Flexible agent-based negociators

(19)

(11)

EP 1 041 500 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	11.09.2002 Bulletin 2002/37

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	04.10.2000 Bulletin 2000/40

(21)	Application number: 00301916.3

(22)	Date of filing: 08.03.2000

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: G06F 17/60

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

31.03.1999 GB 9907477

(71)	Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
	Montreal, Quebec H2Y 3Y4 (CA)

(72)	Inventors:
	Buckle, Philip Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 0QB (GB) Hadingham, Robert Dunmow Essex CM6 1PX (GB) Jennings, Nicholas Robert Southampton SO32 2LS (GB) Faratin, Peyman London SW10 9DR (GB)

(74)	Representative: Ryan, John Peter William
	Nortel Networks Intellectual Property Law Group London Road Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA (GB)

(54)	Flexible agent-based negociators

(57) A method for agent negotiation over a set of issues, between automated entities comprising the step of at least one of the entities making a counter-offer wherein its score for at least one of said issues is lowered and its score for at least one of said issues is raised. The method can be further used for negotiation over a set of issues comprising at lest one qualitative issue the values of the qualitative issues are mapped to qualitative values which are then used in the negotiation.

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