Robot swarm propagation using virtual partitions

{
  "publication_number": "US2019050269A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Robot swarm propagation using virtual partitions",
  "abstract": "Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed Systems, apparatus, and methods to propagate a robot swarm using virtual partitions are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a transceiver to broadcast the availability of the apparatus to host one or more bots from a swarm of bots and to receive a copy request from a bot in the swarm of bots. The example apparatus also includes an evaluator to evaluate instructions from the bot and determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the bot. In addition, the example apparatus includes a virtual partition to provide an interface for executing a copy of the bot.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus to propagate a swarm of bots, the apparatus comprising: a transceiver to broadcast the availability of the apparatus to host one or more bots in a swarm of bots and to receive a copy request from a bot in the swarm of bots; an evaluator to evaluate instructions from the bot and determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the bot; and a virtual partition to provide an interface for executing a copy of the bot. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the copy of the bot is to execute the instructions of the bot. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the copy of the bot is to delete the copy of the bot from the hypervisor after execution of the instructions. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the copy of the bot is to delete the copy of the bot from the hypervisor after an amount of time. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a sensor to provide sensing resources for the bot. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further including an authenticator to authenticate the bot. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bot is a first bot, the transceiver is to receive a copy request from a second bot in the swarm of bots, and the virtual partition to provide an interface for executing a copy of the second bot. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bot is a first bot, the swarm of bots is a first swarm of bots, the transceiver is to receive a copy request from a second bot in a second swarm of bots, the evaluator is to evaluate instructions from the second bot and determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the second bot, and the virtual partition to provide an interface for executing a copy of the second bot. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the virtual partition to provide an interface for executing a copy of a plurality of bots in the swarm. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaluator is to determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the bot based on a travel parameter. 11. An apparatus to propagate a swarm of bots, the apparatus comprising: means for communicating the availability of the apparatus to host one or more bots in a swarm of bots and for receiving a copy request from a bot in the swarm of bots; means for evaluating instructions from the bot and determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the bot; and means for hosting a virtual version of the bot. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the virtual version of the bot includes means for executing the instructions of the bot. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for executing is to delete the virtual version of the bot from after at least one of execution of the instructions or an amount of time. 14. (canceled) 15. (canceled) 16. (canceled) 17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bot is a first bot, the means for communicating is to receive a copy request from a second bot in the swarm of bots, and the means for hosting is to host a virtual version of the second bot. 18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bot is a first bot, the swarm of bots is a first swarm of bots, the means for communicating is to receive a copy request from a second bot in a second swarm of bots, the means for evaluating is to evaluate instructions from the second bot and determine if the apparatus is equipped to propagate the second bot, and the means for hosting is to host a virtual version of the second bot. 19. (canceled) 20. (canceled) 21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to at least: broadcast the availability of a host device to host one or more bots from a swarm of bots; receive a copy request from a bot in the swarm of bots; perform an evaluation of operation commands from the bot; determine if the host device is equipped to propagate the bot based on the evaluation; and provide an interface for executing a virtual copy of the bot when the host device is equipped to propagate the bot. 22. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute the operation commands of the bot. 23. The storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to delete the copy of the bot after at least one of execution of the operation commands or an amount of time. 24. (canceled) 25. (canceled) 26. (canceled) 27. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the bot is a first bot, and the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: receive a copy request from a second bot in the swarm of bots; and provide an interface for executing a virtual a copy of the second bot. 28. The storage medium of claim 21, wherein the bot is a first bot, the swarm of bots is a first swarm of bots, and the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: receive a copy request from a second bot in a second swarm of bots; perform an evaluation of operation commands from the second bot; determine if the host is equipped to propagate the second bot based on the evaluation; and provide an interface for executing a virtual a copy of the second bot. 29. (canceled) 30. (canceled) 31. A method to propagate a swarm of bots, the method comprising: broadcasting the availability of a host to host one or more bots from swarm of bots; receiving a copy request from a bot in the swarm of bots; evaluating instructions from the bot; determining if the host is equipped to propagate the bot; and providing an interface for executing a virtual a copy of the bot. 32. The method of claim 31, further including executing the instructions of the bot. 33. The method of claim 32, further including deleting the copy of the bot after at least one of execution of the instructions or an amount of time. 34. (canceled) 35. (canceled) 36. (canceled) 37. The method of claim 31, wherein the bot is a first bot, the method further including: receiving a copy request from a second bot in the swarm of bots; and providing an interface for executing a copy of the second bot. 38. The method of claim 31, wherein the bot is a first bot and the swarm of bots is a first swarm of bots, the method further including: receiving a copy request from a second bot in a second swarm of bots; evaluating instructions from the second bot; determining if the host is equipped to propagate the second bot; and providing an interface for executing a copy of the second bot. 39 - 64. (canceled)"
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This disclosure relates generally to robots, and, more particularly, to systems, apparatus, and methods for robot swarm propagation using virtual partitions.\n\nCurrent swarm robotics utilize a plurality of individual devices to create a swarm. The devices tend to be simple, inexpensive, and homogenous and typically have limited operating resources.\n\nFIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an example environment including a plurality of example swarms with a plurality of example bots and a plurality of example hosts to enable cross-swarm communication in accordance with teachings of this disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example implementation of a bot of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example implementation of a host of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a flow chart representative of example machine readable instructions that may be executed by one or more processors to implement the example bot of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 5 is a flow chart representative of example machine readable instructions that may be executed by one or more processors to implement the example host of FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example processor platform structured to execute the example machine readable instructions of FIG. 4 to implement the example bot of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example processor platform structured to execute the example machine readable instructions of FIG. 5 to implement the example host of FIGS. 1 and 3.\n\nThe figures are not to scale. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 9/5077",
    "B25J 9/1617",
    "G06F 2009/45562",
    "G06F 9/45558"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 9/455",
    "G06F 9/50"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "INTEL CORP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "ANDERSON GLEN J",
    "HONKOTE VINAYAK",
    "GHOSH DIBYENDU"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-12-27",
  "publication_date": "2019-02-14",
  "priority_date": "2017-12-27",
  "application_number": "US-201715855123-A",
  "family_id": "65275242",
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}