TELE-PRESENCE ROBOT SYSTEM WITH SOFTWARE MODULARITY, PROJECTOR AND LASER POINTER

• US 20100268383A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Hanrahan, Kevin, Wang, Yulun, Pinter, Marco, Sanchez, Daniel Steven, Jordan, Charles S., Walters, Derek, Roe, David Bjorn, Rosenthal, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/022 using lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/414 Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A remote control station that accesses one of at least two different robots that each have at least one unique robot feature. The remote control station receives information that identifies the robot feature of the accessed robot. The remote station displays a display user interface that includes at least one field that corresponds to the robot feature of the accessed robot. The robot may have a laser pointer and/or a projector.

Claims

1. A remote station that can access at least two different robots comprising:

a remote control station that accesses one of at least two different robots that each have at least one unique robot feature, said remote control station receives information that identifies said robot feature of said accessed robot, said remote control station displays a display user interface that includes at least one field that corresponds to said robot feature.

2. The remote station of claim 1, wherein said robot feature include a mobile platform and said display user interface displays a field that corresponds to a robot platform.

3. The remote station of claim 1, wherein said robot feature includes a projector and said display user interface displays a projector field.

4. The remote station of claim 1, wherein said robot feature includes a laser pointer and said display user interface displays a graphic corresponding to said laser pointer.

5. The remote station of claim 1, wherein said remote control station includes software with at least one object that relates to said robot feature, said remote control station instantiates and initiates at least one object that corresponds to said robot feature of said accessed robot.

6. A robotic system, comprising:

a plurality of robots that each have at least one unique robot feature; and

,

a remote control station that accesses one of said robots, said remote station receives information that identifies said robot feature of said accessed robot, said remote control station displays a display user interface that includes at least one field that correspond to said robot feature.

7. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein said robot feature includes a mobile platform and said display user interface displays a field that corresponds to a robot platform.

8. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein said robot feature includes a projector and said display user interface displays a projector field.

9. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein said robot feature includes a laser pointer and said display user interface displays a graphic corresponding to said laser pointer.

10. The robotic system of claim 6, wherein said remote control station includes software with at least one object that relates to said robot feature, said remote control station instantiates and initiates at least one object that corresponds to said robot feature at said accessed robot.

11. A method for creating a display user interface for a robot system, comprising:

accessing from a remote control station one of a plurality of robots that each have at least one unique robot feature;

transmitting information regarding the robot feature of the accessed robot to the remote control station; and

,

displaying a display user interface at the remote control station, the display user interface includes at least one fields that corresponds to the robot feature.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said robot feature includes a mobile platform and said display user interface displays a field that corresponds to a robot platform.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the robot feature includes a projector and the display user interface displays a projector field.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the robot feature includes a laser pointer and the display user interface display a graphic corresponding to the laser pointer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote control station includes software with at least one object that relates to the robot feature, and the remote control station instantiates and initiates at least one object that corresponds to the robot feature of the accessed robot.

16. A robotic system, comprising:

a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser; and

,

a remote control station that controls said robot and has a user input device, said remote control station including a monitor that displays a computer cursor that disappears when said laser pointer is activated, movement of said laser pointer is controlled through said input device.

17. The robotic system of claim 16, wherein said graphical cursor is a spot that disappears when said laser pointer is activated.

18. The robotic system of claim 16, wherein said robot automatically moves so that said laser is always in a field of view of said robot camera.

19. The robotic system of claim 16, wherein said robot monitor, said camera and said laser pointer are moved by a first actuator assembly and said laser pointer is moved by an additional second actuator assembly, said first actuator assembly is actuated to move said laser pointer if movement of said graphical cursor is beyond a range of said second actuator assembly.

20. A method for remotely moving a robot, comprising:

providing a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser;

providing a remote control station that controls the robot and has a user input device, the remote control station including a monitor that displays a computer cursor;

activating the laser pointer and removing the graphical cursor; and

,

moving the laser pointer through the user input device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving automatically the robot so that the laser is always in a field of view of the robot camera.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the robot monitor, the camera and the laser pointer are moved by a first actuator assembly and the laser pointer is moved by an additional second actuator assembly, the first actuator assembly is actuated to move the laser pointer if movement of the graphical cursor is beyond a range of the second actuator assembly.

23. A robotic system, comprising:

a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser, said robot monitor, said camera and said laser pointer are moved by a first actuator assembly and said laser pointer is moved by an additional second actuator assembly; and

,

a remote control station that controls said robot, said remote control station control includes actuating said first actuator assembly to move said laser pointer if movement of said laser is beyond a range of said second actuator assembly.

24. A method for remotely moving a robot, comprising:

providing a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser, the robot monitor, the camera and the laser pointer are moved by a first actuator assembly and the laser pointer is moved by an additional second actuator assembly;

providing a remote control station that controls the robot and allows for movement of the laser; and

,

actuating the first actuator assembly to move the laser pointer if movement of the laser is beyond a range of the second actuator assembly.

25. A robotic system, comprising:

a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser; and

,

a remote control station that controls said robot, said remote control station provides information to said robot, said laser pointer projects said information in a raster scan manner.

26. A method for remotely moving a robot, comprising:

providing a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser;

transmitting information from a remote control station to the robot; and

,

moving the laser in a raster scan manner to display the information.

27. A robotic system, comprising:

a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser that is scanned onto a three dimensional object to obtain scan information; and

,

a remote control station that controls said robot utilizing said scan information.

28. A method for remotely moving a robot, comprising:

providing a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser;

scanning a three dimensional object with the laser to generate scan information;

transmitting the scan information to a remote control station; and

,

controlling movement of the robot utilizing the scan information.

29. A method for remotely providing instructions at a surgical site through a robot, comprising:

providing a robot at a surgical site, the robot includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser;

moving the monitor and the camera to face a patient and a doctor; and

,

directing the laser onto at least one anatomical location of the patient to indicate location of at least one incision and at least one suture.

30. A method for remotely projecting information through a robot, comprising:

providing a robot that includes a monitor, a camera and a projector;

moving the robot thru at least one command from a remote control station;

transmitting information from the remote control station to the robot; and

,

projecting the information with the robot projector.

31. A method for remotely providing instructions at a surgical site through a robot, comprising:

providing a robot at a surgical site, the robot includes a monitor, a camera and a laser pointer that emits a laser;

moving the monitor and camera to face a patient and a doctor; and

,

directing the laser onto at least one anatomical location of the patient to indicate location of at least one trocar, the laser being directed with movement that is separate from the movement of the monitor and the camera.