Policy Governed Software Agent System & Method of Operation

Abstract

A system and method for deploying software agents in a policy-governed environment. The use of over-arching policies to control the actions and interactions of the software agents preserves desirable agent autonomy without allowing unwanted and potentially unpredictable (or at least difficult-to-predict) agent behavior. The system allows the agents to be deployed in a high-assurance environment.

Having described our invention, we claim: 
     
         1 . A software agent control system, comprising:
 a. a host computing device, the actions of which arc governed by a governing authority;   b. an agent operating system running on said host computing device, said agent operating system including a set of governing policies established by said governing authority for said host computing device;   c. a software agent approved by an external authority, said software agent embodied by software code running on said host computing device: and   d. wherein said agent operating code restricts an action said software agent attempts to take on the basis of said set of policies in said agent operating system.   
     
     
         2 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a. a second software agent approved by an external authority and running on said host computing device; and   b. wherein said second software agent can only communicate with said software agent via said agent operating system.   
     
     
         3 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said second software agent can only detect a presence of said software agent via said agent operating system. 
     
     
         4 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         5 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a human user interface configured to allow said governing authority of said host computing device to set and modify said set of policies within said agent operating system. 
     
     
         6 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. said software agent includes its own set of associated governing policies;   b. said agent operating system includes the ability to resolve conflicts between governing policies set by the agent operating system and governing policies associated with said software agent.   
     
     
         7 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 6  wherein said agent operating system ensures that said governing policies set by said agent operating system take precedence over said governing policies associated with said software agent. 
     
     
         8 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         9 . A software agent control system, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         10 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         11 . A software agent control system, comprising:
 a. a host computing device;   b. an agent operating system running on said host computing device, said agent operating system including a set of governing policies established by a governing authority for said agent operating system;   c. a software agent approved by an external authority, said software agent embodied by software code running on said host computing device; and   d. wherein said agent operating code restricts an action said software agent attempts to take on the basis of said set of policies in said agent operating system.   
     
     
         12 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 11 , farther comprising:
 a. a second software agent approved by an external authority and running on said host computing device; and   b. wherein said second software agent can only communicate with said software agent via said agent operating system.   
     
     
         13 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said second software agent can only detect a presence of said software agent via said agent operating system. 
     
     
         14 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host competing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         15 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising a human user interface configured to allow said governing authority of said host computing device to set and modify said set of policies within said agent operating system. 
     
     
         16 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 11 , wherein:
 a. said software agent includes its own set of associated governing policies;   b. said agent operating system includes the ability to resolve conflicts between governing policies set by die agent operating system and governing policies associated with said software agent.   
     
     
         17 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 16  wherein said agent operating system ensures that said governing policies set by said agent operating system take precedence over said governing policies associated with said software agent. 
     
     
         18 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         19 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein stud software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system. 
     
     
         20 . A software agent control system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said software agent is only able to access data available to said host computing device through said agent operating system.