Methods and systems for robot cloud computing using slug trails

• US 8,478,901 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Poursohi, Arshan, Hickman, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): DAILEY, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/463,469
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 709/238, 700/248, 901/1
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method includes receiving a first request for a first robot to perform a first task and processing the first request through first and second computing resources to identify instructions for the first robot to perform the first task. The method also includes providing the one or more instructions to the first robot and identifying information associated with the second computing resource, wherein such information includes environmental information related to a location where the first task is to be performed. The method further includes associating the identified information with the first computing resource, receiving a second request for a second robot to perform a second task, processing the second request through the first computing resource, accessing the information associated with the first computing resource, and, based upon the accessed information, providing instructions to the second robot to perform the second task.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first request for a first robot to perform a first task at a location, the first robot including a mechanical actuator and at least one sensor;

providing first instructions to the first robot for performing the first task at the location;

receiving data associated with the location collected by the at least one sensor of the first robot while performing the first task at the location;

creating a slug trail indicative of a processing route followed by the first request and a first matching response for the first request, wherein the slug trail is associated with at least some of the data collected by the first robot, and wherein the slug trail is active for a predetermined time frame;

receiving a second request for a second robot to perform a second task at the location, the second robot including a second mechanical actuator and at least one sensor;

determining whether the slug trail is active;

in response to determining that the slug trail is active, sending second instructions to the second robot for performing the second task at the location, wherein the second instructions are based at least in part on the data associated with the slug trail; and

receiving data associated with the location collected by the at least one sensor of the second robot while performing the second task at the location, and revising the slug trail to reflect at least some of the data collected by the second robot and a second matching response for the second request, wherein the revised slug trail is active for a new predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the slug trail on a computing device associated with the location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the slug trail includes at least one of environmental conditions at the location, information about objects present at the location, and information about a travel pathway at the location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot is the same as the second robot.