Communication method for controlling and monitoring robotic entities

Claim 1

A protocol for direct, non-network communication between a robotic vehicle having a plurality of controllable devices and a control center controlling the devices, comprising the steps of: a. establishing a database common to the center and the vehicle and representative of controllable devices of the vehicle, the establishing comprising the substeps of: (1) assigning a first point-to-point address code to the center and assigning a second point-to-point address code to the vehicle; (2) choosing the devices on the vehicle to be controlled by the center; grouping the devices into logical blocks, assigning block address codes to each block; and assigning identification codes to the devices in the blocks; (3) choosing attributes of the devices to be controlled; assigning attribute codes to the attributes; digitally representing value ranges for the attributes; (4) develop a set of transaction types, each transaction type including a transaction disposition portion and a transaction category portion; assigning disposition codes to the transaction disposition portions; and assigning category codes to the transaction category portions; (5) develop transport data unit types and assign data unit type codes to the transport data unit types; (6) placing various codes in memories at the center and the vehicle; wherein the various codes include the transaction disposition codes, the transaction category codes, the block address codes, the identification codes, the attribute codes and representations of value ranges associated with each attribute code; b. constructing a transmission comprised of the various codes by; (1) choosing one of the devices and one of the attributes; (2) determining a value of the one attribute to be transmitted along with the one attribute; (3) determining the transaction type for the one attribute; (4) from one of the memories, obtaining appropriate codes, including an appropriate transaction disposition code, an appropriate transaction category code, an appropriate block address code, an appropriate one of the identification codes, an appropriate attribute code and a representation of the value; (5) place the appropriate codes in a transaction block; add a sequence number code to the transaction block; arrange the appropriate codes and the sequence number code in a predetermined order in the transaction block; (6) add a source address to the transmission identifying a sender of the transmission; (7) add a destination address to the transmission; (8) add a message length code to the transmission; and keep the transmission as thus far constructed at a constant length; (9) add an appropriate data unit type code to the transmission; (10) add a sequence number code to the transmission; (11) after steps 8, 9 and 10, add the point-to-point address codes to the transmission; (12) add flags to a front and back of the transmission.