An Architecture for Multi-agent Negotiation Using Private Preferences in a Meeting Scheduler

Toramatsu Shintani, Takayuki Ito

Abstract: We present an architecture for multi-agent negotiation for implementing a distributed meeting scheduler. In the scheduling system, an agent is assigned to an user who plans private schedules and events. An agent negotiates with other agents about making an public schedule by referring user’s private schedules and preferences. The multi-agent negotiation we proposed here facilitates reaching an agreement among agents effectively. A characteristic function based on a game theory is used for reflecting users’ preferences in the negotiation process. We have implemented a distributed meeting scheduler to see how effectively the multi-agent negotiation can be used. The result shows that the multiagent negotiation based on private preferences is an effective method for a distributed meeting scheduler.