Supervisory control by non-humans

• US 8,041,664 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Lambert, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Starks; Wilbert L
• Application Number:
  US12/019,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 706/46, 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/004 Artificial life, i.e. computing arrangements simulating life

Abstract

Execution of functions by a non-human being is achieved by providing the non-human being with an I/O interface for receiving information, and permitting the non-human being to execute functions consistent with the abilities of the non-human being. An input/output interface is used to provide the non-human being with sensory information and to accept control information from the non-human being. An input/output processing system converts signals communicated through the input/output interface. An operation control interface is used for controlling the functions executed by the non-human being.

Claims

1. A method for execution of functions by a non-human being, said functions consistent with the abilities of the non-human being, the method comprising:

providing a sensor in a remote environment that is remote from the non-human being in a local environment;

generating a signal with the sensor that represents a characteristic of the remote environment;

transmitting the signal to the local environment;

transforming the signal into a secondary signal with a computer, wherein the nature of the secondary signal is such that the natural abilities of the non-human being are better suited to detecting and/or processing the secondary signal than the natural abilities of a human being;

exposing the non-human being to the secondary signal; and

monitoring a reaction of the non-human being to the secondary signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of manipulating, by the non-human being, in response to the secondary signal, a remote apparatus in the remote environment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-human being is a dolphin, the sensor is an underwater microphone, the remote environment is an underwater environment of interest, and the remote apparatus is an underwater vehicle, and wherein the step of manipulating the remote apparatus further comprises the step of maneuvering the remote apparatus through the remote underwater environment of interest by the dolphin through manipulation of a dolphin-appropriate computer interface in the local environment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-human being is a dog, the sensor is a chemical detector configured to detect concentration levels of a chemical, the secondary signal is an scent, the strength of the scent being a function of the concentration level of the chemical detected by the chemical detector, and the remote apparatus is a vehicle configured to move under the supervisory control of the dog.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-human being is a pig, the sensor is a probe comprising a chemical detector, the remote environment is a mine field, the secondary signal comprises a vegetable scent, and the remote apparatus is a is a mine removal apparatus, and wherein the step of manipulating the remote apparatus further comprises the step of maneuvering the mine removal apparatus through the mine field by the pig through manipulation of a pig-anatomy-appropriate computer interface in the local environment.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-human being is a pig, the sensor is a probe comprising a metal detector, the remote environment is a mine field, and the secondary signal comprises a vegetable scent.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of manipulating the remote apparatus further comprises the step of maneuvering a mine removal apparatus through the mine field by the pig through manipulation of a pig-appropriate computer interface in the local environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a dolphin, the sensor is an underwater microphone, and the remote environment is an underwater environment of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a dog, the sensor is a chemical detector configured to detect concentration levels of a chemical, and the secondary signal is an scent, the strength of the scent being a function of the concentration level of the chemical detected by the chemical detector.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of triggering, by the dog, an alarm if the dog detects the scent.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a dog, the sensor is a radioactive isotope detector, and the secondary signal is an scent, the strength of the scent being a function of the concentration level of the radiation detected by the radioactive isotope detector.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of triggering, by the dog, an alarm if the dog detects the scent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a dog, the sensor is a series of microphones and video cameras, the remote environment comprises multiple regions that would normally be beyond the geographical region that could be sensed by a single dog if the single dog were present in the remote environment, and the secondary signal comprises visual and audio signals.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of triggering, by the dog, an alarm if the dog detects an intruder in the remote environment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a prey species, the sensor is a series of microphones and video cameras and the secondary signal comprises visual and audio signals.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of triggering, by the prey species, an alarm if the prey species detects an intruder in the remote environment.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a pig, the sensor is a probe comprising a chemical detector, the remote environment is a mine field, and the secondary signal comprises a vegetable scent.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is mold, the sensor comprises heat detectors, light detectors, and humidity detectors, and wherein the remote environment is a windshield, and the secondary signal comprises heat, light, and humidity, and the method of claim 1 further comprises the step of adjusting the amplitude of the secondary signal such that mold begins to grow in the local environment prior to growing in the remote environment.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-human being is a cancer cell.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote environment is dangerous to the non-human being.