US 9,371,622 B2Granted

System and method to automatically determine irregular polygon for environmental hazard containment modules

OwnerJames Connor Buckleyinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

According to some embodiments, an environmental hazard containment module may exchange location information with a plurality of remote containment modules. Hazard location information associated with an environmental hazard may be detected, and a containment configuration may be determined comprising a contiguous arrangement of the containment module and the plurality of remote containment modules such that the hazard location is within an area defined by the containment configuration. A motion portion may be instructed to move the containment module in accordance with the determined containment configuration. According to some embodiments, information associated with the containment configuration may be transmitted to the plurality of remote containment modules.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An environmental hazard containment module, comprising:

a module body extending along an axis from a first end to a second end opposite the first end:
a communication device to exchange location information with a plurality of remote containment modules having similar structures:
a first motion portion located at the first end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module;
a second motion portion located at the second end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module:
a first electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the first end of the module body:
a second electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the second end of the module body:
a computer storage unit for receiving, storing, and providing said data indicative of the location information;
and
a processor in communication with the storage unit, first motion portion, second motion portion, first electro-magnetic attaching portion, and second magnetic attaching portion, wherein the processor is configured for:
detecting hazard location information associated with an environmental hazard,
automatically determining a containment configuration comprising a contiguous arrangement of the containment module and the plurality of remote containment modules such that the hazard location is within an area defined by an irregular polygon having:
(i) polygon segments, each segment comprising a module body, and (ii) polygon vertexes, each vertex comprising an electro-magnetic attaching portion coupled to an electro-magnetic attaching portion of a neighboring module,
communicating with at least one of the motion portions to move the containment module in accordance with the determined irregular polygon, and
transmitting information associated with the irregular polygon to the plurality of remote containment modules,
wherein said determination of the containment configuration includes optimizing the area of the irregular polygon with respect to the hazard location information, the optimizing including:
establishing an X-Y coordinate framework for the irregular polygon having N segments such that vertexes of the irregular polygon are mapped to coordinates X1, Y1 through Xn, Yn, wherein the area of the irregular polygon is calculated using:
A
=
∑
i
=
1
N
⁢
area
⁢
⁢
below
⁢
⁢
P
i
⁢
⁢
to
⁢
⁢
P
next
wherein i proceeds through each vertex as it appears in the irregular polygon in a clockwise fashion, and the area below each segment is between the segment and the X-axis and is:
(i) added to A when Xi is greater than Xnext and subtracted from A when Xi is less than Xnext.

38 more elements

An environmental hazard containment module method, comprising:

at the containment module, having:
(i) a module body extending along an axis from a first end to a send end opposite the first end, (ii) a first motion portion located at the first end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module, (iii) a second motion portion located at the second end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module, (iv) a first electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the first end of the module body, and (v) a second electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the second end of the module body, exchanging location information with a plurality of remote containment modules having similar structures:
detecting hazard location information associated with an environmental hazard;
automatically determining a containment configuration comprising a contiguous arrangement of the containment module and the plurality of remote containment modules such that the hazard location is within an area defined by the containment configuration an irregular polygon having polygon segments, each segment comprising a module body, and polygon vertexes each vertex comprising an electro-magnetic attaching portion coupled to an electromagnetic attaching portion of a neighboring module;
communicating with at least one of the motion portions to move the containment module in accordance with the determined irregular polygon;
and
transmitting information associated with the irregular polygon to the plurality of remote containment modules;
and
wherein said determination of the containment configuration includes optimizing the area of the irregular polygon with respect to the hazard location information, the optimizing including:
establishing an X-Y coordinate framework far the irregular polygon having N segments such that vertexes of the irregular polygon are mapped to coordinates X1, Y1 through Xn, Yn, wherein the area of the irregular polygon is calculated using:
A
=
∑
i
=
1
N
⁢
area
⁢
⁢
below
⁢
⁢
P
i
⁢
⁢
to
⁢
⁢
P
next
wherein i proceeds through each vertex as it appears in the irregular polygon in a clockwise fashion, and the area below each segment is between the segment and the X-axis and is:
(i) added to A when Xi is greater than Xnext and (ii) subtracted from A when Xi is less than Xnext.

32 more elements

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a computer processor to perform a method associated with an environmental hazard containment module, said method comprising:

at the containment module, having:
(i) a module body extending along an axis from a first end to a send end opposite the first end, (ii) a first motion portion located at the first end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module, (in) a second motion portion located at the second end of the module body and adapted to move the containment module, (iv) a first electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the first end of the module body, and (v) a second electro-magnetic attaching portion located at the second end of the module body, exchanging location information with a plurality of remote containment modules having similar structures;
detecting hazard location information associated with an environmental hazard;
automatically determining a containment configuration comprising a contiguous arrangement of the containment module and the plurality of remote containment modules such that the hazard location is within an area defined by the containment configuration an irregular polygon having polygon segments, each segment comprising a module body, and polygon vertexes, each vertex comprising an electro-magnetic attaching portion coupled to an electromagnetic attaching portion of a neighboring module;
communicating with at least one of the motion portions to move the containment module in accordance with the determined irregular polygon;
and
transmitting information associated with the irregular polygon to the plurality of remote containment modules;
and
wherein said determination of the containment configuration includes optimizing the area of the irregular polygon with respect to the hazard location information, and further wherein each containment module is associated with the optimizing including:
establishing an X-Y coordinate framework for the irregular polygon having N segments such that vertexes of the irregular polygon are mapped to coordinates X1, Y1 through Xn, Yn, wherein the area of the irregular polygon is calculated using:
A
=
∑
i
=
1
N
⁢
area
⁢
⁢
below
⁢
⁢
P
i
⁢
⁢
to
⁢
⁢
P
next
wherein i proceeds through each vertex as it appears in the irregular polygon in a clockwise fashion, and the area below each segment is between the segment and the X-axis and is:
(i) added to A when Xi is greater than Xnext and (ii) subtracted from A when Xi is less than Xnext.

32 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/059,509Filed 22 Oct 2013
Published: US 2015/0112461 A123 Apr 2015
Granted: 21 Jun 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

E02B 15/08
Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials:…
A62C 3/0278
For area conflagrations, e.g. forest fires, subterranean fires: by creating zones devoid of flammable material
A62C 3/06
Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places: of highly inflammable material, e.g. light…
E02B 15/06
Devices for cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like floating materials by separating or removing these materials:…