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2. -tools for Collaborative Work Coordination between them this function can be insured
by a centralized way or not; 3) Co-memorization, which
means communitys memory construction it may be a
2.1 Context of Co-design project traceability support, like the set of sheets of paper
produced during the course of action; 4) Co-production of
The development of data-processing technologies, the shared resources, like proxemic space of cooperation,
democratization of the Internet, the use of the new shared objects; and 5) Control of processes, control data or
resources on Internet gave rise to new working methods. files circulation it may be workflow, which is a
We speak of course, of the Computer Supported convenient software application if photographed
Cooperative Work (CSCW) [5, 11, 21]. One of the major evaluators The following figure (see Figure 1) schematizes
topics in the field of the CSCW is the development of relations between these basic functionalities of groupware.
groupwares. By definition a groupware is software which We have called this functional model: 5Co [15]. This
assists a user group for realization of a joint project. Group model supplements the model 3C (communication, co-
members collaborate remotely, either at the same moment operation, coordination) [6], defining spaces necessary to
(synchronous activity), or at different times (asynchronous the artifacts of collaboration.
activity). The fields of application are very numerous:
products design, teaching, trade or games. Groupwares
Communication Co-memorizing
must make it possible to several users to collaborate in
explicit shared spaces. The concepts to be considered are
as follows [5, 6]: Co-production
- Time and space: to bring together several distant
people geographically (office in proximity or distant) Coordination Control of
process
and/or not working at the same time (different
rhythms, incompatibility of the timetables...).
- Modes of co-operation: asynchronous co-operation
Fig. 1 Basic functions for Co-design The 5Co
(autonomous working method), co-operation in
session (the objective being to decrease the times of
How to design software applications that should achieved
interaction between the various actors of a project),
the 5-Co model, and that both in a technocentric and in an
co-operation in meeting (the roles of actors are
anthropocentric point of view? CSCW approach can be
defined and each one takes part in its turn), close co-
complemented by a more microscopic one, focused on
operation (increase in co-production).
course of action, within many different operations are
- Flexibility in heterogeneous fields: interactions, realized, at a very short term, and by cyclical and
distribution of data, resource sharing, access control, opportunistic way. To aid these tasks, a new software
representation of information, planning for tasks concept can be defined. It is called micro-tool (-tool).
execution.
2.2 Concept of -Tool
Activities of co-operative and distributed design are
exchanges, division and co-operation between participants. The concept of -tool [23, 15] is opposed to the current
It is usual to present co-operative information systems like tendency tools of design, which are often heavy,
being able to answer to the different needs of co-operation: prescriptive, and not used. Ideally, these tools must be (see
- Facilitating the resource sharing. Figure 2):
- Easy to learn (a few minutes) and easy to use.
- Assisting the coordination.
- Simple (even if they are developed on the basis of an
- Improving the communication of group.
elaborate theory).
- Supporting the individual motivation.
- Easily programmable, easily modifiable by designers
- Supporting the development of organization. or by users themselves, usable in an opportunist way.
- Autonomous, but also reactive when they are defined
Activities related to collaborative work are mostly for co-operative processes (CMT: Co-operative
exchanges (language acts, transactions), sharing and Micro-Tools). Those are distributed between actors
cooperation among participants. Then, to memorize easily who act according to their skills this corresponds to
the functions of groupware applications, it is convenient to the needs for concurrent engineering.
take into account five main functions, namely: 1)
Communication between participants of the community; 2)
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either distributed or cooperative is very attractive. Indeed, Many structures of agents known as cognitive are
very early, researchers found in the set of characteristics of inspired by the cycle <perceive, decide, act>. However,
agents, the means to design efficiently some cooperative our agent model [8, 9] is rather inspired by Rasmussens
information systems [26, 25, 3]. Other researchers, as three-level operator [19]: 1) reflex-based behaviour, 2)
Jennings [12], justified the adequacy of the approach agent rule-based behaviour, and 3) knowledge-based behaviour
for distributed system modeling and design (adequacy with interpretation, decision and plan (Figure 4). We
hypothesis). interpreted this model as a model of process for agents
[17, 18]. The latter are both cognitive and reactive.
MAS make it possible to distribute agents (processes) Moreover, they have behaviours adapted to the tasks they
which are communicating entities, autonomous, reactive perform. We added one level at this scale to include
and having competences [22, 7]. To design MAS behaviour based on a system of agents. We call an actor
according to these criteria, it is necessary that each agent (or collective agent) a system of cooperative agents in
owns the three following properties: independence, which the behaviour is defined by collective decision tasks
communication and intelligence (expertise, skills, know- and collective coordination tasks [17].
how). We also must define the architecture of agents
Level 4:
(cognitive functions, interactions), and structure the cooperative
behaviour
Identification/
communication
Collective
decision
Coordination Actor
Collective agent
knowledge necessary for their various activities. These goals
properties correspond to those definite as well for an Level 3:
knowledge-based Identification/ Decision Planning Cognitive agent
assistance platform to the collaborative design, as for the behaviour interpretation of task
applications which it supports (all the more when they are Level 2:
rule-based Situation Association Procedure / Routine agent
recognition state/task rules
co-operative -tools). behaviour
informations actions
Where Agt is the set of agents, Int is the set of interactions The decision rules of an agent (Rule), gathered in its
defined for these MAS, Ro is the set of roles to be played knowledge base, are described by the following triplet (3):
by agents and Co is the organization of agents into
communities, when they are defined [18]. Rule = <E, C, Act> (3)
Where E is the set of events, C is the set of conditions and
Act is the set of actions.
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retrieval, supervision of procedures, etc. Each one of these product, and secondly, co-operation in design), in order to
services corresponds to a competence. facilitate the use of design -tools by a team of close or
distant designers, within the activity of distributed design,
3.4 Process of Agentification structured in modules (functional, structural, manufacture,
maintenance). PLACID offers a set of services for use of
The agents are entities having competences which enable an environment of virtual co-design (shared objects,
them to play one or more roles in an organization. They services of tasks management and communications, and
are grouped within MAS organized according to a tools of decision-making aid).
hierarchical structure (three types of agents: specialists,
mediators and supervisors). For the specification and the Figure 7 presents the modular architecture of the platform.
conceptualization of MAS [2] we retain proposals made in The 5 layers defined allow multi-platforms uses and
the definition of the language A_UML [16, 1], like our facilitates its evolution:
own methodological proposals [8] (see Figure 6): - Layer 1: level of user interface, with a context of
1) To design the use case diagram (services provided by many interactions, multi-user and multimode.
the system), and for each identified use carried out 3
- Layer 2: level of workspace organized according to
following phases;
the context of an individual or co-operative activity.
2) To design the classes diagram connecting the agents
- Layer 3: level of management of Co-design assistance
concerned with the use (we can also use the
tools (-tools and other design tools).
collaboration diagram);
- Layer 4: level of management of co-operative work,
3) To define behavior of each agent with a states
allowing to control and to carry out co-operative
diagram or an activities diagram;
processes.
4) On the basis of scenarios of use, to design the
- Layer 5: level of operating system and management of
sequence diagrams which specify the exchanges of
low level communications.
messages between agents (and their scheduling).
<<agent>> <<agent>>
Transmission User Receiver UI i UI j
Send() ; Services() ;
Send_Msg Receive() ; Reception() ;
Workspace i Workspace j
Receive_Msg <<agent> <<agent>>
Emitter System
: actor A : actor B tools tools tools tools
Services() ; Services() ;
Emission() ; Manadge() ;
<<agent>>
:actor A :actor B Communication and operating system
:receiver msg()
Receive:/ ack() msg()
Services() ; Process / Ack ack() msg()
Reception() ; ack() msg()
ack()
Terminer Fig. 7 Modular architecture of PLACID platform.
of management of exchanges and shared information. This - Finally, sequence diagram or collaboration diagram.
layer of agents is composed of two groups: mediators The following figure (Figure 11) illustrates the
agents, in direct interaction with users and -tools, and scenario "begin-end" of these -tools, started by a
tools agents (executants) that have essential skills of co- participant of meeting (initiator).
operation.
Diary
Space activity Space activity starts takes part
-tool Meeting
Space of Space of
design -tool -tool -tool -tool co-design
-tool -tool Initiator Notes Discussion
Participants
Vote
Archiving
CORBA
DB DB
XML XML
Information
To open
5. Illustration of -Tools Integration: the Documents
papoticiel
participants
Papoticiel To check
List of
participants
participants
PLACID
activity. Following we present the first set of -tools.
Fig. 10 SADT diagram of the task Using Papoticiel.
An application of electronic meeting, in addition to the
communication aspects, connects applications of co-
To design -tools of electronic meeting, illustrated by the
operation as varied as: management of a group,
preceding figures, we needed 7 types of agents which are
maintenance of a diary, management of a group memory
described in table 3. Agent structure of Papoticiel above
through the filing of discussions in meetings, edition of
PLACID platform is presented in figure 12. Papoticiel, in
minutes of meeting. We describe below, some elements of
addition to agents already available on PLACID platform,
Papoticiel -tools design, according to the methodology
requires the deployment of 2 other agents
presented in figure 6:
(<customerCorba> agent and <serverCorba> agent) to
- Use case diagram (see Figure 9) defines context of
manage co-operation as well as multi-user context.
use of Papoticiel. This application can be started on
initiative of a group member (initiator) or by the
software agent <diary>. SADT diagram (see Figure
10) can also design to represent tasks model of use of
chat (for example: to open the chat, to check
presences, to discuss, to close the chat).
- Class diagram of electronic meeting to define the
structure of agents, and the interrelationships between
agents (this one can be supplemented by a
collaboration diagram).
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4: Ok Layer 2 :
high level agents User Archive
:Participant agent agent
Competences
Agents Skills
Authentication and user identification
Access management towards other agents Communication layer - CORBA
<User>
Access management to other resources/services
Transmission of messages
Fig. 12 Agent structure of Papoticiel on PLACID platform.
Identification of messages writers
Messages queues management
<Com>
Sending of messages to agents
Sending of messages to participants
Data update
Sending of messages
<DB>
Sending of results (during a later consultation)
Saving of messages and results
User identification
Reception of messages
<Archive>
Filing of messages Fig. 13 Integration of the -tool Agenda/Diary into PLACID platform.
Filing outcome of votes
Acknowledgments
Proceedings of Virtual Concept06, 2006, Springer Verlag, Alain-Jrme Fougres is Computer Engineer and PhD in
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Artificial Intelligence from the University of Technology of
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Mecatronics3M (M3M) at the University of Technology of Belfort
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