Abstract:
A machine horse control system and its controlling method are provided. An OS unit, a central controlling unit, and a controlled object are included in the system. The OS unit completes a power on procedure via a network interface and receives a control command via another network interface. The central controlling unit receives the control command. The controlled object executes the corresponding operations according to the control command. Using the disclosed control system and method, one can perform a diskless power on procedure via a network. Therefore, it is not necessary to install a huge operating system in the machine horse control system.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     The invention relates to a machine horse control system and, in particular, to a wireless machine horse control system.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Wildlife photography is an important means for studying wildlife, providing researchers with records and observation from various perspectives. In order to avoid close encounter to frighten or interfere the life of wild animals, one usually take pictures from a far distance.  
         [0005]     When human beings take pictures from a short distance or observe birds, it is impossible to have some extent of influence on their behaviors and habits. If we can adopt an appropriate method, such interference of picture taking can be reduced to minimum.  
         [0006]     In view of the foregoing, a device called the machine horse is invented. In the prior art, one uses a PC 104  controller loaded with an operating system (OS) to control the motion of the machine horse via a control system and a microprocessor chip. The machine horse can be installed with a video camera, a recorder or a photo camera to record the activities of a target without interfering it.  
         [0007]     However, the PC 104  controller stores all control-related software. This requires the user of a more expensive chip. Therefore, the cost of the whole system is higher.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     A primary objective of the invention is to provide a machine horse control system. It solves the problems in the prior art by utilizing the diskless power on technique.  
         [0009]     To achieve the above objective, the disclosed machine horse control system contains an OS unit, which completes the power on procedure via a network interface and receives a control command via another network interface; a central control unit, which is connected to the OS unit via a connection module for receiving the control command; and a controlled object, which is connected to the central controlling unit for executing an operation corresponding to the control command.  
         [0010]     In accord with the objective, the invention further provides a machine horse system control method. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing an OS for an OS unit; (b) connecting the OS unit to a server via a network in order to perform a system power on procedure; (c) updating drivers in the OS to complete a power on procedure; (d) the OS unit&#39;s connecting to a control server via a wireless network interface to receive a control command from the control server; and (e) controlling the motion of the controlled object after the OS unit receives the control command.  
         [0011]     The disclosed method further includes the steps of: (f) collecting data surrounding the controlled object; (g) transmitting the obtained data to the control server via the wireless network interface; (h) adjusting the control command according to the returned data; and (i) transmitting an adjusted control command to the OS unit.  
         [0012]     The disclosed OS unit can perform a wireless power on procedure via a network. Therefore, there is no need to store a huge OS in the machine horse control system, thereby reducing the system cost.  
         [0013]     In comparison with the prior art, the invention uses IP and wireless network control to obtain data. The power on kernel and relevant settings in PC 104  are updated in a diskless power on fashion. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a system structure of the disclosed machine horse control system;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a main flowchart of the disclosed machine horse control method;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a main flowchart of the disclosed machine horse control method;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of preparing the OS in the disclosed method;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of establishing the root file system;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of establishing the kernel; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of installing a power on loading program. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the disclosed machine horse control system is comprised of an operating system (OS) unit  100 , a central control unit  200 , and a controlled object  300 .  
         [0023]     An embodiment of the controlled object  300  is a machine horse, a robot that looks like a horse. Other objects that receive the control commands from the central controlling unit  200  can also be the controlled objects.  
         [0024]     The OS unit  100  has a main control module  110 . The main control module  110  is connected with a network interface  120  and a connection module  130 . The whole system can be connected to the Internet and a server  400  via a network interface  120 . The OS unit  100  uses a PC  104  control board.  
         [0025]     The control module  110  is a disk on module (DOM). The server  400  is a DRBL server, which is a diskless power on server. The kernel of the OS uses the Linux system. The machine horse control system is turned on via the connection with the diskless power on server.  
         [0026]     The main control module  110  is selectively controlled with the connection module. For example, the connection module  140  is connected to the wireless network interface  500  and the camera  600 . The connection module  140  and the connection module  150  can be connected to buses (e.g. IEEE1394) that link the system to other peripheral devices using a universal serial bus (USB) interface.  
         [0027]     Through the connection with the wireless network interface  500 , the system can be connected to a control server  800  in a wireless way via a bridge  700 . Using the wireless networking method, the user can enter a command at the control server  800  and send it to the machine horse at a distance via the wireless network, thereby controlling the machine horse.  
         [0028]     The central controlling unit  200  has a microprocessor  210 , which connects to the control module  220  and the connection module  230 . It also includes a power module  240  to provide the necessary power to the microprocessor  210 , the control module  220 , and the connection module  230 .  
         [0029]     The control module  220  is connected to the controlled object  300  for outputting a control command for the controlled object  300  to perform a corresponding operation.  
         [0030]     The connection module  130  and the connection module  230  are connected using a connecting wire. The command signal output from the main control module  110  can therefore be sent to the microprocessor via the connection module  230 . The connection module  130  and the connection module  230  can use an RS232 interface or other interfaces with the function of transmitting data.  
         [0031]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the disclosed method first provides an OS for the main control module  110  in the OS unit  100  (step S 100 ) so that the machine horse system can be turned on wirelessly.  
         [0032]     The OS unit is then connected to a server via a network to perform a system power on procedure (step S 200 ). Such a connection can be either wired or wireless. The server is the above-mentioned DRBL server. Drivers (e.g. those for network cards, cameras, etc) in the OS are updated to complete the power on procedure (step S 300 ).  
         [0033]     Once the power on procedure is completed, the method starts system operations. The OS in the main control module  110  is connected to the control server  800  via the wireless network interface  500  and the bridge  700 . The disclosed machine horse system then controls a distant system through a wireless network.  
         [0034]     In this case, the user enters a control command at the control server. The control command is transmitted over the bridge  700 , and the OS unit receives the control command from the control server  800  via the wireless network (step S 400 ).  
         [0035]     After the OS unit  100  receives the control command, it is passed to the central controlling unit  200 . The microprocessor  210  sends the control command to the control module  220  to control the motion of the controlled object  300  (step S 500 ).  
         [0036]     Once the controlled object, the machine horse, receives the control command, it starts to collect data (e.g. using a video camera to record the target&#39;s activities) in the surrounding environment (step S 600 ). After obtaining the data, the main control module  110  returns them to the control server via the wireless network interface (step S 700 ). The user can thus observe the target&#39;s activities. And the user may adjust the control command according to the returned data (step S 800 ). Finally, the control server transmits a new control command to the OS unit via the wireless network (step S 900 ).  
         [0037]     We further explain the details on how to prepare the main control module in the following paragraphs.  
         [0038]     The OS in the main control module  110  is a Linux system. One can use the utility Emdebian to make a Linux subsystem and install related drivers (e.g. drivers for chips in the wireless network cards, drivers supporting real-time image transfer, or remote login programs for command management) therein. In order to include the control program, one has to install the utility uclibc for controlling the program.  
         [0039]     Once the subsystem is completed, the DOM is updated via the network and the server  400 . The server  400  is a DRBL host.  
         [0040]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , we first build a root file system (step S 110 ), then a kernel program of the root file system (step S 120 ). Afterwards, we prepare the conversion from TCP/IP to the RS232 interface (step S 130 ). Finally, we install a power on loading program to the main control module (step S 140 ).  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , we use the utility Emdebian to establish a basic file system (step S 111 ). We then use the utility uclibc toolchains to compile a distant control program in the root file system (step S 112 ). Afterwards, the basic file system with the remote login program is installed in the OS unit (step S 113 ).  
         [0042]     With reference to  FIG. 6 , we first edit a kernel (step S 121 ), compile the kernel (step S 122 ), and, after completing the compilation, load it into the root file system (step S 123 ).  
         [0043]     With reference to  FIG. 7 , we first copy power on files to the root directory of the root file system (step S 131 ). The DRBL is then employed to turn on the machine horse system (step S 132 ). Afterwards, a power on disk is installed into the main control module, all system files are copied to the main control module (step S 133 ). We then edit a settings file lilo.conf for the utility lilo to use (step S 134 ). In the end, we install the settings file to the main control module (step S 135 ).  
         [0044]     The machine horse control system disclosed herein uses a diskless power on means. The OS unit  100  supports a PXE network power on procedure. After it is turned on, a root directory along with all settings files are mounted from the server  400 .  
         [0045]     Certain variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art, which variations are considered within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.