METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACTIVE INFORMATION DISCOVERY AND RETRIEVAL

The present invention is built upon an active network framework and an ontology-based information hierarchy, and, in addition to the features found in current network models, it provides a symmetrical framework for information filtering and binding in the network. Queries from information requesters are directly routed to relevant information sources and contents from information providers are distributed to the destinations that expressed an interest in the information. The query packets and content packets can carry commands that are executed at the active network nodes encountered by the packets as they traverse the network.