# US 2013/0160018 A1 · Method and system for the dynamic allocation of resources based on a multi-phase negotiation mechanism > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0160018 A1 - Document ID: US20130160018A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/331,246 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Dhanwant Singh Kang; Hua Liu; Tong Sun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130160018A1 ## CPC - G06F 9/50: Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU] - G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A system and method for the dynamic allocation of resources based on multi-phase negotiation mechanism. A resource allocation decision can be made based on an index value computed by a selection index function. A negotiation process can be performed based on a schedule, a number of resources, and a price of resources. A user requesting a resource for a low priority task can negotiate based on the schedule, the user demanding the resource for a medium priority task can negotiate based on the schedule and/or the number of resources, and filially the user requesting the resource for a high priority job can successfully negotiate based on per unit resource price. The multi-phase negotiation mechanism motivates the users to be cooperative among them and improves a cooperative behavior coefficient and an overall user satisfaction rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for dynamically allocating resources in a process, said method comprising: computing a behavior coefficient with respect to a particular user to determine a degree of cooperativeness of said user with respect to a plurality of other users; performing a negotiation process utilizing at least one negotiation mechanism in response to a request for a resource; and dynamically allocating said resource in a process with a high user satisfaction and a retention rate based on said behavior coefficient, said negotiation process, and said at least one negotiation mechanism. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering a resource allocation decision with respect to said process based on an index value computed via a selection index function. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring said negotiation mechanism to include at least one of the following types of negotiation processes: a schedule based negotiation process; a number of resources based negotiation process; and a price based negotiation process. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising performing said schedule based negotiation process if said request for said resource comprises a request for a low priority task by considering a selection index, a user demand, and a demand schedule tuple. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 further comprising: analyzing an actual schedule and offering a new schedule to satisfy said user demand and provide a higher priority to a higher index value; determining a total available resource value based on said user demand and offering a schedule that is closer to said actual schedule of said user in a subsequent time step; and removing said user with a lowest selection index value and thereafter consider said user with said lowest selection index value for said number of resources based negotiation process if said user demand is not satisfied. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 further comprising performing said schedule based negotiation process and/or said number of resources based negotiation if said request for said resource comprises a request for a medium priority task by considering said selection index and said user demand tuple. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising: determining a reduction factor that determines a percentage reduction in said user requirement in order to fulfill said user demand wherein said reduction factor value is chosen in such a way that a minimum resource allocation quantity is equivalent to a lowest unit of resource; entering into an iterative negotiation process with said user wherein a subsequent iteration offers a number of resources closer to an actual user demand; and removing said user with said lowest selection index value and thereafter consider said user with said lowest selection index value for said price based negotiation process if said user demand is not satisfied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprises performing said price based negotiation process if said user request for said resource comprises a request for a high priority task by considering said selection index and said user demand tuple. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising: setting a cost factor that determines a new per unit price of said resource to be allocated and thereafter increase said cost factor value in each iteration until said user demand is equal to a total availability; and considering said user with a low value of said user behavior coefficient as a greedy user and said user with a high value as a cooperative user wherein said greedy user tends to be less flexible in said negotiation process and said cooperative user is more flexible in said negotiation process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising assigning said user behavior coefficient value to each user depending on said behavior in order to motivate said user to be more cooperative for efficiently allocating said resource. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein said cooperative user possesses a higher probability of selection in a future interaction as compared to said greedy user. ### Claim 12 A system for dynamically allocating resources in a process, said system comprising: a processor; and a computer-usable medium embodying computer code, said computer-usable medium being coupled to said data bus, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said processor and configured for: computing a behavior coefficient with respect to a particular user to determine a degree of cooperativeness of said user with respect to a plurality of other users; performing a negotiation process utilizing at least one negotiation mechanism in response to a request for a resource; and dynamically allocating said resource in a process with a high user satisfaction and a retention rate based on said behavior coefficient, said negotiation process, and said at least one negotiation mechanism. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for rendering a resource allocation decision with respect to said process based on an index value computed via a selection index function. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12 wherein said instructions are further configured for modifying said negotiation mechanism to include at least one of the following types of negotiation processes: a schedule based negotiation process; a number of resources based negotiation process; and a price based negotiation process. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein said instructions are further configured for performing said schedule based negotiation process if said request for said resource comprises a request for a low priority task by considering a selection index, a user demand, and a demand schedule tuple. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15 wherein said instructions are further configured for: analyzing an actual schedule and offering a new schedule to satisfy said user demand and provide a higher priority to a higher index value; determining a total available resource value based on said user demand and offering a schedule that is closer to said actual schedule of said user in a subsequent time step; and removing said user with a lowest selection index value and thereafter consider said user with said lowest selection index value for said number of resources based negotiation process if said user demand is not satisfied. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein said instructions are further configured for performing said schedule based negotiation process and/or said number of resources based negotiation if said request for said resource comprises a request for a medium priority task by considering said selection index and said user demand tuple. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17 wherein said instructions are further configured for: determining a reduction factor that determines a percentage reduction in said user requirement in order to fulfill said user demand wherein said reduction factor value is chosen in such a way that a minimum resource allocation quantity is equivalent to a lowest unit of resource; entering into an iterative negotiation process with said user wherein a subsequent iteration offers a number of resources closer to an actual user demand; and removing said user with said lowest selection index value and thereafter consider said user with said lowest selection index value for said price based negotiation process if said user demand is not satisfied. ### Claim 19 A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process for dynamically allocating resources in a process, said code comprising code to: compute a behavior coefficient with respect to a particular user to determine a degree of cooperativeness of said user with respect to a plurality of other users; perform a negotiation process utilizing at least one negotiation mechanism in response to a request for a resource; and dynamically allocate said resource in a process with a high user satisfaction and a retention rate based on said behavior coefficient, said negotiation process, and said at least one negotiation mechanism. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The processor-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said code further comprises code to render a resource allocation decision with respect to said process based on an index value computed via a selection index function.