Method and apparatus for multi-machine collaborative farming

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory to store computer program instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• establishing a plurality of communication channels between a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices using a subscription model and a request-receive model for communications among the plurality of devices in response to data streams from the plurality of devices exceeding available bandwidth, each of the plurality of devices associated with one of a plurality of agricultural machines located in a geographic area, each of the plurality of agricultural machines having functional capabilities, physical aspects, and a physical tangible resource, the establishing a plurality of communication channels comprising:
• determining that two of the plurality of devices cannot communicate with each other using either the subscription model or the request-receive model;
• and
• establishing a communication channel between the two devices using a third device that is in range of each of the two devices;
• receiving data pertaining to the functional capabilities, the physical aspects, and a quantity, a quality, and a type of the physical tangible resource of each of the plurality of agricultural machines;
• determining a collaborative plan to complete a task using the plurality of agricultural machines based on the received data and a location at which the task will be performed;
• and
• transmitting at least a portion of the collaborative plan to each of the plurality of agricultural machines via the plurality of communication channels, the portion of the collaborative plan for controlling a respective one of the plurality of agricultural machines to perform its portion of the collaborative plan.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing (Currently Amended) computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• establishing a plurality of communication channels between a plurality of devices, the plurality of devices using a subscription model and a request-receive model for communications among the plurality of devices in response to data streams from the plurality of devices exceeding available bandwidth, each of the plurality of devices associated with one of a plurality of agricultural machines located in a geographic area, each of the plurality of agricultural machines having functional capabilities, physical aspects, and a physical tangible resource, the establishing a plurality of communication channels comprising:
• determining that two of the plurality of devices cannot communicate with each other using either the subscription model or the request-receive model;
• and
• establishing a communication channel between the two devices using a third device that is in range of each of the two devices;
• receiving data pertaining to the functional capabilities, the physical aspects, and a quantity, a quality, and a type of the physical tangible resource of each of the plurality of agricultural machines;
• determining a collaborative plan to complete a task using the plurality of agricultural machines based on the received data and a location at which the task will be performed;
• and
• transmitting at least a portion of the collaborative plan to each of the plurality of agricultural machines via the plurality of communication channels, the portion of the collaborative plan for controlling a respective one of the plurality of agricultural machines to perform its portion of the collaborative plan.