Auxiliary Transport Protocol for Robot Fleet Data Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile self-driving vehicles in fleets often experience frequent disconnections due to environmental obstacles and the vulnerability of existing transport protocols, leading to delayed data exchange with control servers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an auxiliary transport protocol that uses routing records with content type indicators and message identifiers to route messages through a relay and bridge, converting them from a primary transport protocol to an auxiliary protocol for reliable wireless data exchange between self-driving vehicles and a fleet manager.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a primary transport protocol is used for data exchange between robots and control servers, then the system implementation is straightforward, but connection reliability deteriorates due to environmental obstacles and protocol vulnerability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an auxiliary transport protocol that acts as an intermediary layer between the primary transport protocol and the communication channels. This auxiliary protocol includes relay nodes and bridge nodes that mediate data transmission, providing alternative routing paths when the primary protocol encounters obstacles or failures, thereby improving connection reliability without requiring complete system redesign
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the communication parameter by implementing a dual-protocol architecture where messages can be transmitted through different protocols based on conditions. The system dynamically selects between primary and auxiliary transport protocols, changing the transmission parameter to maintain reliability when environmental conditions deteriorate
2Ease of manufacture
If walls and metal shelving are present in the facility environment, then the physical structure provides storage and organization, but wireless connectivity deteriorates causing frequent disconnections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication path by introducing multiple relay nodes and bridge nodes distributed throughout the facility. Instead of relying on a single direct connection, the communication route is divided into multiple segments that can independently route around physical obstacles like walls and metal shelving, maintaining connectivity despite environmental interference
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial dimension to message routing by implementing a hierarchical network structure with relay nodes at different levels (robot level, relay level, bridge level, gateway level). This multi-dimensional routing architecture allows messages to traverse through different spatial layers, bypassing physical obstacles in the original communication plane
3Reliability
If connection losses occur frequently in the fleet, then data exchange delays increase, but implementing protocol replacement is time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial protocol replacement by introducing an auxiliary transport protocol that handles only specific message types or conditions rather than replacing the entire communication system. This partial implementation reduces complexity and deployment time while still achieving the goal of improving data exchange reliability under adverse conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A sender device implements an auxiliary transport protocol by: storing routing records containing respective content type indicators, message source identifiers and message destination identifiers. A first record contains an initial content type indicator and a destination identifier corresponding to a sender device relay. A second record contains an extended content type indicator and a destination identifier corresponding to a sender device bridge. The sender device generates and routes an initial message having a payload and the initial content type indicator to the relay via a primary transport protocol according to the first record; at the relay, generates an extended message having the payload and the extended content type indicator, and routes the message to the bridge via the primary protocol according to the second record; at the bridge, generates a converted extended message; and transmits the converted extended message to a receiver device via the auxiliary protocol.