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;
one or more 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;
determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current location of a corresponding mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the mobile agent;
store a virtual representation of the surface;
determine based on said virtual representation and the current location of one or more mobile agents at least one action to be taken by one or more mobile agents; and
transmit, via wireless communication, one or more signals to one or more 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 the mobile agent 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.
4 Citations
59 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; one or more 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; determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current location of a corresponding mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the sensor of the mobile agent; store a virtual representation of the surface; determine based on said virtual representation and the current location of one or more mobile agents at least one action to be taken by one or more mobile agents; and transmit, via wireless communication, one or more signals to one or more 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 the mobile agent 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)
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22. 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; one or more 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; determining via wireless communication from each vehicle wireless transceiver to the basestation wireless transceiver a current location of the toy vehicle on the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings of the drivable surface by the imaging system of the toy vehicle; storing a virtual representation of the drivable surface and for determining based on said virtual representation and the current location of each toy vehicle on the drivable surface an action to be taken by the toy vehicle on the drivable surface; and communicating to the microcontroller of each toy vehicle the action to be taken by the toy vehicle on the drivable surface via wireless communication from the basestation wireless transceiver to the vehicle wireless transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of controlling movement of one or more self-propelled mobile agents on a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes indicating locations on the surface, wherein each self-propelled mobile agent includes a sensor configured to detect the machine-readable codes as the mobile agent travels along the surface, the method comprising, for at least one self-propelled mobile agent, performing the steps of:
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(a) while traveling on the surface, the mobile agent detecting at least one of the machine-readable codes via the mobile agent'"'"'s sensor; (b) responsive to detecting the at least one machine-readable code, the mobile agent controlling its movement on the surface; (c) the mobile agent wirelessly transmitting data regarding the detected code to a basestation for use at the basestation in determining a location of the mobile agent and updating a position of the mobile agent in a virtual representation, and for use at the basestation in determining an action to be taken by the mobile agent based on the data regarding the detected at least one code; and (d) the mobile agent wirelessly receiving from the basestation at least one signal to specify the action to be taken by the mobile agent. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. The method of claim 51, wherein determining a high-level behavior for the mobile agent comprises determining a high-level behavior for the mobile agent using at least one selected from the group consisting of:
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an artificial intelligence algorithm; an algorithm that incorporates randomness; and a global planning algorithm; and wherein determining an action to be taken by the mobile agent further comprises determining a lower-level behavior for the mobile agent according to a local planning algorithm, based at least in part on at least one of a position and behavior of at least one other mobile agent.
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52. A method of controlling movement of one or more self-propelled toy vehicles on a drivable surface that includes markings which define at least one path of toy vehicle travel on the drivable surface and which encode locations on the drivable surface, wherein each toy vehicle includes an imaging system for acquiring images of the markings, the method comprising:
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(a) while traveling on the drivable surface, a toy vehicle acquiring an image of at least a portion of the markings of the drivable surface via the toy vehicle'"'"'s imaging system; (b) responsive to the image acquired in step (a), the toy vehicle controlling its movement on the drivable surface; (c) the toy vehicle wirelessly communicating to a basestation data regarding a location where the portion of the markings in step (a) was acquired, such data for use at the basestation in updating a position of the toy vehicle in a virtual representation of the drivable surface, and for use at the basestation in determining an action to be taken by the toy vehicle on the drivable surface; and (d) the toy vehicle wirelessly receiving from the basestation at least one signal to specify the action to be taken by the toy vehicle on the drivable surface. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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Specification