Negotiation system, negotiation method, and program

Abstract

In order to solve the problem of reducing the possibility that a negotiation ends up in a failure to reach an agreement, a negotiation system (1) includes: an agreement-candidate-plan acquisition unit (11) that acquires a first agreement candidate plan provided from a negotiating entity in a negotiation with the negotiating entity, the negotiating entity being the other party involved in the negotiation; a concession-status-information acquisition unit (12) that acquires concession status information indicating the status of concession of the negotiating entity in the first agreement candidate plan; and a response unit (13) that executes processing for responding to the first agreement candidate plan in accordance with the status of concession indicated by the concession status information.

Description

Negotiation system, negotiation method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to techniques for conducting negotiations.

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a technology in which an inference unit sends a proposal to another inference unit, and if the proposal is rejected by the other inference unit, negotiation is carried out by sending the next proposal to the other inference unit.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-161877

[0004] In this case, a negotiating entity (e.g., a human) participating in a negotiation may tend to give up on the negotiation itself if the proposal made by the other party differs greatly from the one to which the negotiating entity has made the maximum concessions. The inference unit described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that, when negotiating with a negotiating entity having such a tendency, it is unable to reduce the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and one example of a purpose thereof is to provide a technique that reduces the possibility that negotiations will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0006] A negotiation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a candidate agreement acquisition means for acquiring a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating subject, who is a negotiating partner, in a negotiation with the negotiating subject; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating subject in the first candidate agreement; and a response means for executing processing to respond to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0007] A negotiation method according to one aspect of the present invention is a negotiation method executed by one or more processors, and includes, in a negotiation with a negotiating entity that is a negotiating partner, acquiring a first candidate agreement proposal provided by the negotiating entity, acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement proposal, and executing processing to respond to the first candidate agreement proposal in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as: a candidate agreement acquisition means for acquiring a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating subject in a negotiation with the negotiating subject; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating subject in the first candidate agreement; and a response means for executing processing to respond to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention reduces the likelihood that negotiations will ultimately result in disagreement.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation system according to exemplary embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a negotiation method according to exemplary embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a negotiation system according to exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a negotiation device according to exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of another negotiation device according to exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a negotiation method according to exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen including a candidate agreement proposal, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting a candidate agreement proposal and concession status information, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting a reason for providing, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen including recommendation information, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen including a new candidate agreement proposal, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for inputting a new candidate agreement proposal and concession status information, which is presented in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0011] In the following description, a "negotiating entity" refers to, for example, an entity that has the ability to generate a candidate agreement to provide to other negotiating entities and the ability to decide whether to agree to a candidate agreement obtained from other negotiating entities. A negotiating entity may be a device, a human, or an organization. A "negotiating device" may refer to, for example, a device that functions as a negotiating entity. A "negotiating device" may also refer to, for example, a device that functions based on the operation of a human negotiating entity or a human belonging to an organization that is a negotiating entity. Examples of negotiation devices include computers, robots, drones, and self-driving cars. A "negotiation" may refer to, for example, the negotiating entities alternately providing each other with a candidate agreement until an agreement is reached between them. A negotiation may be between entities with conflicting interests, or may be a negotiation (adjustment) between entities with no conflicting interests.

[0012] In the following explanation, it is assumed that bilateral negotiations are conducted between two negotiating parties that share a set of potential agreement proposals. However, this assumption is for the sake of convenience, and multilateral negotiations between three or more negotiating parties are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0013] [First Exemplary Embodiment] A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is a basic form of the exemplary embodiments described below.

[0014] (Configuration of Negotiation System 1) The configuration of negotiation system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of negotiation system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, negotiation system 1 includes a candidate agreement acquisition unit 11, a concession status information acquisition unit 12, and a response unit 13. The candidate agreement acquisition unit 11 is an example of a configuration realizing the candidate agreement acquisition means set forth in the claims. The concession status information acquisition unit 12 is an example of a configuration realizing the concession status information acquisition means set forth in the claims. The response unit 13 is an example of a configuration realizing the response means set forth in the claims. The candidate agreement acquisition unit 11 acquires a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating entity, which is the negotiation partner, in negotiations conducted with the negotiating entity. The concession status information acquisition unit 12 acquires concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement. The response unit 13 executes processing to respond to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0015] (Example of Implementation by Program) When negotiation system 1 is configured by a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory stores the following program according to this exemplary embodiment. The program causes the computer to function as: a candidate agreement proposal acquisition unit 11 that acquires a first candidate agreement proposal provided by a negotiating entity that is a negotiating partner in a negotiation with the negotiating entity; a concession status information acquisition unit 12 that acquires concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement proposal; and a response unit 13 that executes processing to respond to the first candidate agreement proposal in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0016] (Flow of negotiation method S1) The negotiation system 1 configured as described above executes the negotiation method S1 according to this exemplary embodiment. The flow of the negotiation method S1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the negotiation method S1. As shown in Fig. 2, the negotiation method S1 is a method in which one or more processors included in the negotiation system 1 execute steps S11, S12, and S13.

[0017] In step S11, the one or more processors acquire a first candidate agreement proposal provided by a negotiating entity in a negotiation with the negotiating entity as a negotiating partner. In step S12, the one or more processors acquire concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement proposal. In step S13, the one or more processors execute a process to respond to the first candidate agreement proposal in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0018] As described above, in this exemplary embodiment, in a negotiation with a negotiating entity, a first candidate agreement proposal provided by the negotiating entity is acquired, concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement proposal is acquired, and processing is executed to respond to the first candidate agreement proposal according to the concession status indicated by the concession status information. Therefore, this exemplary embodiment has the effect of reducing the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately end in a disagreement.

[0019]

[0033] A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail 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 as appropriate.

[0020] <Configuration of Negotiation System 1A> Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of negotiation system 1A according to this exemplary embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, negotiation system 1A includes negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20. Negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via network NW.

[0021] The negotiation device 10 functions as a negotiation entity AI that negotiates with other negotiation entities without user operation. The negotiation device 20 is a device used by a negotiation entity U, which is a human or an organization, to negotiate with other negotiation entities. The negotiation device 20 has a function of negotiating with other negotiation entities based on operation by the human who is the negotiation entity U (or operation by a human belonging to the organization that is the negotiation entity U). The negotiation entity U is an example of a "negotiating entity" as defined in the claims.

[0022] (Configuration of Negotiation Device 10) Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the negotiation device 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the negotiation device 10 includes a control unit 110 and a storage unit 120. The control unit 110 controls each unit of the negotiation device 10. The control unit 110 includes a candidate agreement proposal acquisition unit 111, a concession status information acquisition unit 112, an agreement determination unit 113, and a candidate agreement proposal provision unit 114. The storage unit 120 stores various data used by the control unit 110. The various data stored in the storage unit 120 includes negotiation status information.

[0023] The agreement candidate acquisition unit 111 receives the agreement candidate U provided by the negotiating entity U from the negotiation device 20. The agreement candidate U is an example of the "first agreement candidate" described in the claims.

[0024] The concession status information acquisition unit 112 receives concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity U in the candidate agreement plan U from the negotiation device 20. Furthermore, when the concession status information acquisition unit 112 acquires the reason for providing the candidate agreement plan U as the concession status information, it estimates the concession status according to the reason for providing. Furthermore, when the concession status information acquisition unit 112 acquires information indicating that the candidate agreement plan U is the final plan as the concession status information, it applies the concession status of "the concession status is at its maximum" associated with the "being the final plan."

[0025] The agreement determination unit 113 executes a process of determining whether to agree to the agreement candidate proposal U based on the concession status indicated by the concession status information. This "determination process" is included in the "responding process" described in the claims. The agreement determination unit 113 is an example of a configuration realizing the "responding means" described in the claims. For example, the agreement determination unit 113 executes a process of determining whether to agree to the agreement candidate proposal U based on whether the utility of the negotiation subject AI obtained from the agreement candidate proposal U is greater than a threshold. Furthermore, the agreement determination unit 113 uses a lower threshold as the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information increases. The utility of the negotiation subject AI is calculated using a utility function that calculates the utility for the negotiation subject AI from any agreement candidate proposal. Hereinafter, the utility of the negotiation subject AI will also be referred to as utility AI.

[0026] If the negotiating party does not agree to the agreement candidate proposal U, the agreement candidate proposal providing unit 114 executes a process of providing the negotiating party with an agreement candidate proposal AI corresponding to the concession status indicated by the concession status information. The agreement candidate proposal AI is an example of a "second agreement candidate proposal" as defined in the claims. The "providing process" is included in the "responding process" as defined in the claims. The agreement candidate proposal providing unit 114 is an example of a configuration realizing a "responding means" as defined in the claims. For example, the agreement candidate proposal providing unit 114 provides a second agreement candidate proposal in which the obtained utility AI is smaller or the estimated utility for the negotiating party U is greater, the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information. Note that the utility for the negotiating party U is calculated using a utility function that estimates the utility for the negotiating party U from any agreement candidate proposal. Hereinafter, the utility for the negotiating party U will also be referred to as utility U.

[0027] (Negotiation status information) The negotiation status information stored in the memory unit 120 will be described. The negotiation status information is information indicating the status of the negotiation. For example, the negotiation status information is associated with identification information that identifies the negotiation. The negotiation status information associated with the identification information of the negotiation is also referred to as the negotiation status information of the negotiation. The negotiation status information may include a history of the proposed agreement that is shared in the negotiation. Furthermore, if the negotiation has already ended, the negotiation status information may further include the result of the negotiation. The result of the negotiation indicates a final agreement, a final disagreement, or the cancellation of the negotiation itself. The negotiation status information is referenced as appropriate by the agreement determination unit 113 in the process of making an agreement determination. Furthermore, the negotiation status information is referenced as appropriate by the proposed agreement candidate providing unit 114 in the process of generating a proposed agreement candidate AI.

[0028] (Concession Status, Concession Status Information) The concession status of the negotiating entity U in the candidate agreement plan U represents the degree of concessions made by the negotiating entity U in generating the candidate agreement plan U. In this exemplary embodiment, the degree of concession is measured in two stages: whether or not "maximum concessions have been made." However, the concession status is not limited to the above example.

[0029] The concession status information is information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity U. The concession status information may be attached to the candidate agreement proposal U and transmitted from the negotiation device 20 to the negotiation device 10. Alternatively, the concession status information may be transmitted from the negotiation device 20 to the negotiation device 10 without being attached to the candidate agreement proposal U. In the latter case, the concession status information indicates the concession status in the candidate agreement proposal U most recently transmitted from the negotiation device 20 to the negotiation device 10.

[0030] The concession status information may be, for example, information that directly indicates the concession status, or information that indirectly indicates the concession status. An example of information that directly indicates the concession status is "information that indicates that this is the final proposal." "Information that indicates that this is the final proposal" is associated with the concession status of "maximum concessions made" in the candidate agreement proposal U, and directly indicates the concession status. However, information that directly indicates the concession status is not limited to the above-mentioned examples.

[0031] Information that indirectly indicates the concession situation is information that is referenced to estimate the concession situation, and one example is the reason for providing the candidate agreement proposal U. For example, suppose that another negotiation Y related to negotiation X between negotiating entity U and negotiating entity AI is being conducted between negotiating entity U and the other negotiating entity. Also, suppose that the negotiation situation of negotiation Y affects the consensus formation in negotiation X. In this case, an example of a "reason for providing" is a reason that includes the negotiation situation in negotiation Y. It may be possible to estimate the concession situation based on the impact that the negotiation situation of negotiation Y has on the consensus formation in negotiation X. In other words, such a reason for providing is an example of information that is referenced to estimate the concession situation. However, information that indirectly indicates the concession situation is not limited to the above-mentioned examples.

[0032] (Configuration of Negotiation Device 20) Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the negotiation device 20. As shown in Fig. 5, the negotiation device 20 includes a control unit 210 and a storage unit 220. The negotiation device 20 is also connected to an input device 30 and a display device 40. The control unit 210 controls each unit of the negotiation device 20. The control unit 210 includes a transmission / reception unit 211 and a negotiation user interface (hereinafter referred to as negotiation UI) 212. The negotiation UI 212 is an example of a configuration that realizes the input means described in the claims. The storage unit 220 stores various data used by the control unit 210.

[0033] The transmitter / receiver 211 transmits the candidate agreement plan U and the concession status information to the negotiation device 10 , and receives the candidate agreement plan AI from the negotiation device 10 .

[0034] The negotiation UI 212 displays the candidate agreement proposal AI on the display device 40. The negotiation UI 212 also accepts an operation to input the candidate agreement proposal U. The negotiation UI 212 also accepts an operation to input concession status information from the negotiating entity U. For example, the negotiation UI 212 may accept, as the concession status information, input of (1) information indicating the reason for providing the candidate agreement proposal U, or (2) information indicating that the candidate agreement proposal U is the final proposal. Here, the "final proposal" refers to the proposal with the lowest utility U on the side of the negotiating entity U or the highest utility AI estimated by the negotiating entity U, among one or more candidate agreement proposals U that the negotiating entity U considers possible to provide to the negotiating entity AI. However, whether the utility U is "lowest" or "highest" depends on the subjective judgment of the negotiating entity U. Therefore, it is not necessarily the case that there is no candidate agreement proposal with a lower utility U than the "final proposal," nor is it necessarily the case that there is no candidate agreement proposal with a higher utility AI than the "final proposal."

[0035] Furthermore, for example, the negotiation UI 212 may receive an input of an instruction from the negotiating entity U to switch the negotiation to negotiation with an operator. For example, when the transceiver 211 receives the input of the instruction, it transmits information indicating the instruction to the negotiation device 10. Furthermore, when the instruction is input, the negotiation UI 212 may input concession status information and output information recommending that the negotiation be continued.

[0036] <Flow of negotiation method S2> The negotiation system 1A configured as described above executes the negotiation method S2 according to this exemplary embodiment. Figure 6 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the negotiation method S2. As shown in Figure 6, the negotiation method S2 includes steps S201 to S213.

[0037] (Steps S201-S202) In step S201, the candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) generates a candidate agreement proposal AI and transmits it to the negotiation device 20 (used by the negotiating entity U). In step S202, the transmitter / receiver unit 211 of the negotiation device 20 receives the candidate agreement proposal AI. The negotiation UI 212 displays the candidate agreement proposal AI on the display device 40. As a result, the candidate agreement proposal AI is presented to the negotiating entity U.

[0038] (Example of Screen in Step S202) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example screen G1 including the candidate agreement plan AI presented in step S202.

[0039] In this example, negotiation X regarding the purchase and sale of a product is applied as the negotiation in this exemplary embodiment. Specifically, negotiation X is a negotiation to change the delivery schedule of product X001 that customer B has already ordered from trading company A, at the request of customer B. Here, as an example, a person in charge at trading company A who sells the product is applied as a negotiating entity U using the negotiation device 20. Also, for example, a customer B bot that functions as an agent for customer B who purchases the product is applied as a negotiating entity AI (negotiating device 10).

[0040] Screen example G1 includes a pre-change delivery schedule G11 and a customer B proposal G12. The pre-change delivery schedule G11 is the currently scheduled information for product X001, which has already been ordered by customer B from trading company A. The delivery schedule G11 includes the delivery date and quantity for each order (order numbers P001 to P004). Customer B proposal G12 is an example of an agreement candidate AI generated by the customer B bot. Customer B proposal G12 changes the delivery date "2022-09-05" and quantity "240" for order number P003 included in the pre-change delivery schedule G11 to the delivery date and quantity for each of the four installments. In addition, in screen example G1, operation object G13 ("Yes" button) accepts an operation indicating agreement with customer B proposal G12, which is an agreement candidate AI. The operation object G14 ("No" button) accepts an operation indicating that the customer B does not agree with the proposal G12.

[0041] (Steps S203 to S206) Step S203 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 again. In step S203, the negotiation UI 212 determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement proposal AI based on the operation of the negotiating entity U. For example, in the example of Fig. 7, when the operation object G13 is operated, the negotiation UI 212 determines to agree to the candidate agreement proposal AI. Furthermore, when the operation object G14 is operated, the negotiation UI 212 determines not to agree to the candidate agreement proposal AI.

[0042] If it is determined that the candidate agreement proposal AI is agreed to (Yes in step S203), step S204 is executed. In step S204, the transmitter / receiver 211 transmits information indicating that the candidate agreement proposal AI is agreed to to the negotiation device 10. Then, the negotiation system 1A ends the negotiation method S2.

[0043] If it is determined that the candidate agreement plan AI is not agreed to (No in step S203), step S205 is executed. In step S205, the negotiation UI 212 accepts an operation from the negotiating entity U to input one or both of the candidate agreement plan U and the concession status information. Note that when both the candidate agreement plan U and the concession status information are input, these pieces of information may also be referred to as the "candidate agreement plan with the concession status information added." The candidate agreement plan U is a counteroffer to the candidate agreement plan AI. As the candidate agreement plan U, the negotiating entity U inputs a plan in which the utility U obtained from the candidate agreement plan U is greater than the utility U obtained from the candidate agreement plan AI. As described above, the concession status information may include the reason for the offer, information indicating that the plan is the final offer, or a combination of some or all of these. Note that the concession status information does not necessarily have to be input, and in some cases only the candidate agreement plan U may be input. In addition, if the candidate agreement plan U has already been transmitted to the negotiation device 10, the candidate agreement plan U may not be input, and only the concession status information may be input.

[0044] In step S206, the transmitter / receiver 211 transmits one or both of the candidate agreement plan U and the concession status information to the negotiation device 10.

[0045] (Screen example of step S205) Figure 8 is a diagram showing a screen example G2 on which the candidate agreement plan U (Trading Company A's proposal G23) and concession status information can be input, which is presented in step S205. Screen example G2 is displayed on the display device 40 following screen example G1 shown in Figure 7. Specifically, when operation object G14 ("No" button) is operated on screen example G1, screen example G1 may be switched to screen example G2, or screen example G1 may be scrolled upward and screen example G2 may be added and displayed below.

[0046] Screen example G2 includes a delivery schedule G11 before the change, a customer B proposal G12, and a trading company A proposal G23. The delivery schedule G11 before the change and customer B proposal G12 are the same as those displayed in screen example G1. Trading company A proposal G23 is a counteroffer to customer B proposal G12, and can be edited by the trading company A staff member operating operation objects G231 to G234. Operation objects G231 and G232 are displayed for each order (order number P001 to P004) included in customer B proposal G12.

[0047] The operation object G231 ("COPY" button) accepts an operation to copy the delivery schedule for the order in the customer B proposal. When an operation on the operation object G231 is accepted, the delivery date and quantity for the order in the customer B proposal are copied as the initial values ​​for the delivery schedule for the order in the trading company A proposal G23. The operation object G232 ("EDIT" button) accepts an operation to switch the delivery schedule for the order in the trading company A proposal G23 to edit mode. When an operation on this operation object G232 is accepted, an operation to change the delivery date and quantity for the order in the trading company A proposal G23 becomes possible. In this example, due to an operation by the trading company A staff member, the trading company A proposal G23 has changed the delivery dates and quantities for the four installments of order number P003 included in the customer B proposal G12 to a single delivery date of "2022-08-31" and a single quantity of "240." The delivery date "2022-08-31" is later than the earliest delivery date "2022-08-25" of the four delivery dates for order number P0003 included in customer B proposal G12, but is earlier than the delivery date "2022-09-05" for order number P0003 in the delivery schedule G11 before the change. In other words, trading company A's proposal G23 has a smaller utility U for trading company A than delivery schedule G11 but a greater utility U than customer B's proposal G12, and was created as a result of a compromise by trading company A's staff.

[0048] The operation object G233 ("Reset" button) accepts an operation to reset the editing operation on the trading company A proposal G23. When an operation on the operation object G233 is accepted, the trading company A proposal G23 is reset to its pre-editing state (blank, or the state it was in when last saved). The operation object G234 ("Save" button) accepts an operation to save the trading company A proposal G23. When an operation on the operation object G234 is accepted, information indicating the trading company A proposal G23 is stored in the memory unit 220, and can be called up at a later date.

[0049] Furthermore, the example screen G2 includes operation objects G24 to G26 for transmitting one or both of the concession status information and the trading company A proposal G23. As an example, the operation object G24 ("Enter reason for offering" button) accepts an operation to input the reason for offering the trading company A proposal G23 (an example of concession status information). The operation object G25 ("Final response" button) accepts an operation to send information that the trading company A proposal G23 is the final proposal (an example of concession status information) and the trading company A proposal G23 to the customer B bot. The operation object G26 ("Ask about this content" button) accepts an operation to send the reason for offering (an example of concession status information) and the trading company A proposal G23 to the customer B bot if a reason for offering has been entered. Furthermore, the operation object G26 ("Ask about this content" button) accepts an operation to send the trading company A proposal G23 to the customer B bot if a reason for offering has not been entered. By operating any of the operation objects G24 to G26, the trading company A proposal G23 and / or the concession status information is sent to the customer B bot. The operation object G27 ("Give up" button) accepts an instruction to give up on negotiation X with the customer B bot and switch to negotiation with the operator.

[0050] (Specific Example 1 of Inputting and Sending Concession Status Information) As a specific example of inputting and sending concession status information on screen example G2, specific example 1 of inputting and sending a reason for offering will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing screen example G3 for inputting a reason for offering. Screen example G3 is displayed on the display device 40 following screen example G2 when the operation object G24 is operated on screen example G2. Specifically, screen example G3 may be displayed by switching from screen example G2, or screen example G2 may be scrolled upward and added below screen example G2. Furthermore, screen example G3 may be displayed by being superimposed on screen example G2 as a dialog.

[0051] The example screen G3 includes provision reasons G31 to G34 and operation objects G35 to G36. The provision reasons G31 to G34 accept an operation to select one of them. The operation object G35 ("OK" button) accepts an operation to confirm the selection operation for the provision reasons G31 to G34. When an operation for the operation object G35 is accepted, the negotiation UI 212 temporarily stores the provision reason G32 selected from the provision reasons G31 to G34 in the storage unit 220 as concession status information.

[0052] The operation object G36 ("Cancel" button) accepts an operation to cancel the selection operation for the provision reasons G31 to G34. When an operation for the operation object G36 is accepted, even if a provision reason is selected from the provision reasons G31 to G34, the negotiation UI 212 does not store the provision reason in the storage unit 220.

[0053] Furthermore, when an operation on the operation objects G35 to G36 is accepted, the example screen G2 is displayed following the example screen G3. Specifically, the example screen G2 may be displayed by switching from the example screen G3, or the example screen G3 may be scrolled upward and the example screen G2 may be added and displayed below it. Furthermore, when the example screen G3 is displayed as a dialog, the example screen G3 may be hidden and the example screen G2 may be displayed.

[0054] In this specific example, the person in charge of trading company A edits trading company A's proposal G23 on screen example G2, and then selects the reason for providing G32 "This is the result of our best efforts" on screen example G5, and operates operation object G35 ("OK" button). The person in charge of trading company A then operates operation object G26 ("Sound out with this content" button) on screen example G2. As a result, the transmitting / receiving unit 211 transmits trading company A's proposal G23, to which the reason for providing G32 "This is the result of our best efforts" stored in the storage unit 220 has been added as concession status information, to customer B's bot.

[0055] (Specific Example 2 of Inputting and Sending Concession Status Information) As another specific example of inputting and sending concession status information on screen example G2, specific example 2 of sending information indicating that the proposal is final will be described. In this specific example, the person in charge at trading company A edits trading company A's proposal G23 in G4, and then operates operation object G25 (the "final response" button). As a result, the transmitter / receiver 211 sends trading company A's proposal G23, to which concession status information indicating that the proposal is final, to customer B's bot.

[0056] ("Give Up" button) In screen example G2, the person in charge at trading company A can give an instruction to give up on negotiation X with customer B bot and switch negotiation X to negotiation with an operator by operating operation object G27 ("Give Up" button). For example, the person in charge at trading company A may operate operation object G27 ("Give Up" button) without editing trading company A proposal G23. When an operation on operation object G27 ("Give Up" button) is accepted, the transmitter / receiver 211 may send information to customer B bot instructing it to switch to negotiation with an operator. When customer B bot receives this instruction information, it may, for example, perform a process of switching to negotiation with a human person in charge of customer B.

[0057] (Modification of "Give Up" Button) Here, a modification of the operation object G27 ("Give Up" button) will be described. For example, when an operation on the operation object G27 ("Give Up" button) is accepted, the negotiation UI 212 may input concession status information and display information recommending that negotiation X be continued with the customer B bot.

[0058] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a screen example G4 including the recommended information. Specifically, the screen example G4 may be displayed by switching from the screen example G2, or the screen example G2 may be scrolled upward and the screen example G4 may be added and displayed below. The screen example G4 may also be displayed by being superimposed on the screen example G2 as a dialog. The screen example G4 includes recommended information G41 and operation objects G42 to G43. The recommended information G41 is an example of "information recommending inputting concession status information to continue negotiation X with the customer B bot" and includes information recommending operation of the operation object G25 ("final response" button). When the operation object G42 ("Yes" button) is operated, the transmission / reception unit 211 transmits information indicating an instruction to switch to negotiation with the customer B bot's representative to the customer B bot. When the operation object G43 ("No" button) is operated, the screen example G2 is displayed following the screen example G4 without transmitting the information indicating the instruction.

[0059] Specifically, the example screen G2 may be displayed by switching from the example screen G4, or the example screen G4 may be scrolled upward and the example screen G2 may be added and displayed below it. Also, if the example screen G4 is displayed as a dialog, the example screen G4 may be hidden and the example screen G4 may be displayed.

[0060] For example, after viewing the recommended information G41 on screen example G4, a representative of trading company A may operate operation object G43 (the "No" button), return to screen example G2, and operate operation object G25 (the "Final response" button).

[0061] (Steps S207 to S211) Steps S207 and onward will be described with reference again to Figure 6. In step S207, the candidate agreement proposal acquisition unit 111 of the negotiation device 10 receives the candidate agreement proposal U from the negotiation device 20. In addition, the concession status information acquisition unit 112 receives the concession status information from the negotiation device 20. As mentioned above, it is possible that either the candidate agreement proposal U or the concession status information is received.

[0062] Step S208 is a step executed when a provision reason is received as concession status information. The concession status information acquisition unit 112 estimates the concession status by referring to the provision reason. For example, the concession status information acquisition unit 112 may estimate the concession status of "maximum concessions are being made" by referring to the provision reason G32 "This is the result of maximum effort." Alternatively, the concession status information acquisition unit 112 may estimate the concession status of "maximum concessions are being made" by referring to the provision reason G31 "This is currently being adjusted, so there is a possibility that the situation will improve at a later date, but we will respond based on the current situation." Note that if a provision reason is not received as concession status information, this step is omitted.

[0063] In step S209, the agreement determination unit 113 determines whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan U, depending on the concession situation indicated by the concession situation information. Specifically, the agreement determination unit 113 sets a threshold to be compared with the utility AI obtained from the candidate agreement plan U, the lower the degree of concession indicated by the concession situation information. For example, if the concession situation information indicates that "maximum information is provided," the agreement determination unit 113 determines to use a first value as the threshold. Furthermore, if the concession situation information does not indicate that "maximum information is provided," the agreement determination unit 113 determines to use a second value greater than the first value as the threshold. Furthermore, if the utility AI obtained from the candidate agreement plan U is greater than the determined threshold, the agreement determination unit 113 determines to agree to the candidate agreement plan U, and if it is less than the threshold, the agreement determination unit 113 determines not to agree to the candidate agreement plan U.

[0064] If it is determined in step S209 that an agreement is reached (Yes in step S210), step S211 is executed. In step S211, agreement determination unit 113 transmits information indicating that agreement is reached on candidate agreement plan U to negotiation device 20. Then, negotiation system 1A terminates negotiation method S2.

[0065] If it is determined in step S209 that the candidate agreement plan U is not agreed to (No in step S210), step S212 is executed. In step S212, the candidate agreement plan providing unit 114 generates a new candidate agreement plan AI in which the obtained utility AI is smaller or the estimated utility U is larger, the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information. Here, the new candidate agreement plan AI is a counteroffer to the most recently received candidate agreement plan U. The candidate agreement plan providing unit 114 also transmits the generated new candidate agreement plan AI to the negotiation device 20. Note that if the concession status information is not received in step S207, the candidate agreement plan providing unit 114 generates a new candidate agreement plan AI without considering the concession status. A known technique can be adopted as a method for generating a new candidate agreement plan AI without considering the concession status.

[0066] Specifically, the new candidate agreement proposal AI is a proposal in which the utility AI obtained from the candidate agreement proposal AI is smaller than the utility AI obtained from the most recently transmitted candidate agreement proposal AI. Assume that there are multiple candidates for such new candidate agreement proposal AI, each with a different utility AI or utility U. In this case, the candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 may adopt, as the new candidate agreement proposal AI, a candidate with a smaller utility AI as the degree of concession indicated by the concession status increases. The candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 may also adopt, as the new candidate agreement proposal AI, a candidate with a larger utility U as the degree of concession indicated by the concession status increases. The candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 may also adopt, as the new candidate agreement proposal AI, a candidate with a smaller utility AI and a larger utility U as the degree of concession indicated by the concession status increases.

[0067] For example, suppose there are a first candidate and a second candidate as candidates for a new agreement candidate AI, each with a lower utility AI than the most recently transmitted agreement candidate AI. Furthermore, suppose the second candidate has a lower utility AI than the first candidate. In this case, if the received concession status information indicates that "maximum concessions have been made," the agreement candidate providing unit 114 adopts the second candidate with the lower utility AI as the new agreement candidate AI. Furthermore, if the concession status information does not indicate that "maximum concessions have been made," the agreement candidate providing unit 114 adopts the first candidate with the higher utility AI as the new agreement candidate AI.

[0068] Also, for example, suppose there are a third candidate and a fourth candidate as candidates for a new agreement candidate AI, each with a lower utility AI than the most recently transmitted agreement candidate AI. Furthermore, suppose the fourth candidate has a higher estimated utility U than the third candidate. In this case, if the received concession status information indicates that "maximum concessions have been made," the agreement candidate providing unit 114 adopts the fourth candidate with the higher utility U as the new agreement candidate AI. Furthermore, if the concession status information does not indicate that "maximum concessions have been made," the agreement candidate providing unit 114 adopts the third candidate with the lower utility U as the new agreement candidate AI.

[0069] In step S213, the transmitter / receiver 211 of the negotiation device 20 receives the new candidate agreement proposal AI. The negotiation device 20 then repeats the process from step S202.

[0070] 11 is a diagram showing a screen example G5 including a new candidate agreement proposal AI (customer B proposal G52) presented in step S202 for the second time. Screen example G5 is configured almost identically to screen example G1, except that it includes customer B proposal G52 instead of customer B proposal G12, and also includes trading company A proposal G23. Customer B proposal G52 was generated by the candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 of customer B's bot as a counteroffer to trading company A proposal G23, and has a lower utility U than trading company A proposal G23.

[0071] Here, we will explain an example in which, in the previous steps S205-S206, the person in charge at trading company A edited trading company A's proposal G23 and operated operation object G26 (the "Sound out with this content" button) without entering any concession status information. In other words, trading company A's proposal G23 was sent to customer B's bot without any concession status information added, and its counteroffer, customer B's proposal G52, was generated without considering the concession status. Furthermore, trading company A's proposal G23 represents the maximum concession the person in charge at trading company A can make, and it is not possible to agree to a proposal with a lower utility U. Therefore, trading company A's person in charge at trading company A operates operation object G14 (the "No" button).

[0072] (Screen Example for Second Step S205) FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a screen example G6 on which the candidate agreement plan U (Trading Company A's proposal G23) and concession status information can be input, which is presented in step S205 for the second time. Screen example G6 is configured almost identically to screen example G2 shown in FIG. 8 , except that it includes Customer B's proposal G52 instead of Customer B's proposal G12. Customer B's proposal G52 is as described above. As described above, since Trading Company A's proposal G23 represents the maximum concession possible for the Trading Company A representative, the Trading Company A representative operates, for example, operation object G25 (the "Final Response" button) to input the concession status information, without editing Trading Company A's proposal G23.

[0073] As a result, the same trading company A proposal G23 as the previous proposal and concession status information indicating that trading company A proposal G23 is the final proposal are sent to customer B bot. Note that if there are no changes to trading company A proposal G23 from the previous proposal, sending trading company A proposal G23 may be omitted.

[0074] As a result, in steps S207 to S212 for the second time, Customer B bot determines whether to agree, taking into account the concession situation that trading company A's proposal G23 is the final proposal. As a result, Customer B bot is more likely to agree to trading company A's proposal G23. If Customer B bot determines not to agree, it generates a new customer B proposal according to the concession situation indicated by the concession situation information. As a result, the new customer B proposal has a smaller utility AI than the previous customer B proposal G52, and an even smaller utility AI (greater utility U) than if the concession situation were not taken into account, increasing the likelihood that trading company A will agree.

[0075] <Effects of the Present Exemplary Embodiment> In addition to the configuration of the first exemplary embodiment, the present exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which the agreement determination unit 113 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) determines whether to agree to the proposed agreement candidate U provided by the negotiating entity U based on the concession status indicated by the concession status information. This reduces the possibility that the negotiating entity U will give up on the negotiation because it feels that the negotiation entity AI's agreement determination result for the proposed agreement candidate U provided by the negotiating entity AI does not take into consideration the negotiating entity's own concession status. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0076] In addition to the above-described configuration, this exemplary embodiment also employs a configuration in which the agreement determination unit 113 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) executes a process for determining whether to agree to the candidate agreement plan U based on whether the utility AI obtained from the candidate agreement plan U is greater than a threshold, and the threshold value used is smaller the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information. As a result, the greater the degree of concession made by the negotiating entity U in creating the candidate agreement plan U, the higher the likelihood that the negotiating entity AI will agree to the candidate agreement plan U. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately end in disagreement.

[0077] In addition to the above-described configuration, the exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which, when the negotiation entity AI does not agree to the proposed agreement U, the candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) provides the negotiation entity AI with a new candidate agreement proposal AI that corresponds to the concession status indicated by the concession status information. This reduces the possibility that the negotiation entity AI will feel that the new candidate agreement proposal AI (counteroffer) provided by the negotiation entity AI in response to the proposed agreement proposal U does not take into consideration the negotiation entity AI's concession status and will abandon the negotiation. As a result, it reduces the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately end in disagreement.

[0078] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, in addition to the configuration described above, the candidate agreement proposal providing unit 114 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) is configured to provide a new candidate agreement proposal AI with a smaller obtained utility AI or a larger estimated utility U, the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information. Here, it is considered that the smaller the utility AI on the side of the negotiating entity AI, the greater the utility U on the side of the negotiating entity U. Therefore, the greater the degree of concession made by the negotiating entity U, the more likely the new candidate agreement proposal AI is to be agreeable to the negotiating entity U. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0079] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, in addition to the configuration described above, the concession status information acquisition unit 112 of the negotiation device 10 (negotiating entity AI) is configured to estimate the concession status according to the reason for providing the candidate agreement plan U when the concession status information is acquired. This allows the concession status to be estimated according to the reason for providing, which is the concession status information provided by the negotiating entity U, making it possible to estimate the concession status more accurately.

[0080] In addition to the above-described configuration, the present exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which the negotiation device 20 used by the negotiating entity U includes a negotiation UI that accepts input of concession status information from the negotiating entity U. As a result, the concession status information is acquired through input by the negotiating entity U, and therefore a response can be made that is appropriate for the concession status of the negotiating entity U.

[0081] In addition to the above-described configuration, the present exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which the negotiation UI accepts input of, as concession status information, information indicating the reason for providing the candidate agreement plan U or information indicating that the candidate agreement plan U is the final plan, thereby enabling the negotiating entity U to more easily input concession status information.

[0082] In addition to the above-described configuration, the present exemplary embodiment employs a configuration in which the negotiation UI receives an input from the negotiating entity U of an instruction to switch the negotiation to negotiation with an operator. This allows for a possibility that an agreement will be reached in the negotiation with the operator, thereby reducing the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0083] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, in addition to the configuration described above, the negotiation UI is configured to output information recommending the input of concession status information when the negotiating entity U inputs an instruction to continue negotiation with the operator. This increases the likelihood that the concession status information will be input and negotiation with the negotiating entity AI will continue, even when the negotiating entity U attempts to switch to negotiation with the operator. As a result, the negotiating entity AI performs processing to respond according to the concession status, thereby reducing the likelihood that the negotiation will ultimately result in a disagreement.

[0084] [Variation 1] The above-described negotiation system 1A can be modified so as to transition to an automatic negotiation mode in which negotiations are automatically continued when concession status information indicating that the proposal is final is input by negotiating entity U. The automatic negotiation mode is a mode in which the same agreement candidate proposal as the agreement candidate proposal U to which concession status information indicating that the proposal is final is added is repeatedly provided as a new agreement candidate proposal U from negotiating entity U to negotiating entity AI without the need for input by negotiating entity U.

[0085] The negotiation system 1A according to this modification is configured similarly to the above-described system, except that it includes a negotiation device 20B instead of the negotiation device 20. The configuration of the negotiation device 20B will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the negotiation device 20B. As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 210 of the negotiation device 20B includes an identical agreement candidate providing unit 213 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 5. The identical agreement candidate providing unit 213 is an example of a configuration realizing the identical agreement candidate providing means described in the claims. The identical agreement candidate providing unit 213 determines to transition to automatic negotiation mode when the concession status information indicates that the agreement candidate U is the final proposal and the negotiating entity U does not agree to the corresponding agreement candidate AI. In the automatic negotiation mode, the identical agreement candidate providing unit 213 provides the agreement candidate U, which is the same as the agreement candidate U to which the concession status information indicating that it is the final proposal has been added, as a new agreement candidate U (counteroffer) to the agreement candidate acquisition unit 111 of the negotiation device 10.

[0086] As a result, the new agreement candidate proposal U acquired by the agreement candidate proposal acquisition unit 111 of the negotiation device 10 will be the same as the already received agreement candidate proposal U to which the concession status information indicating that it is the final proposal has been added. If the new agreement candidate proposal U is not agreed to, the agreement candidate proposal provision unit 114 provides the negotiating subject U with a new agreement candidate proposal AI having a lower utility AI than the previous agreement candidate proposal AI.

[0087] In this case, in the negotiation method S2 shown in Figure 6, when the negotiation system 1A receives input of the agreement candidate proposal U and the concession status information indicating that the proposal is the final proposal in step S205 for the Nth time (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1), it transitions to automatic negotiation mode and executes the subsequent steps. Thereafter, the negotiation device 20 omits step S205 (input of the new agreement candidate proposal U) for the (N+1)th time and thereafter, and in the subsequent step S206, the same agreement candidate proposal providing unit 213 transmits the same agreement candidate proposal U as the previous one to the negotiation device 10 as a new agreement candidate proposal. Furthermore, in steps S207 to S212 for the (N+1)th time and thereafter, the negotiation device 10 operates by referring to the agreement candidate proposal U and the concession status information acquired in step S207 for the Nth time.

[0088] As a result, for example, in the example screen G5 shown in FIG. 11 , (1) when a person in charge of trading company A operates operation object G14 (the "No" button), (2) the same trading company A proposal G23 as the previous one is automatically sent to the negotiation device 10 without displaying example screen G6 (the input screen for the candidate agreement proposal U), and (3) a new customer B proposal G52 with a lower utility AI (higher utility U) than the previous customer B proposal G52 is displayed. Then, steps (1) to (3) are repeated. The condition for ending the repetition may be, but is not limited to, that the negotiating entity U agrees (operates operation object G13) or that the number of repetitions reaches a predetermined number.

[0089] According to this modification, when the negotiating entity U has made the maximum concessions, the negotiation can be continued so as to gradually elicit concessions from the negotiating entity AI without inputting a new candidate agreement proposal U. This reduces the possibility that the negotiation will ultimately result in a failure to reach an agreement.

[0090] [Variation 2] In the automatic negotiation mode in Variation 1 described above, an example has been described in which the negotiation device 20 used by the negotiating entity U transmits to the negotiation device 10, as a new agreement candidate proposal U, a candidate agreement proposal U that is the same as the candidate agreement proposal U that has already been transmitted as a final proposal. This may be modified so that, in the automatic negotiation mode, the negotiation device 10 operates by acquiring, as a new agreement candidate proposal U, the agreement candidate proposal U that has already been received as a final proposal, without receiving a new one from the negotiation device 20.

[0091] Negotiation system 1A according to this modification does not need to include negotiation device 20B, but does include negotiation device 20. In this modification, candidate agreement proposal acquisition unit 111 of negotiation device 10 is modified as follows: When the concession status information indicates that candidate agreement proposal U is the final proposal and negotiating entity U does not agree to the corresponding candidate agreement proposal AI, candidate agreement proposal acquisition unit 111 acquires, as a new candidate agreement proposal U, an agreement proposal that is identical to candidate agreement proposal U to which concession status information indicating that it is the final proposal has been added.

[0092] In this case, in the negotiation method S2 shown in Figure 6, when negotiation system 1A accepts input of candidate agreement proposal U and concession status information indicating that the proposal is the final proposal in step S205 for the Nth time (N is an integer greater than or equal to 1), it transitions to automatic negotiation mode and executes the subsequent steps. Thereafter, instead of executing steps S205 to S206 for the (N+1)th time or later, negotiation device 20 transmits information indicating that it does not agree to candidate agreement proposal AI to negotiation device 10. Furthermore, in steps S207 to S212 for the (N+1)th time or later, negotiation device 10 operates by referring to candidate agreement proposal U and concession status information acquired in step S207 for the Nth time.

[0093] The transition of the screen example in this modified case is as described in Modification 1. This modified example also provides the same effects as Modification 1.

[0094] [Variation 3] In the above-described exemplary embodiment 2, negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20 can be modified so as to be included in negotiation platform 80, instead of being configured as separate devices connected via a network. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of negotiation system 1B according to this variation. As shown in FIG. 14, negotiation system 1B includes negotiation platform 80 and terminal 90. Negotiation platform 80 and terminal 90 are communicatively connected via a network. Negotiation platform 80 includes negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20.

[0095] Negotiation platform 80 is, for example, configured with one or more computers, and realizes the functions of negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20 by executing programs stored in memory. Negotiation device 20 functions based on the operation of terminal 90 used by negotiating entity U. Furthermore, input device 30 and display device 40 are connected to or built into terminal 90. Furthermore, negotiation device 10 and negotiation device 20 may provide / acquire agreement candidate proposals and concession status information by sharing the agreement candidate proposals and concession status information via memory, instead of transmitting and receiving the agreement candidate proposals and concession status information to each other via a network. This modification achieves the same effects as the above-described exemplary embodiment 2.

[0096] [Other Modifications] In the second exemplary embodiment, the negotiation device 20 has been described as a device used by a negotiating entity U, which is a person or an organization, to negotiate with other negotiating entities. However, the negotiation device 20 may function as a negotiating entity that negotiates with other negotiating entities without user operation. In this case, the negotiation device 20 may execute a process of generating the concession status information and the candidate agreement proposal U instead of acquiring them through user input.

[0097] [Software Implementation Example] Some or all of the functions of the negotiation system 1 and the negotiation devices 10 and 20 (hereinafter referred to as "devices") may be implemented by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or by software.

[0098] In the latter case, the device is 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. 15. Computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. Memory C2 stores a program P for operating computer C as the device. In computer C, processor C1 reads and executes program P from memory C2, thereby realizing each function of the device.

[0099] 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 tensor processing unit (TPU), a quantum processor, 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.

[0100] 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, a mouse, a display, and a printer.

[0101] The program P can also 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.

[0102] [Additional Note 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.

[0103] [Additional Note 2] Part or all of the above-described embodiment can also be described as follows: However, the present invention is not limited to the following described aspects.

[0104] (Supplementary Note 1) A negotiation system comprising: a candidate agreement acquisition means for acquiring a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating entity, which is a negotiating partner, in a negotiation; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating entity in the first candidate agreement; and a response means for executing a process to respond to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0105] (Supplementary Note 2) The negotiation system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the process of responding includes a process of determining whether to agree to the first candidate agreement plan based on a concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0106] (Supplementary Note 3) The negotiation system described in Supplementary Note 2, wherein the responding process includes a process of providing the negotiating parties with a second candidate agreement proposal according to the concession status indicated by the concession status information if the first candidate agreement proposal is not agreed to.

[0107] (Supplementary Note 4) The negotiation system described in Supplementary Note 2, wherein the response means executes a process to determine whether to agree to the first candidate agreement proposal based on whether the utility obtained from the first candidate agreement proposal is greater than a threshold, and the threshold value used is lower the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information.

[0108] (Supplementary Note 5) The negotiation system described in Supplementary Note 3, wherein the response means provides a second candidate agreement proposal that provides less utility or a greater estimated utility to the negotiating parties the greater the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information.

[0109] (Supplementary Note 6) The negotiation system described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein when the concession status information acquisition means acquires a reason for providing the first candidate agreement proposal as the concession status information, it estimates the concession status according to the reason for providing.

[0110] (Supplementary Note 7) The negotiation system described in Supplementary Note 3 further includes an identical agreement candidate providing means for providing an agreement candidate that is identical to the first agreement candidate to the agreement candidate obtaining means as a new first agreement candidate when the concession status information indicates that the first agreement candidate is the final proposal and the negotiating parties do not agree to the second agreement candidate.

[0111] (Appendix 8) The negotiation system described in Appendix 3, wherein, when the concession status information indicates that the first agreement candidate is the final proposal and the negotiating parties do not agree to the second agreement candidate, the agreement candidate acquisition means acquires an agreement candidate that is identical to the first agreement candidate as a new first agreement candidate.

[0112] (Supplementary Note 9) The negotiation system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, further comprising an input means for receiving input of the concession status information from the negotiating entity.

[0113] (Supplementary Note 10) The negotiation system described in Supplementary Note 9, wherein the input means accepts input of information indicating the reason for providing the first candidate agreement proposal, or information indicating that the first candidate agreement proposal is a final proposal, as the concession status information.

[0114] (Supplementary Note 11) The negotiation system according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the input means receives an input of an instruction from the negotiating entity to switch the negotiation to negotiation conducted with an operator.

[0115] (Supplementary Note 12) The negotiation system according to Supplementary Note 11, wherein the input means, when the instruction is input by the negotiating entity, inputs the concession status information and outputs information recommending that the negotiation be continued.

[0116] (Supplementary Note 13) A negotiation method executed by one or more processors, comprising: in a negotiation conducted with a negotiating subject that is a negotiating partner, acquiring a first candidate agreement proposal provided by the negotiating subject; acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating subject in the first candidate agreement proposal; and executing processing to respond to the first candidate agreement proposal in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0117] (Supplementary Note 14) A program that causes a computer to function as: a candidate agreement acquisition means for acquiring a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating subject in a negotiation with the negotiating subject; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating subject in the first candidate agreement; and a response means for executing processing to respond to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0118] [Additional Note 3] Part or all of the above-described embodiment can also be expressed as follows.

[0119] A negotiation system comprising at least one processor that executes: a candidate agreement acquisition process that acquires a first candidate agreement provided by a negotiating subject in a negotiation with a negotiating subject; a concession status information acquisition process that acquires concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating subject in the first candidate agreement; and a response process that executes a process that responds to the first candidate agreement in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information.

[0120] The negotiation system may further include a memory that stores a program for causing the processor to execute the process for obtaining the candidate agreement proposal, the process for obtaining the concession status information, and the process for responding. The program may also be recorded on a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium.

[0121] 1, 1A, 1B Negotiation system 10, 20 Negotiation device 110, 210 Control unit 120, 220 Storage unit 11, 111 Agreement candidate proposal acquisition unit 12, 112 Concession status information acquisition unit 13 Response unit 113 Agreement determination unit 114 Agreement candidate proposal provision unit 211 Transmitting / receiving unit 212 Negotiation UI 30 Input device 40 Display device 80 Negotiation platform 90 Terminal C1 Processor C2 Memory

Claims

1. an agreement candidate proposal acquisition means for acquiring a first agreement candidate proposal provided by a negotiating entity in a negotiation conducted with a negotiating entity that is a negotiating partner; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating parties in the first agreement candidate proposal; a response means for executing a process of responding to the first candidate agreement plan in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information; Negotiation system, including

2. the process of responding includes a process of determining whether to agree to the first candidate agreement plan in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information; The negotiation system of claim 1 .

3. the responding process includes a process of, when the first candidate agreement plan is not agreed to, providing the negotiating parties with a second candidate agreement plan according to the concession status indicated by the concession status information; The negotiation system of claim 2 .

4. The response means execute a process of determining whether to agree to the first candidate agreement plan based on whether the utility obtained from the first candidate agreement plan is greater than a threshold; As the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information is greater, a smaller threshold is used as the threshold. The negotiation system of claim 2 .

5. The response means providing a second agreement candidate plan in which the utility obtained is smaller or the estimated utility for the negotiating parties is larger as the degree of concession indicated by the concession status information is greater; The negotiation system of claim 3 .

6. When the concession status information acquisition means acquires a reason for providing the first candidate agreement plan as the concession status information, it estimates the concession status according to the reason for providing. A negotiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. When the concession status information indicates that the first agreement candidate proposal is the final proposal and the negotiating parties do not agree to the second agreement candidate proposal, and further comprising an identical agreement candidate providing means for providing an agreement candidate identical to the first agreement candidate to the agreement candidate obtaining means as a new first agreement candidate. The negotiation system of claim 3 .

8. When the concession status information indicates that the first agreement candidate proposal is the final proposal and the negotiating parties do not agree to the second agreement candidate proposal, The agreement candidate acquisition means acquires an agreement candidate that is the same as the first agreement candidate as a new first agreement candidate. The negotiation system of claim 3 .

9. A negotiation method executed by one or more processors, comprising: In a negotiation conducted with a negotiating entity that is a negotiating partner, obtaining a first candidate agreement proposal provided by the negotiating entity; acquiring concession status information indicating a concession status of the negotiating parties in the first candidate agreement; executing a process of responding to the first candidate agreement plan according to the concession status indicated by the concession status information; including, how to negotiate.

10. Computer, an agreement candidate proposal acquisition means for acquiring a first agreement candidate proposal provided by a negotiating entity in a negotiation conducted with a negotiating entity that is a negotiating partner; a concession status information acquisition means for acquiring concession status information indicating the concession status of the negotiating parties in the first agreement candidate proposal; a response means for executing a process of responding to the first candidate agreement plan in accordance with the concession status indicated by the concession status information; A program that functions as a