Negotiation device, negotiation method, and negotiation program

Abstract

In order to further lessen the number of times of agreement-candidate proposal provision required until arrival at an agreement, a negotiation device (1) comprises a public negotiation strategy providing unit (11) for providing a first public negotiation strategy (PS1) that is a public negotiation strategy for a first negotiation subject and that includes a first utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a negotiation device, a negotiation method, and a negotiation program for conducting negotiations based on a negotiation strategy. [Background technology]

[0002] Advances are being made in the development of technologies that use computers to automatically perform various negotiations that have traditionally been performed by humans. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which negotiations that have traditionally been performed between an orderer and a contractor are automatically performed between an order-placing negotiation device and an order-receiving negotiation device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 033302 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The order-receiving-side negotiation device described in Patent Document 1 includes an order-receiving-side utility calculation unit that calculates the order-receiving-side utility value for a negotiation candidate, and an order-receiving-side utility estimation unit that estimates the order-receiving-side utility value for the negotiation candidate. The order-receiving-side negotiation device described in Patent Document 1 aims to reduce the number of negotiation rounds by selecting a negotiation candidate to be provided to the order-receiving-side from multiple negotiation candidates based on the order-receiving-side utility value and the order-receiving-side utility value. However, the order-receiving-side utility value referenced to select a negotiation candidate to be provided to the order-receiving-side is merely an estimated value. Therefore, if the estimation accuracy of the order-receiving-side utility value is low, the number of negotiation rounds cannot be sufficiently reduced.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can reduce the number of times that candidate agreement proposals need to be provided before consensus can be reached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention is a negotiation device comprising a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a first public negotiation strategy that is a public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating party and includes a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function.

[0007] A negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention further includes a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function, and a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating entity by referring to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy.

[0008] In a negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention, the negotiation execution means (1) refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement proposals that both the first negotiating party and the second negotiating party can agree on, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposals to select a candidate agreement proposal to provide to the second negotiating party.

[0009] In a negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention, the negotiation execution means (1) refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select a candidate agreement proposal that maximizes the total utility obtained by the first negotiating party and the second negotiating party, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposal to select a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating party.

[0010] (delete)

[0011] A negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention further includes a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy, which is a public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating party, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; and a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party by referring to a private negotiation strategy of a first negotiating party, the second public negotiation strategy including a third utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function.

[0012] In one aspect of the negotiation device of the present invention, the negotiation execution means (1) refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement proposals that both the first negotiating party and the second negotiating party can agree on, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposals to select a candidate agreement proposal to provide to the second negotiating party.

[0013] In a negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention, the negotiation execution means (1) refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select a candidate agreement proposal that maximizes the total utility obtained by the first negotiating party and the second negotiating party, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposal to select a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating party.

[0014] The negotiation device according to one aspect of the present invention further comprises a negotiation strategy setting means for setting one or both of the first public negotiation strategy and the private negotiation strategy in response to a user operation.

[0015] (delete)

[0016] A negotiation method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a computer providing a public negotiation strategy for a first negotiating party, the public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function.

[0017] A negotiation program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating party, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of times that agreement candidate proposals are provided until a consensus is reached. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a negotiation device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the negotiation device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the negotiation device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation device according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the negotiation device shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation system according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computer that functions as a negotiation device according to each exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In the following description, a "negotiating entity" refers to, for example, an entity that has the ability to select a candidate agreement proposal to provide to other negotiating entities and the ability to decide whether to agree to a candidate agreement proposal obtained from other negotiating entities. A negotiating entity may be a device, a human, or an organization. A "negotiating device" refers to, for example, an entity that functions as a negotiating entity. Examples of negotiation devices include computers, robots, drones, and self-driving cars. A "negotiation" refers to, for example, the negotiating entities alternately providing each other with candidate agreement proposals until an agreement is reached between them. The negotiation may be between entities with conflicting interests, or it may be a negotiation (adjustment) between entities with no conflicting interests.

[0021] In the following explanation, it is assumed that bilateral negotiations are conducted between a first negotiating party and a second negotiating party who share a set Ω of agreement candidate proposals. However, this assumption is made for the sake of convenience, and multilateral negotiations involving three or more negotiating parties are also within the scope of this invention. The agreement candidate proposal ω∈Ω is not particularly limited, but as an example, it is an array (ω1, ω2, ω3, ω4) having four elements: product number ω1, product quantity ω2, product price ω3, and delivery date ω4.

[0022] Exemplary Embodiment 1 A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is a base for the exemplary embodiments described below.

[0023] (Configuration of negotiation devices) The configuration of the negotiation device 1 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the negotiation device 1.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the negotiation device 1 includes a public negotiation strategy providing unit 11.

[0025] The public negotiation strategy providing unit 11 is a means for providing a first public negotiation strategy PS1. The first public negotiation strategy PS1 is a public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, and includes a first utility function f1 or a parameter set that defines the first utility function f1. A possible recipient of the first public negotiation strategy PS1 is a second negotiating entity, for example. The second negotiating entity may be a person or a device.

[0026] The first utility function f1 may be, for example, a function f1:Ω→R, whose domain is the set of agreement candidates Ω and whose range is the set of real numbers R. In this case, the utility value f1(ω) for each agreement candidate ω represents, for example, the utility or benefit the first negotiating entity will obtain if consensus is reached using that agreement candidate ω. For example, when the utility value f1(ω) of an agreement candidate ω obtained from the second negotiating entity exceeds a predetermined threshold α1, the first negotiating entity agrees to that agreement candidate ω. For example, when the utility value f1(ω) of an agreement candidate ω provided to the second negotiating entity exceeds a predetermined threshold β1 (β1 = α1), the first negotiating entity selects that agreement candidate ω. For example, the first utility function f1 may be a trained model, i.e., an artificial intelligence (AI), that inputs the agreement candidate ω and outputs the utility value f1(ω). Alternatively, a table associating the candidate agreement plan ω with a utility value f1(ω) may be used as the first utility function f1. Note that the first public negotiation strategy PS1 may include one or both of a threshold α1 and a threshold β1 in addition to the first utility function f1 or a parameter defining the first utility function f1.

[0027] (Negotiation device operation) The operation of the negotiation device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the operation of the negotiation device 1. Here, it is assumed that the second negotiation subject is the negotiation device 2.

[0028] First, in step S101, the negotiation device 1 provides a candidate agreement proposal ω1∈Ω to the negotiation device 2. In addition, in step S201, the negotiation device 2 acquires the candidate agreement proposal ω1 from the negotiation device 1.

[0029] Next, in step S102, the negotiation device 1 provides the first public negotiation strategy PS1 to the negotiation device 2. Also, in step S202, the negotiation device 2 obtains the first public negotiation strategy PS1 from the negotiation device 1. Note that steps S102 and S202 may be performed by the negotiation device 2 making a request to the negotiation device 1.

[0030] Next, in step S203, the negotiation device 2 determines whether or not it agrees to the candidate agreement proposal ω1. If it determines "agree" in step S203, in step S204, the negotiation device 2 provides an agreement notification to the negotiation device 1, and in step S103, the negotiation device 1 receives the agreement notification from the negotiation device 2. This leads to consensus formation and ends the negotiation.

[0031] If the determination in step S203 is "no agreement," the negotiation device 2 selects a new candidate agreement proposal ω2∈Ω in step S205. At this time, the negotiation device 2 can refer to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 to select the new candidate agreement proposal ω2.

[0032] Next, in step S206, negotiation device 2 provides a new candidate agreement proposal ω2 to negotiation device 1. Also, in step S104, negotiation device 1 obtains the new candidate agreement proposal ω2 from negotiation device 2. When candidate agreement proposal ω1 is called an "offer," the new candidate agreement proposal ω2 may also be called a "counteroffer."

[0033] (Effect of negotiation devices) According to this exemplary embodiment, the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) can determine the candidate agreement proposal ω2 to be provided to the first negotiating entity (negotiating device 1) by referring to the first public negotiation strategy PS1. This enables the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) to provide the first negotiating entity (negotiating device 1) with the candidate agreement proposal ω2 that is highly likely to be agreed to by the first negotiating entity (negotiating device 1). This reduces the number of times the candidate agreement proposal ω2 is provided until consensus is reached.

[0034] Therefore, in a setting where negotiations continue until consensus is reached, the time required to reach consensus can be shortened. Also, in a setting where negotiations are terminated if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of not reaching consensus can be reduced. Also, in a setting where consensus is forced to the last proposed agreement proposal if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of ending up with a forced agreement before the utility value becomes sufficiently high can be reduced.

[0035] Exemplary Embodiment 2 A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those described in the first exemplary embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0036] (Configuration of negotiation devices) The configuration of the negotiation device 1A according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the negotiation device 1A.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the negotiation device 1A includes a public negotiation strategy providing unit 11, a public negotiation strategy acquisition unit 12, an agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice acquisition unit 13, a negotiation execution unit 14A, and an agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15.

[0038] The public negotiation strategy provider 11, like the public negotiation strategy provider 11 provided in the negotiation device 1, is a means for providing the first public negotiation strategy PS1.

[0039] The public negotiation strategy acquisition unit 12 is a means for acquiring the second public negotiation strategy PS2. The second public negotiation strategy PS2 is a public negotiation strategy of the second negotiating entity, and includes a second utility function f2 or a parameter set that defines the second utility function f2. The second negotiating entity is assumed to be the source from which the second public negotiation strategy PS2 is acquired, for example.

[0040] The second utility function f2 may be, for example, a function f2:Ω→R, with the set of agreement candidates Ω as its domain and the set of real numbers R as its range. In this case, the utility value f2(ω) for each agreement candidate ω represents, for example, the utility or benefit the second negotiating entity will obtain if consensus is reached using that agreement candidate ω. For example, when the utility value f2(ω) of an agreement candidate ω obtained from the first negotiating entity exceeds a predetermined threshold α2, the second negotiating entity agrees to that agreement candidate ω. For example, when the utility value f2(ω) of an agreement candidate ω provided to the first negotiating entity exceeds a predetermined threshold β2 (β2 = α2), the second negotiating entity selects that agreement candidate ω. For example, the second utility function f2 may be a trained model, i.e., an AI, that inputs the agreement candidate ω and outputs the utility value f2(ω). Alternatively, a table associating the candidate agreement proposal ω with a utility value f2(ω) may be used as the second utility function f2. Note that the second public negotiation strategy PS2 may include one or both of a threshold α2 and a threshold β2 in addition to the second utility function f2 or parameters that define the second utility function f2.

[0041] The agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice acquisition unit 13 is a means for acquiring the agreement candidate proposal ω2 or the agreement notice. The agreement candidate proposal ω2 and the agreement notice are assumed to be acquired from, for example, the second negotiating entity.

[0042] The negotiation execution unit 14A (1) determines whether to agree to the agreement candidate plan ω2 by referring to the first public negotiation strategy PS1, and (2) if it determines not to agree to the agreement candidate plan ω2, it submits a new agreement candidate plan ω1 to the first public negotiation strategy PS1. negotiationThe negotiation execution unit 14A is a means for referring to and selecting from the strategy PS1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2. Note that the negotiation execution unit 14A may refer to the second public negotiation strategy PS2 in addition to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 when determining whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2. Furthermore, if multiple negotiation strategies are available as the first public negotiation strategy PS1, the negotiation execution unit 14A may be configured to switch the negotiation strategy referred to as the first public negotiation strategy PS1 in the above-mentioned determination and selection depending on the candidate agreement plan ω2. For example, it is possible to switch the negotiation strategy referred to as the first public negotiation strategy PS1 in the above-mentioned determination and selection depending on whether the candidate agreement plan ω2 has a high probability of being accepted.

[0043] The agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15 is a means for providing the agreement candidate proposal ω2 or the agreement notice. If the negotiation execution unit 14A determines that it "does not agree" to the agreement candidate proposal ω2, the agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15 provides a new agreement candidate proposal ω1 selected by the negotiation execution unit 14A. Also, if the negotiation execution unit 14A determines that it "agrees" to the agreement candidate proposal ω2, the agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15 provides an agreement notice. The recipient of the agreement candidate proposal ω1 and the agreement notice is assumed to be, for example, the second negotiating entity.

[0044] The negotiation device 1A may further include a negotiation strategy setting unit 16A. The negotiation strategy setting unit 16A is a means for setting the first public negotiation strategy PS1 in response to a user operation. When the negotiation device 1A further includes the negotiation strategy setting unit 16A, the user (first negotiating subject) of the negotiation device 1A can freely set the first public negotiation strategy PS1.

[0045] The negotiation device 1A may further include a disclosure range setting unit 17. The disclosure range setting unit 17 is a means for setting the disclosure range of the first public negotiation strategy PS1 in response to a user operation. The disclosure range setting unit 17 may set the disclosure range by listing negotiation subjects that are permitted to acquire the first public negotiation strategy PS1, or may set the disclosure range by listing negotiation subjects that are not permitted to acquire the first public negotiation strategy PS1. Alternatively, one or both of these lists may be added to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 as a flag. When the negotiation device 1A further includes the disclosure range setting unit 17, the user (first negotiation subject) of the negotiation device 1A can freely set the disclosure range of the first public negotiation strategy PS1.

[0046] (Negotiation device operation) Next, the operation of the negotiation device 1A will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the operation of the negotiation device 1A. The negotiation device 1A repeats the operation shown in Fig. 2 and the operation shown in Fig. 4 until an agreement is reached between the negotiation device 1A and the negotiation device 2. Steps S104 and S206 in Fig. 4 correspond to steps S104 and S206 in Fig. 2. Furthermore, steps S101 and S201 in Fig. 4 correspond to steps S101 and S201 in Fig. 2.

[0047] First, in step S206, the negotiation device 2 provides the candidate agreement proposal ω2∈Ω to the negotiation device 1A. In addition, in step S104, the negotiation device 1A acquires the candidate agreement proposal ω2 from the negotiation device 2.

[0048] Next, in step S207, the negotiation device 2 provides the second public negotiation strategy PS2 to the negotiation device 1A. Also, in step S105, the negotiation device 1A obtains the second public negotiation strategy PS2 from the negotiation device 2. Note that steps S105 and S207 may be performed by the negotiation device 1A making a request to the negotiation device 2.

[0049] Next, in step S106A, the negotiation device 1A determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2. At this time, the negotiation device 1A refers to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 to determine whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2.

[0050] In step S106A, the negotiation execution unit 14A determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement proposal ω2, for example, as follows: First, the negotiation execution unit 14A calculates the utility value f1(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 using the first utility function f1 included in the first public negotiation strategy PS1. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14A compares the utility value f1(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 with a threshold value α1. If the utility value f1(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 exceeds the threshold value α1, the negotiation execution unit 14A determines to "agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2; otherwise, it determines to "not agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2.

[0051] Instead of comparing the utility value f1(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 with the threshold value α1, the negotiation execution unit 14A may compare it with the utility value f1(ω1) of the candidate agreement proposal ω1 that is scheduled to be provided to the second negotiating party next. In this case, if the utility value f1(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 exceeds the utility value f1(ω1), the negotiation execution unit 14A determines to "agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2, and if not, determines to "not agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2.

[0052] The negotiation execution unit 14A can refer to the second public negotiation strategy PS2 in addition to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 to determine whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2. In this case, the negotiation execution unit 14A can refer to, for example, the second public negotiation strategy PS2. public The utility value f2(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 can be calculated using the second utility function f2 included in the negotiation strategy PS2. publicThe difference d(ω2) = f2(ω2) - β2 or the ratio r(ω2) = f2(ω2) / β2 can be calculated using the threshold α2 included in the negotiation strategy PS2. This difference d(ω2) or this ratio r(ω2) indicates the amount of room for compromise on the part of the second negotiating party. Therefore, for example, if this difference d(ω2) exceeds a predetermined threshold d0 (d0 > 0), or if this ratio r(ω2) exceeds a predetermined threshold r0 (r0 > 1), by deciding not to agree to the agreement proposal ω2, the possibility of reaching an agreement on the agreement proposal ω with a higher utility value f1(ω) can be increased.

[0053] If it is determined in step S106A that an agreement has been reached, in step S107 the negotiation device 1A provides an agreement notification to the negotiation device 2, and in step S208 the negotiation device 2 receives the agreement notification from the negotiation device 1A. This leads to consensus formation and ends the negotiation.

[0054] If it is determined in step S106A that "no agreement" is reached, in step S108A, the negotiation device 1A selects a new candidate agreement proposal ω1∈Ω. At this time, the negotiation device 1A refers to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2 to select the new candidate agreement proposal ω1.

[0055] In step S108A, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects a new candidate agreement plan ω1, for example, as follows: First, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects from the set of candidate agreement plans Ω a single or multiple candidate agreement plans ω on which both the first and second negotiating parties can agree, i.e., a single or multiple candidate agreement plans ω whose utility value f1(ω) exceeds threshold β1 and whose utility value f2(ω) exceeds threshold α2. When selecting a single candidate agreement plan ω, the negotiation execution unit 14A sets each element of the selected candidate agreement plan ω as the expected agreement value corresponding to that element. On the other hand, when selecting multiple candidate agreement plans ω, the negotiation execution unit 14A sets the average value of each element of the selected multiple candidate agreement plans ω as the expected agreement value corresponding to that element. For example, if the candidate agreement plan ω includes a product price and a product quantity, the expected agreement value corresponding to the product price and the expected agreement value corresponding to the product quantity are obtained. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14A refers to the expected agreement value corresponding to each element of the selected candidate agreement plan ω and selects a new candidate agreement plan ω1 from among the candidate agreement plans that the first negotiating party can agree on. For example, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects, as the new candidate agreement plan ω1, an agreement candidate plan ω whose elements match the expected agreement value, or an agreement candidate plan ω' that best approximates the candidate agreement plan ω, from the set of candidate agreement plans ω whose utility value f1(ω) exceeds a threshold β1. Note that when selecting a new candidate agreement plan ω1 as described above, the second public negotiation strategy PS2 must include a threshold α2.

[0056] A typical algorithm for selecting a candidate agreement plan to be presented to the negotiating partner is known, which randomly selects, before negotiation, a plurality of candidate agreement plans (for example, the maximum number of negotiations) whose utility values exceed a threshold from a set Ω, and then presents these candidate agreement plans to the negotiating partner in descending order of utility value during negotiation. The negotiation execution unit 14A may use this algorithm to perform the following processing. That is, before negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14A uses a first public negotiation strategy PS1 to select a first public negotiation strategy that operates in accordance with this algorithm. negotiationGenerate an agent and generate a second negotiation agent that operates according to this algorithm using the second public negotiation strategy PS2. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14A executes a virtual negotiation (negotiation simulation) between the first negotiation agent and the second negotiation agent multiple times. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14A sets the average (average for each element) of the agreement candidate cases ω1st, ω2nd,... obtained as a result of the virtual negotiation as the agreement candidate case ω'. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14A creates a sequence of agreement candidate cases ω1 = ω', ω2, ω3,..., ωn = ω" (f1(ω1) < f1(ω2) <... < f1(ωn)) starting from the agreement candidate case ω' and ending with the agreement candidate case ω" with the highest utility value f1(ω"). Note that ω" may be the agreement candidate case with the highest utility value f1(ω") among the agreement candidate cases ω1st, ω2nd,... obtained as a result of the virtual negotiation, or may be the agreement candidate case with the highest utility value f1(ω") in the set Ω. So far, this is the process that the negotiation execution unit 14A executes before the negotiation. And during the negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14A provides the agreement candidate cases included in the sequence of agreement candidate cases ω1, ω2, ω3,..., ωn described above to the second negotiation party in descending order of utility value, that is, in the order of ωn, ωn-1,..., ω1. For example, in the step S108A executed for the first time, the agreement candidate case ωn is selected as the agreement candidate case ω1 provided to the second negotiation party, and in the step S108A executed for the second time, the agreement candidate case ωn-1 is selected as the agreement candidate case ω1 provided to the second negotiation party.

[0057] In step S108A, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects a new candidate agreement ω1 as follows. That is, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects, as the new candidate agreement ω1, an agreement ω that maximizes the sum of the utilities obtained by the first negotiation entity and the second negotiation entity from the set of candidate agreements that the first negotiation entity can agree to. For example, the negotiation execution unit 14A selects, as the new candidate agreement ω1, an agreement ω that maximizes the sum f1(ω) + f2(ω) of the utility value f1(ω) and the utility value f2(ω) from the set of candidate agreements ω where the utility value f1(ω) exceeds the threshold β1. Here, the algorithm for selecting an agreement ω that maximizes the sum f1(ω) + f2(ω) of the utility value f1(ω) and the utility value f2(ω) is not particularly limited. For example, a combinatorial optimization method may be used. When the set of candidate agreements ω cannot be exhaustively searched due to combinatorial explosion, a combinatorial optimization engine such as Simulated Annealing may be utilized. When selecting a new candidate agreement ω1 as described above, it is not necessary for the second public negotiation strategy PS2 to include the threshold α2.

[0058] Note that the negotiation execution unit 14A may be configured to execute, before the negotiation, the above-described process and the process of creating a sequence of candidate agreements ω1 = ω, ω2, ω3,..., ωn = ω” (f1(ω1) < f1(ω2) <... < f1(ωn)) starting from an agreement ω that maximizes the sum of the utilities obtained by the first negotiation entity and the second negotiation entity and ending with a candidate agreement ω” with the highest utility value f1(ω”). In this case, during the negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14A provides the candidate agreements included in the above-described sequence of candidate agreements ω1, ω2, ω3,..., ωn to the second negotiation entity in descending order of utility value, that is, in the order of ωn, ωn-1,..., ω1. For example, in step S108A executed for the first time, the candidate agreement ωn is selected as the candidate agreement ω1 provided to the second negotiation entity, and in step S108A executed for the second time, the candidate agreement ωn-1 is selected as the candidate agreement ω1 provided to the second negotiation entity.

[0059] Next, in step S101, the negotiation device 1A provides a new candidate agreement proposal ω1 to the negotiation device 2. Also, in step S201, the negotiation device 2 obtains the new candidate agreement proposal ω1 from the negotiation device 1A. When the candidate agreement proposal ω2 is called an "offer," the new candidate agreement proposal ω1 may also be called a "counteroffer."

[0060] The negotiation device 1A and the negotiation device 2 repeatedly execute steps S101 to S108 and steps S201 to S208 until the negotiation device 2 agrees to the candidate agreement proposal ω1 in step S203, or until the negotiation device 1A agrees to the candidate agreement proposal ω2 in step S106A.

[0061] (Effect of negotiation devices) According to this exemplary embodiment, the first negotiating entity (negotiating device 1A) can determine the candidate agreement proposal ω1 to be provided to the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) by referring to the second public negotiation strategy PS2. This enables the first negotiating entity (negotiating device 1A) to provide the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) with the candidate agreement proposal ω1 that is highly likely to be agreed to by the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2). This reduces the number of times the candidate agreement proposal ω1 is provided until an agreement is reached.

[0062] Therefore, in a setting where negotiations continue until consensus is reached, the time required to reach consensus can be further shortened. Also, in a setting where negotiations are terminated if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of not reaching consensus can be further reduced. Also, in a setting where consensus is forced to the last proposed agreement proposal if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of ending up with a forced agreement before the utility value becomes sufficiently high can be further reduced.

[0063] Exemplary Embodiment 3 A third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those described in the first and second exemplary embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0064] (Configuration of negotiation devices) The configuration of the negotiation device 1B according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the negotiation device 1B.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 5, the negotiation device 1B includes a public negotiation strategy providing unit 11, a public negotiation strategy acquiring unit 12, an agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice acquiring unit 13, a negotiation execution unit 14B, and an agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15.

[0066] The public negotiation strategy providing unit 11 is a means for providing a first public negotiation strategy PS1, similar to the public negotiation strategy providing unit 11 provided in the negotiation device 1. The public negotiation strategy acquiring unit 12 is a means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy PS2, similar to the public negotiation strategy acquiring unit 12 provided in the negotiation device 1A. The agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice acquiring unit 13 is a means for acquiring the agreement candidate proposal ω2 or the agreement notice, similar to the agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice acquiring unit 13 provided in the negotiation device 1A. The agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15 is a means for providing the agreement candidate proposal ω2 or the agreement notice, similar to the agreement candidate proposal / agreement notice providing unit 15 provided in the negotiation device 1A.

[0067] The negotiation execution unit 14B is a means for (1) determining whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2 by referring to the private negotiation strategy SS1, and (2) if it determines not to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2, selecting a new candidate agreement plan ω1 by referring to the private negotiation strategy SS1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2. When determining whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2, the negotiation execution unit 14B may refer to the second public negotiation strategy PS2 in addition to the private negotiation strategy SS1. Furthermore, if multiple negotiation strategies are available as the private negotiation strategy SS1, the negotiation execution unit 14B may be configured to switch the negotiation strategy referenced as the private negotiation strategy SS1 in the above-described determination and selection depending on the candidate agreement plan ω2. For example, it is conceivable to switch the negotiation strategy referenced as the private negotiation strategy SS1 in the above-described determination and selection depending on whether the candidate agreement plan ω2 has a high probability of winning the order.

[0068] The private negotiation strategy SS1 is a private negotiation strategy of the first negotiating entity, and includes a third utility function f3 or a parameter set that defines the third utility function f3. The third utility function f3 may be, for example, a function f1:Ω→R, whose domain is the set of agreement candidates Ω and whose range is the set of real numbers R. In this case, the utility value f3(ω) for each agreement candidate ω represents, for example, the utility or benefit that the first negotiating entity will obtain if consensus is reached using that agreement candidate ω. Regarding the agreement candidate ω obtained from the second negotiating entity, the first negotiating entity agrees to that agreement candidate ω, for example, if the utility value f3(ω) exceeds a predetermined threshold α3. Regarding the agreement candidate ω to be provided to the second negotiating entity, the first negotiating entity selects that agreement candidate ω, for example, if the utility value f3(ω) exceeds a predetermined threshold β3 (β3 = α3). The third utility function f3 may be, for example, a trained model, i.e., an AI, that inputs the candidate agreement plan ω and outputs a utility value f3(ω). Alternatively, a table that associates the candidate agreement plan ω with the utility value f3(ω) may be used as the third utility function f3. Note that the private negotiation strategy SS1 may include one or both of a threshold value α3 and a threshold value β3 in addition to the third utility function f3 or parameters that define the third utility function f3.

[0069] The negotiation device 1B may further include a negotiation strategy setting unit 16B. The negotiation strategy setting unit 16B is a means for setting one or both of the first public negotiation strategy PS1 and the private negotiation strategy SS1 in response to a user operation. When the negotiation device 1B further includes the negotiation strategy setting unit 16B, the user (first negotiating entity) of the negotiation device 1B can freely set one or both of the first public negotiation strategy PS1 and the private negotiation strategy SS1.

[0070] The negotiation device 1B may further include a disclosure range setting unit 17. Similar to the disclosure range setting unit 17 included in the negotiation device 1A, the disclosure range setting unit 17 is a means for setting the disclosure range of the first public negotiation strategy PS1 in response to a user operation. When the negotiation device 1B further includes the disclosure range setting unit 17, the user (first negotiating entity) of the negotiation device 1B can freely set the disclosure range of the first public negotiation strategy PS1.

[0071] (Negotiation device operation) Next, the operation of the negotiation device 1B will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the operation of the negotiation device 1B. The negotiation device 1B repeats the operation shown in Fig. 2 and the operation shown in Fig. 6 until an agreement is reached with the negotiation device 2. Steps S104 and S206 in Fig. 6 correspond to steps S104 and S206 in Fig. 2. Furthermore, steps S101 and S201 in Fig. 6 correspond to steps S101 and S201 in Fig. 2.

[0072] The operation of the negotiation device 1B shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the operation of the negotiation device 1A shown in Fig. 4, except that step S106A is replaced with step S106B and step S108A is replaced with step S108B. Therefore, steps S106B and S108B will be described below.

[0073] In step S106B, the negotiation device 1B determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2. At this time, the negotiation device 1B uses the private negotiation strategy SS 1 Refer to.

[0074] In step S106B, the negotiation execution unit 14B determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2, for example, as follows: First, the negotiation execution unit 14A determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan ω2 using the private negotiation strategy SS 1The negotiation execution unit 14B calculates the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 using a third utility function f3 included in the candidate agreement proposal ω2. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14B compares the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 with a threshold value α3. If the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 exceeds the threshold value α3, the negotiation execution unit 14B determines to "agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2, and if not, determines to "not agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2. Note that, like the negotiation execution unit 14A provided in the negotiation device 1A, the negotiation execution unit 14B uses the confidential negotiation strategy SS 1 In addition, we can also refer to the second public negotiation strategy PS2.

[0075] In addition, instead of comparing the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 with the threshold value α3, the negotiation execution unit 14B may compare the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 with the utility value f3(ω1) of the candidate agreement proposal ω1 that is scheduled to be provided to the second negotiation party next. In this case, if the utility value f3(ω2) of the candidate agreement proposal ω2 exceeds the utility value f3(ω1), the negotiation execution unit 14B determines to "agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2, and if not, determines to "not agree" to the candidate agreement proposal ω2.

[0076] If it is determined in step S106B that "agreement is not made," the negotiation device 1B selects a new candidate agreement proposal ω1∈Ω in step S108B. At this time, the negotiation device 1B uses the private negotiation strategy SS 1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2.

[0077] In step S108B, the negotiation execution unit 14B selects a new candidate agreement proposal ω1, for example, as follows: First, the negotiation execution unit 14B selects from the set of candidate agreement proposals Ω a single or multiple candidate agreement proposals ω on which both the first and second negotiation parties can agree, i.e., a single or multiple candidate agreement proposals ω whose utility value f3(ω) exceeds threshold β3 and whose utility value f2(ω) exceeds threshold α2. When selecting a single candidate agreement proposal ω, the negotiation execution unit 14B sets each element of the selected candidate agreement proposal ω as the expected agreement value corresponding to that element. On the other hand, when selecting multiple candidate agreement proposals ω, the negotiation execution unit 14B sets the average value of each element of the selected multiple candidate agreement proposals ω as the expected agreement value corresponding to that element. For example, if the candidate agreement proposal ω includes a product price and a product quantity, the expected agreement value corresponding to the product price and the expected agreement value corresponding to the product quantity are obtained. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14B refers to the expected agreement value corresponding to each element of the selected candidate agreement plan ω and selects a new candidate agreement plan ω1 from among the candidate agreement plans that the first negotiating party can agree on. For example, the negotiation execution unit 14B selects, as the new candidate agreement plan ω1, an agreement candidate plan ω whose elements match the expected agreement value, or an agreement candidate plan ω' that best approximates the candidate agreement plan ω, from the set of candidate agreement plans ω whose utility value f1(ω) exceeds a threshold value β1. Note that when selecting a new candidate agreement plan ω1 as described above, the second public negotiation strategy PS2 must include a threshold value α2.

[0078] A typical algorithm for selecting a candidate agreement plan to be presented to the negotiating partner is known, which randomly selects, before negotiation, a plurality of candidate agreement plans (for example, the maximum number of negotiations) whose utility values exceed a threshold from a set Ω, and then presents these candidate agreement plans to the negotiating partner in descending order of utility value during negotiation. The negotiation execution unit 14B may use this algorithm to perform the following processing. That is, before negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14B executes a first algorithm that operates according to this algorithm using a confidential negotiation strategy SS1. negotiationGenerate an agent and generate a second negotiation agent that operates according to this algorithm using the second public negotiation strategy PS2. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14B executes a virtual negotiation (negotiation simulation) between the first negotiation agent and the second negotiation agent multiple times. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14B sets the average (average for each element) of the agreement candidate cases ω1st, ω2nd,... obtained as the result of the virtual negotiation as the agreement candidate case ω'. Next, the negotiation execution unit 14B creates a sequence of agreement candidate cases ω1 = ω', ω2, ω3,..., ωn = ω'' (f1(ω1) < f1(ω2) <... < f1(ωn)) starting from the agreement candidate case ω' and ending with the agreement candidate case ω'' with the highest utility value f1(ω''). Note that ω'' may be the agreement candidate case with the highest utility value f1(ω'') among the agreement candidate cases ω1st, ω2nd,... obtained as the result of the virtual negotiation, or may be the agreement candidate case with the highest utility value f1(ω'') in the set Ω. So far, this is the processing that the negotiation execution unit 14B executes before the negotiation. And during the negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14B provides the agreement candidate cases included in the above-mentioned sequence of agreement candidate cases ω1, ω2, ω3,..., ωn to the second negotiation entity in descending order of utility value, that is, in the order of ωn, ωn-1,..., ω1. That is, in the step S108B executed for the first time, the agreement candidate case ωn is selected as the agreement candidate case ω1 provided to the second negotiation entity, and in the step S108B executed for the second time, the agreement candidate case ωn-1 is selected as the agreement candidate case ω1 provided to the second negotiation entity.

[0079] In step S108B, the negotiation execution unit 14B alternatively selects a new compromise candidate ω1 as follows. That is, the negotiation execution unit 14B selects, as the new compromise candidate ω1, a compromise candidate ω that maximizes the sum of the utilities obtained by the first negotiation party and the second negotiation party from the set of compromise candidates acceptable to the first negotiation party. For example, the negotiation execution unit 14B selects, as the new compromise candidate ω1, a compromise candidate ω that maximizes the sum f3(ω) + f2(ω) of the utility value f3(ω) and the utility value f2(ω) from the set of compromise candidates ω for which the utility value f3(ω) exceeds the threshold β3. Here, the algorithm for selecting the compromise candidate ω that maximizes the sum f3(ω) + f2(ω) of the utility value f3(ω) and the utility value f2(ω) is not particularly limited, but for example, a combinatorial optimization method may be used. If the set ω of compromise candidates cannot be exhaustively searched due to combinatorial explosion, a combinatorial optimization engine such as Simulated Annealing may be utilized.

[0080] Note that the negotiation execution unit 14B uses the above-described process and, starting from the compromise candidate ω that maximizes the sum of the utilities obtained by the first negotiation party and the second negotiation party, 3 it may be configured to execute, before the negotiation, a process of creating a sequence of compromise candidates ω1 = ω, ω2, ω3,..., ωn = ω” (f3(ω1) < f3(ω2) <... < f3(ωn)) with the compromise candidate ω for which the utility value f(ω”) is the highest as the end point. In this case, during the negotiation, the negotiation execution unit 14B provides the compromise candidates included in the above-described sequence of compromise candidates ω1, ω2, ω3,..., ωn to the second negotiation party in descending order of utility value, that is, in the order of ωn, ωn-1,..., ω1. For example, in step S108B executed for the first time, the compromise candidate ωn is selected as the compromise candidate ω1 provided to the second negotiation party, and in step S108B executed for the second time, the compromise candidate ωn-1 is selected as the compromise candidate ω1 provided to the second negotiation party.

[0081] (Effect of the negotiation device) According to this exemplary embodiment, the first negotiation party (negotiation device 1 B) can decide the proposed agreement ω1 to be provided to the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) by referring to the second public negotiation strategy PS2. B ) can provide the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2) with a candidate agreement proposal ω1 that is highly likely to be agreed to by the second negotiating entity (negotiating device 2). This reduces the number of times that candidate agreement proposals ω1 need to be provided before reaching consensus.

[0082] Therefore, in a setting where negotiations continue until consensus is reached, the time required to reach consensus can be further shortened. Also, in a setting where negotiations are terminated if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of not reaching consensus can be further reduced. Also, in a setting where consensus is forced to the last proposed agreement proposal if consensus is not reached within a predetermined time, the possibility of ending up with a forced agreement before the utility value becomes sufficiently high can be further reduced.

[0083] Exemplary Embodiment 4 A negotiation system S according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the negotiation system S.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 7, the negotiation system S is composed of a negotiation device 1, a negotiation device 2, and a negotiation platform 3.

[0085] As described in the first exemplary embodiment, the negotiation device 1 has a function of providing the first public negotiation strategy PS1 to the negotiation platform 3. In addition, the negotiation device 1 has a function of providing the candidate agreement proposal ω1 to the negotiation platform 3 and a function of obtaining the agreement probability P(ω1) regarding the candidate agreement proposal ω1 from the negotiation platform 3.

[0086] As described in the first exemplary embodiment, the negotiation device 2 has a function of providing the second public negotiation strategy PS2 to the negotiation platform 3. In addition, the negotiation device 2 has a function of providing the candidate agreement proposal ω2 to the negotiation platform 3 and a function of obtaining the agreement probability P(ω2) regarding the candidate agreement proposal ω2 from the negotiation platform 3.

[0087] The negotiation platform 3 has the function of (1) calculating the agreement probability P(ω1) for the agreement candidate proposal ω1 by referring to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2 when the agreement candidate proposal ω1 is acquired from the negotiation device 1, and (2) providing the calculated agreement probability P(ω1) to the negotiation device 1. The negotiation platform 3 also has the function of (1) calculating the agreement probability P(ω2) for the agreement candidate proposal ω2 by referring to the first public negotiation strategy PS1 and the second public negotiation strategy PS2 when the agreement candidate proposal ω2 is acquired from the negotiation device 2, and (2) providing the calculated agreement probability P(ω2) to the negotiation device 1. P(ω2) A negotiation device 2 It has the function to provide

[0088] When the agreement probability P(ω1) obtained from the negotiation platform 3 is sufficiently large (for example, larger than a predetermined threshold), the negotiation device 1 presents the candidate agreement proposal ω1 to the negotiation device 2. This allows the negotiation device 1 to provide the negotiation device 2 with the candidate agreement proposal ω1 that is likely to be agreed upon by the negotiation device 2. Similarly, when the agreement probability P(ω2) obtained from the negotiation platform 3 is sufficiently large (for example, larger than a predetermined threshold), the negotiation device 2 presents the candidate agreement proposal ω2 to the negotiation device 1. This allows the negotiation device 2 to provide the negotiation device 2 with the candidate agreement proposal ω2 that is likely to be agreed upon by the negotiation device 1. 1 can be provided to.

[0089] [Software implementation example] Some or all of the functions of the negotiation devices 1, 1A, and 1B may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or by software.

[0090] In the latter case, the negotiation devices 1, 1A, and 1B are realized, for example, by a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in FIG. 8. Computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. Memory C2 stores program P for operating computer C as negotiation devices 1, 1A, and 1B. In computer C, processor C1 reads and executes program P from memory C2, thereby realizing each function of negotiation devices 1, 1A, and 1B.

[0091] The processor C1 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro processing unit (MPU), a floating point number processing unit (FPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a microcontroller, or a combination thereof. The memory C2 may be, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof.

[0092] The computer C may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program P during execution and for temporarily storing various data. The computer C may also include a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices. The computer C may also include an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0093] Furthermore, the program P can be recorded on a non-transitory tangible recording medium M that can be read by the computer C. Such a recording medium M can be, for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The computer C can acquire the program P via such a recording medium M. The program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such a transmission medium can be, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. The computer C can also acquire the program P via such a transmission medium.

[0094] [Appendix 1] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0095] [Appendix 2] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be described as follows: However, the present invention is not limited to the following described aspects.

[0096] (Appendix 1) A negotiation device comprising: a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function.

[0097] (Appendix 2) a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; and a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating party by referring to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy. Negotiation device as described in Appendix 1.

[0098] (Appendix 3) The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement plans that can be agreed upon by both the first negotiating entity and the second negotiating entity, and (2) refers to an expected agreement value corresponding to each element of the selected candidate agreement plans to select a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating entity. Negotiation device as described in Appendix 2.

[0099] (Appendix 4) the negotiation execution means refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy and selects a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating subject so as to maximize the total utility obtained by the first negotiating subject and the second negotiating subject; Negotiation device as described in Appendix 2.

[0100] (Appendix 5) The system further includes a negotiation strategy setting means for setting the first public negotiation strategy in response to a user operation. 5. The negotiation device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

[0101] (Appendix 6) a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; and a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party by referring to the private negotiation strategy of the first negotiating party, the private negotiation strategy including a third utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function, and the second public negotiation strategy. Negotiation device as described in Appendix 1.

[0102] (Appendix 7) The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement plans that are agreeable to both the first negotiating party and the second negotiating party, and (2) refers to an expected agreement value corresponding to each element of the selected candidate agreement plans to select a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating party. Negotiation device as described in Appendix 6.

[0103] (Appendix 8) the negotiation execution means refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating subject so as to maximize the total utility obtained by the first negotiating subject and the second negotiating subject; Additional notes 6 The negotiation device described in

[0104] (Appendix 9) The negotiation strategy setting unit may further include a negotiation strategy setting unit that sets one or both of the first public negotiation strategy and the private negotiation strategy in response to a user operation. 9. The negotiation device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein:

[0105] (Appendix 10) The method further includes a disclosure range setting means for setting a disclosure range of the first public negotiation strategy in response to a user operation. 10. The negotiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

[0106] (Appendix 11) a computer providing a public negotiation strategy for a first negotiating party, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function; How to negotiate.

[0107] (Appendix 12) A program that causes a computer to function as a public negotiation strategy providing means that provides a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function.

[0108] (Appendix 13) a plurality of public negotiation strategies are available as the first public negotiation strategy, and the negotiation execution means switches the public negotiation strategy to be referred to in selecting a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating entity, depending on the candidate agreement proposal obtained from the second negotiating entity; 6. A negotiation device according to any one of appendices 2 to 5.

[0109] (Appendix 14) a plurality of public negotiation strategies are available as the private negotiation strategy, and the negotiation execution means switches the public negotiation strategy to be referred to in selecting a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating entity, depending on the candidate agreement plan obtained from the second negotiating entity; 10. The negotiation device according to any one of appendices 6 to 9.

[0110] (Appendix 15) a function of providing a negotiation platform with a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to a second negotiating entity, and a function of obtaining from the negotiation platform an agreement probability for the candidate agreement proposal, wherein the public negotiation strategy providing means provides the first public negotiation strategy to the negotiation platform; 15. The negotiation device according to any one of appendices 1 to 10 and 13 to 14.

[0111] [Appendix 3] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be expressed as follows.

[0112] A negotiation device comprising at least one processor, the processor executing a public negotiation strategy providing process to provide a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function.

[0113] The negotiation device may further include a memory that stores a program for causing the processor to execute the public negotiation strategy providing process. The program may also be recorded on a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 1, 1A, 1B...negotiation device 11. Public Negotiation Strategy Department 12. Public Negotiation Strategy Acquisition Department 13 ···Candidate agreement / agreement notification acquisition department 14A, 14B Negotiation Executive Department 15 ···Candidate agreement / agreement notification provision department 16A, 16B: Public Negotiation Strategy Setting Section 17. Public Range Setting Section PS1: First Public Negotiation Strategy PS2: Second Public Negotiation Strategy SS1: Private Negotiation Strategy

Claims

1. a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating entity by referring to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy when a first utility value obtained by the first utility function exceeds a predetermined first threshold; A negotiation device that is equipped with

2. The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement proposals in which the first utility value obtained by the first utility function exceeds the predetermined first threshold and the second utility value obtained by the second utility function exceeds the predetermined second threshold, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposals to select a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating party. The negotiation device of claim 1 .

3. The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy, and selects a candidate agreement plan that maximizes the sum of the first utility value obtained by the first utility function and the second utility value obtained by the second utility function; and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement plan, and selects a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating party. The negotiation device of claim 1 .

4. a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a first public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the first public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a negotiation execution means for selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party by referring to a private negotiation strategy of the first negotiating party, the private negotiation strategy including a third utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function, and the second public negotiation strategy, when a third utility value obtained by the third utility function exceeds a predetermined third threshold.

5. The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select one or more candidate agreement proposals for which the third utility value obtained by the third utility function exceeds the third threshold and the second utility value obtained by the second utility function exceeds the second threshold; and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement proposals to select a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating party. The negotiation device of claim 4.

6. The negotiation execution means (1) refers to the private negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy to select a candidate agreement plan that maximizes the sum of the third utility value obtained by the third utility function and the second utility value obtained by the second utility function, and (2) refers to the selected candidate agreement plan to select a candidate agreement plan to be provided to the second negotiating party. The negotiation device of claim 4.

7. The negotiation strategy setting device further includes a negotiation strategy setting unit that sets one or both of the first public negotiation strategy and the private negotiation strategy in response to a user operation.

7. The negotiation device according to claim 4, wherein the negotiation device is a device for negotiating with a user.

8. a computer providing a public negotiation strategy for a first negotiating entity, the public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function; obtaining a public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function; and selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party by referring to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy if a first utility value obtained by the first utility function exceeds a predetermined first threshold; How to negotiate.

9. a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; and A negotiation program that functions as a negotiation execution means that, by referring to the first public negotiation strategy and the second public negotiation strategy, selects a candidate agreement proposal to be provided to the second negotiating party when a first utility value obtained by the first utility function exceeds a predetermined first threshold.

10. a computer providing a public negotiation strategy for a first negotiating entity, the public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function; obtaining a public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function; and a private negotiation strategy of the first negotiating party, the private negotiation strategy including a third utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function, and the second public negotiation strategy, and selecting a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party when a third utility value obtained by the third utility function exceeds a predetermined third threshold; How to negotiate.

11. a public negotiation strategy providing means for providing a public negotiation strategy of a first negotiating entity, the public negotiation strategy including a first utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; a public negotiation strategy acquisition means for acquiring a second public negotiation strategy of a second negotiating entity, the second public negotiation strategy including a second utility function or a parameter set defining the utility function; and A negotiation program that functions as a negotiation execution means that refers to a private negotiation strategy of a first negotiating party, which includes a third utility function or a parameter set that defines the utility function, and the second public negotiation strategy, and selects a candidate agreement to be provided to the second negotiating party when a third utility value obtained by the third utility function exceeds a predetermined third threshold.

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