Method and apparatus for signaling among a plurality of agents

• US 20020094780A1
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Howard, Mike, Payton, David W., Lee, Craig, Hoff, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for facilitating local signaling among a plurality of agents are presented. An agent 100 including a digital processor 102 a transmitter 104, and a directional receiver 106 comprising a plurality of angular regions 108 is configured to enable the selection of a signal from a plurality of signals received on the basis of local data such as the strength of the received signal. The local data may be incorporated into a cumulative data portion of a signal that is passed from local agent 100 to local agent 100 across a plurality of agents 100 in order to provide a gradient across the plurality of agents 100. The gradient could be used, for example, to determine a shortest path across the agents. The signaling techniques described can also be used to determine the distance and direction to objects in the signaling path.

Claims