System and method for creating and manipulating information containers with dynamic registers

Abstract

A system to create and manipulate information containers to gather information on a computer network. The system receives, from a user, container information that logically defines a container relative to a plurality of containers, receives, from the user, content for enclosure in the container, receives, from the user, register information that defines a plurality of registers forming part of the container and governs interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes, including times at which the container can be acted upon by other containers, processes, systems or gateways, and including times at which the container may interact with other containers, processes, systems or gateways, and receives, from the user, gateway information that controls interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes.

1 . A method for interacting between a first interactive information container and a second interactive information container, the method including: 
 determining identification information for the first container using a first gateway;    determining identification information for the second container using a second gateway;    determining whether the first container can act upon the second container using the first gateway and a register of the first container;    determining whether the second container can be acted upon by the first container using the second gateway and a register of the second container; and    performing the interaction between the first and second containers prescribed by the first gateway and the register of the first container if both the first container can act upon the second container and the second container can be acted upon by the first container.    
     
     
         2 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , wherein determining identification information for the first and second containers are performed by reading respective identification registers of the first and second containers.  
     
     
         3 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , further comprising altering a register of the first container and a register of the second container to reflect the interaction between the first container and the second container.  
     
     
         4 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , further comprising adding registers to the first container based on the registers in the second container and the second gateway.  
     
     
         5 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , wherein performing the interaction between the first and second containers also uses the second gateway and the register of the second container to determine the prescribe action to be taken.  
     
     
         6 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining whether the first container should add an identified register of the second container as a new register of the first container using an acquire register and the first gateway of the first container; and    adding the new register to the first container if it is determined that the new register should be added to the first container.    
     
     
         7 . The method for interacting of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the first gateway of the first container based on the interaction between the first container and the second container.  
     
     
         8 . The method for interacting of  claim 7 , wherein modifying includes modifying rules of an expert system that forms the first gateway of the first container.  
     
     
         9 . A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to: 
 receiving, from a user, a selection of a container;    receive, from the user, container information that logically defines the container in a hierarchy relative to a plurality of containers;    receive, from the user, content for enclosure in the container;    receive, from the user, register information that defines a plurality of registers forming part of the container and governs interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes, including times at which the container can be acted upon by other containers, processes, systems or gateways, and including times at which the container may interact with other containers, processes, systems or gateways; and    receive, from the user, gateway information that controls interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes.    
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 9 , wherein the information element is one from the group of text, graphic images, video, audio, a digital pattern, a process, a nested container, bit, natural number and a system.  
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of registers includes at least one predefined register, the predefined register being a register associated with an editor for user selection and being graphically appendable to a graphical representation of the container.  
     
     
         12 . The product of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of registers includes a user-created register, the user-created register being generated by the user, and being appendable to the container.  
     
     
         13 . The product of  claim 9 , wherein instructions are operable to cause a programmable processor to: 
 store the container including the container information, the register information, and the gateway information.    
     
     
         14 . A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations of: 
 receiving, from a user, a selection of a container;    receive, from the user, container information that logically defines the container in a hierarchy relative to a plurality of containers;    receive, from the user, content for enclosure in the container;    receive, from the user, register information that defines a plurality of registers forming part of the container and governs interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes, including space in which the container can be acted upon by other containers, processes, systems or gateways, and space in which the container may interact with other containers, processes, systems or gateways; and    receive, from the user, gateway information that controls interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes.    
     
     
         15 . A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the product comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to: 
 receive, from a user, container information that logically defines a container relative to a plurality of containers;    receive, from the user, content for enclosure in the container;    receive, from the user, register information that defines a plurality of registers forming part of the container and governs interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes, including controlling whether the container adds a register from other containers or adds a container from other containers when interacting with them; and    receive, from the user, gateway information that controls interactions of the container with other containers, systems or processes.    
     
     
         16 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the information element is one from the group of text, graphic images, video, audio, a digital pattern, a process, a nested container, bit, natural number and a system.  
     
     
         17 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of registers includes at least one predefined register, the predefined register being a register associated with an editor for user selection and being graphically appendable to a graphical representation of the container.  
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of registers includes a user-created register, the user-created register being generated by the user, and being appendable to the container.  
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein instructions are operable to cause a programmable processor to: 
 store the container including the container information, the register information, and the gateway information.