INTELLIGENT AGENT WORKBENCH

An intelligent agent workbench is disclosed for developing a computer-based intelligent agent that can be inserted between a system and an individual performing a pre-defined function with the system and/or that can supplant such function performed by such individual. In the workbench, an agent author allows a workbench user to create and modify an intelligent agent in a graphical representation. The workbench also has an execution engine for executing a non-graphical representation of the agent both within the workbench and outside the workbench as a stand-alone agent, and an interpreter for automatically 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 accessing the instance structure to obtain instance information, modifying instance information in the instance structure, and determining a priority for the task performance structure and notifying the instance structure of the determined priority.