Contract Net Protocol

About: Contract Net Protocol is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 606 publications have been published within this topic receiving 13729 citations.

Towards Adaptive Multi-agent Planning in Cyber Physical Space

Abstract: Cyber physical space is potentially hosting innumerable spatio-temporal data streams due to increasing use of social networking platforms as real-time information dissemination system and world-wide deployment of sensors for continuous monitoring of physical phenomena. In this paper we address the problem of how cyber physical space can be used for sensing and responding to global calamities such as earthquake. The paper proposes a novel approach of generating online adaptive response in assisting search-and-rescue operations using situation awareness built from real-time heterogeneous spatio-temporal data streams. Online adaptive response is achieved by using agent-based cooperative task sharing and modeling agent decision making as self-organized emergent behavior based on concepts of complex adaptive system. An implemented simulation platform use concepts of situation modeling, domain task network, contract net protocol based negotiation and complex adaptive system to generate adaptive plans. Preliminary simulation results are promising as we have been able to demonstrate a repertoire of self-organized emergent behaviors.

A MAS based energy-coordination by contract net protocol for connecting the production units of energy renewable based wind-photovoltaic energy storage system to Grid

Abstract: A multi-agent system based energy-coordination by contract net protocol (MAS-ECCNP) is designed for to efficiently connect production units of energy renewable based wind-photovoltaic energy storage system (PUER-WPESs) to Grid. The negotiation protocol is a two-level bidding mechanism based on the contract net protocol. In the energy-coordination process, the proposed system allows the agent to cooperate and coordinate their actions taking into account their self-constraints and objective control to solve the optimal distribution plan overall energy and by the using the improved particle swarm algorithm to achieve the maximum economic benefit on the basic of stable operation. The paper presents the overall system design, the models of agents of different equipment, and overall energy optimizing coordination algorithm. An example is given to discuss the behavioral characteristics of negotiation and communication process based agent to verify that the system designed in this paper can achieve effective coordination of energy. The method adopted by this system can improve the efficiency of the overall operation and the economic benefits of REPU-WPESs.

Research of Contract Net Model Based on Cost Timed Petri Net

Abstract: In agent-mediated electronic markets,the negotiation has been used as a mechanism to solve the task distribution,coordination and conflict in virtual enterprises. An agent may delegate part of the assigned tasks to others to achieve the business objectives via establishment of contracts. Electronic contracting relies on an effective model to automate the negotiation processes and analyze the feasibility of the resulting contracts. Firstly,Cost Time Petri Net (CTPN) associates a price with a place,and the semantics for price time Petri net are given. Then the Cost Timed Petri Net is proposed to model the contract net protocol. In the contract net framework,the cooperation processes are verified based on CTPN model. The objectives are to propose a CTPN to model the negotiation processes in contract manufacturing,analyze the feasibility of the contracts and optimize contract awarding based on the proposed model.

An Analyzable Model of Automated Service Negotiation

Abstract: Negotiation is a key aspect of Service-Oriented Systems, which is rarely supported by formal models and tools for analysis. Often, service negotiation proceeds with timing, cost and resource constraints, under which the users and providers exchange information on their respective goals, until reaching a consensus. Consequently, a mathematically driven technique to analyze various ways to achieve such goals is beneficial. In this paper, we propose an analyzable negotiation model between service clients and providers, in our recently introduced language REMES and its corresponding textual service composition language HDCL. The model can be viewed as a negotiation interface for different negotiation strategies and protocols, which iterates until an agreement is reached. We show how to analyze the negotiation model against timing, cost and utility constraints, by transforming it into the Timed Automata formal framework. We illustrate our approach through an insurance scenario assuming a form of the Contract Net Protocol for web services.

Agents-based interaction protocols and topologies in manufacturing task allocation

Abstract: The focus of this paper is on interaction protocols and topologies of multi-agent systems for task allocation in manufacturing applications. Resource agents in manufacturing are members of a network whose possible logical topologies and governing interaction protocol influence the scheduling and control in the multi-agent system. Four models are identified in the paper, each having specific rules and characteristics for scheduling and task allocation. The models use either a standard interaction method such as Contract-Net Protocol (CNP), or a different method proposed in this research. A Java-based multi-agent system was developed to simulate different scenarios of task allocation and to compare the four models in terms of performance indicators. Data from an industrial case study involving a manufacturing shop floor was used to evaluate the performance of the models. The results indicate meaningful differences between the four models, and highlight the performance potential of a proposed task allocation model.