METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REGULATING MOVEMNET OF AN AUTONOMOUS ENTITY BETWEEN ZONES
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is described of regulating movement of an autonomous entity between a first zone (904) and a second zone (901), wherein the first and second zones each have an operation-defined geographical boundary within a defined geographical region. The autonomous entity is instructed to move into a transition zone (906, 907) that spans the first zone and the second zone, wherein the autonomous entity while located in the first zone is responsive to supervisory control of a first controller (912) associated with the first zone. The autonomous entity is registered with a second controller (910) associated with the second zone to enable the autonomous entity to respond to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity enters the second zone through the transition zone. The autonomous entity is de-registered from the first controller.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A method of regulating movement of an autonomous entity from a first zone to a second zone adjacent to the first zone, wherein the first zone is associated with a first controller and the second zone is associated with a second controller in an integrated automation system comprising a hierarchy of controllers corresponding to a hierarchy of zones in a defined geographical region, the method comprising:
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a) providing a supervising controller operable to supervise the first and second controllers in the hierarchy of controllers; b) the supervising controller seeking clearance from the first and second controllers for the autonomous entity to move from the first zone to the second zone; c) the supervising controller commanding the first controller to instruct the autonomous entity to move to a transition zone that spans the first zone and the second zone; d) the supervising controller commanding the second controller to register the autonomous entity such that the autonomous entity is responsive to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity moves from the transition zone to the second zone; and e) the supervising controller commanding the first controller to de-register the autonomous entity such that the entity is no longer responsive to supervisory control by the first controller. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for regulating movement of an autonomous entity between a first zone and a second zone adjacent to the first zone, wherein the first and second zones each have an operation-defined geographical boundary within a defined geographical region, the apparatus comprising:
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a) means for instructing the autonomous entity to move into a transition zone that spans the first zone and the second zone, wherein the autonomous entity while located in the first zone is responsive to supervisory control of a first controller associated with the first zone; b) means for registering the autonomous entity with a second controller associated with the second zone to enable the autonomous entity to respond to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity enters the second zone through the transition zone; and c) means for de-registering the autonomous entity from the first controller.
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17. (canceled)
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18. A computer program product comprising machine-readable program code recorded on a machine-readable recording medium for controlling the operation of a data processing system on which the program code executes to perform a method of regulating movement of an autonomous entity between a first zone and a second zone adjacent to the first zone, wherein the first and second zones each have an operation-defined geographical boundary within a defined geographical region, the method comprising:
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a) instructing the autonomous entity to move into a transition zone that spans the first zone and the second zone, wherein the autonomous entity while located in the first zone is responsive to supervisory control of a first controller associated with the first zone; b) registering the autonomous entity with a second controller associated with the second zone to enable the autonomous entity to respond to supervisory control of the second controller as the autonomous entity enters the second zone through the transition zone; and c) de-registering the autonomous entity from the first controller.
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Specification