Building Software Agents for Building Software Agents for Planning - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Building Software Agents for Building Software Agents for Planning Monitoring, and Planning Monitoring, and Optimizing Travel Optimizing Travel Craig A. Knoblock Knoblock Craig A. University of Southern California University of Southern California Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 1 1

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements ! Jose Luis Ambite, USC Jose Luis Ambite, USC ! ! Greg Greg Barish Barish, Fetch Technologies , Fetch Technologies ! ! Oren Oren Etzioni Etzioni, University of Washington , University of Washington ! ! Kristina Kristina Lerman Lerman, USC , USC ! ! Martin Martin Michalowski Michalowski, USC , USC ! ! Steve Minton, Fetch Technologies Steve Minton, Fetch Technologies ! ! Ion Ion Muslea Muslea, SRI , SRI ! ! Maria Maria Muslea Muslea, USC , USC ! ! Jean Oh, CMU Jean Oh, CMU ! ! Snehal Snehal Thakkar, USC Thakkar, USC ! ! Rattapoom Rattapoom Tuchinda Tuchinda, USC , USC ! ! Alexander Yates, University of Washington Alexander Yates, University of Washington ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 2 2

Introduction Introduction ! Wealth of travel Wealth of travel- -related data available online related data available online ! ! Web provides unprecedented access to Web provides unprecedented access to ! information to end users information to end users ! Abundance of computing power available Abundance of computing power available ! ! We can exploit these three factors to: We can exploit these three factors to: ! ! Support better planning of travel Support better planning of travel ! ! Provide real Provide real- -time monitoring of travel plans time monitoring of travel plans ! ! Exploit data mining techniques to minimize problems Exploit data mining techniques to minimize problems ! and cost and cost Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 3 3

Outline Outline ! Agent Access to Online Sources Agent Access to Online Sources ! ! Interactive Planning of a Trip Interactive Planning of a Trip ! ! Building Agents for Monitoring Travel Building Agents for Monitoring Travel ! ! Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel ! ! Conclusions Conclusions ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 4 4

Outline Outline ! Agent Access to Online Sources Agent Access to Online Sources ! ! Interactive Planning of a Trip Interactive Planning of a Trip ! ! Building Agents for Monitoring Travel Building Agents for Monitoring Travel ! ! Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel ! ! Conclusions Conclusions ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 5 5

Agent Access to Online Sources Agent Access to Online Sources Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 6 6

Problem: Problem: Information Not in a Usable Format Information Not in a Usable Format ! Web pages are intended for human consumption Web pages are intended for human consumption ! ! Web services and XML are designed to solve this Web services and XML are designed to solve this ! problem, but not available for most data problem, but not available for most data ! Need to turn these online sources into ‘agent Need to turn these online sources into ‘agent- - ! enabled’ sources enabled’ sources ! Support database like querying by a software agent Support database like querying by a software agent ! ! Return information in a structured format, such as Return information in a structured format, such as ! XML XML Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 7 7

Wrappers for Live Access Wrappers for Live Access to Online Sources to Online Sources Wrapper <YAHOO_WEATHER> - <ROW> <TEMP>25</TEMP> <OUTLOOK>Sunny</OUTLOOK> <HI>32</HI> <LO>19</LO> <APPARTEMP>25</ APPARTEMP > <HUMIDITY>35%</HUMIDITY> <WIND>E/10 km/h</WIND> <VISIBILITY>20 km</VISIBILITY> <DEWPOINT>9</DEWPOINT> <BAROMETER>959 mb</BAROMETER> </ROW> </YAHOO_WEATHER> Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 8 8

Learning a Wrapper Learning a Wrapper GUI GUI Inductive Inductive Wrapper Labeled Pages Labeled Pages Learning Learning System System EC Tree EC Tree EC Tree Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 9 9

Status Status ! Almost any source on the Web can be turned Almost any source on the Web can be turned ! into an agent- -enabled source enabled source into an agent ! Time to construct a wrapper ranges from a few Time to construct a wrapper ranges from a few ! minutes to a few hours minutes to a few hours ! Tools are easy to learn Tools are easy to learn ! ! Makes it possible to exploit the huge amount of Makes it possible to exploit the huge amount of ! information available online information available online ! Wrapper learning technology has been licensed Wrapper learning technology has been licensed ! to Fetch Technologies, which has a commercial to Fetch Technologies, which has a commercial product available product available Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 10 10

Outline Outline ! Agent Access to Online Sources Agent Access to Online Sources ! ! Interactive Planning of a Trip Interactive Planning of a Trip ! ! Building Agents for Monitoring Travel Building Agents for Monitoring Travel ! ! Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel Mining Online Sources to Optimize Travel ! ! Conclusions Conclusions ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 11 11

Interactive Trip Planning Interactive Trip Planning ! Current systems provide support to select flights, hotels Current systems provide support to select flights, hotels ! and cars and cars ! Integrates the planning at the level of dates and locations Integrates the planning at the level of dates and locations ! ! There are many more factors involved in planning a trip There are many more factors involved in planning a trip ! ! Which airports to fly into and out of Which airports to fly into and out of ! ! Whether to drive or take a taxi to the airport Whether to drive or take a taxi to the airport ! ! How to get form the airport to the destination How to get form the airport to the destination ! ! Proximity of hotel to meeting Proximity of hotel to meeting ! ! Etc… Etc… ! ! Ideally a system will Ideally a system will ! ! Provide all of the data required to make these decisions Provide all of the data required to make these decisions ! ! Provide a way to consider the tradeoffs of the various choices Provide a way to consider the tradeoffs of the various choices ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 12 12

Heracles Constraint- -based Planning based Planning Heracles Constraint ! Framework for building integrated Framework for building integrated ! applications applications ! Extract and integrate data for a given task Extract and integrate data for a given task ! ! Live access to online sources using the Live access to online sources using the ! wrappers wrappers ! Constraint Constraint- -based decides what sources to based decides what sources to ! query and how to integrate the results query and how to integrate the results ! Tight integration of user choices Tight integration of user choices ! Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 13 13

Travel Planner Travel Planner Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 14 14

Dynamically Updates Slots as Dynamically Updates Slots as Information Becomes Available Information Becomes Available BLACK GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN BLACK GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN BLUE GREEN BLUE RED RED RED RED RED RED RED RED RED RED Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 15 15

Supports Informed Choices Supports Informed Choices Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 16 16

Propagates Changes Propagates Changes Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 17 17

User Can Specify User Can Specify High- -Level Preferences Level Preferences High Craig Knoblock Craig Knoblock University of Southern California University of Southern California 18 18