System, Method and Product for Task Allocation

Abstract

A method comprising calculating for each agent, an average quality of tasks that were completed in the past by the agent; allocating tasks to the agents, wherein said allocating comprises selecting an agent to perform a task, the selection is based on the average quality of the agent; in response to the agent completing the task, computing a reward for the agent, wherein the reward is calculated according to a total contribution of the agent to the system by completing the task; whereby biasing said allocating to prefer allocating tasks to a first agent over a second agent, if a quality of the first agent is greater than a quality of the second agent, wherein said biasing is not dependent on prior knowledge of the qualities. Optionally, the agents choose whether or not to perform a task and an agent's quality affects the contributions of the agent performing tasks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a stream of tasks in a system, wherein the tasks are to be performed by agents, wherein the agents choose whether or not to perform a task, wherein a quality of each agent affects contributions of performing tasks by the agent;   calculating, by a processor, for each agent, an average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent;   allocating, by the processor, the tasks to the agents, wherein said allocating comprises selecting an agent to perform a task, wherein said selecting is based on the average quality of the agent;   obtaining an indication that the agent has completed the task;   in response to the indication, computing, by the processor, a reward for the agent, wherein the reward is calculated according to a total contribution of the agent to the system by completing the task;   outputting the reward to be provided to the user;   whereby biasing said allocating to prefer allocating tasks to a first agent over a second agent, if a quality of the first agent is greater than a quality of the second agent, wherein said biasing is not dependent on prior knowledge of the qualities.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said allocating comprises a probabilistic selection of an agent to perform the task, wherein the probabilistic selection is based on a set of probabilities, each of which is associated with an agent and based on an average quality of the agent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent is calculated by dividing a summation of contributions to the system of tasks completed in the past by the agent, by a number of tasks in the system that were performed in the past by the agent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the system is a multi-tasks system that employs crowd-sourcing methodology to complete the tasks. 
     
     
         5 . A computerized apparatus having a processor, the processor being adapted to perform the steps of:
 obtaining a stream of tasks in a system, wherein the tasks are to be performed by agents, wherein the agents choose whether or not to perform a task, wherein a quality of each agent affects contributions of performing tasks by the agent;   calculating for each agent, an average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent;   allocating the tasks to the agents, wherein said allocating comprises selecting an agent to perform a task, wherein said selecting is based on the average quality of the agent;   obtaining an indication that the agent has completed the task;   in response to the indication, computing a reward for the agent, wherein the reward is calculated according to a total contribution of the agent to the system by completing the task;   outputting the reward to be provided to the user;   whereby biasing said allocating to prefer allocating tasks to a first agent over a second agent, if a quality of the first agent is greater than a quality of the second agent, wherein said biasing is not dependent on prior knowledge of the qualities.   
     
     
         6 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said allocating comprises a probabilistic selection of an agent to perform the task, wherein the probabilistic selection is based on a set of probabilities, each of which is associated with an agent and based on an average quality of the agent. 
     
     
         7 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent is calculated by dividing a summation of contributions to the system of tasks completed in the past by the agent, by a number of tasks in the system that were performed in the past by the agent. 
     
     
         8 . The computerized apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the system is a multi-tasks system that employs crowd-sourcing methodology to complete the tasks. 
     
     
         9 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 obtaining a stream of tasks in a system, wherein the tasks are to be performed by agents, wherein the agents choose whether or not to perform a task, wherein a quality of each agent affects contributions of performing tasks by the agent;   calculating for each agent, an average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent;   allocating the tasks to the agents, wherein said allocating comprises selecting an agent to perform a task, wherein said selecting is based on the average quality of the agent;   obtaining an indication that the agent has completed the task;   in response to the indication, computing a reward for the agent, wherein the reward is calculated according to a total contribution of the agent to the system by completing the task;   outputting the reward to be provided to the user;   whereby biasing said allocating to prefer allocating tasks to a first agent over a second agent, if a quality of the first agent is greater than a quality of the second agent, wherein said biasing is not dependent on prior knowledge of the qualities.   
     
     
         10 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein said allocating comprises a probabilistic selection of an agent to perform the task, wherein the probabilistic selection is based on a set of probabilities, each of which is associated with an agent and based on an average quality of the agent. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the average quality of tasks in the system that were completed in the past by the agent is calculated by dividing a summation of contributions to the system of tasks completed in the past by the agent, by a number of tasks in the system that were performed in the past by the agent. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the system is a multi-tasks system that employs crowd-sourcing methodology to complete the tasks.