Distributed Coordinating Process for Robust Multi-Component Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for coordinating multiple components, such as semi-autonomous robots, face challenges including high communication overhead, fragility due to reliance on a single central authority, complexity in design and behavior prediction, and difficulties in data management and security, particularly in large networks with sensitive data.
Innovation Solution
A method where a coordinating process continually cycles through each component, with each component hosting the complete code and transferring only a small execution state, creating a virtual machine with a global view while maintaining distributed data and computation, eliminating the need for point-to-point communication and negotiation protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single central authority coordinates all components, then implementation simplicity and behavior predictability are improved, but communication overhead increases and system reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coordinating process with each component by distributing identical copies of the coordinating process code to all components. Each component can execute the coordinating process, eliminating the need for a separate central authority while maintaining coordination functionality. This combining approach resolves the contradiction by distributing the coordinating function across all components rather than concentrating it in a single point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the coordinating function from a single central authority and distributes it across multiple components. Each component hosts its own instance of the coordinating process, allowing coordination to occur locally at each component rather than requiring centralized control. This segmentation improves reliability by eliminating the single point of failure while maintaining coordination capability.
2Device complexity
If a single central authority coordinates all components, then implementation simplicity is improved, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coordinating process is segmented and distributed to each component, allowing each component to perform coordination functions locally. This eliminates the need for all components to communicate with a central authority, significantly reducing communication overhead. Each component only needs to exchange information with its immediate neighbors or relevant components rather than maintaining communication with a central node.
Solution Approach 2:
Each component is empowered to execute the coordinating process itself, making the system self-organizing rather than centrally controlled. Components autonomously perform coordination functions using locally available information and the distributed coordinating process code, eliminating the communication overhead associated with centralized control while maintaining implementation simplicity.
3Reliability
If each component is an independent agent with its own world-view, then system robustness is improved, but coordination complexity and computational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by providing each component with an identical copy of the coordinating process code. Rather than having heterogeneous independent agents with different world-views and negotiation protocols, all components execute the same coordinated process, simplifying the coordination design while maintaining the robustness of distributed architecture. This uniform approach eliminates the need for complex negotiation mechanisms between diverse agents.
4Reliability
If coordination information is distributed across components, then system robustness is improved, but data management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coordinating process serves multiple functions: it coordinates component actions, manages data exchange, maintains system state, and handles robustness requirements. By making the coordinating process universal and identical across all components, the patent simplifies data management while maintaining distributed robustness. Each component uses the same process to manage its local data and coordinate with others, eliminating the need for complex centralized data management protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for controlling and coordinating a multi-component system. Each component in the system contains a computing device. Each computing device is controlled by software running on the computing device. A first portion of the software resident on each computing device is used to control operations needed to coordinate the activities of all the components in the system. This first portion is known as a “coordinating process.” A second portion of the software resident on each computing device is used to control local processes (local activities) specific to that component. Each component in the system is capable of hosting and running the coordinating process. The coordinating process continually cycles from component to component while it is running. The continuous cycling of the coordinating process presents the programmer with a virtual machine in which there is a single coordinating process operating with a global view although, in fact, the data and computation remain distributed across every component in the system.