agent execution means executes the plan generated.

Abstract: A system smoothly performing information processing is realized by dynamically making a decision, when it becomes necessary for an agent currently located at a platform to make use of another platform, with regard to whether to cause the agent to move to the other platform or cause the agent to cooperate with another agent that exists at the other platform. The dynamic decision is made in response to situations, resulting in enabling the unified utilization of mobile and stationary agents. The decision of using either movement or cooperation is typically made based on platform information and agent information. Even if planning changes the plan of an agent and regardless of what agent is using which platform's resources, it is possible to easily establish whether movement or cooperation is to be used, based on the platform profile and agent attributes. Such a system can perform information processing in response to changing situations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using a main script program include a function that prompts a user to enter an input script program while a main script program executes. An ACL (Access Control List) defines commands used by the input script program. When a user executes the main script program, a prompt function prompts the user to enter the input script program. Program execution continues and the user's computer determines whether the input script program is executable based upon the ACL contained in the main script program. Accordingly, the input script program may only execute a specified range of authorized commands.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.