US 11,812,280 B2
Swarm control algorithm to maintain mesh connectivity while assessing and optimizing areal coverage in unknown complex environments
Marius Jurt, Bristol (GB); Anthony Portelli, Bristol (GB); and Adnan Aijaz, Bristol (GB)
Assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/335,348.
Prior Publication US 2022/0386138 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 84/00 (2009.01); H04W 40/24 (2009.01); H04W 16/26 (2009.01); H04B 7/185 (2006.01)
CPC H04W 16/26 (2013.01) [H04B 7/18506 (2013.01); H04W 40/246 (2013.01); H04W 84/005 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling the position of an updating agent in a decentralised multi-agent system, the method comprising:
identifying a first neighbouring agent within a communicative range of the updating agent;
estimating a first distance to the first neighbouring agent and a first direction to the first neighbouring agent;
determining a movement direction based on the first direction to the first neighbouring agent;
determining a movement magnitude based on an activation function, the first distance to the first neighbouring agent, and a desired reference distance, wherein:
the activation function is configured such that the greater the difference between the first distance to the neighbouring agent and the desired reference difference, the larger the movement magnitude; and
moving the updating agent based on the movement direction and the movement magnitude.