×

Distributed system of autonomously controlled mobile agents

  • US 8,951,092 B2
  • Filed: 04/29/2014
  • Issued: 02/10/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

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.

View all claims
  • 6 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×