Distributed system of autonomously controlled mobile agents
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes embedded in the surface and indicating locations on the surface;
one or more entertainment mobile agents configured to travel along the surface, each entertainment mobile agent comprising;
a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the entertainment mobile agent,an imaging system, configured to detect the machine-readable codes embedded in the surface as the entertainment mobile agent travels along the surface,a mobile wireless transceiver, anda microcontroller operatively coupled to the propulsion mechanism, the imaging system, and the mobile wireless transceiver, the microcontroller configured to control movement of the entertainment 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;
construct a virtual representation of the surface based on the machine readable-readable codes detected by at least one imaging system of at least one entertainment mobile agent and received via wireless communication from at least one mobile wireless transceiver of at least one entertainment mobile agent;
store the constructed virtual representation of the surface;
determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current location of a corresponding entertainment mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the imaging system of the entertainment mobile agent;
determine, based on the stored virtual representation and the current location of one or more entertainment mobile agents, 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 mobile wireless transceivers of one or more entertainment mobile agents, each of the one or more transmitted signals specifying at least one action to be taken by the entertainment mobile agent on the surface;
wherein the imaging system comprises;
a light source outputting light toward the machine-readable codes; and
an imaging sensor for detecting light reflected from the machine-readable codes;
and wherein the surface further comprises a layer covering the machine-readable codes, wherein the layer is transparent to light output by the light source of the entertainment mobile agent'"'"'s imaging system but is opaque at human visible light wavelengths.
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.
48 Citations
53 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes embedded in the surface and indicating locations on the surface; one or more entertainment mobile agents configured to travel along the surface, each entertainment mobile agent comprising; a propulsion mechanism, configured to impart motive force to the entertainment mobile agent, an imaging system, configured to detect the machine-readable codes embedded in the surface as the entertainment mobile agent travels along the surface, a mobile wireless transceiver, and a microcontroller operatively coupled to the propulsion mechanism, the imaging system, and the mobile wireless transceiver, the microcontroller configured to control movement of the entertainment 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; construct a virtual representation of the surface based on the machine readable-readable codes detected by at least one imaging system of at least one entertainment mobile agent and received via wireless communication from at least one mobile wireless transceiver of at least one entertainment mobile agent; store the constructed virtual representation of the surface; determine via wireless communication from each mobile wireless transceiver a current location of a corresponding entertainment mobile agent with respect to the surface based on machine-readable codes detected by the imaging system of the entertainment mobile agent; determine, based on the stored virtual representation and the current location of one or more entertainment mobile agents, 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 mobile wireless transceivers of one or more entertainment mobile agents, each of the one or more transmitted signals specifying at least one action to be taken by the entertainment mobile agent on the surface; wherein the imaging system comprises; a light source outputting light toward the machine-readable codes; and an imaging sensor for detecting light reflected from the machine-readable codes; and wherein the surface further comprises a layer covering the machine-readable codes, wherein the layer is transparent to light output by the light source of the entertainment mobile agent'"'"'s imaging system but is opaque at human visible light wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A toy system comprising:
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a drivable surface comprising a plurality of segments, wherein each segment comprises markings, embedded in the segment, 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 embedded in the segments, 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 embedded in 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; constructing a virtual representation of the drivable surface based on images taken of the markings embedded in the segments by the imaging system of at least one toy vehicle and received via wireless communication from at least one vehicle mobile wireless transceiver; storing the constructed virtual representation of the drivable surface; 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 embedded in the drivable surface by the imaging system of the toy vehicle; determining, based on the stored virtual representation and the current location of each toy vehicle on the drivable surface an action to be taken by at least one toy vehicle on the drivable surface; and communicating to the microcontroller of at least one 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; wherein the imaging system comprises; a light source outputting light toward the markings; and an imaging sensor for detecting light reflected from the markings; and wherein at least one segment of the drivable surface further comprises a layer covering the markings embedded in the at least one segment, wherein the layer is transparent to light output by the light source of the vehicle'"'"'s imaging system but is opaque at human visible light wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of controlling movement of one or more self-propelled entertainment mobile agents on a surface having a plurality of machine-readable codes embedded in the surface under a layer covering the machine-readable codes, the machine-readable codes indicating locations on the surface, wherein each self-propelled entertainment mobile agent includes an imaging system configured to detect the machine-readable codes embedded in the surface as the entertainment mobile agent travels along the 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 surface, the entertainment mobile agent outputting light toward the machine-readable codes and detecting at least one of the machine-readable codes embedded in the surface via the entertainment mobile agent'"'"'s imaging system; (b) responsive to detecting the at least one machine-readable code, the entertainment mobile agent controlling its movement on the surface; (c) the entertainment mobile agent wirelessly transmitting data regarding the detected code to a basestation for use at the basestation in constructing a virtual representation of the surface, and for further use at the basestation in determining a location of the entertainment mobile agent and updating a position of the entertainment mobile agent in the virtual representation, and for further use at the basestation in determining an action to be taken by the entertainment mobile agent based 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; wherein the layer covering the machine-readable codes is transparent to light output by the entertainment mobile agent but is opaque at human visible light wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of controlling movement of one or more self-propelled toy vehicles on a drivable surface that includes markings, embedded in the surface under a layer covering the 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 outputting light toward the markings and acquiring an image of at least a portion of the markings embedded in 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 constructing a virtual representation of the surface, and for further use at the basestation in updating a position of the toy vehicle in the virtual representation of the drivable surface, and for further 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; wherein the layer covering the machine-readable codes is transparent to light output by the toy vehicle'"'"'s imaging system but is opaque at human visible light wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification