• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.251-260
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• 2019

In order to ensure second-order multi-agent systems (MAS) realizing consensus more quickly in a limited time, a new protocol is proposed. In this new protocol, the gradient algorithm of the overall cost function is introduced in the original protocol to enhance the connection between adjacent agents and improve the moving speed of each agent in the MAS. Utilizing Lyapunov stability theory, graph theory and homogeneity theory, sufficient conditions and detailed proof for achieving a finite-time consensus of the MAS are given. Finally, MAS with three following agents and one leading agent is simulated. Moreover, the simulation results indicated that this new protocol could make the system more stable, more robust and convergence faster when compared with other protocols.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2023

In this paper, we study the containment control problem for second-order multi-agent systems, which consists of multiple leaders and followers. The goal is to drive the followers toward the convex hull spanned by the leaders. Thus, the swarm behavior can be obtained by controlling the entire group by the leaders. This paper considers the leaders move at a constant speed and the followers have input saturations. Moreover, we assume that the followers can exchange information with neighbors, and only relative state information is available. Under these assumptions, we propose the Proportional-Integral based distributed control algorithm to solve the containment control problem with moving leaders. Moreover, based on Lasalle's invariance principle, the conditions for the control gains that guarantee the convergence of the followers to the convex hull spanned by the leaders are investigated, and it was shown that it can be designed only using the system parameter. Finally, the simulations are conducted to validate the theoretical result.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2023

Consensus, that aims to converge the states of agents to the same states through information exchanges between agents, has been widely studied to control the multi-agent systems. In real systems, the measurement variables of each agent may be different, the loss of information across communication may occur, and the different networks for each state may need to be constructed for safety. Moreover, the input saturation and the disturbances in the system may cause instability. Therefore, this paper studies the PID(Proportional-Integral-Derivative)-based consensus control to achieve the swarm behavior of the multi-agent systems considering the heterogeneous state information, the input saturations, and the disturbances. Specifically, we consider the multiple follower agents and the single leader agent modeled by the second-order systems, and investigate the conditions to achieve the consensus based on the stability of the error system. It is confirmed that the proposed algorithm can achieve the consensus if only the connectivity of the position graph is guaranteed. Moreover, by extending the consensus algorithm, we study the formation control problem for the multi-agent systems. Finally, the validity of the proposed algorithm was verified through the simulations.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2012

The scheduling problem of large products like ships, airplanes, space shuttles, assembled constructions, and automobiles is very complex in nature. To reduce inherent computational complexity, we often design scheduling systems that the original problem is decomposed into small sub-problems, which are scheduled independently and integrated into the original one. Moreover, the steep growth of communication technology and logistics makes it possible to produce a lot of multi-nation corporation by which products are produced across more than one plant. Therefore vertical and lateral coordination among decomposed scheduling systems is necessary. In this research, we suggest an agent-based coordinating mechanism for multi-level scheduling systems in supply chain. For design of a general coordination mechanism, at first, we propose a grammar to define individual scheduling agents which are responsible to their own plants, and a meta-level coordination agent which is engaged to supervise individual scheduling agents. Second, we suggest scheduling agent communication protocols for each scheduling agent topology which is classified according to the system architecture, existence of coordinator, and direction of coordination. We also suggest a scheduling agent communication language which consists of three layers : Agent Communication Layer, Scheduling Coordination Layer, Industry-specific Layer. Finally, in order to improve the efficiency of communication among scheduling agents we suggest a rough capacity coordination model which supports to monitor participating agents and analyze the status of them. With this coordination mechanism, we can easily model coordination processes of multiple scheduling systems. In the future, we will apply this mechanism to shipbuilding domain and develop a prototype system which consists of a dock-scheduling agent, four assembly-plant-scheduling agents, and a meta-level coordination agent. A series of experiment using the real-world data will be performed to examine this mechanism.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1062-1072
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• 2006

Recently, new intelligent service frameworks, such as ubiquitous computing are proposed. So, the necessity of adaptive agent system has been increased. In this paper, we propose an intelligent service agent to help that ubiquitous computing system offer user suitable service in ubiquitous computing environment. In order to offer user suitable uT-service, an intelligent service agent mediates the gap between the context information in uT-service system, and user preference is reflected in it. Therefore, we focus on following three components; the first is suitable multi agent framework-agent communication analysis and applicable method of inference engine, the second is uT-ontologies to describe various context information-context information sharing between agents and context information understanding between agents, the third is learning method of user profile to apply in uT-service system. This approach enables us to build adaptive uT-service system to offer suitable service according to user preference.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.73-94
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• 2010

The attending system is a medical system that allows doctors in clinics to use the extra equipment in hospitals-beds, laboratory, operating room, etc-for their patient's care under a contract between the doctors and hospitals. Therefore, the system is very beneficial in terms of the efficiency of the usage of medical resources. However, it is necessary to develop a strong support system to strengthen its weaknesses and supplement its merits. If doctors use hospital beds under the attending system of hospitals, they would be able to check a patient's condition often and provide them with nursing care services. However, the current attending system lacks delivery and assistance support. Thus, for the successful performance of the attending system, a networking system should be developed to facilitate communication between the doctors and nurses. In particular, the nursing records in the attending system could help doctors monitor the patient's condition and provision of nursing care services. A nursing record is the formal documentation associated with nursing care. It is merely a data repository that helps nurses to track their activities; nursing records thus represent a resource of primary information that can be reused. In order to maximize their usefulness, nursing records have been introduced as part of computerized patient records. However, nursing records are internal data that are not disclosed by hospitals. Moreover, the lack of standardization of the record list makes it difficult to share nursing records. Under the attending system, nurses would want to minimize the amount of effort they have to put in for the maintenance of additional records. Hence, they would try to maintain the current level of nursing records in the form of record lists and record attributes, while doctors would require more detailed and real-time information about their patients in order to monitor their condition. Therefore, this study developed a system for assisting in the maintenance and sharing of the nursing records under the attending system. In contrast to previous research on the functionality of computer-based nursing records, we have emphasized the practical usefulness of nursing records from the viewpoint of the actual implementation of the attending system. We suggested that nurses could design a nursing record dictionary for their convenience, and that doctors and nurses could confirm the definitions that they looked up in the dictionary through negotiations with intelligent agents. Such an agent-based system could facilitate networking among medical institutes. Multi-agent systems are a widely accepted paradigm for the distribution and sharing of computation workloads in the scientific community. Agent-based systems have been developed with differences in functional cooperation, coordination, and negotiation. To increase such communication, a framework for a multi-agent based system is proposed in this study. The agent-based approach is useful for developing a system that promotes trade-offs between transactions involving multiple attributes. A brief summary of our contributions follows. First, we propose an efficient and accurate utility representation and acquisition mechanism based on a preference scale while minimizing user interactions with the agent. Trade-offs between various transaction attributes can also be easily computed. Second, by providing a multi-attribute negotiation framework based on the attribute utility evaluation mechanism, we allow both the doctors in charge and nurses to negotiate over various transaction attributes in the nursing record lists that are defined by the latter. Third, we have designed the architecture of the nursing record management server and a system of agents that provides support to the doctors and nurses with regard to the framework and mechanisms proposed above. A formal protocol has also been developed to create and control the communication required for negotiations. We verified the realization of the system by developing a web-based prototype. The system was implemented using ASP and IIS5.1.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.213-226
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• 2011

In global supply chain, the scheduling problems of large products such as ships, airplanes, space shuttles, assembled constructions, and/or automobiles are complicated by nature. New scheduling systems are often developed in order to reduce inherent computational complexity. As a result, a problem can be decomposed into small sub-problems, problems that contain independently small scheduling systems integrating into the initial problem. As one of the authors experienced, DAS (Daewoo Shipbuilding Scheduling System) has adopted a two-layered hierarchical architecture. In the hierarchical architecture, individual scheduling systems composed of a high-level dock scheduler, DAS-ERECT and low-level assembly plant schedulers, DAS-PBS, DAS-3DS, DAS-NPS, and DAS-A7 try to search the best schedules under their own constraints. Moreover, the steep growth of communication technology and logistics enables it to introduce distributed multi-nation production plants by which different parts are produced by designated plants. Therefore vertical and lateral coordination among decomposed scheduling systems is necessary. No standard coordination mechanism of multiple scheduling systems exists, even though there are various scheduling systems existing in the area of scheduling research. Previous research regarding the coordination mechanism has mainly focused on external conversation without capacity model. Prior research has heavily focuses on agent-based coordination in the area of agent research. Yet, no scheduling domain has been developed. Previous research regarding the agent-based scheduling has paid its ample attention to internal coordination of scheduling process, a process that has not been efficient. In this study, we suggest a general framework for agent-based coordination of multiple scheduling systems in global supply chain. The purpose of this study was to design a standard coordination mechanism. To do so, we first define an individual scheduling agent responsible for their own plants and a meta-level coordination agent involved with each individual scheduling agent. We then suggest variables and values describing the individual scheduling agent and meta-level coordination agent. These variables and values are represented by Backus-Naur Form. Second, we suggest scheduling agent communication protocols for each scheduling agent topology classified into the system architectures, existence or nonexistence of coordinator, and directions of coordination. If there was a coordinating agent, an individual scheduling agent could communicate with another individual agent indirectly through the coordinator. On the other hand, if there was not any coordinating agent existing, an individual scheduling agent should communicate with another individual agent directly. To apply agent communication language specifically to the scheduling coordination domain, we had to additionally define an inner language, a language that suitably expresses scheduling coordination. A scheduling agent communication language is devised for the communication among agents independent of domain. We adopt three message layers which are ACL layer, scheduling coordination layer, and industry-specific layer. The ACL layer is a domain independent outer language layer. The scheduling coordination layer has terms necessary for scheduling coordination. The industry-specific layer expresses the industry specification. Third, in order to improve the efficiency of communication among scheduling agents and avoid possible infinite loops, we suggest a look-ahead load balancing model which supports to monitor participating agents and to analyze the status of the agents. To build the look-ahead load balancing model, the status of participating agents should be monitored. Most of all, the amount of sharing information should be considered. If complete information is collected, updating and maintenance cost of sharing information will be increasing although the frequency of communication will be decreasing. Therefore the level of detail and updating period of sharing information should be decided contingently. By means of this standard coordination mechanism, we can easily model coordination processes of multiple scheduling systems into supply chain. Finally, we apply this mechanism to shipbuilding domain and develop a prototype system which consists of a dock-scheduling agent, four assembly- plant-scheduling agents, and a meta-level coordination agent. A series of experiments using the real world data are used to empirically examine this mechanism. The results of this study show that the effect of agent-based platform on coordinated scheduling is evident in terms of the number of tardy jobs, tardiness, and makespan.