MOBILE TELE-PRESENCE SYSTEM WITH A MICROPHONE SYSTEM

• US 20120191246A1
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Roe, David Bjorn, Sanchez, Daniel Steven, Pinter, Marco, Walters, Derek, Jordan, Charles S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,861,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/003 by means of an audio-responsive input audible safety signals B25J19/061
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station. The robot includes a binaural microphone system that is coupled to a speaker system of the remote control station. The binaural microphone system may include a pair of microphones located at opposite sides of a robot head. the location of the microphones roughly coincides with the location of ears on a human body. Such microphone location creates a mobile robot that more effectively simulates the tele-presence of an operator of the system. The robot may include two different microphone systems and the ability to switch between systems. For example, the robot may also include a zoom camera system and a directional microphone. The directional microphone may be utilized to capture sound from a direction that corresponds to an object zoomed upon by the camera system.

Claims

1. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:

a robot with a camera system and a binaural microphone system; and

,

a remote control station that transmits commands to control said robot, said remote control station includes a speaker system that is coupled to said binaural microphone system and a monitor coupled to said robot camera.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said camera system and said binaural microphone system are attached to a robot head that can move in at least two degrees of freedom, said binaural microphone system including a first microphone located on a first side of said head and a second microphone located on a second side of said head.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said binaural microphone system includes a first microphone and a second microphone that are spaced at approximately equal angles relative to a plane that intersects said camera system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot further includes a directional microphone.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said camera system can switch between zoom and non-zoom modes, said directional microphone is utilized when said camera system is in said zoom mode.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said remote control station monitor displays a display user interface, said display user interface includes a graphical interface that can be used to switch between said binaural microphone system and said directional microphone.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said remote control station monitor displays a display user interface, said display user interface provides a graphical depiction of an origin of sound.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a monitor that is coupled to a camera of said remote control station.

10. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:

a robot with a camera system and a microphone system that move together in at least two degrees of freedom, said robot converts sound captured by said microphone system into a plurality of audio channels; and

,

a remote control station that transmits commands to control said robot, said remote control station includes a speaker system that is coupled to said microphone system, and a monitor coupled to said robot camera.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said microphone system includes a first microphone located on a first side of said camera system and a second microphone located on a second side of said camera system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said first and second microphones are spaced at approximately equal angles relative to a plane that intersects said camera system.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said microphone system includes a directional microphone and said robot camera system can switch between a zoom mode and a non-zoom modes, said directional microphone is utilized when said camera system is in said zoom mode.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said remote control station monitor displays a display user interface, said display user interface provides a graphical depiction of an origin of sound.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said robot includes a monitor coupled to a camera of said remote control station.

16. A method for hearing sound produced at a site of a robot, comprising:

capturing sound with a binaural microphone system of a robot that has a camera system;

transmitting the sound to a remote control station; and

,

producing the sound at the remote control station.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising capturing the sound with a directional microphone.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising switching the camera system of the robot between zoom and non-zoom modes, and producing the sound captured by the directional microphone when the camera system is in the zoom mode.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a display user interface on a monitor of the remote control station, the display user interface includes a graphical interface that can be used to switch between the binaural microphone system and the directional microphone.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying a display user interface on a monitor of the remote control station, the display user interface provides a graphical depiction of an origin of sound.

21-42. -42. (canceled)