Moving Agent Platoon Control for Building Event Response

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Solution Overview

Problem

Complex building structures pose challenges in effectively monitoring and responding to accidents and disasters, as traditional CCTV systems fail to provide real-time, comprehensive situational awareness, often leading to injuries among professionals like firefighters.

Innovation Solution

A control system and method for a moving agent group that enables real-time situational awareness within buildings by platooning moving agents, where one agent senses events, transfers control authority, and transmits information, allowing continuous search and reporting of accident situations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If CCTV systems are used to monitor building situations, then coverage area is improved, but real-time detection precision and response capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring coverage areaVSAvoidsituational detection precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the building monitoring task into multiple mobile agents that move through different areas. Each agent independently detects events in its local vicinity, providing both wide coverage through multiple agents and precise real-time detection through dedicated sensing capabilities at each agent location.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static CCTV cameras to dynamic mobile agents that can move throughout the building. This allows the monitoring system to adapt its position and coverage in real-time, maintaining both comprehensive area coverage and precise situational awareness by placing agents strategically where events occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If professional personnel are deployed to dangerous areas, then situation understanding capability is improved, but safety and injury risk worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesituational awarenessVSAvoidinjury risk to personnel

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses mobile agents as digital proxies that replicate the sensing and detection capabilities needed for situational awareness. These agents perform the dangerous monitoring tasks in hazardous environments, providing comprehensive situation understanding without exposing human personnel to injury risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile agents serve as intermediaries between the monitoring system and dangerous environments. They directly interact with hazardous situations while human operators remain safe, receiving processed information from agents without being exposed to the same risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If a single moving agent detects an event, then detection capability is improved, but continuous area search capability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent detection capabilityVSAvoidarea search efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the building into multiple zones monitored by different mobile agents. When one agent detects an event, other agents continue searching their respective areas, maintaining both precise event detection and continuous comprehensive area coverage without interrupting the overall search operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuous area search capability by having multiple agents operate simultaneously and independently. When one agent focuses on event detection, others maintain ongoing surveillance of unsearched areas, ensuring both detection precision and uninterrupted productivity across the entire building.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Adaptability or versatility

If group control authority is transferred during platooning, then system adaptability is improved, but control stability worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegroup reconfiguration capabilityVSAvoidplatoon formation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic leader selection where any agent can become the group leader based on current task requirements and agent capabilities. This provides adaptability for different scenarios while maintaining stability through standardized protocols for leader transitions and coordinated group behavior that preserve platoon formation integrity during reconfigurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11683659B2Control system of moving agent group and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2023.06.20 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

Provided is a method for controlling a moving agent group platooning within a building, the method comprising: a sensing step in which a first moving agent among a plurality of moving agents senses an occurrence of a predetermined event during the plurality of moving agents are platooning, wherein the first moving agent leads the platooning of the plurality of moving agents; and a transferring step in which the first moving agent transfers a group control authority to a second moving agent among the plurality of moving agents, wherein the second moving agent just follows the first moving agent; wherein the second moving agent having the group control authority leads movement of remaining moving agents following the second moving agent.