Towards real-time agreements

In this paper, we deal with the problem of real-time coordination with the more general approach of reaching real-time agreements in MAS. Concretely, this work proposes a real-time argumentation framework in an attempt to provide agents with the ability of engaging in argumentative dialogues and come with a solution for their underlying agreement process within a bounded period of time. The framework has been implemented and evaluated in the domain of a customer support application. Concretely, we consider a society of agents that act on behalf of a group of technicians that must solve problems in a Technology Management Centre (TMC) within a bounded time. This centre controls every process implicated in the provision of technological and customer support services to private or public organisations by means of a call centre. The contract signed between the TCM and the customer establishes penalties if the specified time is exceeded.     

Towards reusable real-time objects

Large and complex real-time systems can benefit significantly from a component-based development approach where new systems are constructed by composing reusable, documented and previously tested concurrent objects. However, reusing objects which execute under real-time constraints is problematic because application specific time and synchronization constraints are often embedded in the internals of these objects. The tight coupling of functionality and real-time constraints makes objects interdependent, and as a result difficult to reuse in another system. We propose a model which facilitates separate and modular specification of real-time constraints, and show how separation of real-time constraints and functional behavior is possible. We present our ideas using the Actor model to represent untimed objects, and the Real-time Synchronizers language to express real-time and synchronization constraints. We discuss specific mechanisms by which Real-time Synchronizers can govern the interaction and execution of untimed objects. We treat our model formally, and succinctly define what effect real-time constraints have on a set of concurrent objects. We briefly discuss how a middleware scheduling and event-dispatching service can use the synchronizers to execute the system. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Institutional dependencies in dynamic buyout price models for online auctions

There is disagreement in the auction literature on the question of whether dynamic Buy-It-Now (BIN) prices can increase the efficiency of online auctions, compared to static BIN price auctions. In a previous paper (Vragov et al. 2010), we reported experimental evidence that suggested, contrary to the current theoretical auction literature, that dynamic BIN pricing is indeed economically more efficient. The current paper presents a replication study of this research that interestingly fails to reproduce the earlier findings. It is based on the same general experimental design, but modifying the implementation of the specific trading institution by using a linearly declining BIN price (Online Linear Dutch Auction—OLDA) rather than the discrete one-time price change (Online One-time BIN-price Change Auction—OOBCA) that was used in the previous study. OLDA is more dynamic in nature than OOBCA, yet OOBCA outperforms a generalized static online auction design in the laboratory while the OLDA does not. We explain these different results, and thus resolve the ostensible contradiction between the two sets of experiments, by concluding that the specific implementation of the trading institution (i.e., the dynamic BIN pricing mechanism) has a significant effect on the overall market efficiency. In other words, our research finds that the efficiency of dynamic buyout price auctions is institution-dependent. This has important theoretical implications as most formal auction models assume that the auction outcome is institution-free. We also discuss some practical implications of our findings.     

A dynamic model of bidding patterns in sponsored search auctions

We develop an infinite horizon alternative-move model of the unique second-price sponsored search auction. We use this model to explain two distinguishable bidding patterns observed in our bidding data: bidding war cycle and stable bid. With examples, we show that only a small portion of the value generated may be extracted by search engines, if advertisers are engaged in bidding war cycles. Finally, we show the impact of auction design on advertiser bids and search engine revenue.     

Challenges of real-time secondary usage of spectrum

In this survey paper, we investigate some of the challenges to be addressed before a practical real-time secondary market for spectrum can be developed. We differentiate the methods of dynamic spectrum allocation as coordinated usage of resources, interworking solutions, integration solutions and secondary access of spectrum. Secondary spectrum access approaches are generally classified as real-time and non-real-time secondary access. However, the focus of this work is on real-time secondary spectrum utilization which can follow a negotiated or opportunistic access strategy. While different solutions for increasing spectrum utilization and efficiency are under investigation, many aspects of spectrum sharing technologies are still open questions. After an extensive literature survey, the major challenges and open questions of real-time secondary usage of spectrum are addressed here. We also provide some insights on potentially important design considerations and requirements when developing successful spectrum management schemes to realize real-time secondary spectrum usage.     

Towards UML-based formal specifications of component-based real-time software

UML-RT is achieving increasing popularity as a modeling language for real-time applications. Unfortunately UML-RT is not formally well defined and it is not well suited for supporting the specification stage: e.g., it does not provide native constructs to represent time and non-determinism. UML+ is an extension of UML that is formally well defined and suitable for expressing the specifications of real-time systems (e.g., the properties of a UML+ model can be formally verified). However, UML+ does not support design and development. This article addresses the translation of UML+ into UML-RT, thus posing the basis for a development framework where UML+ and UML-RT are used together, in order to remove each other’s limitations. Specifications are written using UML+, they are automatically verified by means of formal methods, and are then converted – through a semi-automatic process – in an equivalent UML-RT model that becomes the starting point for the implementation.     

Issues in building dynamic real-time systems

The issues involved in building dynamic, hard real-time systems, in which resource availability and requirements are not fixed, are discussed. It is shown that the problem of ensuring timing correctness in dynamic real-time systems has three aspects: resource requirements, resource availability, and guarantees. These issues overlap, and a single mechanism or technique may address several issues. The R-Shell, an object-oriented framework that structures resources in a class hierarchy so that they can be selected or substituted dynamically is described     

Policy-based spectrum access control for dynamic spectrum access network radios

We describe the design of a policy-based spectrum access control system for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) NeXt Generation (XG) communications program to overcome harmful interference caused by a malfunctioning device or a malicious user. In tandem with signal-detection-based interference-avoidance algorithms employed by cognitive software-defined radios (SDR), we design a set of policy-based components, tightly integrated with the accredited kernel on the radio device. The policy conformance and enforcement components ensure that a radio does not violate machine understandable policies, which are encoded in a declarative language and which define stakeholders’ goals and requirements. We report on our framework experimentation, illustrating the capability offered to radios for enforcing policies and the capability for managing radios and securing access control to interfaces changing the radios’ policies.     

Towards a temporal coherence management in real-time knowledge-based systems

The multi-agent system paradigm emerges as an interesting approach in the Knowledge-Based System (KBS) field when distributed problem-solving techniques are required. On the other hand, temporal representation and reasoning problems arise in a wide range of KBS application areas where time plays a crucial role. In this paper, we show that when agents run concurrently and access common temporal data, some problems of coherence arise. We analyse the different cases in which an incoherence in temporal information can occur and provide a method to tackle this problem. In this method, conflict management is handled by means of exception handlers and control rules allowing the users to explicitly define their own strategy for temporal coherence solving.     

远程多参数动态实时监护仪设计

为了提高对心血管患者有效动态心电监护,通过使用高速处理器、触摸屏、3G、Wi-Fi、蓝牙等技术,提出了带Android系统的远程动态监护仪方案。介绍了使用ARM11处理器的心电监护仪软硬件设计,包括该系统硬件启动、存储、电源、心电采集、呼吸采集、红外体温采集、血氧饱和度采集、Android系统驱动移植、生理参数驱动开发和监护仪应用程序开发。它解决了以往ARM7监护仪交互能力弱、传输效率差、检测不稳定等问题,为患者提供更人性化操作界面。     

Statically optimal dynamic soft real-time semi-partitioned scheduling

Real-Time Systems - Semi-partitioned scheduling is an approach to multiprocessor real-time scheduling where most tasks are fixed to processors, while a small subset of tasks is allowed to migrate....     

Towards a verifiable real-time, autonomic, fault mitigation framework for large scale real-time systems

Designing autonomic fault responses is difficult, particularly in large-scale systems, as there is no single ‘perfect’ fault mitigation response to a given failure. The design of appropriate mitigation actions depend upon the goals and state of the application and environment. Strict time deadlines in real-time systems further exacerbate this problem. Any autonomic behavior in such systems must not only be functionally correct but should also conform to properties of liveness, safety and bounded time responsiveness. This paper details a real-time fault-tolerant framework, which uses a reflex and healing architecture to provide fault mitigation capabilities for large-scale real-time systems. At the heart of this architecture is a real-time reflex engine, which has a state-based failure management logic that can respond to both event- and time-based triggers. We also present a semantic domain for verifying properties of systems, which use this framework of real-time reflex engines. Lastly, a case study, which examines the details of such an approach, is presented.     

Online auctions

Auctions on the Internet can involve not only consumers, but also businesses. They can form dynamically and enable the exchange of goods much as stock exchanges manage the buying and selling of securities. But because auctions have a wide scope and a short lifetime, the opportunistic behavior needed for successful interaction requires agents to both participate in and manage auctions. The article focuses on the use of software agents in such Internet based auctions     

Towards co-design with users who have autism spectrum disorders

People with cognitive disorders, such as autism or Asperger’s syndrome, face many barriers when being involved in the co-design of information and communications technologies (ICT). Cognitive disorders may require that co-design techniques be modified to fit with individual abilities. Up until recently, with technology design, purpose and use being in the hands of ‘experts’ there was little opportunity for customisation. However, ICT bring together various threads that make open many new possibilities. Not only are technologies cheaper, more powerful and more available than ever, but now parents, support agencies and people with autism spectrum disorders expect information technologies to be part of their worlds, and they have the capacity to participate in co-design for customisation. However, co-design techniques have not evolved to the extent that they capture this potential democratisation of the ICT. This paper reports on an investigation of the potential to develop a set of guidelines for co-design techniques to enable people with autism spectrum disorders to participate in ICT design.     

Applying real-time interface and calculus for dynamic power management in hard real-time systems

Power dissipation has been an important design issue for a wide range of computer systems in the past decades. Dynamic power consumption due to signal switching activities and static power consumption due to leakage current are the two major sources of power consumption in a CMOS circuit. As CMOS technology advances towards deep sub-micron domain, static power dissipation is comparable to or even more than dynamic power dissipation. This article explores how to apply dynamic power management to reduce static power for hard real-time systems. We propose online algorithms that adaptively control the power mode of a system, procrastinating the processing of arrived events as late as possible. To cope with multiple event streams with different characteristics, we provide solutions for preemptive earliest-deadline-first and fixed-priority scheduling policies. By adopting a worst-case interval-based abstraction, our approach can not only tackle arbitrary event arrivals, e.g., with burstiness, but also guarantee hard real-time requirements with respect to both timing and backlog constraints. We also present extensive simulation results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches.     

Towards precise real-time 3D difference detection for industrial applications

3D difference detection is the task to verify whether the 3D geometry of a real object exactly corresponds to a 3D model of this object. We present an approach for 3D difference detection with a hand-held depth camera. In contrast to previous approaches, with the presented approach geometric differences can be detected in real-time and from arbitrary viewpoints. The 3D difference detection accuracy is improved by two approaches: first, the precision of the depth camera's pose estimation is improved by coupling the depth camera with a high precision industrial measurement arm. Second, the influence of the depth measurement noise is reduced by integrating a 3D surface reconstruction algorithm. The effects of both enhancements are quantified by a ground-truth based quantitative evaluation, both for a time-of-flight (SwissRanger 4000) and a structured light depth camera (Kinect). With the proposed enhancements, differences of few millimeters can be detected from 1 m measurement distance.     

混合式动态频谱接入协议的研究

为了避免认知用户对主要用户的干扰,实现了频谱移动性的要求,提出了一种Ad Hoc认知无线电网络下的动态频谱接入协议.先使用分布式频谱侦测技术,建立基于AdHoc认知无线电的网络模型.认知用户利用马尔科夫模型预测可用频段,从而在每个时隙选择预测的可用频段进行侦测,降低设备技术要求,并节约能量.最后,给出了相应的认知无线电频谱接入方案和频谱分配算法,为每一条空闲频段选择合适的通信组,实现系统频谱利用的最大化.     

Predictable threads for dynamic, hard real-time environments

Next-generation, hard real-time systems will require new, flexible functionality and guaranteed, predictable performance. This paper describes the UMass Spring threads package, designed specifically for multiprocessing in dynamic, hard real-time environments. This package is unique because of its support for new thread semantics for real-time processing. Predictable creation and execution of threads is achieved because of an underlying predictable kernel, the UMass Spring kernel. Design decisions and lessons learned while implementing the threads package are presented. Measurements affirm the predictability of this implementation on a representative multiprocessor platform. The adoption of the threads package in the UMass Spring kernel results in additional performance improvements, which include reduced context switching overhead and reduced average-case memory access durations