Method and apparatus for scheduling mobile agents utilizing rapid two-way communication

• US 6,484,036 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schieber, Baruch M., Sorkin, Gregory B., Williamson, David P., Carey, Mark O. III, Fus, Mariusz A., Preston, Geraldine M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/443,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/521, 455/414, 455/418, 455/500, 455/507, 455/508, 455/956, 455/575, 455/66, 455/517, 455/502, 455/503, 340/989, 340/991
• US Class Current: 455/508
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and a method is disclosed for scheduling mobile agents. The system includes a dispatcher and at least one data processor that embodies a scheduling engine. A transceiver is coupled to the dispatcher for performing two-way communication with mobile agents through mobile agent transceivers. The dispatcher is responsive to a reception of a message or signal that is transmitted from a mobile agent for entering the received signal into the scheduling engine. The scheduling engine is responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event and to signals received from mobile agents for recomputing a schedule of activities for a plurality of the mobile agents, and for causing information descriptive of the recomputed schedule to be selectively transmitted to none, one, or more than one of the mobile agents through the transceiver. The two-way communication can use radio devices capable of entering and displaying text messages. A signal transmitted from the mobile agent may include information for specifying, by example, that the mobile agent has arrived at the location of a next scheduled activity; or that the mobile agent has completed a scheduled activity; or that the mobile agent has failed to complete a scheduled activity; or that the mobile agent is extending a duration of a currently scheduled activity beyond the time scheduled for the termination of the current activity; or that the mobile agent lacks one or more resources needed to complete a current activity; or that the mobile agent lacks one or more skills needed to complete the current activity.

Claims

1. A system for scheduling mobile agents, said system comprising a dispatcher, at least one data processor that embodies a scheduling engine, and a transceiver coupled to said dispatcher for performing two-way communication with mobile agents through mobile agent transceivers, said dispatcher being responsive to a reception of a signal transmitted from a mobile agent for entering the received signal into said scheduling engine, said scheduling engine being responsive to an occurrence of a triggering event and to signals received from mobile agents for recomputing a schedule of activities for a plurality of mobile agents, and for causing information descriptive of the recomputed schedule to be selectively transmitted through said transceiver to none, one, or more than one mobile agent.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein received messages are automatically entered into said scheduling engine without human involvement.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering event is a function of time, so that said schedule is recomputed after a predetermined interval of time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering event comprises the signal received from the mobile agent, the signal being descriptive of a status of an activity that the mobile agent was scheduled to perform.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has arrived at a location where a next scheduled activity is to be performed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has completed a scheduled activity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has failed to complete a scheduled activity.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent will extend a duration of a current activity beyond a time scheduled for a completion of the current activity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent lacks one or more resources needed to complete a currently scheduled activity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent lacks one or more skills needed to complete a currently scheduled activity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying at least one of a location and a nature of the mobile agent'"'"'s next scheduled activity.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said two-way communication is implemented using radio transmission devices into which text messages may be entered, and upon which text messages may be displayed.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a mobile agent is informed of a next scheduled activity just prior to a scheduled start time of the scheduled activity.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of mobile agents has a first associated schedule, and wherein said information descriptive of the recomputed schedule of activities is selectively transmitted to any of said plurality of mobile agents whose first associated schedule is affected thereby.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of agents has a schedule, and wherein said recomputed schedule is optimized with respect to the schedules of said plurality of mobile agents.

14. A method for scheduling mobile agents, comprising steps of:

providing a plurality of mobile agents individual ones of which operate in accordance with an associated first schedule;

upon an occurrence of a schedule-related event, transmitting a signal from a mobile agent, the signal comprising information for specifying a nature of the schedule-related event;

receiving the signal and inputting the signal into a scheduling engine;

upon an occurrence of a triggering event, computing a second schedule that may differ from the first schedule for the mobile agent, the computation of the second schedule considering the information that comprises the received signal; and

selectively transmitting the second schedule to none, one, or more than one mobile agent.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein received signals are automatically inputted to the scheduling engine without human involvement.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein the triggering event occurs at predetermined intervals of time.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein the triggering event comprises the receipt of the signal from the mobile agent.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has arrived at the location of a next scheduled activity.

19. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has completed a scheduled activity.

20. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent has failed to complete a scheduled activity.

21. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent is extending a duration of a current activity beyond a time scheduled for a completion of the current activity.

22. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent lacks one or more resources needed to complete an activity.

23. A method as in claim 14, wherein the signal transmitted from the mobile agent comprises information for specifying that the mobile agent lacks one or more skills needed to complete an activity.

24. A method as in claim 14, wherein the second schedule includes information for specifying at least one of a location and a nature of a mobile agent'"'"'s next scheduled activity.

25. A method as in claim 14, wherein two-way communication is implemented between the plurality of mobile stations and the scheduling engine using radio transmission devices into which text messages may be entered, and upon which text messages may be displayed.

26. A method as in claim 14, wherein a mobile agent is informed of a next scheduled activity just prior to a scheduled start time of the scheduled activity.

27. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting the second schedule transmits the second schedule to all of the plurality of mobile agents.

28. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting the second schedule transmits the second schedule on a just in time basis.

29. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of transmitting the second schedule transmits the second schedule at periodic intervals so as to transmit the second schedule to a particular mobile agent just prior to a time that the particular mobile agent requires the second schedule.

32. A method as in claim 14, wherein said second schedule affects the associated schedule of first and second ones of said plurality of mobile agents, and wherein said second schedule, in whole or in part, is selectively transmitted to said first and second mobile agents.

33. A method as in claim 14, wherein information descriptive of the second schedule is selectively transmitted to any of said plurality of mobile agents whose associated first schedule is affected thereby.

34. A method as in claim 14, wherein said second schedule is optimized with respect to the associated schedules of said plurality of mobile agents.