Specification
Description
Provisional Indian patent application data:
CBRNo. 4047 Dated 31/05/2012 15:55:24
Provisional application No: 625/KOL/2012 filed on 31/05/2012 15:55:24.
References:
[1] P. Bechon, and J. J. Slotine, "Synchronization and quorum sensing in a swarm of humanoid robots."' arXiv
preprint arXiv: 1205.2952, 2012.
[2] Ya-Shu Chen. Chuan-Yue Yang, Tei-Wei Kuo, "Energy-Efficient Task Synchronization for Real-Time
Systems", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics , vol. 6. no. 3, pp. 287-301, Aug. 2010.
[3] Wu Jianshe, Jiao Licheng, Ding Ranran, "Average time synchronization in wireless sensor networks by
pairwise messages", Computer Communications, Volume 35, Issue 2, pp. 221-233 ,15 January 2012.
[4] A. Outtagarts, " Mobile agent-based applications: A survey", IJCSNS International Journal of Computer
Science and Network Security, VOL. 9, No. 11, pp. 331-339, November 2009.
[5] D. Garlan , "Invited Talk - Engineering Self-Healing and Self-Improving Systems", in 5th International
Conference on Secure Software Integration & Reliability Improvement Companion (SSIRI-C), pp. 207. 27-
29 June 2011. doi: 10.1109/SSIRI-C.2011.35
[6] N. Minar, K.H. Kramer, P. Maes, "Cooperating Mobile Agents for Mapping Networks," in Software Agents
for Future Communications Systems. New York: Springer-Verlag, pp. 287-304, 1999.
[7] J. Matani, S. B. Nair, "Typhon - A Mobile Agents Framework for Real world Emulation in Prolog", In C.
Sombattheera et al. (Eds.): 5th Multi-disciplinary International Workshop in Artificial Intellgence (MIWAI-
2011, Dec. 7-9th), LNAI 7080, Springer, Heidelberg, pp. 261-273, 2011. (ISSN: 1865-0929, ISBN: 978-3-
642-22785-1) DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-25725-4J23.
Description of drawings
Figure 1: Structure of a node having a sequence of tasks to execute in order.
Figure 2: Multiple nodes connected to each other forming a network.
Figure 3: Structure of an agent having resources specific to each task.
Figure 4: Snapshot of the internal information within an agent (The grayed row indicates the
current task being searched for in order to switch on its execution by the agent and
its corresponding resource).
Figure 5: Snapshots of the internal information within an agent during self-healing (a) Before
the failure and current task (T3) being searched for in order to switch on the
execution, (b) When failure occurs - need to execute T1 again, (c) After several
searches for the nodes requiring the execution of task T1 the resource for 7/
becomes 0 which forces the agent to resume its state as shown in (a).
Figure 6: Graph indicating the times in which all the nodes switch to the next task (indicated
by the times in circles).
Figure 7: Graph indicating a switch back to an earlier task T2 from T5 due the failure of the
former {Self-healing).
Background of Invention
Task Synchronization [1, 2] is a necessary requirement in applications where multiple nodes,
processor, robots, mobile devices or gadgets need to coordinate and cooperatively execute their
individually assigned sequence of tasks. In a centralized system, synchronization is commonly
realized by using a common clock or enabling signal that enables each device in the system at
the same time [3]. In the absence of such a clock the entities need to communicate with one
another and ensure the synchronization process. The problem becomes difficult when they are
large in number and heterogeneous in nature. The nature of coupling (loose or tight) may also
affect the synchronization process. The difference in their abilities (heterogeneity) and the
nature of their individual environments may force some level of erratic delays which may lead
to de-synchronization eventually destabilizing the system. If all the entities (nodes) need to
execute each task in the given sequence synchronously, it may be required to slow down or
temporarily inhibit the ones that are fast and tend to jump and execute the next task in the
sequence. Such synchronization, in case of a centralized scenario may be easier but not so in a
decentralized one. Herein we discuss a method for synchronizing task execution among
multiple nodes in a distributed and decentralized manner.
Objective of the Invention
The basic objective of the invention is to synchronize the execution of a set of tasks T in a set
of k nodes forming a distributed and decentralized network. Nodes could be any computing
entity capable of computing and communication which could include computers, laptops,
mobile and stationary devices, tablets, smart devices, robots, electronic appliances and gadgets
that can form a network. The set of tasks T= {T1, T2,...,7m} provided to each node comprise m
tasks (distinct or otherwise) which need to be executed at each node of the network in the
sequence from T1 to Tm. Until task Tt (1<=i
