Patent Document ID: 4868763
Application ID: 07015024
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A knowledge-based system having a plurality of distributed knowledge bases coupled to each other, comprising: transmission line means for transmitting a message; message management means connected to said transmission line means for managing and storing messages; and a plurality of knowledge processor means connected to said transmission line means for replying to requests from respective users and resolving said requests by utilizing the knowledge information; wherein each of said plurality of knowledge processor means includes interface means for interacting with a user, a knowledge base for storing knowledge information, reasoning means for executing a reasoning process to reply to a request from a user by utilizing the knowledge information, first means for sending, when said reasoning means cannot resolve the request from the user with the knowledge information stored in said knowledge base of said knowledge processor means, a request message requesting from at least one other knowledge processor means a resolution of the request through said transmission line means, second means for sending, when said reasoning means executes a reasoning process in response to a request message from any other knowledge processor means, a reply message indicating a result of the reasoning process to said message management means through said transmission line means, and means for outputting a reply to said interface means when said knowledge processor means receives from said message management means a reply message related to said request originally issued thereby; and wherein said message management means includes means for managing reply messages received from said plurality of knowledge processor means, corresponding to request messages already received and stored therein, and third means for sending, when a status of a reply to one request has satisfied a predetermined condition, a reply message to one of said plurality of knowledge processor means having originally issued the request.