Hybrid Planning Engine for Tractable Probabilistic Contingencies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional deterministic planning systems lack expressiveness in handling probabilistic actions and multiple possible worlds, while probabilistic planning systems face impractical complexities, making them untractable for current computer systems.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid probabilistic/deterministic planning system that uses a hybrid planning engine to convert deterministic partial plans into hybrid partial plans, splicing them into contingency plans to accommodate probabilistic actions and multiple possible worlds, and performs simultaneous reachability analysis to ground actions, incorporating a processor and memory for efficient computation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If conventional deterministic planning systems are used, then response speed is fast, but expressiveness is inadequate and probabilistic actions cannot be handled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse speedVSAvoidexpressiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The planning system is segmented into two distinct engines: a deterministic planning engine that handles fast computation and a probabilistic planning engine that handles expressiveness. Each engine operates independently on different aspects of the planning problem, allowing the system to maintain both speed and expressiveness without requiring a single engine to compromise on either.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If conventional probabilistic planning systems are used, then expressiveness is improved and probabilistic actions are handled, but complexity becomes impractical and intractable

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveexpressivenessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the complex probabilistic planning problem into manageable portions handled by the deterministic engine, while the probabilistic engine only handles the essential probabilistic aspects. This segmentation prevents the full complexity of probabilistic planning from overwhelming the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A hybrid contingency plan structure serves as an intermediary between the deterministic and probabilistic planning engines. This intermediate representation allows probabilistic actions to be expressed without requiring the full complexity of probabilistic planning, as the hybrid structure can accommodate probabilistic elements in a simplified manner.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If conventional deterministic systems are used, then computational tractability is maintained, but probabilistic contingencies and multiple possible worlds cannot be accounted for

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputational tractabilityVSAvoidhandling of probabilistic contingencies

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges deterministic planning and probabilistic planning into a hybrid contingency plan that combines both approaches. The deterministic engine handles computationally tractable aspects while the probabilistic engine handles probabilistic contingencies and multiple possible worlds, achieving a combination of tractability and expressiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8306938B1Hybrid probabilistic/deterministic planning system and method

Publication Date: 2012.11.06 RAYTHEON CO

AI summary

A hybrid probabilistic/deterministic planning system including a hybrid planning engine responsive to a null hybrid contingency plan including user defined probabilistic problem including goals, possible effect actions, and the initial state of one or more possible worlds configured to extract a deterministic planning problem therefrom. A deterministic planning engine responsive to the hybrid planning engine configured to generate one or more deterministic partial plans. The d hybrid planning engine converts the one or more deterministic partial plans into one or more hybrid partial plans and splices the one or more hybrid partial plans into selected null hybrid contingency plans to generate one or more hybrid contingency plans for each agent in each of the one or more possible worlds.