Methods and systems for advanced communications in robotic systems

• US 10,583,563 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Loughran
• Original Assignee: Kevin Loughran
• Inventors: Loughran, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US15/442,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20170239816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 700248, 370328, 455450
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining by a first robotic device which portions of data received that is to be transmitted to one or more other robotic devices based on, at least, one or more functions of the data received, and characteristics of the data received. It may further be determined at a first robotic device an advanced communication technique may be executed by a first robotic device and/or one or more other robotic devices to improve communications between robotic devices.

Claims

1. A system for communication between a plurality of wireless robots comprising:

a plurality of wireless robots, each comprising, at least;

a mechanical framework;

a communication module; and

,

an energy source;

wherein each robot of the plurality of wireless robots is operable for movement via an associated propulsion unit;

wherein the communication module comprises a plurality of peer channels and a plurality of external channels;

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of wireless robots are in communication with at least one central point station, utilizing at least one external channel of the plurality of external channels;

wherein the plurality of wireless robots are operable to communicate with one another using the plurality of peer channels;

wherein at least one of the at least a portion of the plurality wireless robots form a communication arrangement, the communications arrangement operable to process information via the plurality of external channels, the plurality of peer channels, or both;

wherein information exchanged with the at least one central point utilizing the at least one external channel is communicated to the plurality of wireless robots utilizing at least a portion of the plurality of peer channels;

wherein the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots to process external channels in a reverse link is different than or asymmetric to another at least plurality of wireless robots to process external channels in a forward link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of peer channels and the plurality of external channels are the same channels.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one central point is a station selected from the group consisting of a base location, another plurality of wireless robots, and mobile wireless communication point.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control subsystem;

wherein processing information from external channels, peer channels, or both, is performed by the control subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication arrangement pre-processes exchanged information prior to communication among the plurality of wireless robots utilizing peer channels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication arrangement processes the information exchanged in accordance with power combining techniques.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication arrangement processes the information exchanged in accordance with MIMO processing techniques.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication arrangement processes the information exchanged in accordance with gain and phase adjustment techniques.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the gain and phase adjustment techniques are applied to enable antenna array processing or a formation of beams, or both.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the formation of beams are static beams or steerable beams.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein if a first of the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots communicating with the central point fails, a second wireless robot of the plurality of wireless robots is redundantly assigned to perform functions of the first wireless robot.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second wireless robot is exclusive to the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein spatial relationships of the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots to enable antenna array processing, are determined by the at least a portion of the plurality of wireless robots, or by the central point station, or by one or more pre-configured rules, or by any combination thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots communicating with the central point utilizing external channels is dynamically allocated according to a level of impairments on the external channels, or the amount of information required by the plurality of wireless robots, or both.

15. A method for communication between a plurality of wireless robots comprising the steps of:

wirelessly communicating, between a central point station and at least a portion of a plurality of wireless robots, information via a plurality of external channels;

determining an appropriate communication arrangement; and

,

executing, by the plurality of wireless robots, the communications arrangement;

wherein the plurality of wireless robots is operable to communicate with one another using a plurality of peer channels; and

,

wherein the determination of the appropriate communication arrangement is based on the communication type and decided by the at least a portion of the plurality of wireless robots, or by the central point station, or by one or more pre-configured rules, or by any combination thereof

wherein the at least portion of the plurality of wireless robots to process external channels in a reverse link is different than or asymmetric to another at least plurality of wireless robots to process external channels in a forward link.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of peer channels and the plurality of external channels are the same channels.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the advanced communication arrangement pre-processes information communicated via external channels prior to communication among the plurality of wireless robots via the plurality of peer channels.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the advanced communication arrangement processes the information communicated via external channels in accordance with power combining techniques prior to communication among the plurality of wireless robots.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the advanced communication arrangement processes the information communicated via external channels in accordance with MIMO processing techniques prior to communication among the plurality of wireless robots.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the advanced communication arrangement processes the information communicated via external channels in accordance with gain and phase adjustment techniques prior to communication among the plurality of wireless robots.