AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM, DEVICE AND METHOD TO PROVIDE DATA OF THE AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM

• US 20140316640A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Dippl, Sebastian, Eidenberger, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,373,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A device to provide data of an autonomous system is configured to receive, from the autonomous system, data that are generated by the autonomous system, and to send the received data to an archiving device for storage. The archiving device is arranged external to the autonomous system and is independent of the operation of the autonomous system. The device provides the stored data for an independent evaluation device. An improved data provision is ensured by the storage of the data accumulating in the autonomous system, independent of the operation of the autonomous system. The provided data can be used for maintenance or setup of the autonomous system. An autonomous system includes such a device, and a method to provide data of an autonomous system; and a method to produce an autonomous system operate by using such a device.

Claims

1. A device to provided data of an autonomous system, comprising:

a processor configured to receive data from an autonomous system that the autonomous system has generated by describing an environment of the autonomous system with sensors and by generating environment models based thereon;

said processor being configured to transfer the received data to an archiving device for storage in said archiving device, said archiving device being external to said autonomous system and independent of operation of said autonomous system; and

said processor being configured to cause the data stored in the archiving device to be transferred from the archiving device to an independent evaluation device.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said archiving device is configured to store said data for a predetermined time duration.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said archiving device is configured for scalable storage of said data.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said archiving device is configured for distributed storage of said data.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to encode the received data prior to transfer of the data to said archiving device.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor comprises a network interface configured to receive the data from the autonomous system via a network.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to cause preprocessing of said data prior to transfer of the data from the archiving device to the evaluation device.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said processor is configured to index the data received from the autonomous system.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said processor is configured to implement automatic detection of errors in the autonomous system.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is configured to receive said data from the autonomous system at predetermined time intervals.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to receive the data from the autonomous system continuously.

12. A system to provide data, comprising;

an autonomous system configured to generate data describing an environment of the autonomous system with sensors and to generate environment models based thereon;

a processor, in communication with said autonomous system, that is provided with said data from said autonomous system;

said processor being configured to transfer the received data to an archiving device for storage in said archiving device, said archiving device being external to said autonomous system and independent of operation of said autonomous system;

an independent evaluation device; and

said processor being configured to cause the data stored in the archiving device to be transferred from the archiving device to the independent evaluation device.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said autonomous system comprises a plurality of devices that produce autonomous actions, selected from the group consisting of forklifts, cranes, autopilots, cleaning machines, construction machines, excavators, and driver assistance devices.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said evaluation device is configured to generate an adaptation instruction for adapting the autonomous system, and to provide the adaptation instruction from the evaluation device to the autonomous system.

15. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said autonomous system is configured to generate said environment models comprising at least one of raw data, processed data, and protocol data.

16. A method to operate an autonomous system, comprising:

providing a processor with data from an autonomous system that the autonomous system has generated by describing an environment of the autonomous system with sensors and by generating environment models based thereon;

from said processor, transferring the received data to an archiving device for storage in said archiving device, said archiving device being external to said autonomous system and independent of operation of said autonomous system; and

said processor causing the data stored in the archiving device to be transferred from the archiving device to an independent evaluation device.

17. A method to produce an autonomous system comprising:

creating autonomous system by operating a plurality of sensors to determine an environment of the autonomous system and by computerized generation of environment models based on the determined environment;

providing data generated by said autonomous system to an evaluation device that is external of said autonomous system and that operates independently of said autonomous system;

in said evaluation device, generating an adaptation instruction for said autonomous system based on the data provided to the evaluation device; and

providing the adaptation instruction to the autonomous system and, in said autonomous system, adapting the environment models dependent on the adaptation instruction.