Enabling interoperability between participants in a network

Abstract

Interoperability is enabled between participants in a network by determining values associated with a value metric defined for at least a portion of the network. Information flow is directed between two or more of the participants based at least in part on semantic models corresponding to the participants and on the values associated with the value metric. The semantic models may define interactions between the participants and define at least a portion of information produced or consumed by the participants. The determination of the values and the direction of the information flow may be performed multiple times in order to modify the one or more value metrics. The direction of information flow may allow participants to be deleted from the network, may allow participants to be added to the network, or may allow behavior of the participants to be modified.

1 . A method for enabling interoperability between a plurality of participants in a network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining one or more values associated with a value metric defined for at least a portion of the network; and    directing information flow between two or more of the plurality of participants in the network based at least in part on one or more semantic models corresponding to the plurality of participants and on the one or more values associated with the value metric.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing information flow further comprises the steps of: 
 performing matchmaking between the plurality of participants based on the one or more semantic models and the one or more values; and    directing information flow between the participants matched during the matchmaking.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of matchmaking comprises the steps of: 
 determining by using the one or more semantic models that the participants can be connected; and    determining that the value metric is modified by the connection.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more semantic models define inputs, outputs, and functionality for each of the plurality of participants and define at least a portion of information produced or consumed by the plurality of participants.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of normalizing the portion of information based on the one or more semantic models, and wherein the step of directing information flow uses the normalized portion of information.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of performing the determining and directing steps multiple times in order to modify the one or more values associated with the value metric.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of determining and directing are completed a number of times in order to modify the one or more values associated with the value metric from one or more initial values to one or more final values, wherein each of the number of times the steps of determining and directing are completed creates one or more intermediate values associated with the value metric, and wherein the one or more final values are selected when changes in directing information between two or more of the plurality of participants cause currently determined one or more intermediate values to be within a predetermined distance from previously determined one or more intermediate values.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating one or more alerts based on the one or more values of the value metric.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing information flow further comprises the steps of: 
 inserting a new participant into the network based on a semantic model of the new participant; and    directing information flow between one or more existing participants and the new participant.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a given participant has information flow coupled to one or more particular participants, and wherein the step of directing information flow further comprises the steps of: 
 determining that the given participant has been removed from the network; and    directing information, by using the one or more semantic models, from one or more existing participants to the one or more particular participants.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of directing information flow further comprises the steps of determining that the given participant can be deleted from the network and deleting the given participant from the network.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing information flow comprises the step of directing new information to a given participant, whereby behavior of the given participant can change in response to the new information.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of directing information flow further comprises the step of performing an analysis of statistical behavior of the given participant with respect to participants within a predetermined distance in the network from the given participant.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of directing information flow uses a semantic directory to access the one or more semantic models.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the semantic directory lists one or more of services, assumptions and processing methodologies of the plurality of participants.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of externalizing the services, assumptions, and processing methodologies of the plurality of participants, wherein the externalization is performed using one or more of specifically designed ontologies and federated ontologies.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the participants of the network comprise producers of information, consumers of information, and transducers of information.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the transducers convert information from one kind to another kind.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the participants produce a low level metric, and wherein the step of determining one or more values uses the low level metric.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the value metric comprises one or more of a rule, an equation that evaluates to a value, and a boolean rule.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for enabling interoperability between a plurality of participants in a network, the apparatus comprising: 
 one or more memories; and    one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors configured: 
 to determine one or more values associated with a value metric defined for at least a portion of the network; and  
 to direct information flow between two or more of the plurality of participants in the network based at least in part on one or more semantic models corresponding to the plurality of participants and on the one or more values associated with the value metric.  
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when directing information flow: 
 to perform matchmaking between the plurality of participants based on the one or more semantic models and the one or more values; and    to direct information flow between the participants matched during the matchmaking.    
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more semantic models define inputs, outputs, and functionality for each of the plurality of participants and define at least a portion of information produced or consumed by the plurality of participants.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform the determining and directing steps multiple times in order to modify the one or more values associated with the value metric.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the determining and directing operations are completed a number of times in order to modify the one or more values associated with the value metric from one or more initial values to one or more final values, wherein each of the number of times the determining and directing operations are completed creates one or more intermediate values associated with the value metric, and wherein the one or more final values are selected when changes in directing information between two or more of the plurality of participants cause currently determined one or more intermediate values to be within a predetermined distance from previously determined one or more intermediate values.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate one or more alerts based on the one or more values of the value metric.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when directing information flow: 
 to insert a new participant into the network based on a semantic model of the new participant; and    to direct information flow between one or more existing participants and the new participant.    
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein a given participant has information flow coupled to one or more particular participants, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when directing information flow: 
 to determine that the given participant has been removed from the network; and    to direct information, by using the one or more semantic models, from one or more existing participants to the one or more particular participants.    
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when directing information flow, to direct new information to a given participant, whereby behavior of the given participant can change in response to the new information.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when directing information flow, to use a semantic directory to access the one or more semantic models.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the participants of the network comprise producers of information, consumers of information, and transducers of information.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein one or more of the participants produce a low level metric, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured, when determining one or more values, to use the low level metric when determining the one or more values.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the value metric comprises one or more of a rule, an equation that evaluates to a value, and a boolean rule.  
     
     
         34 . An article of manufacture for enabling interoperability between a plurality of participants in a network, the article of manufacture comprising: 
 a computer readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:    determining one or more values associated with a value metric defined for at least a portion of the network; and    directing information flow between two or more of the plurality of participants in the network based at least in part on one or more semantic models corresponding to the plurality of participants and on the one or more values associated with the value metric.