Collection knowledge system

A programmable collection knowledge system device for delivering knowledge to application programs, whose actions are directed by software executing a process comprising the following steps:

• (a) receiving a knowledge request to provide requested knowledge,
• (b) building a set of search rules to guide a search for said requested knowledge,
• (c) performing a knowledge search for said requested knowledge using said set of search rules, and
• (d) returning knowledge search results to the request originator,
• thereby providing a solution to the scalable knowledge delivery problem, and
• thereby enabling application programs to obtain arbitrary processing knowledge in a fully-automated, scalable way that was not previously available.

A computer readable memory, encoded with data representing a collection knowledge system program that can be used to direct a computer when used by the computer, comprising:

• (a) means for receiving a knowledge request to provide requested knowledge,
• (b) means for building a set of search rules to guide the search for said requested knowledge,
• (c) means for performing a knowledge search for said requested knowledge using said set of search rules, and
• (d) means for returning knowledge search results to the request originator,
• thereby providing a solution to the scalable knowledge delivery problem, and
• thereby enabling application programs to obtain arbitrary processing knowledge in a fully-automated, scalable way that was not previously available.

A process for installing installable knowledge into a collection knowledge system, comprising the following steps:

• (a) accessing an index file describing the installable knowledge,
• (b) accessing a knowledge data directory containing the installable knowledge,
• (c) installing said index file and said knowledge data directory into a special installable knowledge directory location within a collection knowledge system,
• thereby providing a solution to the installable knowledge problem, and
• thereby helping to reduce knowledge maintenance costs by enabling humans to work with smaller, mobile, encapsulated bodies of installable knowledge.

A programmable collection knowledge system device for installing installable knowledge into a collection knowledge system, whose actions are directed by software executing a process comprising the following steps:

• (a) accessing an index file describing the installable knowledge,
• (b) accessing a knowledge data directory containing the installable knowledge,
• (c) installing said index file and said knowledge data directory into a special installable knowledge directory location within a collection knowledge system, and
• thereby providing a solution to the installable knowledge problem, and
• thereby helping to reduce knowledge maintenance costs by enabling humans to work with smaller, mobile, encapsulated bodies of installable knowledge.

A computer readable memory, encoded with data representing an installable knowledge program, that can be used to direct a computer when used by the computer, comprising:

• (a) means for accessing an index file describing the installable knowledge,
• (b) means for accessing a knowledge data directory containing the installable knowledge,
• (c) means for installing said index file and said knowledge data directory into a special installable knowledge directory location within a collection knowledge system,
• thereby providing a solution to the installable knowledge problem, and
• thereby helping to reduce knowledge maintenance costs by enabling humans to work with smaller, mobile, encapsulated bodies of installable knowledge.