Reconfigurable service provision via a communication network

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• wherein said reconfigurable agent is provided with means to select a set of software modules from said plurality of different software modules, in response to user information received at the input, and to invoke and run the executable code provided by said selected set;
• and
• wherein the reconfigurable agent adopts a first configuration in response to a user initiating use of the system, by selecting an initial set of software modules, and reconfigures to a second configuration on receiving data associated with the user, by selecting a subsequent set of software modules.

A service provision on system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• wherein said reconfigurable agent is provided with means to select a set of software modules from said plurality of different software modules, in response to user information received at the input, and to invoke and run the executable code provided by said selected set;
• and
• wherein the reconfigurable software agent comprises, or has access to, a plurality of software modules, each software module being provided with a data structure and associated functionality, at least some of the different configurations of the agent incorporating different respective sets of modules selected from said plurality, at least one of the software modules providing adaptation of the service provision system to operating constraints and/or capabilities relevant to usage of the system by a user;
• and
• wherein said adaptation of the service provision system is in response to real-time operating constraints and/or capabilities relevant to usage of the system by a user.

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• wherein said reconfigurable agent is provided with means to select a set of software modules from said plurality of different software modules, in response to user information received at the input, and to invoke and run the executable code provided by said selected set;
• and
• wherein the reconfigurable software agent comprises, or has access to, a plurality of software modules, each software module being provided with a data structure and associated functionality, at least some of the different configurations of the agent incorporating different respective sets of modules selected from said plurality, at least one of the software modules providing selection and/or modification of other software modules of said plurality between different configurations of the agent;
• and
• wherein at least one of said plurality of software modules provides a conflict resolution process for use in resolving conflicts between requirements of software modules of the same selected set.

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• wherein said reconfigurable agent is provided with means to select a set of software modules from said plurality of different software modules, in response to user information received at the input, and to invoke and run the executable code provided by said selected set;
• and
• wherein the reconfigurable software agent comprises, or has access to, a plurality of software modules, each software module being provided with a data structure and associated functionality, at least some of the different configurations of the agent incorporating different respective sets of modules selected from said plurality, at least one software module of the plurality providing conflict resolution functionality for use in co-ordinating presence of other software modules in a selected set.

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• at least some of the different configurations of the agent incorporating different respective sets of modules selected from said plurality,
• wherein data input to the system in use, by a user, excludes calling entity identification data, identifying a calling entity accessing the system, and the configuration adopted by the reconfigurable software agent determines that the functionality of the system includes means for providing cost data to the calling entity in advance of service provision by means of the system.

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• at least some of the different configurations of the agent incorporating different respective sets of modules selected from said plurality,
• wherein the configuration adopted by the reconfigurable software agent determines that the functionality of the system includes means for accepting payment data from the calling entity in advance of service provision by means of the system.

A service provision system for providing services to a user by means of one or more communications network(s),

• wherein the service provision system comprises intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents co-operate to provide access to services for a system user by invoking and running executable code,
• wherein at least one agent is a reconfigurable agent and comprises an input for user information, and further comprises or has access to a plurality of different software modules which provide executable code to the agent for use in providing access to services;
• wherein said reconfigurable agent is provided with means to select a set of software modules from said plurality of different software modules, in response to user information received at the input, and to invoke and run the executable code provided by said selected set;
• and
• wherein the reconfigurable agent has a plurality of different configurations available to it, and can reconfigure to make transitions between configurations of said plurality, during use of the system, direct transitions between predetermined pairs of the configurations being unavailable.

A service provision system for making information services available by means of one or more communications network(s), and for managing the provision of such services,

• the service provision system comprising receiving means for receiving a user request for access to functionality provided by the system, data processing means for processing data associated with a user input, and means for making service provision or management functionality available to the user in response to the user request, in accordance with data processed by the processing means,
• wherein the functionality made available to a user is determined at least in part by data processed by the processing means,
• the service provision system comprising intelligent software agents in a computing environment, which agents cooperate to support a response to a user request by the system, at least one of the agents being reconfigurable to modify said functionality made available in response to data processed by the processing means,
• wherein each reconfigurable agent has available to it a plurality of software modules, and
• wherein the system comprises means to reconfigure each reconfigurable agent by selecting and loading a different set of said plurality of software modules so as to rebuild said agent in a new configuration.