Location-Aware Robot Roaming for Low-Latency Wi-Fi Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless network roaming in robotics systems involves significant time spent scanning channels, leading to pauses in data traffic and suboptimal connection to access points, particularly in scenarios with strict latency requirements.
Innovation Solution
Implement location-aware wireless network roaming by generating map data associating network access devices with machine locations, determining network performance scores, and pre-determining ideal roaming candidates based on location, allowing seamless connection transitions without pausing data traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional wireless roaming scanning is performed to identify candidate access points, then connection reliability is improved, but latency increases due to time spent off-channel
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-determines and stores ideal roaming candidate access points based on historical location-data associations before roaming is needed. When roaming triggers occur, the device can immediately connect to pre-identified candidates without performing time-consuming channel scans, thus reducing latency while maintaining connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces location data as an intermediary element that mediates between the wireless device and access points. By using location information to pre-identify suitable access points, the system avoids direct channel scanning and establishes connections more efficiently, resolving the contradiction between reliability and latency
2Reliability
If channel scanning is performed to evaluate signal strength of nearby access points, then connection quality is improved, but data traffic flow is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of access point signal strengths and stores this information in association with location data before roaming events occur. This pre-evaluation allows the device to maintain continuous data traffic flow while still ensuring connection quality by connecting to pre-vetted access points with known good signal strengths
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-determining ideal roaming candidates and their signal characteristics, the system enables continuous data traffic flow during roaming transitions. The device can switch between access points without pausing data transmission, as the candidate selection and evaluation has already been completed in advance
3Reliability
If manual roaming candidate selection is performed, then connection optimality is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs location tracking, candidate access point identification, and signal strength evaluation without requiring manual intervention. The device self-manages the entire roaming optimization process by correlating its location data with stored access point information, achieving optimal connections while keeping the system relatively simple
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses location data as feedback to automatically determine ideal roaming candidates. By continuously monitoring location and matching it with pre-stored access point location associations, the system optimizes connections automatically without complex manual selection processes
Data Source
AI summary
In various examples, systems and methods described herein may cause a machine to establish a network connection with a network access device based at least on map data indicating to use the network access device for network connectivity at a location of the machine. In some examples, the map data may be generated based at least on one or more network performance scores associated with one or more network access devices disposed in the environment. In some instances, the network performance score(s) may be determined based at least on one or more wireless network signals transmitted by the network access device(s) and obtained using the machine and/or another machine. The network performance score(s) may, in some examples, be indicative of a signal strength associated with the network access device(s) at the location of the machine.