Distributed Positioning and Collaborative Behavior Determination

• US 20140035725A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humatics Corporation
• Original Assignee: 5D Robotics, Inc. (Humatics Corporation)
• Inventors: Bruemmer, David J., Hardin, Benjamin C., Nielsen, Curtis W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0213 Road vehicle, e.g. car or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10306 ultra wide band

Abstract

A system and its associated methodology for distributed positioning and collaborative behavioral determination among a group of objects, interactive tags associated with each of a plurality of objects provide to each object relative positional data and state information regarding the other nearby objects. Using this information, each object develops a spatial awareness of its environment, including the position and action of nearby objects so as to, when necessary, modify its behavior to more effectively achieve an objective.

Claims

1. A densified fluid barrier cleaning system, comprising:

a pressure vessel operable to hold a densified fluid in a primary pressure environment, the pressurized vessel having a first sealable opening that interfaces with a first environment and a second sealable opening that interfaces with a second environment, the first environment and the second environment being separated by a barrier; and

an agitation basket positioned within the pressure vessel wherein the agitation basket is operable to create a mechanical interaction with the densified fluid within the agitation basket apart from the pressure vessel.

Differentiation placement of the drive and actuator outside of the pressurized environment.

2. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a drive system operable to support the agitation basket within the pressure vessel and within the primary pressure environment wherein at least a portion of the drive system exits in a secondary pressure environment apart from the primary pressure environment.

3. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 2, wherein responsive to a leak of densified fluid from the primary pressure environment into the secondary pressure environment, the secondary pressure environment is configured to prevent formation of a solid phase of the densified fluid within the secondary pressure environment.

4. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the agitation basket includes two or more outer rings wherein each outer rings includes a plurality of wheels mounted about an outer circumference of the agitation basket operable to support rotation of the agitation basket on a fixed axis.

5. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel is substantially spherical.

6. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein access to an interior region of the agitation basket can be gained through the first sealable opening and the second sealable opening.

7. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising at least one rotatable engagement mechanisms that can engage the agitation basket and rotate the agitation basket around a fixed axis.

8. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 7, wherein the first sealable opening and the second sealable opening can be configured to align respectively with a first agitation basket opening and second agitation basket opening.

9. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 7, wherein each rotatable engagement mechanism includes a basket interface for engagement of the agitation basket.

10. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the basket interface engages the agitation basket and aligns the agitation basket with the fixed axis.

11. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 9, wherein the basket interface includes one or more beveled surfaces that engage with corresponding one or more reciprocal beveled surfaces on the agitation basket so as to align the agitation basket with the fixed axis.

12. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 7, further comprising a drive system that rotates at least one of the actuators about the fixed axis.

13. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a drive system that rotates the agitation basket about a fixed axis.

14. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the densified fluid includes liquified carbon dioxide.

15. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the densified fluid includes supercritical carbon dioxide.

16. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the first environment is a dirty environment and wherein the second environment is a clean environment.

17. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the pressure vessel includes a heat exchanger apart from the basket.

18. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a distillation unit coupled to the pressure vessel, wherein the distillation unit is operable to distill the densified fluid.

19. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 18, wherein the distillation unit includes a boiling vessel operable to hold the densified fluid in a two phase (gas, liquid) state.

20. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 19, wherein the pressure vessel includes a heat exchanger submerged in the densified fluid.

21. The densified fluid barrier cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the agitation basket rotates about a fixed axis within the pressure vessel.

22. A method for densified fluid article processing, comprising:

interfacing with a pressure vessel wherein the pressure vessel spans across a barrier separating a first environment from a second environment and wherein the pressure vessel includes a first sealable opening that interfaces with the first environment, a second sealable opening that interfaces with the second environment, and an agitation basket positioned within the pressure vessel;

introducing to the agitation basket from the first environment through the first sealable opening one or more soiled articles;

transforming the one or more soiled articles to one or more processed articles using a densified fluid wherein transforming includes manipulating the agitation basket within the pressure vessel; and

responsive to a completed article process cycle, removing the one or more processed articles from the agitation basket through the second sealable opening into the second environment.

23. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the first environment is a dirty environment and the second environment is a clean environment.

24. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the pressure vessel is substantially cylindrical.

25. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, further comprising moveably mounting the agitation basket within the pressure vessel using a plurality of wheels mounted about an outer circumference of the agitation basket operable to rotate the agitation basket within the pressure vessel on a fixed axis.

26. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the first sealable opening and the second sealable opening each include a rotatable actuator that can rotate around an actuator fixed axis.

27. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 26, wherein the agitation basket includes an agitation fixed axis and wherein positioning includes aligning the agitation fixed axis with the actuator fixed axis.

28. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 27, further comprising driving the agitation basket about the agitation fixed axis.

29. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, further comprising creating within the agitation basket a mechanical interaction between one or more soiled articles and the densified fluid.

30. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the pressure vessel includes a drive mechanism operable to manipulate the agitation basket within the pressure vessel and wherein the drive mechanism exits in a secondary pressure environment configured to prevent formation solid and liquid phases of the densified fluid within the secondary environment.

31. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the densified fluid includes supercritical carbon dioxide.

32. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein the densified fluid includes liquified carbon dioxide.

33. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, wherein transforming includes particle removal and reduction, electro-static charge reduction, bacterial inactivation, disinfection or sterilization.

34. The method for densified fluid article processing according to claim 22, further comprising inhibiting opening of the second sealable opening into the second environment prior to the completed article process cycle.