INTELLIGENT AGENT WORKBENCH

An intelligent agent workbench is disclosed for developing a computer-based intelligent agent. In the workbench, an agent author allows a user to create and modify an intelligent agent in a graphical representation. The workbench has an execution engine for executing a non-graphical representation of the agent, and an interpreter for translating between the non-graphical and graphical representations. The agent has an instance structure representing a current problem instance, perception structures, task performance structures, and a priority structure. Each perception structure represents information perceived from the system, and includes sub-structures for obtaining information from the system and updating the instance structure therewith. Each task performance structure represents a task the agent can perform, and includes sub-structures for obtaining instance information, modifying instance information, and determining a priority for the task performance structure. The priority structure determines priority among conflicting demands for attention based on the determined priorities.