PORTABLE TELEPRESENCE APPARATUS

• US 20110213210A1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: BUTNER, STEVEN E., SANCHEZ, DANIEL S., TEMBY, KELTON, JORDAN, CHARLES S., ROSENTHAL, JAMES, HANRAHAN, KEVIN P., WALTERS, DEREK J., BOUGANIM, JOSHUA A., LAI, FUJI
• Granted Patent: US 11,399,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A telepresence system that includes a portable telepresence apparatus coupled to a remote control station. The telepresence apparatus comprises a monitor, a camera, a speaker, a microphone and a viewfinder screen coupled to a housing. The view finder screen allows the user to view the image being captured by the camera. The portable telepresence apparatus is a hand held device that can be moved by a holder of the device in response to audio commands from the remote station. The telepresence apparatus can be used by medical personnel to remotely view a patient in a fast and efficient manner.

Claims

1. A portable telepresence apparatus that is adapted to be coupled to a remote station that has a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a first camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to display images captured by the station camera;

a speaker that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to generate a sound provided through the station microphone;

a microphone coupled to said housing;

a battery coupled to said housing;

a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing; and

a viewfinder screen coupled to said housing.

2. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second camera coupled to said housing, said first camera being located on a first face of said housing that includes said monitor and said second camera being location on a second face of said housing that includes said viewfinder screen.

3. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewfinder screen includes at least one touch screen function that can vary an image captured by said first camera.

4. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensing device attached to said housing.

5. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 4, wherein said motion sensing device is utilized to correct an image displayed by said monitor.

6. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 4, wherein said motion sensing device is utilized to correct an image provided to the remote station.

7. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, wherein said monitor includes a graphical user interface that allows a user to vary an audio characteristic.

8. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing is configured to be placed on a surface in an upright position.

9. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, wherein said remote station monitor displays hardware icons and depicts a break in a communication link between hardware devices.

10. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator system that can move the first camera and is controlled by the remote station.

11. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a GPS apparatus.

12. A portable telepresence apparatus that is adapted to be coupled to a remote station that has a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to display images captured by the station camera;

a speaker that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to generate a sound provided through the station microphone;

a microphone coupled to said housing;

a battery coupled to said housing;

a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing; and

a memory device for capturing at least one image prior to establishing communication that is transmitted to the remote station after the remote station establishes a communication with the portable telepresence apparatus.

13. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one input that allows a user to vary an input characteristic of the portable telepresence apparatus before the remote station establishes the communication with the portable telepresence apparatus.

14. A portable telepresence apparatus that is adapted to be coupled to a remote station that has a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a first camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to display images captured by the station camera;

a speaker that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to generate a sound provided through the station microphone;

a microphone coupled to said housing;

a battery coupled to said housing;

a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing; and

a motion sensing device coupled to said housing.

15. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 14, wherein said motion sensing device is utilized to correct an image displayed by said monitor.

16. The portable telepresence apparatus of claim 14, wherein said motion sensing device is utilized to correct an image provided to the remote station.

17. A portable telepresence apparatus that is adapted to be coupled to a remote station that has a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a first camera coupled to said housing;

a monitor that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to display images captured by the station camera;

a speaker that is coupled to said housing and is adapted to generate a sound provided through the station microphone;

a microphone coupled to said housing;

a battery coupled to said housing; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to said housing, wherein said wireless transceiver transmits one type of data on a lower bandwidth and transmits a second type of data on a higher bandwidth network.

18. A method for providing a remote medical consultation, comprising:

setting up a portable telepresence apparatus to view a patient, the portable telepresence apparatus includes a camera, a monitor, a speaker and a microphone;

capturing an image of the patient with the portable telepresence apparatus;

linking the portable telepresence apparatus to a remote station that includes a remote station camera that can capture an image of a healthcare worker operating the remote station, a remote station monitor, a remote station speaker and a remote station microphone;

transmitting the image of the healthcare worker to the portable telepresence apparatus;

displaying the healthcare worker image on the monitor;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the remote station monitor; and

transmitting an audio command from the remote station to the portable telepresence apparatus.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the patient image and transmitting the stored patient image after the remote station is linked with the portable telepresence apparatus.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the patient is being transported while the camera captures the patient image.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising terminating the link between the remote station and the portable telepresence apparatus and continuing to capture and store an image of the patient with the portable telepresence apparatus.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising moving the portable telepresence apparatus to a first hospital.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising moving the patient to a second hospital.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the portable telepresence apparatus is moved with the patient to the second hospital.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the portable telepresence apparatus transmits an image of the patient to the remote station while the patient is being moved to the second hospital.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the remote station is located at the second hospital.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the portable telepresence apparatus to a home.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising moving the patient to a medical facility.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising storing data inputted into the portable telepresence apparatus and transmitting the data to the remote station.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising attaching a medical instrument to the portable telepresence apparatus and obtaining patient data through the medical instrument.

31. A method for obtaining a remotely captured image, comprising:

linking a portable telepresence apparatus to a remote station, the portable telepresence apparatus includes a first camera, a monitor, a speaker and a microphone, the remote station includes a remote station camera, a remote station monitor, a remote station speaker and a remote station microphone;

transmitting an image that is captured by the first camera to the remote station;

transmitting an audio instruction from the remote station to the portable telepresence apparatus to a user holding the portable telepresence apparatus; and

moving the portable telepresence apparatus by the user holding the portable telepresence apparatus.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising viewing the image captured by the camera through a viewfinder screen on the portable telepresence apparatus.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising capturing an image of the user holding the portable telepresence apparatus with a second camera and transmitting the image of the user to the remote station.