Patent ID: 6859927

Claim:
A distributed data processing system for controlling allocation of resources and controlling task execution, said system comprising: a communications network for transmitting messages; a plurality of computers connected to said communications network for executing programs, said plurality of computers including a central authority computer, a first autonomous agent computer, and a second autonomous agent computer; said central authority computer generating a first graph associated with said first agent computer and a second graph associated with said second agent computer, said first graph representing resources and performable tasks of said first agent computer, said second graph representing resources and performable tasks of said second agent computer, said first agent computer employing said first graph to determine resources necessary for performing tasks required by said first agent computer, said second agent computer employing said second graph to determine resources necessary for performing tasks required by said second agent computer, said first agent computer negotiating with said second agent computer for obtaining resources necessary for executing tasks required by said first agent computer, said second agent computer negotiating with said first agent computer for obtaining resources necessary for executing tasks required by said second agent computer, said central authority computer receiving mission objectives described in terms of rewards associated with task results and costs described in terms of consumption of basic resources.