The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 10, 2001
David W. Payton, Woodland Hills, CA (US);
Mike Howard, Westlake Village, CA (US);
Mike Daily, Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Craig Lee, Redondo Beach, CA (US);
Bruce Hoff, Venice, CA (US);
HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for controlling the movement of agents using local communications is provided. Generally, each agent maintains an optimal distance from other local neighbor agents by, for each agent selecting a local agent measuring the distance and angle to the agent performing a distance maintenance calculation and repeating the distance maintenance calculation for each local agent. In the distance maintenance calculation an attraction/repulsion map is used in order to determine whether an agent is attracted to or repelled from other agents. A motion vector is used to determine agent responses to the attraction or repulsion. Over time, the agents settle into a neutral configuration where each is optimally distanced from the other agents. Reference agents and leader agents can be designated to direct the movement of other agents, and agents can be designated as blocking beacons to repel other agents from undesirable areas.