Assigning tasks to a robot device for execution

• US 10,112,298 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lection, David B., Rakshit, Sarbajit K., Stevens, Mark B., Wilson, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer D
• Application Number:
  US15/232,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1661 characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Embodiments for assigning tasks to a robot device by a processor. A target region may be selected from a displayed image of an image capturing device. One or more tasks may be defined according to a plurality of objects displayed within the target region such that the defined one or more tasks are arranged according to a task workflow. The defined one or more tasks may be communicated to a self-directed device thereby assigning the self-directed robot to perform the defined one or more tasks according to the task workflow.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a processor, for assigning tasks to a robot device, comprising:

selecting a target region from a displayed image of an image capturing device;

defining one or more tasks in relation to a plurality of objects displayed within the target region such that the defined one or more tasks are arranged according to a task workflow;

wherein defining the one or more tasks further includes inputting image capturing instructions for performing the defined one or more tasks and one or more subtasks of the one or more tasks according to the plurality of objects using text data via a graphical user interface (GUI) such that a user inputs natural language text into the GUI to define the one or more tasks; and

communicating the defined one or more tasks to a self-directed device thereby assigning the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks according to the task workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, further including associating each one of the defined one or more tasks to each one of the plurality of objects within the target region.

3. The method of claim 1, further including tagging each of the plurality of objects displayed within the target region.

4. The method of claim 1, further including providing instructions for performing the defined one or more tasks to enable the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks.

5. The method of claim 1, further including scheduling each of the defined one or more tasks arranged in the task workflow to be performed by the self-directed device at a selected period of time, wherein the self-directed device is a robot device.

6. The method of claim 1, further including identifying a relative position of each of the plurality of objects in relation to each other within the target region.

7. A system for assigning tasks to a robot device, comprising:

one or more computers with executable instructions that when executed cause the system to;

select a target region from a displayed image of an image capturing device;

define one or more tasks according to a plurality of objects displayed within the target region such that the defined one or more tasks are arranged according to a task workflow;

wherein defining the one or more tasks further includes inputting image capturing instructions for performing the defined one or more tasks and one or more subtasks of the one or more tasks according to the plurality of objects using text data via a graphical user interface (GUI) such that a user inputs natural language text into the GUI to define the one or more tasks; and

communicate the defined one or more tasks to a self-directed device thereby assigning the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks according to the task workflow.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions further associate each one of the defined one or more tasks to each one of the plurality of objects within the target region.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions further tag each of the plurality of objects displayed within the target region.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions further provide instructions in the communication for performing the defined one or more tasks to enable the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions further schedule each of the defined one or more tasks arranged in the task workflow to be performed by the self-directed device at a selected period of time, wherein the self-directed device is a robot device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the executable instructions further identify a relative position of each of the plurality of objects in relation to each other within the target region.

13. A computer program product for, by a processor, assigning tasks to a robot device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion that selects a target region from a displayed image of an image capturing device;

an executable portion that defines one or more tasks according to a plurality of objects displayed within the target region such that the defined one or more tasks are arranged according to a task workflow;

wherein defining the one or more tasks further includes inputting image capturing instructions for performing the defined one or more tasks and one or more subtasks of the one or more tasks according to the plurality of objects using text data via a graphical user interface (GUI) such that a user inputs natural language text into the GUI to define the one or more tasks; and

an executable portion that communicates the defined one or more tasks to a self-directed device thereby assigning the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks according to the task workflow.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that:

associates each one of the defined one or more tasks to each one of the plurality of objects within the target region; and

tags each of the plurality of objects displayed within the target region.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that provides instructions in the communication for performing the defined one or more tasks to enable the self-directed device to perform the defined one or more tasks.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that schedules each of the defined one or more tasks arranged in the task workflow to be performed by the self-directed device at a selected period of time, wherein the self-directed device is a robot device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further including an executable portion that identifies a relative position of each of the plurality of objects in relation to each other within the target region.