Protocol for a remotely controlled videoconferencing robot

• US 20050125098A1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Southard, Jonathan, Wang, Yulun, Pinter, Marco, Jordan, Charles S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robotic system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station can generate control commands that are transmitted to the robot through a broadband network. The control commands can be interpreted by the robot to induce action such as robot movement or focusing a robot camera. The robot can generate reporting commands that are transmitted to the remote station through the broadband network. The reporting commands can provide positional feedback or system reports on the robot.

Claims

1. A robot system that communicates through a broadband network, comprising:

a robot that has a camera and a monitor, said robot generates at least one reporting command that is transmitted through the broadband network; and

,

a remote station that has a camera and a monitor, said remote station generates at least one control command that is transmitted through the broadband network, and receives the reporting command from said robot.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting and control commands are transmitted through the broadband network in a TCP format.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform and the control command includes a DRIVE command to move said robot.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a head and the control command includes a HEAD command that causes said robot to move said head.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control command includes a SAVEHEADPOSITION command that causes said robot to save a position of said head.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the control command includes a RESTOREHEADPOSITION command that causes said robot to restore said head to the saved position.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said robot includes a head and the control command includes a GOTOHOMEPOSITION command that causes said robot to move said head to a home position.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a GOODBYE command that terminates a session between said robot and said remote station.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a KEEPALIVE command that maintains a communication link between said robot and said remote station.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes an ODOMETRY command that establishes a frequency of odometry reporting commands from said robot.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a REBOOT command that causes said robot to reboot.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a SETCAMERAFOCUS command that causes said robot camera to focus.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a CAMERAZOOM command that causes said robot camera to zoom.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a SHUTDOWN command that causes said robot to shutdown.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a STOP command that causes said robot to stop moving.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a TIMING command that is utilized to determine a latency in the transmission of the control and reporting commands through the broadband network.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the control command includes a USERTASK command that identifies a user of said remote station.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes an ABNORMALEXIT command that reports an abnormal software exit by said robot.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a BODYTYPE command that reports a type of robot.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a DRIVEENABLED command to indicate that a robot drive is operational.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a EMERGENCYSHUTDOWN command to report a shutdown of said robot.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes an ODOMETRY command that reports a position of said robot.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORGROUP command that reports data from at least one robot sensor.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORSTATE command that reports a state of at least one robot sensor.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the reporting command includes a SYSTEMERROR command that reports an error in said robot.

26. A robot system, comprising:

a broadband network;

a robot that has a camera and a monitor, said robot generates at least one reporting command that is transmitted through said broadband network; and

,

a remote station that has a camera and a monitor, said remote station generates at least one control command that is transmitted through said broadband network, and receives the reporting command from said robot.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting and control commands are transmitted through said broadband network in a TCP format.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform and the control command includes a DRIVE command to move said robot.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said robot includes a head and the control command includes a HEAD command that causes said robot to move said head.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the control command includes a SAVEHEADPOSITION command that causes said robot to save a position of said head.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the control command includes a RESTOREHEADPOSITION command that causes said robot to restore said head to the saved position.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the control command includes a GOTOHOMEPOSITION command that causes said robot to move said head to a home position.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a GOODBYE command that terminates a session between said robot and said remote station.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a KEEPALIVE command that maintains a communication link between said robot and said remote station.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes an ODOMETRY command that establishes a frequency of odometry reporting commands from said robot.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a REBOOT command that causes said robot to reboot.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a SETCAMERAFOCUS command that causes said robot camera to focus.

38. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a CAMERAZOOM command that causes said robot camera to zoom.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a SHUTDOWN command that causes said robot to shutdown.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a STOP command that causes said robot to stop moving.

41. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a TIMING command that is utilized to determine a latency in the transmission of the control and reporting commands through said broadband network.

42. The system of claim 26, wherein the control command includes a USERTASK command that identifies a user of said remote station.

43. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes an ABNORMALEXIT command that reports an abnormal software exit by said robot.

44. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a BODYTYPE command that reports a type of robot.

45. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a DRIVEENABLED command to indicate that a robot drive is operational.

46. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a EMERGENCYSHUTDOWN command to report a shutdown of said robot.

47. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes an ODOMETRY command that reports a position of said robot.

48. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORGROUP command that reports data from at least one robot sensor.

49. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORSTATE command that reports a state of at least one robot sensor.

50. The system of claim 26, wherein the reporting command includes a SYSTEMERROR command that reports an error in said robot.

51. A method for controlling a robot through a broadband network, comprising:

generating at least one control command at a remote station that has a camera and a monitor;

transmitting the control command through a broadband network;

receiving the control command at a robot that has a camera and a monitor;

generating at least one reporting command at the robot;

transmitting the reporting command through the broadband network; and

,

receiving the reporting command at the remote station.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting and control commands are transmitted through the broadband network in a TCP format.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the robot includes a mobile platform and the control command includes a DRIVE command to move the robot.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the robot includes a head and the control command includes a HEAD command that causes the robot to move the head.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the control command includes a SAVEHEADPOSITION command that causes the robot to save a position of the head.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the control command includes a RESTOREHEADPOSITION command that causes the robot to restore the head to the saved position.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the control command includes a GOTOHOMEPOSITION command that causes the robot to move the head to a home position.

58. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a GOODBYE command that terminates a session between the robot and the remote station.

59. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a KEEPALIVE command that maintains a communication link between the robot and the remote station.

60. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes an ODOMETRY command that establishes a frequency of odometry reporting commands from the robot.

61. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a REBOOT command that causes the robot to reboot.

62. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a SETCAMERAFOCUS command that causes the robot camera to focus.

63. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a CAMERAZOOM command that causes the robot camera to zoom.

64. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a SHUTDOWN command that causes the robot to shutdown.

65. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a STOP command that causes the robot to stop moving.

66. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a TIMING command that is utilized to determine a latency in the transmission of the control and reporting commands through the broadband network.

67. The method of claim 51, wherein the control command includes a USERTASK command that identifies a user of the remote station.

68. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes an ABNORMALEXIT command that reports an abnormal software exit by the robot.

69. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a BODYTYPE command that reports a type of robot.

70. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a DRIVEENABLED command to indicate that a robot drive is operational.

71. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a EMERGENCYSHUTDOWN command to report a shutdown of the robot.

72. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes an ODOMETRY command that reports a position of the robot.

73. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORGROUP command that reports data from at least one robot sensor.

74. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a SENSORSTATE command that reports a state of at least one robot sensor.

75. The method of claim 51, wherein the reporting command includes a SYSTEMERROR command that reports an error in the robot.