Arrangement for autonomous mobile network nodes to organize a wireless mobile network based on detected physical and logical changes

• US 8,527,457 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy Gayle, Thubert, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sangwoo
• Application Number:
  US10/679,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,619 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/103, 705/1
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An autonomous wireless mobile network is established between mobile nodes configured as wireless autonomous robotic mobile access points. Each mobile node includes a mobility platform, an executable routing resource, and a standardized interface. The mobility platform is configured for supplying sensor data from attached physical sensors, and responding to motor commands from the standardized interface. The standardized interface is configured for converting each sensor datum into a corresponding sensor object, and converting received movement directives into the respective motor commands. The executable routing resource is configured for maintaining a database of world objects representing attributes within an infosphere established by the wireless mobile network based on the sensor objects and received network objects. The executable routing resource also is configured for generating the received movement directives and executing network decisions based on periodic evaluation of the world database, and exchanging the world objects with other mobile nodes.

Claims

1. A method in a network node, the method comprising:

establishing by the network node a world object database in the network node and that stores world objects, the world objects representing respective attributes of an infosphere of a network that includes the network node, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects, the establishing including the smart world objects generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects;

adding by the network node, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from sensor data generated in response to detected attributes within the infosphere, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node;

forming the network by the network node based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and synchronizing the world objects with the other network nodes enabling the decisions by the network node to be coordinated with the other network nodes, wherein the network node and the other network nodes generate their respective decisions autonomously of each other; and

performing by the network node a change in at least one of position, velocity, orientation, or wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on detecting a world object specifying a directive that is generated based on at least one of the decisions, for optimization of the network node relative to the other network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing of the world objects includes receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes, and storing the remote world objects as world objects in the world object database, the smart world objects generating updated decisions based on the remote world objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming step includes discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and synchronizing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing step includes instantiating execution of a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the adding and performing steps are executed based on instantiating execution of a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the adding step executed by a sensor process in at least one robot object and the performing step executed by a motor complex process in at least one robot object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performing step includes sending the directive by the motor complex process to a mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the adding step including generating a request, by one of the robot objects, to the world factory for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the establishing step includes adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the establishing step further includes adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the establishing step further includes nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

12. A network node comprising:

a mobility platform configured for performing a change in at least one of position, orientation, or wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on a received directive, the mobility platform configured for generating sensor data in response to detection of physical attributes within an infosphere of a network that includes the network node; and

an executable routing resource configured for supplying the directive and receiving the sensor data, the executable routing resource including;

(1) a first independently executable resource configured for establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects representing respective attributes of the infosphere, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects,

(2) a second independently executable resource configured for adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from the sensor data, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node, and

(3) a third independently executable resource configured for forming the network based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and synchronizing the world objects with the other network nodes enabling the decisions by the network node to be coordinated with the other network nodes, wherein the network node and the other network nodes generate their respective decisions autonomously of each other;

wherein the decisions generated by the smart world objects are used to generate at least one vector object that specifies the directive for use by the mobility platform, for optimization of the network node relative to the other network nodes.

14. The network node of claim 12, wherein the third independently executable resource is configured for discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and synchronizing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

15. The network node of claim 12, wherein the first independently executable resource is a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

16. The network node of claim 15, wherein second independently executable resource is a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the robot object including a sensor process configured for adding the sensor objects from the sensor data, and a motor complex process configured for outputting the directives to the mobility platform based on parsing the respective vector objects.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

18. The network node of claim 17, wherein the motor complex process sends the directive to the mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

19. The network node of claim 16, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the robot object configured for generating a request to the world factory process for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

20. The network node of claim 15, wherein the world factory process is configured for adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein the world factory process is configured for adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

22. The network node of claim 21, wherein the world factory process is configured for nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

13. The network node 12, wherein the third independently executable resource is configured for receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes for storage as world objects in the world object database, the smart world objects configured for generating updated decisions based on the remote world objects.

23. A network node comprising:

means for establishing within the network node a world object database that stores world objects, the world objects representing respective attributes of an infosphere of a network that includes the network node, the world object database including smart world objects as a subclass of the world objects and configured for generating decisions based on evaluation of selected world objects;

means for adding, as world objects to the world object database, sensor objects from sensor data generated in response to detected attributes within the infosphere, the sensor objects including network node objects associated with the network node;

means for forming the network based on;

discovery of other network nodes, adding second network node objects as world objects to the world object database and representing attributes of the other network nodes, and synchronizing the world objects with the other network nodes enabling the decisions by the network node to be coordinated with the other network nodes, wherein the network node and the other network nodes generate their respective decisions autonomously of each other; and

means for performing a change in at least one of position, velocity, orientation, or wireless communication characteristics of the network node based on detecting a world object specifying a directive that is generated based on at least one of the decisions, for optimization of the network node relative to the other network nodes.

24. The network node of claim 23, wherein the means for forming is configured for synchronizing of the world objects based on receiving remote world objects from the other network nodes, and storing the remote world objects as world objects in the world object database, the smart world objects configured for generating updated decisions based on the remote world objects.

25. The network node of claim 23, wherein the means for forming is configured for discovering the other network nodes based on a mobile Internet Protocol (IP), and synchronizing the world objects according to the mobile IP.

26. The network node of claim 23, wherein the means for establishing includes a world factory process configured for initializing the world object database and adding/removing the world objects to/from the world object database.

27. The network node of claim 26, wherein the adding means and performing means are executed based on instantiating execution of a robot factory process configured for generating, for each smart world object, a corresponding robot object as one of the world objects, the adding means including a sensor process in at least one robot object and the performing means including a motor complex process in at least one robot object.

28. The network node of claim 27, wherein the smart world objects own respective brain objects configured for generating the decisions, each brain object owning associated reaction objects configured for generating respective advice elements from associated world objects, each brain object configured for:

determining the corresponding decision based on the associated advice elements relative to respective influence factors, and storing the decision as a vector object.

29. The network node of claim 28, wherein the means for performing is configured for sending the directive by the motor complex process to a mobility platform in the network node in an attempt to implement the vector object.

30. The network node of claim 27, wherein each world object owns an associated three-dimensional shape object, the adding means configured for generating a request, by one of the robot objects, to the world factory for generation of an obstacle object in response to the sensor process detecting an obstacle in the infosphere.

31. The network node of claim 26, wherein the means for establishing is configured for adding world domains as a subclass of the world objects, each world domain configured for:

(1) owning at least one world object, (2) having a native vector space, (3) encompassing a location object specified in the corresponding native vector space, and (4) having a transformational matrix configured for mapping the corresponding native vector space to other vector spaces used in the world object database, each world object configured for owning an associated three-dimensional shape object.

32. The network node of claim 31, wherein the means for establishing is configured for adding waypoints as a subclass of the world objects, each waypoint representing an attribute relative to one of the vector spaces of the world object database.

33. The network node of claim 32, wherein the means for establishing is configured for nesting a group of the world domains, each identifiable as child world domains, within at least one of the world domains identifiable as a parent world domain, the child world domains inheriting the attributes of the associated parent world domain.

34. A method for controlling a network node in a network, the method comprising:

receiving by the network node detected attribute information that indicates a detected attribute relative to any one of the network node or at least one of other network nodes in the network, the detected attribute including any one of a communication attribute or a physical attribute;

generating by the network node a movement directive based on the network node executing an optimization of routing metrics relative to the received detected attribute information and according to a prescribed routing protocol;

the network node synchronizing the detected attribute information with the other network nodes enabling the movement directive generated by the network node to be coordinated with the other network nodes, wherein the network node and the other network nodes execute their respective optimizations of routing metrics autonomously of each other; and

sending by the network node the movement directive to a mobility platform associated with the network node, the movement directive causing the mobility platform to implement the optimization by implementing a physical change for the network node.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the receiving includes at least one of:

receiving sensor information from the mobility platform and indicating the physical attribute;

or

receiving the detected attribute information from a second network node in the network via a wireless communications link.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the physical change caused by the mobility platform includes changing any one of a position of the network node, velocity of the network node, or network interface utilization in the network node.

40. The method of claim 34, further comprising sending an update to another node in the network that identifies the movement directive generated by the network node.

37. A network node of a network, the network node comprising:

an executable resource configured for generating a movement directive based on executing an optimization of routing metrics relative to received network attribute information and according to a prescribed routing protocol, the received network attribute information indicating a detected attribute relative to any one of the network node or at least one of the other network nodes in the network, the detected attribute including any one of a communication attribute or a physical attribute, the executable resource further configured for synchronizing the detected attribute information with the other network nodes enabling the movement directive generated by the network node to be coordinated with the other network nodes, wherein the network node and the other network nodes execute their respective optimizations of routing metrics autonomously of each other; and

a mobility platform configured for implementing the optimization by causing a physical change for the network node in response to the movement directive.

38. The network node of claim 37, wherein the mobility platform includes sensors configured for generating sensor information, the mobility platform providing the sensor information to the executable resource as the received network attribute information.

39. The network node of claim 37, wherein the physical change caused by the mobility platform includes changing any one of a position, velocity, or network interface utilization in the network node.

41. The network node of claim 37, wherein the executable resource is configured for generating an update that is output by the network node to another node in the network, the update identifying the movement directive generated by the executable resource.