Distributed system of autonomously controlled mobile agents
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating locations on the surface;
a plurality of self-propelled mobile agents configured to travel along the surface, each mobile agent comprising;
a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the mobile agent,a sensor, configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the mobile agent travels along the surface,a mobile wireless transceiver, anda microcontroller operatively coupled to the propulsion mechanism, the sensor, and the mobile wireless transceiver, the microcontroller configured to control movement of the mobile agent on the surface based on detected machine-readable codes; and
a basestation comprising a controller and a basestation wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to;
store a virtual representation of the surface; and
for each of the self-propelled mobile agents;
determine via wireless communication from the mobile wireless transceiver of the mobile agent a current location of the mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the mobile agent;
based on the current location of the mobile agent, update a position of the mobile agent in the virtual representation of the surface;
determine, based on the virtual representation and the current location of the mobile agent, at least one specific action to be taken by the mobile agent; and
transmit, via wireless communication to the mobile wireless transceiver of the mobile agent, at least one signal to specify the specific action to be taken by the mobile agent with respect to its position on the surface in a manner whereupon the mobile agents move in a coordinated manner on the surface.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system includes a drivable surface that includes location encoding markings. A mobile agent is provided that includes a drive motor, an imaging system for taking images of the markings, a vehicle wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the motor, the imaging system, and the vehicle wireless transceiver. A basestation is provided that includes a controller operatively coupled to a basestation wireless transceiver. Via wireless communication between the wireless transceivers of the mobile agent and the basestation, an action to be implemented by the mobile agent can be determined by the basestation and communicated to the mobile agent, whereupon the microcontroller of the mobile agent controls detailed movement of the mobile agent on the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings of the drivable surface by the imaging system to cause the mobile agent to implement the action on the drivable surface.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating locations on the surface; a plurality of self-propelled mobile agents configured to travel along the surface, each mobile agent comprising; a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the mobile agent, a sensor, configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the mobile agent travels along the surface, a mobile wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the propulsion mechanism, the sensor, and the mobile wireless transceiver, the microcontroller configured to control movement of the mobile agent on the surface based on detected machine-readable codes; and a basestation comprising a controller and a basestation wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to; store a virtual representation of the surface; and for each of the self-propelled mobile agents; determine via wireless communication from the mobile wireless transceiver of the mobile agent a current location of the mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the mobile agent; based on the current location of the mobile agent, update a position of the mobile agent in the virtual representation of the surface; determine, based on the virtual representation and the current location of the mobile agent, at least one specific action to be taken by the mobile agent; and transmit, via wireless communication to the mobile wireless transceiver of the mobile agent, at least one signal to specify the specific action to be taken by the mobile agent with respect to its position on the surface in a manner whereupon the mobile agents move in a coordinated manner on the surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A toy system comprising:
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a drivable surface comprising a plurality of segments, wherein each segment comprises markings which encode locations on the segment and which encode a location of the segment in the drivable surface; a plurality of self-propelled toy vehicles, each toy vehicle comprising at least one motor for imparting motive force to the toy vehicle, an imaging system configured to take images of the markings, a vehicle wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the motor, the imaging system, and the vehicle wireless transceiver, the microcontroller configured to control, via the motor of the toy vehicle, detailed movement of the toy vehicle on the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings of the drivable surface by the imaging system; and a basestation comprising a controller and a basestation wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the controller, the controller configured to perform the steps of; storing a virtual representation of the drivable surface; and for each of the self-propelled toy vehicles; determining via wireless communication from the vehicle wireless transceiver of the toy vehicle to the basestation wireless transceiver a current location of the toy vehicle with respect to the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings of the drivable surface by the imaging system of the toy vehicle; based on the current location of the toy vehicle, updating a position of the toy vehicle in the virtual representation of the drivable surface, determining, based on the virtual representation and the current location of the toy vehicle on the drivable surface, at least one specific action to be taken by the toy vehicle on the drivable surface; and transmitting, via wireless communication from the basestation wireless transceiver to the vehicle wireless transceiver of the toy vehicle, the action to be taken by the toy vehicle with respect to its position on the drivable surface in a manner whereupon the toy vehicles move in a coordinated manner on the surface. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification