Method and system for communication link prediction in distributed robotic networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018288774-A1
Application number	US-201815866761-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2018
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to distributed robotic networks, and more particularly to communication link-prediction in the distributed robotic networks. In one embodiment, robots in a robotic network, which are mobile, can establish communication with a cloud network through a fog node, wherein the fog node is a static node. A robot can directly communicate with a fog node (R2F) if the fog node is in the communication range of the robot. If there is no fog node in the communication range of the robot, then the robot can establish communication with another robot (R2R) and indirectly communicate with the fog node through the connected robot. Communication link prediction is used to identify one or more communication links that can be used by a robot for establishing communication with the cloud network. A link that satisfies requirements in terms of link quality and any other parameter is used for communication purpose.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 ) A method for establishing communication in a distributed robotic network, said method comprising:
transmitting a beacon signal by a robot in the distributed robotic network; collecting response to the beacon signal, from at least one node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, wherein the at least one node is a fog node or a robot; determining a link quality with the at least one node from which the response was collected, by the robot; selecting the at least one node if the at least one node satisfies at least one requirement in terms of link quality, based on the determined link quality of the at least one node, by the robot; establishing communication with the selected at least one node, by the robot; and establishing data transmission with a cloud network of the distributed robotic network, through the selected at least one node, by the robot.

2 ) The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the robot determines the link quality with said at least one node, in terms of at least a signal strength with said at least one node.

3 ) The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein establishing a data transmission comprises of:
establishing connection with the fog node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if the determined link quality with the fog node meets a threshold value of link quality; and establishing connection with the fog node through another robot of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if the determined link quality with the fog node does not meet the threshold value of link quality, wherein the determined link quality with the another robot meets the threshold value of link quality.

4 ) The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each fog node of the distributed robotic network forms a cluster with corresponding robots at any point of time.

5 ) A distributed robotic network, comprising:
a hardware processor; and a storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions causing the hardware processor to:
transmit a beacon signal by a robot in the distributed robotic network;
collect response to the beacon signal, from at least one node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, wherein the one node is a fog node or a robot;
determine a link quality with the at least one node from which the response was collected, by the robot;
select the at least one node, if the at least one node satisfies at least one requirement in terms of link quality, based on the determined link quality, by the robot;
establish communication with the selected at least one node, by the robot; and
establish data transmission with a cloud network of the distributed robotic network, through the selected at least one node, by the robot.

6 ) The distributed robotic network as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the robot determines the link quality with said at least one node, in terms of at least one of signal strength with said at least one node.

7 ) The distributed robotic network as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the robot is configured to establish the data transmission by:
establishing connection with a fog node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if predicted link quality with the fog node meets a threshold value of link quality; establishing connection with the fog node through another robot of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if predicted link quality with the fog node does not meet the threshold value of link quality, wherein predicted link quality for the another robot meets the threshold value of link quality; and establishing connection with the cloud network, through the fog node.

8 ) The distributed robotic network as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each fog node of the distributed robotic network is configured to form one cluster each, with corresponding robots at any point of time.

9 ) One or more non-transitory machine readable information storage mediums comprising one or more instructions which when executed by one or more hardware processors causes:
transmitting a beacon signal by a robot in a distributed robotic network; collecting response to the beacon signal, from at least one node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, wherein the at least one node is a fog node or a robot; determining a link quality with the at least one node from which the response was collected, by the robot; selecting the at least one node if the at least one node satisfies at least one requirement in terms of link quality, based on the determined link quality of the at least one node, by the robot; establishing communication with the selected at least one node, by the robot; and establishing data transmission with a cloud network of the distributed robotic network, through the selected at least one node, by the robot.

10 ) The one or more non-transitory machine readable information storage mediums of claim 9 , wherein the one or more instructions which when executed by the one or more hardware processors, for establishing the data connection, further cause:
establishing connection with the fog node of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if the determined link quality with the fog node meets a threshold value of link quality; and establishing connection with the fog node through another robot of the distributed robotic network, by the robot, if the determined link quality with the fog node does not meet the threshold value of link quality, wherein the determined link quality with the another robot meets the threshold value of link quality.

Assignees

• Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

Inventors

• Karjee Jyotirmoy
• Behera Sipra
• Rath Hemant Kumar
• Simha Anantha

Classifications

• H04W72/542 Primary

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W84/22

  with access to wired networks · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title