Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Christopher William Preist

David Trastour

Claudio Bartolini

Andrew Robert Byde

Caroline Kudla

Javier Esplugas Cuadrado

Derek Coleman

A method of determining the compatibility of respective information associated with at least two parties is described. The method comprises: a first and second party each expressing their respective information in an agreed format; processing the information according to a two-phase double-encryption process, in which the first party encrypts their information under a personalized first-phase procedure and sends the results to the second party and the second party encrypts their information under a personalized first-phase procedure and sends the results to the first party, the second party encrypting the encrypted information received from the first party under a personalized second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result and the first party encrypting the encrypted information received from the second party under a personalized second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result, the first- and second-phase procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of which party it originates from; and comparing each party's double-encrypted information to determine the compatibility of the information of each party.

System and method for constraint resolution

A method of and system for defining a common interactions protocol between two entities is described. The method comprises inputting a description of each entity's messaging guidelines, the description including the entity's constraints on interacting with the other entity; calculating the union of the two descriptions; determining whether the union is satisfiable using a constraint resolver; providing the intersection of the two descriptions as the common interactions protocol if the union is satisfiable; and indicating where any incompatibility lies if the union is not satisfiable.

Method and system for integrating interaction protocols between two entities

A method of participating by a purchaser in a plurality of negotiations for purchasable items, where an item may be a good or a service, in order to obtain one of a plurality of alternative collections of complementary purchasable items, comprising maintaining a probabilistic model of said negotiations and making bids or offers to increase the probability of success in negotiations for purchasable items in one of said alternative collections determined from current states of said negotiations and said probabilistic model as providing a largest expectation of value to the purchaser.

Method and data structure for participation in multiple negotiations

An electronic trading entity () comprises a computing device having a processor, memory, user interface, and communications functionality, the computer entity comprising an algorithm () for monitoring a plurality of auction entities remotely over the internet; a algorithm () for calculating bids and for purchase of goods/services with a plurality of auction entities; an algorithm () for selecting individual auction entities with which to trade; a web browser () to allow a user to search for auction entities and add these to a stored list of entities at the bidding device. Bid calculation and offer calculation algorithms operate to optimally place bids at a lowest overall cost to the trading entity, or place offers with the object of obtaining the highest overall monetary figures for goods or services for sale by the trading entity.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Christopher William Preist