Graph-based negotiation system with encapsulated constraint solver

• US 7,647,212 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Castellani, Stefania, Andreoli, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin; Evens J
• Application Number:
  US10/855,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 707/101, 706/11, 703/2
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A constraint solver is encapsulated in a service adapted to participate in a negotiation. In operation, the system constructs a graph in its memory for negotiating a set of actions to be performed by selected ones of a plurality of participants. Each node of the graph defines a negotiation context that has associated therewith a constraint store with at least a set of domain constraints stored therein that limit during the negotiation a set of semantic constraints of the service on variables of the constraint solver.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for carrying out a negotiation concerning set of actions to execute a print job performed by selected ones of a plurality of participants, wherein at least one of the plurality of participants encapsulates a constraint solver in a service, comprising:

defining processing instructions in a memory of the system for carrying out the negotiation using the service encapsulating the constraint solver to facilitate printing via a processor; and

executing the processing instructions, via the processor, to carry out the negotiation with the service encapsulating the constraint solver;

wherein said executing the processing instructions for carrying out the negotiation with the service encapsulating the constraint solver further comprises;

(A) establishing encapsulation input in the memory that includes;

(a) a mapping between one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of print-job parameters of the service and corresponding variables of the constraint solver, (b) a translation between negotiation statements on the one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of the print-job parameters of the service and domain constraints imposed on the corresponding variables of the constraint solver, and (c) a set of semantic constraints of the service on variables of the constraint solver;

(B) constructing a graph in the memory for negotiating the set of actions to be performed, wherein each action corresponds to one or more invocation patterns, each node of the graph defining a negotiation context that has associated therewith a constraint store with at least a set of domain constraints stored therein;

(C) propagating constraints defined by the set of semantic constraints and the set of domain constraints associated with nodes of the graph to other participants in the negotiation as domain constraints augment the set of semantic constraints during the negotiation utilizing a protocol defined by one or more primitives that are instantiated by the one or more invocation patterns; and

(D) executing one or more actions based at least in part upon the interdependencies between the one or more invocation patterns, the one or more actions facilitate printing of at least one print job, each print job creates at least one hard copy document based at least in part upon the processing instructions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing instructions are stored in memory of the system and are executed by one or more processors of the system.

3. The method according to claim 1, where the negotiation is defined by a negotiation problem statement.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated across each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints across each constraint store of the graph.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.

7. A system having a processor for carrying out a negotiation concerning a set of actions for executing a print-job to be performed by selected ones of a plurality of participants, the negotiation being carried out with at least one of the plurality of participants encapsulating a constraint solver in a service, comprising:

a memory for storing processing instructions for carrying out the negotiation using the service encapsulating the constraint solver to facilitate printing; and

a processor for executing the processing instructions for carrying out the negotiation using the service encapsulating the constraint solver;

the processor in executing the processing instructions for carrying out the negotiation using the service encapsulating the constraint solver;

(A) establishing encapsulation input in the memory;

(a) a mapping between one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of the print-job parameters of the service and corresponding variables of the constraint solver of parameters of the service and corresponding variables of the constraint solver, (b) a translation between negotiation statements on the one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of the print-job parameters of the service and domain constraints imposed on the corresponding variables of the constraint solver, and (c) a set of semantic constraints of the service on variables of the constraint solver;

(B) constructing a graph in the memory for negotiating the set of actions to be performed, wherein each action corresponds to one or more invocation patterns, each node of the graph defining a negotiation context that has associated therewith a constraint store with at least a set of domain constraints stored therein;

(C) propagating constraints defined by the set of semantic constraints and the set of domain constraints associated with nodes of the graph to other participants in the negotiation as domain constraints augment the set of semantic constraints during the negotiation utilizing a protocol defined by one or more primitives that are instantiated by the one or more invocation patterns; and

(D) executing one or more actions based at least in part upon the interdependencies between the one or more invocation patterns, the one or more actions facilitate printing of at least one print job, each print job creates at least one hard copy document based at least in part upon the processing instructions.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising one or more additional processors for executing the processing instructions to carry out the negotiation.

9. The system according to claim 7, where the negotiation is defined by a negotiation problem statement.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated across each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints across each constraint store of the graph.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.

13. An article of manufacture for use in a machine comprising:

a memory;

processing instructions stored in the memory for carrying out a negotiation concerning a set of actions for executing a print-job to be performed by selected ones of a plurality of participants, the negotiation being carried out with at least one of the plurality of participants encapsulating a constraint solver in a service;

wherein the processing instructions in carrying out the negotiation with at least one of the plurality of participants encapsulating a constraint solver in a service;

defining processing instructions in a memory of the system for carrying out the negotiation using the service encapsulating the constraint solver to facilitate printing; and

executing the processing instructions with the processor for carrying out the negotiation with the service encapsulating the constraint solver;

the processor in executing the processing instructions for carrying out the negotiation with the service encapsulating the constraint solver;

(A) establishing encapsulation input in the memory;

(a) a mapping between one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of print-job parameters of the service and corresponding variables of the constraint solver, (b) a translation between negotiation statements on the one or more of a price, a size, and a delivery date of print-job of the print-job parameters of the service and domain constraints imposed on the corresponding variables of the constraint solver, and (c) a set of semantic constraints of the service on variables of the constraint solver;

(B) constructing a graph in the memory for negotiating the set of actions to be performed, wherein each action corresponds to one or more invocation patterns, each node of the graph defining a negotiation context that has associated therewith a constraint store with at least a set of domain constraints stored therein;

(C) propagating constraints defined by the set of semantic constraints and the set of domain constraints associated with nodes of the graph to other participants in the negotiation as domain constraints augment the set of semantic constraints during the negotiation utilizing a protocol defined by one or more primitives that are instantiated by the one or more invocation patterns; and

(D) executing one or more actions based at least in part upon the interdependencies between the one or more invocation patterns, the one or more actions facilitate printing of at least one print job, each print job creates at least one hard copy document based at least in part upon the processing instructions.

14. The article of manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated across each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.

15. The article of manufacture according to claim 14, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints across each constraint store of the graph.

16. The article of manufacture according to claim 13, wherein the set of domain constraints are first propagated within each constraint store of the graph before propagating the set of domain constraints to other participants of the negotiation.