Distributed system of autonomously controlled mobile agents
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a drivable surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating lateral positions with respect to the width of the drivable surface;
one or more entertainment mobile agents configured to travel in a primary direction along the drivable surface, each entertainment mobile agent comprising;
a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the entertainment mobile agent in the primary direction,a sensor, configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the entertainment mobile agent travels along the drivable 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 entertainment mobile agent on the drivable 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;
determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current lateral position of a corresponding entertainment mobile agent with respect to the width of the drivable surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the entertainment mobile agent;
store a virtual representation of the drivable surface;
determine, based at least in part on the virtual representation and the current lateral position of one or more entertainment mobile agents with respect to the width of the drivable surface, at least one action to be taken by one or more entertainment mobile agents; and
transmit, via wireless communication, one or more signals to one or more entertainment mobile wireless transceivers of one or more mobile agents, each of the one or more transmitted signals specifying at least one action to be taken by one or more entertainment mobile agents on the drivable surface.
4 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
46 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a drivable surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating lateral positions with respect to the width of the drivable surface; one or more entertainment mobile agents configured to travel in a primary direction along the drivable surface, each entertainment mobile agent comprising; a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the entertainment mobile agent in the primary direction, a sensor, configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the entertainment mobile agent travels along the drivable 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 entertainment mobile agent on the drivable 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; determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current lateral position of a corresponding entertainment mobile agent with respect to the width of the drivable surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the entertainment mobile agent; store a virtual representation of the drivable surface; determine, based at least in part on the virtual representation and the current lateral position of one or more entertainment mobile agents with respect to the width of the drivable surface, at least one action to be taken by one or more entertainment mobile agents; and transmit, via wireless communication, one or more signals to one or more entertainment mobile wireless transceivers of one or more mobile agents, each of the one or more transmitted signals specifying at least one action to be taken by one or more entertainment mobile agents on the drivable surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of controlling movement of one or more self-propelled entertainment mobile agents on a drivable surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating lateral positions with respect to the width of the drivable surface, wherein each self-propelled entertainment mobile agent includes a sensor configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the entertainment mobile agent travels in a primary direction along the drivable surface, the method comprising, for at least one self-propelled entertainment mobile agent, performing the steps of:
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(a) while traveling on the drivable surface, the entertainment mobile agent detecting at least one of the machine-readable codes via the entertainment mobile agent'"'"'s sensor; (b) responsive to detecting the at least one machine-readable code, the entertainment mobile agent controlling its movement on the drivable surface; (c) the entertainment mobile agent wirelessly transmitting data regarding the detected code to a basestation for use at the basestation in determining a lateral position of the entertainment mobile agent with respect to the width of the drivable surface and updating a position of the entertainment mobile agent in a virtual representation, and for use at the basestation in determining an action to be taken by the entertainment mobile agent based at least in part on the data regarding the detected at least one code; and (d) the entertainment mobile agent wirelessly receiving from the basestation at least one signal to specify the action to be taken by the entertainment mobile agent. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification