Multidimensional quantification and distributed autonomic system management

Abstract

Automated system management is provided in which part or all of the system operations are controlled / managed through predefined attributes embedded in components of the management system itself. The creation of attributes with quantifiers allows rules for system management to be programmed in such a way that any user, customer, provider or any other type of actor can interact with the system without the need for intermediaries or approvers.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 771,311, filed November 26, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] Statement regarding federally funded research or development

[0004] none. Technical Field

[0005] This technology relates to methods and systems for automated management that work by quantizing all or some of the dimensions or aspects that are part of a given system, creating one or more types of quantum (quanta). This technology also relates to quantum-based methods and systems for automated system management in other applications, including, for example, performance-based free-flight ATM (air traffic management), transportation networks, road traffic prediction and management, energy distribution, public networks of sensors, local electromagnetic spectrum allocation and track tracking, and traffic management. Background Technology

[0006] In the past, different systems required different management approaches, mainly due to the specific needs of system management, such as security, confidentiality, failure costs, performance, redundancy, reliability and resilience; as well as system-specific attributes, such as complexity, size and actual physical implementation.

[0007] It would be advantageous to provide a quantum-based automated management system and method that can be used to manage different sets of problems. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The following detailed description of exemplary, non-limiting illustrative embodiments will be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic block diagram of an example quantum-based distributed automated system management computing system;

[0010] Figure 1a , Figure 1b , Figure 1c and Figure 1d An example of multidimensional quantization is shown;

[0011] Figure 2a and Figure 2b An example of quantization for graphics is shown;

[0012] Figure 3a and Figure 3b This demonstrates using time as a parameter for defining a quantum. Figure 3a ) or as an additional dimension used to define quantum (Figure 3b

[0013] Figure 4a Figure 4b Figure 4c Figure 4d shows an example of automated management in a simple system;

[0014] Figure 5a Figure 5b Figure 5c Figure 5d shows an example of embedded governance in a simple system;

[0015] Figure 6 shows actors and quanta for a performance-based free flight ATM example embodiment;

[0016] Figure 7 shows a conceptual 3D plot of reservation quanta along a trajectory;

[0017] Figure 8a Figure 8b shows a conceptual 2D plot of reservation quanta along the same trajectory for a low-precision navigation vehicle and a high-precision navigation vehicle, respectively;

[0018] Figure 9 shows operation through adjacent airspace;

[0019] Figure 10 shows an example of a user-defined flight plan from A to B that contours restricted airspace, complies with noise restrictions, and complies with a navigation easement;

[0020] Figure 11a Figure 11b shows real-time changes in airspace availability and reroute trajectories;

[0021] Figure 12 shows a possible transition from a prior art system to a system similar to that presented in the present example embodiment; and

[0022] Figure 13 shows a conceptual plot of an air transportation network and 1D quanta. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Distributed automated system management

[0024] The approach presented here provides improved automated system management by controlling / managing some or all of the system operations through pre-defined attributes embedded in components of the management system itself. The creation of quanta with attributes is intended to allow the rules for system management to be programmed in a way that any user, customer, provider, or any other type of actor can interact with the system without the need for intermediaries or approvers.​​​​​​​​​

[0025] A method of managing a system includes defining participants of the system and their attributes; quantifying all or some of the dimensions or aspects that are part of a given system, creating one or several types of quanta and their attributes; where participant and quantum attributes allow for programming of rules for system management in a manner where participants and quanta are able to interact with the system and among themselves; and providing for automated system management by pre-defined attributes embedded in quanta and / or in participants that control / manage part or all of the system operations. The method can also include a communication network that connects all components of the system, which can allow for exchange of messages, requests, commands, transactions, and more complex, data-intensive communication and storage capabilities. The method can use components of the system that include at least the quanta and participants.

[0026] Some embodiments can employ centralized design choices and technologies in their implementation, which limit the benefits provided by the distributed nature of such an approach. Examples of centralized design choices are, but are not limited to: one central controller as a participant, multiple decentralized controllers as participants, using participants in the network as proxies for several other participants outside the network, and approval by a single participant programmed in the quanta. Examples of centralized technologies are, but are not limited to, a central computing system, where quanta are represented by a database registry or independent code that share a centralized infrastructure.

[0027] Figure 1 An example system 1000 is shown that includes multiple decentralized, distributed quantum controllers 1002. In this embodiment, there can be any number of quantum controllers 1002(1), 1002(2),..., 1002(N). These controllers 1002 can each include a processor 1004, such as a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (graphics processing unit), an ASIC hardware-based processor, a gate array, or any combination thereof. In each case, the processor 1004 is operatively coupled to a non-transitory memory 1006, which can include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, or any combination thereof. The memory 1006 can store instructions that, when executed by the processor 1004, perform quantum-based processing as described herein. The various quantum controllers 1002 communicate via a network 1008, which can be any kind of network, such as wired, wireless, or any combination thereof.

[0028] In the example embodiment shown, the quantum controllers 1002 each receive inputs. The quantum controllers 1002 each process these inputs according to quantum-based processing commanded by executable instructions stored in the memory 1006. Each quantum controller 1002 can process its respective inputs independently of the processing of the other quantum processors, but can also coordinate distributed processing across the system 1000, as explained below in various examples.

[0029] The overall system 1000 can produce one or more outputs, as shown. These outputs can be generated by one or more of the quantum processors 1002 and / or by an arbiter (not shown) that includes an additional processor that receives outputs from the various quantum controllers 1002 and generates the output(s) based thereon.

[0030] As noted above, Figure 1 The example architecture of the system 1000 is merely one example architecture. Other examples can be centralized, with each quantum controller 1002 being implemented by a process executing on a multi-threaded computer system. In another alternative, each quantum controller 1002 can be implemented as a virtual machine in a multi-core, multi-threaded processor.

[0031] An overview of the example architecture can be a quantum-based system, comprising: a first quantum controller that performs a quantum-based process based on at least one quantum created from quantization of at least one dimension; a second quantum controller that performs a quantum-based process based on at least one quantum created from quantization of at least one dimension; and a communication connection that enables the first and second quantum controllers to communicate. The quantum controlled by the first quantum controller can be the same as the quantum controlled by the second quantum controller; or the quantum controlled by the first quantum controller can be different from the quantum controlled by the second quantum controller.

[0032] Example: data and information sharing in distributed systems

[0033] Embodiments of the proposed method not only define a system with quanta, participants, and their attributes, but also define a distributed communication network that is agnostic to any connectivity technology used to manage the system. Interactions between different quanta and participants can include not only simple messages, requests, commands, or transactions, but also more complex, data-intensive communication and storage capabilities.

[0034] In a given system, several participants can share their own data in a peer-to-peer (e.g., point-to-point) or broadcast fashion over a distributed network. In such a system, one or more participants can process such data into information and then communicate it back to the network in a peer-to-peer (e.g., point-to-point) or broadcast fashion again. Finally, some participants can be responsible for recording the history of certain data broadcast over the network, while other participants can act as a distributed storage infrastructure available to the quanta and participants in that given system.

[0035] Exemplary non-limiting embodiments provide a general approach to design a distributed automated system management for a plurality of different systems, taking advantage of several advances in areas such as digitization, connectivity (increasingly redundant and ubiquitous), distributed computing capabilities, computing on the edge, IoT technology (Internet of Things), distributed ledgers and smart contracts, among others.

[0036] These improvements allow, for example, to provide security, confidentiality and resilience as part of the system management approach with minimal associated costs or increased complexity. Exemplary non-limiting approaches can provide, for example, high security and safety for applications that would otherwise employ simpler, less capable solutions without incurring high costs and / or complexity.

[0037] Exemplary non-limiting embodiments apply the approach and system to the following exemplary applications:

[0038] • Performance-based free flight ATM (air traffic management),

[0039] • Transport networks

[0040] • Road traffic prediction and management

[0041] • Energy distribution

[0042] • Sensor public networks

[0043] • Local electromagnetic spectrum allocation

[0044] • Orbital tracking and traffic management.

[0045] Embodiments provide a method for distributed automated system management that works by quantifying all or some of the dimensions or aspects in the dimensions or aspects that are part of a given system, creating one or more types of quanta. In addition, all types of participants of the given system will be defined. With all types of quanta and participants defined, the definition of their attributes and the criteria for interaction within the system form the rules for automated system management to occur, even some of the rules that will govern its evolution.

[0046] Multi-dimensional quantification

[0047] As a non-limiting example, the method of managing a system can include: defining participants of the system and their attributes; quantifying all or some of the dimensions or aspects that are part of a given system, creating one or several types of quanta and their attributes; where participant and quantum attributes allow for programming of rules for system management in a way that participants and quanta are able to interact with the system and among themselves; and providing for automated system management by controlling / managing some or all of the system operations through predefined attributes embedded in quanta and / or participants. This method can also include establishing communication through a network that connects all components of the system, which can allow for exchange of messages, requests, commands, transactions, and more complex, data-intensive communication and storage capabilities. In this example, components represent at least quanta and participants.

[0048] In a non-limiting example embodiment, different dimensions of a system to be managed are quantified, each of these dimensions ultimately having different characteristics, creating multiple quanta. Figures 1a-1d Examples of quantification for different spatial dimensions are shown. For example, spatial dimensions can be quantified in a way that each quantum represents, for example:

[0049] • a point (no dimension or zero-dimensional space) (see Figure 1c ),

[0050] • length (see Figure 1a ),

[0051] • area (see Figure 1b ),

[0052] • volume (see Figure 1c ), or

[0053] • multi-dimensional volume (more than 3 dimensions) (see Figure 1d ).

[0054] In more detail, Figure 1a a typical one-dimensional quantum is shown - essentially a number line divided into discrete values (e.g. integers). Thus, values of the 1D quantum according to Figure 1a will be defined by any integer in this embodiment, without employing any fractional values.

[0055] Figure 1bTwo different examples of 2D quantum mechanics are shown. The scene on the left shows a series of segmented concentric circles. Thus, the markers used for such segments indicate: (1) a specific one of the concentric circles, and (2) the azimuth of a specific segment within that specific concentric circle. The scene on the right shows segmented rectangular (square) regions. The markers used for such segments within the square regions indicate the X and Y positions of the segments in the 2D segment array within the square regions.

[0056] Figure 1c An example of a 3D quantum is shown. The identifiers for each segment in the cube product indicate the X, Y, and Z positions of the segment in the 3D segment array in the cube product.

[0057] Figure 1c It also shows that zero-dimensional quantum can be defined within the product of the cube (or any dimensional space).

[0058] Figure 1d An example of a multidimensional (4D) quantum is shown. This example comprises a linear array of cube products. The 4D quantum indicator will indicate: (1) a specific one of the cube products, and (2) the X / Y / Z position in the indicated cube product.

[0059] Any number of dimensions is possible. Any coordinate system, including, for example, Cartesian coordinates or spherical coordinates, is also possible.

[0060] Different quantum types can exist within the same system if needed. For example, such as Figure 1c As shown, the system can be quantized in 3-dimensional space, creating quanta to represent smaller volumes in that space, and also having multiple zero-dimensional quanta distributed in the same space. Another example is to use some of those 3-dimensional quanta, but not all of them, to represent additional dimensions outside the stated 3-dimensional space (see [link to documentation]). Figure 1d ).

[0061] As another example, in the case of a system represented by a graph, the edges can be quantized in such a way that their lengths are divided into several quanta (one-dimensional quantization along each edge of the graph), such as... Figure 2a As shown. Alternatively, each edge as a whole or each vertex (the intersection of two or more edges) can be quantum (dimensional-free), such as... Figure 2b As shown.

[0062] For systems that are not timeless, time may or may not be an additional dimension used to define quantum creation, depending on the system's characteristics, behavior, goals, and even what is more suitable for achieving a particular expectation.

[0063] When time is used to define the dimension of quantum creation, we will see only one or several quantum quanta representing a moment in the system, and quantum sequences will be needed or used to represent the progression or sequence of time. See also Figure 3b It shows Figure 1c The sequence of 3D quantum particles is shown, but organized in terms of time progression or sequence, such that time is an additional (in this case, a fourth) quantum dimension.

[0064] Where time is not used to define the dimension of quantum creation, it can be considered as an additional parameter for interacting with quantum and participants, and for recording the history of the system. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3a In this case, time can be a continuous or discrete physical quantity.

[0065] Each quantum represents the smallest resolution among all quantized dimensions governing a given system. Each quantum can have multiple properties assigned to it. Properties can be equal across all quantumes, equal across different parts of the quantum, or unique to each quantum. The definition of properties can take into account all types of factors relevant to the system, whether internal or external, and will be designed according to the natural dynamics of each system and the management and governance required for its intended operation (i.e., the authority and criteria to change the rules).

[0066] In addition to the quantum with properties, embodiments of this method can also define users, clients, providers, and other types of participants who interact with the quantum and interact with each other in various ways. Similar to the quantum, participants also have properties that are registered in ways in which the quantum and other participants can interact with them. Examples of properties for such participants can be, but are not limited to:

[0067] Current situation,

[0068] Current status

[0069] • Logo

[0070] • Types of participants

[0071] • Allowed operation types in the system

[0072] • The type of operation being performed

[0073] ·Date of Expiry,

[0074] • The history of activities and abilities

[0075] ·performance,

[0076] • Authorization of certain aspects of the system,

[0077] • Real-time data from participants

[0078] Services provided to other participants

[0079] ·other.

[0080] Different participants and different quantumes have different permissions and responsibilities regarding the properties of other quantumes and participants. This aspect of the system management and governance techniques proposed by this approach offers advantageous capabilities and flexibility.

[0081] Example distributed automated system management

[0082] For example, consider Figure 4a The system described herein is a distributed, automated system management system, where a quantum represents a resource that can be reserved by two types of participants (clients C1 and C2). In this case, client C2 has the right to emergency use, regardless of any current or planned reservations. Each quantum has an attribute (P1) indicating whether it can be reserved, free, or reserved at any time for emergency use. Furthermore, each quantum has attributes for establishing when it can be reserved (P2), which client(s) are allowed to reserve the quantum (P3), and C2's permission for emergency use (P4).

[0083] If C1 interacts with four quantumes to retain them, but one quantum has a rule embedded in its properties indicating that it cannot be retained at the requested time, then C1 receives three acknowledgments from the three quantumes that were successfully retained, and one "rejection" from the fourth quantum. See also Figure 4b C2 then requested that two quantum units be reserved for an emergency. However, one of them had already been allocated to C1, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4c Since C2 has priority, this quantum will be assigned to C2, and both C1 and C2 will be notified to cancel their reservation and confirmation respectively. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4d .

[0084] This is a very simple example illustrating how governance rules can be embedded in quantum and participant attributes. However, these governance rules can be quite complex, incorporating logical operators, algorithms, and encryption for security purposes.

[0085] In addition to automated system management, quantum and participant attributes enable embedded governance rules to support system evolution and resolve management decisions in situations where problems cannot be resolved automatically.

[0086] For example, in the same system described earlier, consider participant S1 with the authority to change the rules governing a given quantum, participant S2 with the same authority governing two other quantumes, and both should agree to change the rules governing a fourth quantum. See [link to previous section] Figure 5a .

[0087] In this scenario, if S1 defines a new rule and updates all quantumes it has permissions for, quantumes with permissions shared with S2 will not make the change effective until S2 also updates it, regardless of whether the change should take effect immediately or in the future. See also Figure 5b , 5c 5d.

[0088] The proposed method leverages the benefits associated with distributed systems, such as reliability, resilience, accessibility, scalability, and enhanced security. In particular, embodiments of the proposed method maximize these and other benefits typically associated with distributed systems when designed and implemented using DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology), which is capable of running code embedded in a distributed ledger (often referred to as smart contracts). DLT implementations can be based on blockchain (in any of its various styles), DAG (Distributed Acyclic Graph), or any other technology of this kind in various ways, each with specific advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance, functionality, security, and the computational power required for consensus. In such embodiments, possible structures would include a single smart contract in a single distributed ledger representing each quantum, several smart contracts for managing several types of quantumes (each smart contract using a different distributed ledger), and countless other combinations. In such embodiments, several different types of distributed participants execute the DLT consensus algorithm and smart contract execution processes, creating a distributed logical infrastructure that translates into a distributed physical infrastructure.

[0089] In addition to the distributed nature of DLT with smart contracts, this scheme provides flexible and powerful tools for implementing management rules that come with increased security. For example, digital signatures based on hash functions and / or transaction history can be provided, which are practically immutable and / or undamageable.

[0090] Example: performance-based free flight ATM - air traffic management

[0091] Figure 6 A practical embodiment of a non-limiting example shown presents a method and system for distributed, automated, performance-based free-flight air traffic management. Elements of this method and system are presented, and a clear understanding of the applicability of the proposed method to air traffic management problems should be provided.

[0092] Participants in this example can include:

[0093] Airspace user (Aircraft 102).

[0094] Fleet operator.

[0095] Airspace authorities 104.

[0096] Municipal authorities 106.

[0097] Landowner 108.

[0098] Emergency services: 110.

[0099] Weather information provider 112.

[0100] Air traffic surveillance provider.

[0101] Regarding the quantum, in this example, the defined spatial domain is divided into multiple small 3-dimensional volumes. Ultimately, those volumes in this example would be so small that some aircraft or other spacecraft within that spatial domain would not be able to fly within their physical dimensions. Each of these small spatial domain volumes defines a quantum, and time is a parameter used to interact with the quantum and the participants, rather than a dimension used to define the quantum.

[0102] Given that quantum mechanics will be represented by smart contracts in a distributed ledger, the only requirement for its operation is the availability of ubiquitous redundant connections. Of course, even with redundancy, backup systems and emergency procedures will cover abnormal operational scenarios where connectivity is unavailable.

[0103] This example contains no other types of quantum besides the one already proposed, nor any additional dimensions within the proposed quantum. Instead, additional types of quantum can be used to address various aspects of the air traffic management problem. For example, instead of considering weather conditions as properties within each already defined quantum, different types of quantum can be defined, ultimately having the same 3-dimensional size, different 3-dimensional sizes, or no dimensions (just points in space), and these quantum can be used for one or more weather-related purposes.

[0104] Considering weather factors such as wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, and precipitation, adding an additional dimension to the already created type of quantum may be impractical in some cases. The quantum dimension is quantized, and in this example ATM problem modeled in this paper, treating different individual quantumes for each different combination of wind, temperature, humidity, pressure, and precipitation values ​​would be disadvantageous. Ultimately, this type of arrangement may be suitable for other applications or other schemes for ATM or weather problems.

[0105] In embodiments where each quantum is represented by one or more smart contracts in a distributed ledger, schemes with different types of quantum can bring some governance benefits to the system's evolution when updating the smart contract used to represent the quantum itself. For example, it can facilitate an updated version of the smart contract for the "weather quantum" deployed only by the weather provider 112 and the airspace authority 104, without touching the smart contract for the "traffic quantum." By using a single quantum for both weather and traffic, any changes in the quantum caused by weather require involvement not only of the airspace authority 104 and the weather service 112, but also of the municipality 106, landowner 108, emergency services 110, and air traffic surveillance providers, even though these actors are in fact unrelated to how the weather should be managed.

[0106] This example embodiment implements distributed automated management for performance-based free flight. In the flight plan, taking into account its navigation accuracy at different speeds, variations in takeoff time, and all necessary safety margins, the amount of quantum remaining around vehicle 102 varies according to its navigation accuracy and speed as it orbits the vehicle.

[0107] Performance-based approaches maximize airspace utilization by allowing better-equipped, higher-performance vehicles (102) to optimize their trajectories and reduce gaps, while ensuring that less-equipped, lower-performance vehicles can also enter the airspace by reserving a larger volume of airspace for their operation. All of this is done without compromising safety margins, which may be very conservative for initial operations and then diminish over time with accumulated operational experience. Safe and efficient free flight has always been the holy grail of airspace. There is a strong need for an open sky that allows users to fly directly from point A to point B without being restricted by airways, navigation aids, or ATM gaps.

[0108] In this example embodiment, the expansion of the managed airspace is considered to be on a metropolitan scale. Adjacent areas can apply the same system to define different users so that users can fly transparently through different airspaces, combining multiple flight plans, each for a different airspace and crossing connection points. See also Figure 9 Besides aiding overall system performance by limiting the number of quantum numbers, participants, users, and transactions in a distributed network, such an arrangement also facilitates rulemaking. Rulemaking for a local airspace will only involve participants associated with that local airspace, such as municipalities 106, landowners 108, and local emergency services 110. Any updates will not affect adjacent airspaces or their participants.

[0109] Regarding network services, in this example, the weather information provider 112 and the air traffic surveillance provider receive data from users and participants, in addition to other data sources. Users flying in the airspace can provide data from various airborne sensors, which, as examples, measure temperature, pressure, humidity, wind, turbulence, gusts, data from weather radar, cloud images, images of precipitation in the nearby area, and detected lightning strikes. The same applies to ground-based weather stations. From other participants and data sources, the weather information provider can receive weather information from micro-burst / wind shear airport radar, satellites, the National Weather Service, notifications from government agencies, and many other institutions. The weather information provider will process all this data, for example, by using data fusion and big data algorithms, and then broadcast it to users. This broadcast can be done by updating quantum properties using a distributed network or by sending it directly to users via other communication channels.

[0110] The concept is the same for traffic information providers. Onboard sensors from users detect nearby traffic and share that information with traffic information providers via a distributed network. In addition to the user's own GNSS receivers, airborne sensors can be radar, cameras, LiDAR, and others, most of which will become ubiquitous as autonomous flight becomes standard. Ultimately, this data sharing will be monetized to incentivize operators to equip their vehicles with better gear. Furthermore, numerous other data sources can be part of this arrangement, among which the current ATM infrastructure will be seamlessly integrated until its retirement.

[0111] This deployment for traffic surveillance and monitoring will not only allow for the monitoring of users with increasing precision, but also the identification of non-cooperative vehicles and other threats within the airspace. For example, users' onboard short-range radar and LIDAR systems, along with ground cameras located around nearby land areas, can identify flocks of birds or even individual birds. Based on the known accuracy of those sensors, traffic information providers will be able to define their position, speed, and flight direction, apply appropriate safety margins, and broadcast this information to all nearby users. The same will apply to any non-cooperative vehicles flying in this airspace.

[0112] In this arrangement, small vehicles that need to operate in airspace and would be severely penalized in performance if they need to carry additional transmitters and processing power can operate within the network using an agent. In another use case, small recreational drones may remain outside controlled airspace, flying within their altitude and geographical restrictions, and in some cases, simply broadcasting their location to the network.

[0113] Traffic providers, airspace authorities 104, or other participants will be technically capable of performing airspace surveillance and monitoring, calling vehicles 102 that deviate from their planned trajectories, and detecting non-cooperative aircraft. In some examples, the rules within the system should also consider security and user privacy issues, and such capabilities should only be granted to appropriate participants with appropriate access levels to users' private information.

[0114] Table 1 - Examples of Quantum Dimensions and Their Properties

[0115]

[0116] Table 2 - Examples of Participants and Their Attributes

[0117]

[0118] To define a flight plan, the user must consider the characteristics of vehicle 102, airspace availability, and the rules programmed into the quantum to be retained. The user develops the flight plan and ultimately applies an optimization algorithm targeting time, distance, energy, cost, or any other metric. The user submits the flight plan to a distributed network. The distributed network processes the flight plan, and a consensus algorithm, based on the planned execution of the flight plan, confirms that all criteria have been met and changes the "state" attribute of all affected quantum from "free" to "retained" at different times.

[0119] As an example of how performance-based rules for free flight will affect flight planning, a quieter vehicle 102 is able to fly closer to buildings compared to a noisier vehicle. Vehicles with higher navigation accuracy will be able to use better routes and retain less quantum along the way (see...). Figure 8a and 8b Ultimately, this results in lower costs for the use of the airspace. A less reliable vehicle 102, lacking multiple design redundancies, will not fly over densely populated areas.

[0120] Additionally, a landowner 108 with rights immediately above the airspace on their property can utilize an aviation easement to grant access to that airspace, with the aviation easement programmed into a smart contract associated with a quantum symbol representing the airspace. Besides granting access, additional provisions in the aviation easement can ultimately define permitted flight times, types of operations, and passage fees. See, for example, [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 10 Distributed smart contracts will handle all these aspects and then automatically approve the flight plan.

[0121] The system operates fully automatically, but a series of "emergency buttons" that can be activated by a person or other independent system may be available to the participants. For example, in the event of a fire in a city block, emergency services may be able to close the airspace above the fire. Emergency service permissions to close such airspace, in accordance with applicable local laws, can be programmed into a smart contract. See also Figure 11a , 11b .

[0122] Once a portion of the airspace is closed, vehicles 102 with affected flight plans will be notified and will then proceed to alternative routes or submit new flight plans to the network. Priority can be allocated to vehicles already in flight, and margins can be added to ensure route rescheduling even in the most stringent circumstances.

[0123] To transition from existing airspace management systems to a system similar to that presented in this exemplary embodiment, all testing and initial operations can be conducted within the restricted portion of the current airspace layout, utilizing only unmanned vehicles, following extensive simulation-based development. See also Figure 12 After these initial steps, the system can then migrate to other parts of the airspace.

[0124] Furthermore, regarding implementations using DLT, their current performance in transactions per second may be insufficient to support arrangements with extremely high smart contract counts to be processed for a single flight plan, as presented in this ATM example. However, DLT performance metrics are rapidly improving (e.g., DAG distributed acyclic graphs and consensus algorithms not based on PoW). Additionally, many currently well-known DLTs operate on permissionless networks with a worldwide footprint. For such an ATM system, the network could be permissioned (all nodes are known), allowing for the use of faster consensus algorithms. Moreover, the vast majority of users are geographically closer, and the chosen DLT technology can allow sharding, which can individually contribute to further reducing latency and reaching consensus in fewer steps.

[0125] In the example described, building upon the properties of DLT evolution and its ATM system, the system proposed here can also leverage “compression techniques” to enable participants to communicate with smart contracts used to represent quantum quanta. Instead of a single transaction for each quantum, it is possible to have one or more transactions for each flight plan, such that each transaction has the information needed to establish a complete flight plan, locally identified by each affected quantum, across all nodes used for consensus on executing that particular transaction in the network.

[0126] Example: transportation network management

[0127] This example embodiment illustrates the application of the proposed method in a distributed automated transportation network management system. Such a network could be a tunnel network for underground transportation, a conveyor network in industrial applications, a rail network operating at both surface and underground levels, or any other transportation network. To illustrate the application of the method to such problems, this exemplary embodiment will focus on [the application of the method in such a context]. Figure 13 The airway network is part of the air transport system shown.

[0128] Unlike previous examples of performance-based free-flight air traffic management, the transport network management in this example includes several pre-defined airways. This system can operate in conjunction with existing ATMs and airspace processes worldwide, as well as with the ATMs presented in the previous examples.

[0129] The elements of such a system are proposed, and a clear understanding of the applicability of the proposed method to this application should be provided.

[0130] The participants in this simplified example are: airspace users (aircraft) 102, fleet operators, airspace authorities 104, municipal authorities 106, landowners 108, emergency services 110, weather information providers 112, and air traffic surveillance providers.

[0131] In this example, a quantum refers to several spatial volumes arranged in straight lines to connect various points, ultimately forming a graph with multiple branches. These points can be landing / takeoff areas, runways, points bordering other airspace, or points in space where several routes converge to redirect flights to other routes. The spatial location and size of these airspace volumes are defined when the routes are created and can be changed / adjusted at any time if needed. Still regarding the quantum, time is a parameter used to interact with the quantum, not a dimension used to define the quantum. In this example embodiment, consider the quantum to be represented by a smart contract in a distributed ledger.

[0132] The airways forming the network can have their size and location in space based on common processes followed by all vehicles 102 flying in that airspace. However, a performance-based approach is also possible for the network, where specific airways are accessible only to users who meet minimum requirements regarding noise, navigation accuracy, speed, reliability, or the ability to perform specific safety incidents in the event of a malfunction.

[0133] Each flight within the network should have a valid flight plan before it begins. The flight plan defines the number of quantum mechanics to be retained along the route at different times as the flight progresses. See also Figure 7This serves as an example of a conceptual 3D drawing of a reserved quantum along a planned flight path. If the flight plan is valid, there are no conflicts with other flights from the start to the end of the route, and the flight plan meets all the performance requirements for that route.

[0134] Vehicles continuously update their positions along the route. The roles of weather information provider 112 and air traffic surveillance provider will be the same as in the previous air traffic management example. However, given the more restrictive nature of the transportation network, both traffic and weather information can only be focused on the areas actively used by vehicle 102.

[0135] A possible public arrangement is a set of adjacent airways, whose flight directions and even spatial positions can be dynamically altered if needed. The size and spatial position of the airways are considered not only for safety reasons but also for other aspects that may affect the community, such as noise, privacy, visual impact, and air quality (in the case of non-zero emission vehicles). Furthermore, sufficient spacing between vehicles along the same airway, as well as the flight direction and spacing between vehicles in adjacent / nearby airways, should be defined to ensure sufficient clearance for all vehicles in the area to execute safety procedures in the event of a malfunction and to avoid collisions in the event of any non-cooperative threat.

[0136] The quantum defined in this example allows any participant to have the same kind of interaction as the distributed system presented in the previous example. However, again, given the simplified nature of the transportation network using waterways, it is possible to define many aspects of interest to the participants when creating the waterways. For example, municipalities 106 and affected landowners 108 would participate in defining the waterways, their permissible spatial variations, and their operational standards. Therefore, it is possible to evaluate and approve each flight plan without concern for privacy and noise.

[0137] Example: road traffic prediction and management

[0138] This exemplary embodiment presents an application of a method for conceiving a distributed, automated road traffic prediction and management system. Elements of such a system are proposed, and a clear understanding of the applicability of the proposed method to this type of road traffic prediction and management problem should be provided.

[0139] The participants in this simplified example are: user 102 (human-driven or autonomous cars, trucks, trams, motorcycles, bicycles, etc.), transportation authority 104, municipal authority 106, fleet operator, emergency service 110, and weather information provider 112.

[0140] The purpose of this system is to predict how traffic will develop in the near future, seconds, minutes, or hours in advance, based on the scenarios involved, in order to enable numerous applications to optimize the use of ground infrastructure, optimize the use of vehicles, and ultimately prevent traffic congestion and improve users' daily lives.

[0141] Significant improvements in near-term traffic forecasting not only enhance journey time estimates but also create opportunities to take action to avoid congestion. Current systems already utilize ground sensors running in the background of passenger calls and mobile applications to monitor traffic. These systems predict traffic based on periodic patterns at a given time and date within a week or year. However, although such forecasts are based on historical data, these systems are primarily reactive rather than proactive.

[0142] However, the distributed automated road traffic prediction and management system proposed here provides a collaborative and safe platform to improve traffic prediction by taking into account actual vehicle driving plans. Current navigation services can utilize the same kind of information to improve predictions, but are limited to routes navigated only by that specific navigation service (e.g., Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.) or to vehicles that are part of a single operator's fleet (e.g., Uber, Lyft, etc.).

[0143] The system proposed in this embodiment will share future traffic information regardless of users, navigation services, or operators. While there will be benefits even if only a portion of vehicles disclose their expected routes, the more vehicles that expect to share their routes, the more accurate and longer-term the future traffic forecasts can be. This becomes even more relevant as several independent autonomous fleets begin operating in the near future. To enable this route sharing among several fleet operators and individual users, a platform can be established that allows for full collaboration while ensuring the security of both commercially sensitive and personally privy data.

[0144] Several features work together to prevent traffic congestion. At the start of a journey, better predictions of the future state of the road the vehicle will be traveling on help choose the practically best route. While driving, continuous route updates allow for early predictions of congestion that has not yet formed, providing an earlier opportunity for many vehicles still far from congestion to change their routes. Additionally, the same network that collects the data is able to provide direction to vehicles and infrastructure in specific ways, enabling users to move to side lanes, stop, slow down, or even accelerate to clear the road for priority traffic (e.g., emergency responders). The same network also supports real-time, wireless calibration of traffic lights and other infrastructure to allow for real-time traffic flow optimization and congestion prevention.

[0145] Regarding quantum, a street or avenue is defined by an edge in the graph and divided into smaller segments along its length. See Figure 2c. Each of these smaller segments defines a quantum, and time is a parameter used to interact with the quantum and participants, rather than a dimension used to define the quantum. Unlike the non-limiting embodiments of air traffic management and transportation networks presented in previous sections, instead of retaining quantum along the route, a new journey updates the quantum along the route only with the probability that the vehicle is in each quantum at a particular time. For each quantum at a particular time, this probability is added to the probabilities of all other vehicles to ultimately predict the traffic level at all times. In this stochastic approach, in addition to the probability of each participating vehicle, other data, such as historical data and real-time data from other sources, are considered. Each quantum has the property of determining the traffic level in each particular quantum in a random manner at different times.

[0146] The uncertainty of road traffic and the fact that no 100% of vehicles share their routes favor the use of stochastic methods. Also advantageous for these stochastic methods is the fact that roads have multiple lanes, allowing several vehicles to be in the same 1D quantum simultaneously. Similar to the proposed non-limiting embodiments of ATMs and transmission networks, assigning different quantum numbers to different lanes and then reserving those quantum numbers for a single vehicle for a limited time period may be impractical in some implementations, but is feasible in others such as autonomous vehicle control.

[0147] At the start of a journey, the vehicle shares its route with the network to update the predicted state of the quantum along the route at different times in the near future. As the vehicle travels along the route, it continuously updates this estimate. Thus, at the start of the journey, the quantum at the end of the route has already considered the traffic several minutes (if not hours) in advance. With all other sensors and data feeds already available, the cumulative effect of this data from several vehicles ultimately leads to more accurate estimates and the ability to prevent traffic congestion.

[0148] Of course, besides a large number of cars on the same road at the same time, traffic congestion can be caused by several other factors. Other causes could include accidents, road construction, and irregular flow, to name a few. However, this example system mitigates the worsening of congestion by predicting how quickly it will grow and thus providing vehicles with information earlier to find alternative routes. Furthermore, proactive measures by road infrastructure and participating vehicles help dissipate any existing congestion more quickly.

[0149] Example: energy management

[0150] This example embodiment provides an application of a method for a distributed automatic energy management system. Elements of such a system are proposed, and a clear understanding of the applicability of the proposed method to this type of problem should be provided.

[0151] The participants in this example are: energy producers (distributed residential power generation, large power plants, small local power plants, power storage facilities, local storage, etc.), energy distributors, energy transformers, energy authorities, municipalities, and energy consumers.

[0152] The aim of this system is to create a way for energy producers, distributors, and consumers to interact with each other securely and reliably within a main energy grid, microgrids (which can connect to a larger energy grid), or preferably numerous microgrids forming a larger network. Examples of local energy production technologies include solar panels, small wind turbines, small hydroelectric generators, and small methane gas turbines, to name just a few. Numerous energy storage technologies also exist; examples can be: chemical, such as lithium, zinc, and brine; mechanical, such as flywheels, pumped water, compressed air, and gravitational potential energy; and thermal, such as heated molten salt and heated water.

[0153] In a world with distributed, ubiquitous local energy generation and storage, coordination among all participants in the power grid is crucial for maximizing overall system efficiency, reliability, and resilience. Ultimately, this distributed arrangement will also provide the characteristics of an open distributed energy market, enabling instantaneous energy trading and delivery, as well as long-term energy contracts.

[0154] Different types of quantum exist in this system. For example, the first type would represent a branch of an energy distribution network in a given area. Any transmission line used to connect two or more participants is represented by this type of quantum. This energy distribution network includes distribution lines owned by multiple parties, companies, and individuals. In other words, instead of a single utility company performing energy distribution, this type of quantum allows multiple independent distribution lines owned by different entities to participate in energy distribution. This type of quantum is dimensionless, forming a graph used to represent the energy distribution lines connecting participants in a given power grid. In this graph, each branch represented by the dimensionless quantum will reflect the characteristics of the transmitted energy in its properties. See also Figure 2bThese characteristics can be fixed, such as AC, DC, frequency, frequency range (for variable frequencies), and voltage, as well as dynamic, such as instantaneous frequency, active power, reactive power, power factor, loads used, available permanent loads, available short-term loads, available peak loads, energy quality aspects, etc. These attributes reflect the current (real-time) and foreseeable state of a particular distribution line over time, defining its capacity to accommodate more or less energy transmission at different times and ensuring safe and efficient operation (e.g., considering failure modes, preventing fault propagation to other participants, ensuring energy quality, minimizing heat loss, etc.).

[0155] The second type of quantum will represent energy producers and consumers. When implemented in a permissionless network, any energy producer can join the network and make its energy available. In many cases, the same participant can be either a producer or a consumer, depending on its energy balance. Alternatively, this second type of quantum can represent a new type of participant that neither produces nor consumes energy, but rather converts energy from one form to another. This provides a way to connect transmission lines that transmit energy in different forms, or to connect producers and consumers using energy in different forms (e.g., AC, DC, variable frequency, high voltage, low voltage, etc.).

[0156] This second type of quantum can define an interface to one or more first-type quantums to reflect the physical connection between the producer / consumer and the power distribution line. This connection relates to the characteristics of the energy being transmitted. However, the producer / consumer can be connected to a transformer or have the ability to provide / use energy in more than one form.

[0157] This energy distribution system can utilize any available connection. However, it can also ultimately enable communication among all participants by transmitting information through the power lines themselves in a way that the system still functions even if all other connections become unavailable.

[0158] In addition to improving overall system efficiency, reliability, and resilience for local energy generation and distribution, the system also allows storage systems within a given area to operate uninterruptedly on a utility scale, providing uninterrupted power even when no energy generation is available.

[0159] This system replacement implementation considers a single entity providing and controlling the distribution system in a manner where that single entity places other control devices in place to ensure that all lines in the network operate within their designed levels. In this case, some of the previously described benefits will not be realized. However, this alternative would maintain the current arrangement used by large utility companies operating under public concessions. Ultimately, this arrangement would facilitate the introduction of such distributed energy management systems into the existing public power grid, as well as the introduction of local generation.

[0160] Example: public network of sensors

[0161] Open, public, distributed, and permissionless networks are possible, where anyone can share data from sensors owned by anyone and located anywhere. This could be a 3D quantum embodiment, where different quanta are defined for different physical quantities based on 3D space. In this way, we assign different quanta to different physical quantities, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, light, magnetic fields, electric fields, electromagnetic frequencies, etc.

[0162] Example: local electromagnetic spectrum allocation

[0163] An embodiment with multidimensional quantum can be a local electromagnetic spectrum allocation. In this embodiment, the quantum is defined based on three spatial dimensions plus different dimensions for different frequency bands to simulate existing rules. The properties of the quantum, or even the additional types of the quantum, also take into account polarization, modulation, and other characteristics that may affect the interoperability between systems operating in the same frequency band.

[0164] This approach allows for the use of the electromagnetic spectrum in a more localized and targeted manner, reserving space and bandwidth only for a given application during the operating period. Ultimately, different users who would otherwise face interference can share the spectrum at different times, or coordinate the use of alternating polarization or modulation to allow for simultaneous operation.

[0165] Example: track following and traffic management

[0166] This embodiment proposes a distributed automated tracking and traffic management system for orbital spacecraft, similar to the previously discussed ATM embodiment. In this case, instead of a Cartesian volume within a small spatial domain, the quantum can be formed by volumes in a spherical coordinate system representing space around the Earth, encompassing all the different orbits around the Earth (LEO - Low Earth Orbit, MEO - Medium Earth Orbit, GEO - Geostationary Earth Orbit, and HEO - Highly Elliptical Orbit). The aim is to manage various objects orbiting the Earth, such as satellites, spacecraft, space debris, and even reserve space for energy or information to be directly transmitted to Earth in the form of lasers, microwaves, or any other line-of-sight method.

[0167] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with what are considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A distributed quantum-based system for managing air traffic in a three-dimensional airspace, the system comprising: A first quantum controller performs quantum-based processes based on at least one quantum created from the quantization of the spatial domain to a three-dimensional volume; A second quantum controller performs quantum-based processes based on at least one quantum created from the quantization of the spatial domain to a three-dimensional volume; as well as A communication connection that enables the first quantum controller and the second quantum controller to communicate; The first quantum controller includes a first processor and a first memory, and the second quantum controller includes a second processor and a second memory. The first and second quantum controllers are implemented as decentralized distributed controllers associated with participants in air traffic management, and each of the first and second quantum controllers receives and processes the inputs independently. The quantum controlled by the first quantum controller is the same as the quantum controlled by the second quantum controller, and the first and second quantum controllers are configured to determine, respectively, the retention, rejection, cancellation of retention, and confirmation of the quantum based on management rules of the embedded quantum and participant attributes.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantum controller and the second quantum controller authenticate each other using digital signatures.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The quantum is represented by the position of a segment in N-dimensional space.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The quantum is represented by the position of a segment on the graph.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantum includes a time parameter.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The quantum includes a time series represented in N dimensions.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The quantum properties of the first quantum controller and the second quantum controller include some or all of the following: Current situation and / or status Logo, type, Allowed operation types, The type of operation being performed. Date of Expiry, History of activities and / or abilities, performance, Authorization Real-time data, and Services provided to other participants.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The quantum of the first quantum controller and the quantum of the second quantum controller have different permissions and responsibilities than the other quantum of the other quantum controller.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantum controller and the second quantum controller provide automated system management by controlling / managing part or all of the system operation by utilizing predefined properties embedded therein, and are able to interact directly with each other autonomously without the need for intermediaries or approvers.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantum controller and the second quantum controller interact autonomously and collaboratively based on predefined corresponding permissions to jointly control the system.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantum controller and the second quantum controller are implemented to have quantum as a smart contract based on distributed ledger technology.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first quantum controller and the second quantum controller execute quantum-based processes by using blockchain and / or distributed acyclic graphs.

13. A method for managing air traffic in a three-dimensional airspace using the system according to claim 1, the method comprising: Define the participants in the air traffic management and the attributes of the participants, wherein the attributes of the participants include some or all of the following: current status and / or current condition, identification, type, permitted operation types in the system, operation types being performed, expiration date, history of activities and / or capabilities, performance, authorization to certain aspects of the system, real-time data from the participants, and services provided to other participants; The quantization of the spatial domain to a three-dimensional volume creates one or more types of quantum and properties of the quantum, the properties of the quantum including some or all of the following: the state of the quantum, the maximum noise associated with the quantum, the minimum and / or maximum velocity associated with the quantum, the permission to retain the quantum and / or turn off the state-changing bit of the quantum, the permission for emergency use, and the time that can be retained; in, The definitions of participants and quantum properties, as well as the standards for interaction within the system, form the rules governing the system; and Automated system management is provided by controlling / managing part or all of the system operation through predefined attributes embedded in the quantum and / or the participants.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: A communication network connecting all components of the system, which allows for the exchange of messages, requests, commands, transactions, and more complex data-intensive communication and storage capabilities.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The system comprises at least the quantum and the participants.

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