System, method and apparatus for aggregation of cooperative intelligent agents for procurement in a distributed network
First Claim
1. A system for cooperation between pools of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement using a computer that communicates over a distributed network, the system comprising:
- a pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a common interest, and at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, wherein, when said pool transmits to said at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for a bid to sell at least one item, said request having a set of buyer-defined attributes minimally acceptable to said pool, said at least one seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent submits that bid to said pool, said bid having a set of seller'"'"'s item specifications for at least one available item for sale by at least one of a plurality of sellers associated with said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Cooperative intelligent negotiation agents (C-INAs) operate in a distributed communications environment for the automated negotiation and procurement of products, services and bundles. Buyer-side aggregation occurs by pooling C-INAs with common interests within specific time frames that are activated by seller INA promotions. Buyer C-INAs can have several modes, including neutral agency (broker or intermediary) role, the leader role and the follower role. C-INAs use multilateral and multivariate negotiation parameters. Sellers (using S-C-INAs) may cooperate in order to share information so as to provide correct pricing for complex combinations of items from buyers. Buyers can cooperate in order to receive aggregated pricing opportunities on multiple item bundles from a plurality of sellers using combinatorial auctions. Dynamic INAs, which switch buyer and seller role, may also use aggregation and combinatorial auction methods. Because they are autonomous, C-INAs use evolutionary computing technologies to move beyond their initial programming constraints to adapt to complex changing circumstances. Analytical agents inform C-INAs and transaction agents complete and track transactions.
317 Citations
104 Claims
-
1. A system for cooperation between pools of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement using a computer that communicates over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a common interest, and at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, wherein, when said pool transmits to said at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for a bid to sell at least one item, said request having a set of buyer-defined attributes minimally acceptable to said pool, said at least one seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent submits that bid to said pool, said bid having a set of seller'"'"'s item specifications for at least one available item for sale by at least one of a plurality of sellers associated with said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 60, 62, 103, 104)
-
-
13. A system for cooperation between buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents mass customization procurement using a computer that communicates by a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a pool of a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a procurement interest in at least one of a plurality of items and bundles, said pool having a common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of items and bundles comprising said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, wherein, when said pool transmits to said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for bids to sell all said items and bundles needed to fulfill said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submits to said pool a bid to sell said at least one of a plurality of items and bundles within its authority.
-
-
27. A method for cooperation between pools of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of an item using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
defining a set of buyer-defined attributes minimally acceptable to a pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said set of buyer-defined attributes minimally acceptable to said pool for an item, said pool comprising a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a common interest, said item one of a group of individual product items and individual service items, transmitting from at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to a neutral cooperative agent a set of seller'"'"'s item specifications for said item, said item available from at least one of a plurality of sellers represented by said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, transmitting from said neutral cooperative agent to said pool.
-
-
32. A method for cooperation between buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for mass customization procurement using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
forming a pool of a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a procurement interest in at least one of a plurality of items and bundles, said pool formed around a common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, forming a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of said items and bundles comprising said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, transmitting from said pool to said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for bids to sell all items and bundles needed to fulfill said common interest, transmitting from each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submits to said pool a bid to sell said at least one of said plurality of items and bundles within the authority of said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent.
-
-
33. A system for procurement using a computer that communicates over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents, a buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent, in communication with said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents, wherein, when said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents receives a request from said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent for at least one of a plurality of bundles, said bundles comprising a plurality of individual product items and individual service items, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submits that bid to said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
46. A system for cooperation between a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of bundles of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a pool of a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a procurement interest in at least one of a plurality of individual items and bundles of items, said pool having a common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said intelligent seller'"'"'s negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of bundles needed to fulfill said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, wherein, when said pool transmits to said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for bids to sell all said bundles needed to fulfill said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submits to said pool a bid to sell said at least one of a plurality of items and bundles within its authority.
-
-
50. A system for cooperation between a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a procurement interest in at least one of a plurality of items, said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said intelligent seller'"'"'s negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of items comprising said common interest, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, wherein, when said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents transmits to said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a plurality of requests for bids to sell all said items needed to fulfill said common interest, said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submits those bids to said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A system for cooperation between a plurality buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a pool of a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a procurement interest in at least one of a plurality of items, said pool having a common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said pool having a lead cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent for conducting communications on behalf of said pool, said lead intelligent cooperative buyer'"'"'s negotiation agent in communication with all other said intelligent cooperative buyer'"'"'s negotiation agents of said pool, a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said intelligent seller'"'"'s negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of items comprising said common interest, said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in communication with said pool, said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents having a lead intelligent seller'"'"'s negotiation agent for conducting communications for said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents, said lead intelligent seller'"'"'s negotiation agent in communication with all other said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents of said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents and with said lead intelligent cooperative buyer'"'"'s negotiation agent, wherein, when said pool transmits to said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents said plurality of requests for bids, each said request for one of said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to bid to sell all said items needed to fulfill said procurement interest of said cooperative buyer'"'"'s negotiation agent, said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents submits those bids to said pool. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61)
-
-
63. A method for procurement of an item using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
receiving a request from a buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent for bids to sell at least one of a plurality of bundles, said bundles comprising a plurality of individual product items and individual service items, and transmitting from each of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent a bid responsive to said request. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 69)
-
68. A method for cooperation between a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of bundles of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
transmitting from a pool of a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a request for bids to sell bundles of items for fulfillment of a common interest of said pool, said common interest of said pool of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents comprising a procurement interest of each of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in at least one of a plurality of said bundles, said common interest comprising a combination of said procurement interests of all of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, and each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submitting to said pool a bid to sell at least one of said plurality of items and bundles, each of said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of said plurality of items and bundles needed to fulfill said common interest.
-
-
70. A method for cooperation between a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
transmitting from a plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a plurality of requests for bids to sell items for fulfillment of a common interest of said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said common interest comprising a combination of procurement interests of each of said plurality of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, and transmitting those bids from said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to said plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, each said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one of a plurality of items for fulfillment of said common interest.
-
-
71. A method for cooperation between a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement of items using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
transmitting from a pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a plurality of requests for bids, each said request for one of said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to bid to sell all items needed to fulfill a common interest of said pool of said cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said common interest comprising a procurement interest of each of said cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents in at least one of a plurality of items, and said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents submitting those bids to said pool. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 101)
-
-
78. A computer program product comprising a machine readable medium on which is provided program instructions for performing a method for procurement of an item using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the program instructions comprising:
-
program code for receiving a request from a buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent for bids to sell at least one of a plurality of bundles, said bundles comprising a plurality of individual product items and individual service items, and program code for transmitting from each of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents to said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent a bid responsive to said request.
-
-
79. A system for automated arbitrage using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents, at least one buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, a dynamic intelligent negotiation agent in communication with said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents and in communication with said at least one buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent, said dynamic negotiation agent having a buyer mode and a seller mode, each said sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agent having an authority from an associated seller to sell at least one item needed to fulfill a procurement interest of said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent, wherein, when each of said sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents receives a request from said dynamic intelligent negotiation agent in said buyer mode for a bid to sell one of said items, each of said sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agent submits that bid to said dynamic intelligent negotiation agent, and wherein, when said dynamic intelligent negotiation agent in said buyer mode determines to accept said bid from said sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agent, said dynamic intelligent negotiation agent in said seller mode submits a bid to sell that item to said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent.
-
-
94. A method for automated arbitrage using computers that communicate over a distributed network, the method comprising:
-
transmitting to each of a plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents a request for a bid to sell at least one item needed to fulfill a procurement interest of a buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent, receiving from said seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent that bid, and transmitting to said buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agent a bid to sell that item. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
-
-
102. A system for cooperation between pools of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents for procurement using a computer that communicates over a distributed network, the system comprising:
-
a pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said pool comprising a plurality of buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents having a common interest, at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, a neutral cooperative intelligent negotiation agent in communication with said pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents and with said at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, said neutral cooperative negotiation agent for brokering a negotiation between said pool of cooperative buyer'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents and said at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents, wherein, when said neutral cooperative negotiation agent submits to said at least one of a plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a set of buyer-defined attributes minimally acceptable to said pool for at least one item, said neutral cooperative negotiation agent receives from said plurality of seller'"'"'s intelligent negotiation agents a set of seller'"'"'s item specifications for at least one item available from at least one of a plurality of sellers associated with said plurality of sellers'"'"' intelligent negotiation agents, said item selected from a list of individual product items and individual service items, and said neutral cooperative negotiation agent submits said set of seller'"'"'s item specifications to said pool.
-
Specification