Patent ID: 6480881
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
An information access apparatus for use in a distributed information system having a plurality of information sources updated autonomically and linked by a communications network, comprising:an agent generator generating a first agent section that moves around the communications network and obtains at a destination knowledge about a path including at least one information source accessed by a second agent section moving around the communications network and autonomically collecting information on the communications network, among the plurality of information sources, each one of the plurality of information sources storing information independently and updated autonomically, the knowledge including keyword information which indicates a search condition about information searched for by the second agent section, determines an information source to be accessed using the knowledge as path information to the information source to be accessed if the keyword information of the second agent section partially matches keyword information which indicates a search condition about information searched for by the first agent section, moves to a determined information source and obtains information from the determined information source, the agent generator delegating the first agent section to the destination through the communications network; and an output device outputting the information that the first agent section collects when the first agent section returns to the information access apparatus.