Methods for operating mechatronic transforming luminaire swarms

• US 10,820,395 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kastee, Jenish S., Baker, Youssef F., White, Sean P., Hixon, Nathaniel W., Megginson, Daniel M., Eegholm, Niels G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kira
• Application Number:
  US15/689,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20190069380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 700245
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39146 Swarm, multiagent, distributed multitask fusion, cooperation multi robots
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39153 Human supervisory control of swarm
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A method for operating a robotic agent swarm system. The method includes: sending, via a communication network, a reconfiguration instruction from an orchestration controller to a number of robotic luminaire agents, each of the robotic luminaire agents of the swarm system being held at least periodically against an architectural surface comprising a holonomic operational area by a suspension and having a light source configured to illuminate a region in a proximity of the architectural surface. The method also includes changing one or more operating conditions of one or more of the robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instruction, including holonomically moving at least one of the robotic luminaire agents from a first position on the holonomic operational area to a second position on the holonomic operational area.

Claims

1. A method for operating a robotic agent swarm system, the method comprising:

identifying a reconfiguration trigger and generating a reconfiguration instruction based on the reconfiguration trigger;

sending, via a communication network, the reconfiguration instruction from an orchestration controller to a plurality of robotic luminaire agents, each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents of the swarm system being held at least periodically against an architectural surface comprising a holonomic operational area by a suspension and having a light source configured to illuminate a region in a proximity of the architectural surface; and

changing one or more operating conditions of one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instruction, including holonomically moving at least one of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents from a first position on the holonomic operational area to a second position on the holonomic operational area;

wherein;

the reconfiguration trigger comprises detecting a change in respective light intensity at a plurality of measurement locations in the region in the proximity of the architectural surface, and

the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to change one or more of a respective light intensity output of the respective controllable light source of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, and changing a physical position of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, to equalize the respective light intensities at the plurality of measurement locations.

2. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein:

in each robotic luminaire agent, the suspension comprises one or more first magnetic elements, and the architectural surface comprises one or more second magnetic elements.

3. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein sending, via the communication network, the reconfiguration instruction from an orchestration controller to the plurality of robotic luminaire agents comprises sending the reconfiguration instruction simultaneously to all of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

4. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein sending, via the communication network, the reconfiguration instruction from an orchestration controller to the plurality of robotic luminaire agents comprises sending the reconfiguration instruction to an initial set of one or more robotic luminaire agents, and sending the reconfiguration instructions from the initial set of one or more robotic luminaire agents to a subsequent set of one or more robotic luminaire agents.

5. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the orchestration controller is separate from the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

6. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents comprises the orchestration controller.

7. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the reconfiguration trigger comprises identifying a specific time of day and the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to change operating conditions of one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

8. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the reconfiguration trigger comprises a reconfiguration request from a human user interface.

9. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 8, wherein the reconfiguration request comprises a request to place a light at a user-defined location.

10. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 9, wherein the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to move one or more robotic luminaire agents to the user-defined location.

11. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 8, wherein the reconfiguration request comprises a request to reconfigure the one or more robotic luminaire agents to a predetermined arrangement.

12. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, further comprising generating the reconfiguration instruction.

13. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 12, wherein:

generating the reconfiguration instruction comprises;

identifying a respective current positions of each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, and

identifying a respective destination position for one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents; and

the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to move to the respective destination position.

14. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 13, further comprising:

identifying an observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents;

comparing the observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to an expected change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents;

generating a new reconfiguration instruction for at least one of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

15. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 12, wherein:

generating the reconfiguration instruction comprises;

identifying a respective current positions of each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents,

identifying a respective destination position for one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, and

calculating a respective travel path from the respective current position to the respective destination position for each of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents; and

the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to proceed on the respective travel path.

16. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 12, wherein:

generating the reconfiguration instruction comprises identifying a desired final configuration of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents; and

the reconfiguration instruction comprises an instruction to the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to reconfigure to the desired final configuration.

17. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 16, wherein changing one or more operating conditions of one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instructions comprises:

selecting, by the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, a swarm leader;

selecting, by one or more of the robotic luminaire agents, one or more swarm followers;

operating the swarm leader to move to a final position in satisfaction of at least part of the desired final configuration; and

operating the swarm followers to follow the swarm leader to the final position.

18. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 16, wherein changing one or more operating conditions of one or more of the plurality of agents in response to the reconfiguration instructions comprises:

selecting, by the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, a swarm coordinator;

identifying, by the plurality of robotic luminaire agents, one or more agents available for reconfiguration;

determining, by the swarm coordinator, one or more respective final destinations for the one or more robotic luminaire agents available for reconfiguration;

determining, by the swarm coordinator, one or more respective travel paths to the respective final destinations for the one or more robotic luminaire agents available for reconfiguration; and

sending an instruction from the swarm coordinator to the one or more robotic luminaire agents available for reconfiguration to travel on their respective travel paths.

19. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 18, further comprising determining a time sequence for the one or more robotic luminaire agents available for reconfiguration to travel on their respective travel paths.

20. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein changing the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instructions comprises moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new physical location.

21. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 20, wherein moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new physical location comprises driving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents on the architectural surface.

22. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 20, wherein moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new physical location comprises tumbling the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents on the architectural surface.

23. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 20, wherein moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new physical location comprises flying the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

24. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 20, wherein moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new physical location comprises moving the one or more of the plurality of agents into a three-dimensional final configuration.

25. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein changing the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instructions comprises changing an intensity of light emitted from a controllable light source of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

26. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 25, wherein identifying the observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents comprises observing the plurality of robotic luminaire agents with a camera.

27. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 25, wherein identifying the observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents comprises observing the plurality of robotic luminaire agents with a real time location system.

28. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 25, further comprising:

identifying a respective position of each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents; and

displaying the respective positions of each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents on a human user interface.

29. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents;

comparing the observed change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to an expected change in the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents;

generating a modified reconfiguration instruction; and

sending, via the communication network, the modified reconfiguration instruction to the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

30. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the architectural surface comprises a ceiling.

31. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the architectural surface comprises a wall.

32. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the holonomic operational area comprises an area that is devoid in at least some regions thereof, of features that force the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to move along a pre-defined path.

33. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, further comprising sending, via the communication network, one or more operation signals from at least one of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to another of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents.

34. The method for operating a robotic agent swarm system according to claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless communication network.

35. A method for operating a robotic agent swarm system, the method comprising:

sending, via a communication network, a reconfiguration instruction from an orchestration controller to a plurality of robotic luminaire agents, each of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents of the swarm system being held at least periodically against an architectural surface comprising a holonomic operational area by a suspension and having a light source configured to illuminate a region in a proximity of the architectural surface; and

changing one or more operating conditions of one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instruction, including holonomically moving at least one of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents from a first position on the holonomic operational area to a second position on the holonomic operational area;

wherein changing the one or more operating conditions of the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents in response to the reconfiguration instructions comprises moving the one or more of the plurality of robotic luminaire agents to a new three-dimensional final configuration.