Characterizing and predicting agents via multi-agent evolution

Abstract

A method of predicting the behavior of software agents in a simulated environment involving modeling a plurality of software agents representing entities to be analyzed, which may be human beings. Using a set of parameters that governs the behavior of the agents, the internal state of at least one of the agents is estimated by its behavior in the simulation, including its movement within the environment. This facilitates a prediction of the likely future behavior of the agent based solely upon its internal state; that is, without recourse to any intentional agent communications. In one embodiment, the simulated environment is based upon a digital pheromone infrastructure. The simulation integrates knowledge of threat regions, a cognitive analysis of the agent's beliefs, desires, and intentions, a model of the agent's emotional disposition and state, and the dynamics of interactions with the environment.

1 . A method of predicting the behavior of an agent in an environment, comprising the steps of:
 executing a computer simulation of an environment including a plurality of software agents;   estimating the internal state of at least one of the agents based upon its behavior in the simulation, including its movement within the environment; and   predicting the likely future behavior of the agent based upon the estimate of its internal state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent's internal state is estimated by examining changes in the agent's observed behavior. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent's internal state is estimated in conjunction with a model of the environment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prediction of the agent's future behavior is based in part on the agent's interaction with the environment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agents represent human beings. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the simulated environment comprises digital pheromones. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the digital pheromones are scalar variables that agents can sense and which they deposit at their current location in the environment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the agents respond to the local concentrations of the digital pheromones tropistically through climbing or descending local gradients. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the pheromones run on the nodes of a graph-structured environment. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the graph-structured environment is a rectangular lattice. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each agent is capable of aggregating pheromone deposits from individual agents, thereby fusing information across multiple agents over time. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each agent is capable of evaporating pheromones over time to remove inconsistencies that result from changes in the simulation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein each agent is capable of diffusing pheromones to nearby places, thereby disseminating information for access by nearby agents. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the movements of the agents change their deposit patterns. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the simulation integrates knowledge of threat regions, a cognitive analysis of the agent's beliefs, desires, and intentions, a model of the agent's emotional disposition and state, and the dynamics of interactions with the environment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the simulation involves urban warfare. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the simulation involves a computer game. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the simulation involves a business strategy. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the simulation involves a sensor fusion. 
     
     
         20 . A system for predicting the behavior of an agent in an environment, comprising:
 a processor or microprocessor coupled to a memory, wherein the processor or microprocessor is programmed to evaluate search results by:   executing a computer simulation of an environment including a plurality of software agents;   estimating the internal state of at least one of the agents based upon its behavior in the simulation, including its movement within the environment; and   predicting the likely future behavior of the agent based upon the estimate of its internal state.