Opportunistic connectivity edge detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self-configuring communications mesh network infrastructure comprising:
- a plurality of robotic radio relay nodes configured for self-configuration movement and radio transmission and reception as part of a mesh network;
a robot agent configured to execute tactics and skills associated with the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and
a robot control platform configured to control the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes, wherein control of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes comprises;
selection of a multi-robot play that includes coordinated movement of one or more robotic radio relay nodes;
maintenance of a distributed map of a location of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and
control over a transmit power and link data rate of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed coordination and control protocol may enable a set of mobile, self-organizing, robotic relay nodes to adaptively seek positions in such an environment that establishes a network, meeting desired coverage in terms of connected warfighters. Distributed coordination of robotic relay nodes may allow the network to dynamically adapt as positions of warfighters change and/or the network demands change. An algorithm is provided that may be scalable to a large number of robots and may be robust to random deployment of robots, robot platform failures, channel dynamics, and changing warfighter positions.
-
Citations
62 Claims
-
1. A self-configuring communications mesh network infrastructure comprising:
-
a plurality of robotic radio relay nodes configured for self-configuration movement and radio transmission and reception as part of a mesh network; a robot agent configured to execute tactics and skills associated with the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and a robot control platform configured to control the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes, wherein control of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes comprises; selection of a multi-robot play that includes coordinated movement of one or more robotic radio relay nodes; maintenance of a distributed map of a location of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and control over a transmit power and link data rate of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of controlling a self-configuring communications mesh network infrastructure including (i) a plurality of robotic radio relay nodes configured for self-configuration movement and radio transmission and reception as part of the mesh network, and (ii) a robot control platform configured to control the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes, the method comprising:
-
selecting a multi-robot play that includes coordinated movement of two or more robotic radio relay nodes of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes of the mesh network; maintaining a distributed map of a location of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; controlling a transmit power and link data rate of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; causing execution of tactics and skills associated with the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and causing selection of a tactic to execute and to command loading of the tactic. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A non-transitory machine-readable medium with machine-readable instructions for controlling a self-configuring communications mesh network infrastructure including (i) a plurality of robotic radio relay nodes configured for self-configuration movement and radio transmission and reception as part of the mesh network, and (ii) a robot control platform configured to control the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes, the machine-readable instructions executable to:
-
select a multi-robot play that includes coordinated movement of two or more robotic radio relay nodes of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes of the mesh network, the multi-robot play comprising an opportunistic connectivity edge detection (OCED) play; maintain a distributed map of a location of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes; and control a transmit power and link data rate of the plurality of robotic radio relay nodes. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. A robot configured for operation within a self-configuring communications mesh network, the robot comprising:
-
a radio frequency (RF) system configured as a network node to receive and transmit RF communications from a network; a sensor system configured to sense physical conditions of the environment of the robot; a locomotion system configured to move the robot in a desired direction; and a control system configured to receive signal from the sensor system and to control the RF system and the locomotion system according to an opportunistic connectivity edge detection (OCED) algorithm, wherein the robot is configured to explore a deployment region and to connect to a self-configuring communications mesh network. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
-
Specification