Multi-Cloud User Interface

Abstract

A multi-cloud user interface apparatus facilitates transparent use of multiple Internet-based clouds. A network interface compatibly interacts with the multiple Internet-based clouds, a database management system of information, and a user interface that includes a non-human agent. The database management system pertains to a world model that represents a plurality of entities such as workgroups, products, humans, animals, plants, positions, and assets. The database itself can be configured such that the items of information are partially but not wholly stored on individual ones of each of the multiple Internet-based clouds. The non-human agent can be configured to receive input from a human user and to respond to the input by accessing the database. The nature of the response can be automatically derived as a function of an information relevance measurement that is itself calculated as a function, at least in part, of an entity relationship-based metric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-cloud user interface apparatus to facilitate transparent use of multiple Internet-based clouds, the multi-cloud user interface apparatus comprising:
 a network interface configured to compatibly interact with the multiple Internet-based clouds;   a database management system of information having stored therein a world model representing a plurality of entities, the database being partially but not wholly stored on each of the multiple Internet-based clouds such that the database in its entirety is wholly stored on the multiple Internet-based clouds and such that at least portions of the database are redundantly stored on more than a single one of the multiple Internet-based clouds;   a user interface operably coupled to the network interface and including a non-human agent, the non-human agent configured to receive input from a human user and to respond to the input by accessing the database.   
     
     
         2 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the non-human agent is configured to respond to the input from the human user as a function, at least in part, of an information relevance measurement. 
     
     
         3 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the information relevance measurement is calculated as a function, at least in part, of a monetary metric. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the information relevance measurement is calculated as a function, at least in part, of a workgroup, position, product, asset, human, animal or plant relationship-based metric. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the relationship-based metric includes metrics corresponding to at least one of:
 fulfilled promises; and 
 human-based perceptions regarding performance. 
 
     
     
         6 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the information relevance measurement is calculated as a function, at least in part, of both a monetary metric, and an entity relationship-based metric. 
     
     
         7 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the non-human agent comprises, at least in part, an avatar for the human user. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the user interface is configured to present the visual avatar as at least one of a two-dimensional animated avatar, a three-dimensional animated avatar, an audio-based avatar, and a text-based avatar. 
     
     
         9 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a broker subsystem made up of a dispatcher subsystem to direct both storage and retrieval of data and applications, and a buyer subsystem to determine when additional cloud resources are needed to service the multi-cloud and to signal a buyer apparatus to act. 
 
     
     
         10 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the dispatcher subsystem is further configured to determine when additional cloud resources are needed to service the multi-cloud and to signal a buyer apparatus to act. 
     
     
         11 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the dispatcher subsystem is further configured to find, acquire, integrate, and test cloud resources. 
     
     
         12 . The multi-cloud user interface apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the dispatcher subsystem is further configured to determine when additional cloud resources are needed as a function, at least in part, of definable operational and performance parameters. 
     
     
         13 . A method to facilitate transparent use of multiple Internet-based clouds, the method comprising:
 providing a network interface configured to compatibly interact with the multiple Internet-based clouds;   providing a database management system of information having stored therein a world model representing a plurality of entities, the database being partially but not wholly stored on each of the multiple Internet-based clouds such that the database in its entirety is wholly stored on the multiple Internet-based clouds and such that at least portions of the database are redundantly stored on more than a single one of the multiple Internet-based clouds;   providing a user interface operably coupled to the network interface and including a non-human agent, and using the non-human agent to receive input from a human user and to respond to the input by accessing the database.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein using the non-human agent to receive input from a human user and to respond to the input by accessing the database comprises responding to the input from the human user as a function, at least in part, of an information relevance measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising calculating the information relevance measurement as a function, at least in part, of a monetary metric. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising calculating the information relevance measurement as a function, at least in part, of a workgroup, position, product, asset, human, animal or plant relationship-based metric. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the relationship-based metric includes metrics corresponding to at least one of:
 fulfilled promises; and 
 human-based perceptions regarding performance. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising calculating the information relevance measurement as a function, at least in part, of both a monetary metric, and an entity relationship-based metric. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 providing a dispatcher subsystem to direct both storage and retrieval of data and applications. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising:
 using the dispatcher subsystem to determine when additional cloud resources are needed to service the multi-cloud and to signal a buyer apparatus to act.