Swarm Transceiver Adaptive Cycle Duration for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems for swarm robotics are poorly suited for large, dynamically reconfiguring swarms that require scalable, self-adjusting, and manageable communication without pre-planning, especially in environments with signal attenuation and radio interference.
Innovation Solution
A swarm communication system where each transceiver determines a transmission cycle duration based on the number of other transceivers within range, transmitting packets at random times within the cycle, allowing for self-adjustment of transmission cycles to maintain high throughput and efficient data dissemination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If transceivers transmit packets at fixed intervals, then communication timing is simple to manage, but throughput decreases due to signal collisions and interference in dense swarms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transmission cycle adjustment where each transceiver adapts its transmission interval based on real-time swarm density measurements. The transmission cycle duration is modified according to the number of detected neighboring transceivers, allowing the system to dynamically optimize throughput while avoiding fixed-interval collisions in dense configurations
Solution Approach 2:
Each transceiver autonomously determines its own transmission cycle duration by measuring local swarm density and calculating appropriate intervals. The system performs self-configuration without external coordination, with each agent independently adjusting its communication parameters based on local environmental conditions and detected neighbor counts
2Productivity
If transmission cycle duration is shortened to increase throughput, then data transmission rate improves, but radio interference and signal collisions increase in dense swarm configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where transceivers continuously measure swarm density and use this information to adjust transmission cycle durations. The feedback loop monitors neighbor counts and dynamically modifies transmission intervals to maintain optimal throughput while preventing signal collisions and interference in dense configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the transmission cycle duration parameter based on swarm density conditions. By adjusting this temporal parameter dynamically rather than using a fixed value, the system adapts to varying swarm configurations, shortening intervals when density is low to increase throughput and lengthening them when density is high to reduce interference
3Quantity of substance
If swarm size increases to improve swarm capabilities, then system functionality improves, but communication management and monitoring become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the swarm communication problem into local neighborhood interactions rather than global coordination. Each transceiver only needs to manage communication with its immediate neighbors within detection range, breaking down the complex global management problem into simpler local decisions that scale with swarm size
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local quality by having each transceiver make communication decisions based on local swarm density measurements rather than global swarm state. Each agent adjusts its transmission parameters based on the number of neighbors it detects, allowing localized adaptation that scales to large swarms without requiring centralized control
Data Source
AI summary
A swarm communication system. Each of a plurality of transceivers determines a transmission cycle duration, and transmits one packet per transmission cycle, each packet being transmitted at a random point in time within the transmission cycle. The duration of the transmission cycle of a first transceiver may be adjusted according to the number of other transceivers within range of the first transceiver, or according to the number of other transmitters within range of each of the other transmitters that are within range of the first transceiver.