Conflict resolution method for a remotely controlled device and conflict resolution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12299481-B2
Application number	US-202016822534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Sep 18, 2017
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A conflict resolution method for a remotely controlled device is provided. The method includes: issuing a command for the device by a remote control center or by the device; determining a criticality level of the command; depending on the criticality level of the command, sending the command to the other one of the device and the control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command; and executing or disregarding the command by the device depending on the criticality level of the command and, if applicable, on the acknowledgment or refusal of the command.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conflict resolution method for a device comprising:
issuing a command for the device by the device,
wherein the device can issue the command on its own;
determining, by the device in response to the command issued by the device, a criticality level of the command;
depending on the criticality level of the command, sending the command to a remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command; and
executing or disregarding the command by the device depending on the criticality level of the command and based on the acknowledgment or refusal of the command;
wherein the criticality level determines whether any acknowledgment by the remote control center is necessary before the command is executed;
wherein issuing the command for the device by the device comprises:
determining a control mode of the device by the device,
wherein sending the command to the remote control center by the device further depends on the control mode of the device,
wherein executing or disregarding the command by the device further depends on the control mode of the device,
wherein, in a normal control mode, the device is configured to send the command to the remote control center by the device based on the determined criticality level of the command, wherein, in a priority mode of the device, the device is configured to directly execute the commands irrespective of the criticality level of the command, and wherein, in a lockout mode of the device, the command needs to be acknowledged by the remote control center irrespective of the criticality level of the command;
in response to determining that the control mode of the device is in the normal mode and the criticality level of the command is high,
the command from the device is executed by the device before the device receives an acknowledgment or refusal of the command from the remote control center in response to determining the acknowledgment or the refusal cannot be obtained within a specified time frame, and
wherein, in response to the acknowledgment or refusal of the command not being received from the remote control center within the specified time frame, the command is reversed by reverting parameters of the device to the parameters before the command was executed by the device; and
changing the control mode of the device by the remote control center.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
changing the criticality level of the command.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command if the criticality level is high.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is not sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command if the criticality level is low.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command irrespective of the criticality level when the control mode is set to a priority mode for the remote control center.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is given priority over commands issued by the remote control center for the device when the control mode is set to a priority mode for the device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command needs to be acknowledged by the other one of the device and the control center irrespective of the criticality level when the control mode is set to a lockout mode for the one of the device and the control center issuing the command.

8. A conflict resolution system, comprising:
a device to be remotely controlled; and
a remote control center,
wherein the device is configured to:
issue a command for the device on its own;
determine a criticality level of the command, by the device issuing the command in response to the command issued by the device; and
depending on the criticality level of the command, send the command to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command,
wherein the device is configured to:
execute or disregard the command depending on the criticality level of the command and, if applicable, on the acknowledgment or refusal of the command;
wherein issuing the command for the device comprises:
determine a control mode of the device by the device,
wherein sending the command by the device for acknowledgment or refusal of the command from the device to the remote control center further depends on the control mode of the device,
wherein executing or disregarding the command by the device further depends on the control mode of the device,
wherein, in a normal control mode, the device is configured to send the command to the remote control center by the device based on the determined criticality level of the command, wherein, in a priority mode of the device, the device is configured to directly execute the commands irrespective of the criticality level of the command, and wherein, in a lockout mode of the device, the command needs to be acknowledged by the remote control center irrespective of the criticality level of the command;
in response to determining that the control mode of the device is in the normal mode and the criticality level of the command is high,
the command from the device is executed by the device before the device receives an acknowledgment or refusal of the command from the remote control center in response to determining the acknowledgment or the refusal cannot be obtained within a specified time frame, and
wherein, in response to the acknowledgment or refusal of the command not being received from the remote control center within the specified time frame, the command is reversed by reverting parameters of the device to the parameters before the command was executed by the device; and
changing the control mode of the device by the remote control center.

9. The conflict resolution system of claim 8 , wherein the device is a moveable vessel and the remote control center is stationary.

10. The conflict resolution system of claim 8 , wherein the device, and the remote control center are remote from each other.

11. The conflict resolution system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the device, and the remote control center comprises a network interface for connecting the device to a data network, in particular a global data network.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising changing the criticality level of the command.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command if the criticality is high.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the command is not sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command if the criticality level is low.

15. The conflict resolution system of claim 9 , wherein the device and the remote control center are remote from each other.

16. The conflict resolution system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the device, and the remote control center comprises a network interface for connecting the device to a data network.

17. The conflict resolution system of claim 8 , wherein the command is sent to the remote control center for acknowledgment or refusal of the command irrespective of the criticality level when the control mode is set to a priority mode for the remote control center.

18. The conflict resolution system of claim 8 , wherein the command is given priority over commands issued by the remote control center for the device when the

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Schlegel Roman
• Locher Thomas

Classifications

• G06F11/3006

  where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50) · CPC title

• G06F9/524

  Deadlock detection or avoidance · CPC title

• G06F9/4818

  Priority circuits therefor · CPC title

• H04L2012/40286

  the transportation system being a waterborne vessel · CPC title

• G06F9/4881 Primary

  Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues · CPC title