SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UPDATING NON-NETWORKED AUTONOMOUS DEVICES

• US 20180068494A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EchoStar Technologies International Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 10,002,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/40 Maintaining or repairing aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/006 Indicating maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/185 Space-based or airborne stations; Stations for satellite systemsH04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Various arrangements for servicing autonomous devices via satellite-based communication links are detailed herein. A satellite transponder stream of data may be monitored via a tuner for an identifier indicative of an autonomous device. An update linked with the identifier may be acquired from the satellite-transmitted transponder stream of data. The acquired update may be stored at least until the autonomous device communicatively pairs with the network-independent maintenance device. The autonomous device may be communicatively paired with the system or device that received the satellite-broadcast update. In response to having acquired the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream of data and the autonomous device being communicatively paired with the system or device, the acquired update may be transmitted to the autonomous device.

Claims

1. A network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices, comprising:

a housing;

a tuner electrically connected with a satellite antenna, the tuner being internal to the housing and the satellite antenna being external to the housing, wherein the tuner receives a unidirectional broadcast of a transponder stream of data from a satellite, the unidirectional broadcast of the transponder stream comprising a plurality of updates for a plurality of autonomous devices broadcast to a plurality of network-independent maintenance devices that comprises the network-independent maintenance device;

a communication interface located within the housing;

one or more processors located within the housing; and

one or more memories located within the housing and communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

retrieve from the one or more memories, an identifier indicative of an autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device, wherein the network-independent maintenance device is a physically separate device from the autonomous device;

monitor the transponder stream of data received via the tuner for the identifier indicative of the autonomous device;

discard at least some updates of the plurality of updates for the plurality of autonomous devices received as part of the transponder stream of data from the satellite;

acquire an update of the plurality of updates, wherein;

the update is linked with the identifier and is from the transponder stream of data received via the tuner; and

the update is acquired at least partially based on the identifier being identified within the transponder stream of data received via the tuner;

cause the acquired update to be stored by the one or more memories at least until the autonomous device communicatively pairs with the network-independent maintenance device;

communicatively pair with the autonomous device using the communication interface; and

in response to having acquired the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream of data and the autonomous device being communicatively paired with the network-independent maintenance device, transfer the acquired update to the autonomous device.

2. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a charging interface that is configured to provide power to recharge a battery of the autonomous device while the autonomous device is communicatively paired with the network-independent maintenance device.

3. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, wherein the transponder stream of data comprises a stream of a plurality of updates for a plurality of autonomous devices.

4. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to cause transmission of an indication of the update having been transferred to the autonomous device to be transmitted to a remote computer system, wherein the indication indicates:

the acquired update and the autonomous device.

5. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to monitor the transponder stream of data received via the tuner for the identifier indicative of the autonomous device comprise processor-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to monitor the transponder stream of data for a plurality of identifiers, comprising the identifier, wherein each identifier of the plurality of identifiers is associated with a different autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device.

6. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 5, wherein each identifier of the plurality of identifiers is associated with a type, make, and model of autonomous device.

7. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an instruction addressed to the network-independent maintenance device via the tuner, wherein the instruction provides a second identifier indicative of a second autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device;

store the second identifier to the one or more memories; and

begin monitoring the transponder stream of data for the second identifier.

8. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, wherein the processor-readable instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:

communicatively pair with a second autonomous device using the communication interface, wherein communicatively pairing with the second autonomous device comprises the second autonomous device providing a second identifier to the network-independent maintenance device; and

in response to receiving the second identifier from the second autonomous device;

store the second identifier to the one or more memories; and

begin monitoring the transponder stream of data for the second identifier.

9. The network-independent maintenance device for servicing autonomous devices of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery and a solar panel, wherein the solar panel provides electricity to the battery and the battery provides power to charge the autonomous device and acquire the update via the tuner.

10. A method for servicing an autonomous device, the method comprising:

retrieving, by a network-independent maintenance device, an identifier indicative of the autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device;

monitoring, by the network-independent maintenance device using a tuner, a transponder stream for the identifier indicative of the autonomous device, wherein the tuner receives a unidirectional broadcast of the transponder stream of data from a satellite, the unidirectional broadcast of the transponder stream comprising a plurality of updates for a plurality of autonomous devices broadcast to a plurality of network-independent maintenance devices that comprises the network-independent maintenance device;

discarding, by the network-independent maintenance device, at least some updates of the plurality of updates for the plurality of autonomous devices received as part of the transponder stream of data from the satellite;

acquiring, by the network-independent maintenance device, an update of the plurality of updates, wherein;

the update is linked with the identifier and is from the transponder stream received via the tuner of the network-independent maintenance device; and

the update is acquired at least partially based on the identifier being identified within the transponder stream of data received via the tuner;

causing, by the network-independent maintenance device, the acquired update to be stored locally in a memory at least until the autonomous device communicatively pairs with the network-independent maintenance device;

communicatively pairing, between the network-independent maintenance device and the autonomous device; and

in response to having acquired the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream and the autonomous device being communicatively paired with the network-independent maintenance device, transferring, by the network-independent maintenance device, the acquired update to the autonomous device.

11. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, the method further comprising:

while the network-independent maintenance device and the autonomous device are communicatively paired, charging, by the network-independent maintenance device, a battery of the autonomous device.

12. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, wherein acquiring the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream received by the tuner comprises:

filtering the update from the plurality of updates broadcast for the plurality of autonomous devices.

13. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, the method further comprising:

transmitting, by the network-independent maintenance device to a remote computer system, an indication of the update having been transferred to the autonomous device, wherein the indication indicates;

the acquired update and the autonomous device.

14. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, wherein monitoring the transponder stream comprising:

monitoring the transponder stream for a plurality of identifiers comprising the identifier, wherein each identifier of the plurality of identifiers is associated with a different autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device.

15. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the network-independent maintenance device, an instruction addressed to the network-independent maintenance device via the tuner, wherein the instruction provides a second identifier indicative of a second autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device;

storing, by the network-independent maintenance device, the second identifier to the local memory; and

initiating, by the network-independent maintenance device, monitoring of the transponder stream for the second identifier.

16. The method for servicing the autonomous device of claim 10, the method further comprising:

communicatively pairing the network-independent maintenance device with a second autonomous device, wherein communicatively pairing with the second autonomous device comprises the second autonomous device providing a second identifier to the network-independent maintenance device; and

in response to receiving the second identifier from the second autonomous device;

storing the second identifier by the network-independent maintenance device; and

initiating monitoring of the transponder stream for the second identifier.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for execution by a network-independent maintenance device, comprising processor-readable instructions that cause one or more processors to:

receive, via a tuner, an identifier indicative of an autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device, wherein the tuner receives a unidirectional broadcast of a transponder stream of data from a satellite, the unidirectional broadcast of the transponder stream comprising a plurality of updates for a plurality of autonomous devices broadcast to a plurality of network-independent maintenance devices that comprises the network-independent maintenance device;

monitor the transponder stream received via a tuner for the identifier indicative of the autonomous device;

discard at least some updates of the plurality of updates for the plurality of autonomous devices received as part of the transponder stream of data from the satellite;

acquire an update of the plurality of updates, wherein;

the update is linked with the identifier and is from the transponder stream received via the tuner; and

the update is acquired at least partially based on the identifier being identified within the transponder stream of data received via the tuner;

cause the acquired update to be stored by a local memory at least until the autonomous device communicatively pairs with the network-independent maintenance device;

communicatively pair with an autonomous device; and

in response to having acquired the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream and the autonomous device being communicatively paired with the network-independent maintenance device, transfer the acquired update to the autonomous device.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

cause transmission of an indication of the update having been transferred to the autonomous device to a remote computer system, wherein the indication indicates;

the acquired update and the autonomous device.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein each identifier of a plurality of identifiers associated with the plurality of updates is associated with a type, make, and model of autonomous device.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the processor-readable instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an instruction addressed to the network-independent maintenance device via the tuner, wherein the instruction provides a second identifier indicative of a second autonomous device maintained by the network-independent maintenance device;

store the second identifier to the local memory; and

begin monitoring the transponder stream for the second identifier.