Method and apparatus for identifying an agent running on a device in a computer network
US5619615A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 22, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 22, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F16/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for identifying an agent based on a decision tree is provided. The apparatus transmits a series of queries to the agent and the agent transmits responses to the queries back to the apparatus. Based on the responses, the apparatus determines the identity of the agent. The apparatus determines the series of queries by traversing the decision tree based on responses sent by the agent to previous queries. When the traversal arrives at a leaf node of the decision tree, an agent associated with the leaf node is used to identify the agent. If the traversal fails before arriving at a leaf node, then a weight is determined for each supported agent based on the responses sent by the agent, and the agent with the greatest weight is used to identify the agent.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.