Arrangement for autonomous mobile network nodes to organize a wireless mobile network based on detected physical and logical changes

• US 20050076054A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thubert, Pascal, Moon, Billy Gayle
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• 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: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An autonomous wireless mobile network is established between mobile nodes configured as wireless autonomous robotic mobile access points. Each mobile node includes a mobility platform, an executable routing resource, and a standardized interface. The mobility platform is configured for supplying sensor data from attached physical sensors, and responding to motor commands from the standardized interface. The standardized interface is configured for converting each sensor datum into a corresponding sensor object, and converting received movement directives into the respective motor commands. The executable routing resource is configured for maintaining a database of world objects representing attributes within an infosphere established by the wireless mobile network based on the sensor objects and received network objects. The executable routing resource also is configured for generating the received movement directives and executing network decisions based on periodic evaluation of the world database, and exchanging the world objects with other mobile nodes.

Claims

1. A method in a network node, the method comprising:

establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects, the world objects representing respective attributes of an infosphere of a network that includes the network node, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects;

adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from sensor data generated in response to detected attributes within the infosphere, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node;

forming the network based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and sharing the world objects with the other network nodes; and

performing a change in at least one of position, velocity, orientation, and wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on detecting a world object specifying a directive based on at least one of the decisions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sharing of the world objects includes receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes, and storing the remote world objects as world objects in the world object database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming step includes discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and sharing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step includes instantiating execution of a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the adding and performing steps are executed based on instantiating execution of a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the adding step executed by a sensor process in at least one robot object and the performing step executed by a motor complex process in at least one robot object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performing step includes sending a directive by the motor complex process to a mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the adding step including generating a request, by one of the robot objects, to the world factory for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the establishing step includes adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the establishing step further includes adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the establishing step further includes nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

12. A network node comprising:

a mobility platform configured for performing a change in at least one of position, orientation, and wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on a received directive, the mobility platform configured for generating sensor data in response to detection of physical attributes within an infosphere of a network that includes the network node; and

an executable routing resource configured for supplying the directive and receiving the sensor data, the executable routing resource including;

(1) a first independently executable resource configured for establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects representing respective attributes of the infosphere, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects,

(2) a second independently executable resource configured for adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from the sensor data, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node, and

(3) a third independently executable resource configured for forming the network based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and sharing the world objects with the other network nodes;

wherein the decisions generated by the smart world objects are used to generate vector objects that specify the directives for use by the mobility platform.

14. The network node of claim 12, wherein the third independently executable resource is configured for discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and sharing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

15. The network node of claim 12, wherein the first independently executable resource is a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

16. The network node of claim 15, wherein second independently executable resource is a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the robot object including a sensor process configured for adding the sensor objects from the sensor data, and a motor complex process configured for outputting the directives to the mobility platform based on parsing the respective vector objects.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

18. The network node of claim 17, wherein the motor complex process sends the directive to the mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

19. The network node of claim 16, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the robot object configured for generating a request to the world factory process for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

20. The network node of claim 15, wherein the world factory process is configured for adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein the world factory process is configured for adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

22. The network node of claim 21, wherein the world factory process is configured for nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

13. The network node 12, wherein the third independently executable resource is configured for receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes for storage as world objects in the world object database.

23. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for causing a network node to establish a network with other network nodes, the sequences of instructions including instructions for:

establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects, the world objects representing respective attributes of an infosphere of the network that includes the network node, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects;

adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from sensor data generated in response to detected attributes within the infosphere, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node;

forming the network based on;

discovery of the other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and sharing the world objects with the other network nodes; and

performing a change in at least one of position, velocity, orientation, and wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on detecting a world object specifying a directive based on at least one of the decisions.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the sharing of the world objects includes receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes, and storing the remote world objects as world objects in the world object database.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein the forming step includes discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and sharing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

26. The medium of claim 23, wherein the establishing step includes instantiating execution of a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the adding and performing steps are executed based on instantiating execution of a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the adding step executed by a sensor process in at least one robot object and the performing step executed by a motor complex process in at least one robot object.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

29. The medium of claim 28, wherein the performing step includes sending a directive by the motor complex process to a mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

30. The medium of claim 27, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the adding step including generating a request, by one of the robot objects, to the world factory for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

31. The medium of claim 26, wherein the establishing step includes adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein the establishing step further includes adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the establishing step further includes nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

34. A network node comprising:

means for establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects, the world objects representing respective attributes of an infosphere of a network that includes the network node, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects;

means for adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from sensor data generated in response to detected attributes within the infosphere, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node;

means for forming the network based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and sharing the world objects with the other network nodes; and

means for performing a change in at least one of position, velocity, orientation, and wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on detecting a world object specifying a directive based on at least one of the decisions.

35. The network node of claim 34, wherein the means for forming is configured for sharing of the world objects by receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes, and storing the remote world objects as world objects in the world object database.

36. The network node of claim 34, wherein the means for forming is configured for discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and sharing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

37. The network node of claim 34, wherein the means for establishing includes a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

38. The network node of claim 37, wherein the adding means and performing means are executed based on instantiating execution of a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the adding means including a sensor process in at least one robot object and the performing means including a motor complex process in at least one robot object.

39. The network node of claim 38, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

40. The network node of claim 39, wherein the means for performing is configured for sending a directive by the motor complex process to a mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

41. The network node of claim 38, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the adding means configured for generating a request, by one of the robot objects, to the world factory for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

42. The network node of claim 37, wherein the means for establishing is configured for adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

43. The network node of claim 42, wherein the means for establishing is configured for adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

44. The network node of claim 43, wherein the means for establishing is configured for nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.