TIME-DEPENDENT NAVIGATION OF TELEPRESENCE ROBOTS

• US 20130325244A1
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation, Jonata Sub Two, Inc. (Teladoc Health, Inc.), Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation, Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Wright, Tim, Chan, Michael, Pinter, Marco, Hanrahan, Kevin, Sanchez, Daniel, Ballantyne, James, Herzog, Cody, Whitney, Blair, Lai, Fuji, Temby, Kelton, Rauhut, Eben Christopher, Kearns, Justin H., Wong, Cheuk Wah, Farlow, Timothy Sturtevant, Neushul, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,323,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/26
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/009 Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A telepresence robot may include a drive system, a control system, an imaging system, and a mapping module. The mapping module may access a plan view map of an area and tags associated with the area. In various embodiments, each tag may include tag coordinates and tag information, which may include a tag annotation. A tag identification system may identify tags within a predetermined range of the current position and the control system may execute an action based on an identified tag whose tag information comprises a telepresence robot action modifier. The telepresence robot may rotate an upper portion independent from a lower portion. A remote terminal may allow an operator to control the telepresence robot using any combination of control methods, including by selecting a destination in a live video feed, by selecting a destination on a plan view map, or by using a joystick or other peripheral device.

Claims

1. A telepresence robot, comprising:

a drive system configured to move the telepresence robot according to drive instructions;

a control system in communication with the drive system, the control system configured to generate drive instructions to cause the drive system to move the telepresence robot along a navigation path;

a mapping module in communication with the control system, the mapping module configured to access a map data source, the map data source including;

a map representative of a robot operating surface; and

a plurality of time-dependent navigation tags, each time-dependent navigation tag being a data structure comprising spatial coordinates locatable relative to the map and tag information having a time-dependent robot action modifier, wherein the spatial coordinates are associated with the robot operating surface;

a positioning system in communication with the control system configured to provide positioning information associated with a current position;

a tag identification system configured to identify at least one time-dependent navigation tag associated with the navigation path of the telepresence robot; and

a navigation system configured to generate the navigation path, the navigation path comprising a sequence of coordinates from a current position on the map to a desired position on the map, wherein the navigation system is configured to be triggered to plan the navigation path based, at least in part, on the time-dependent action modifier associated with an identified time-dependent navigation tag.

2. The telepresence robot of claim 1, wherein the navigation system is configured to generate the navigation path by generating a plurality of potential navigation paths, wherein each potential navigation path has an associated cost based on the time-dependent action modifiers associated with the time-dependent navigation tags along the respective potential navigation path;

and

selecting the navigation path from the plurality of potential navigation path based on the associated cost.

3. The telepresence robot of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors configured to identify obstacles in the vicinity of the telepresence robot; and

an obstacle avoidance system in communication with the plurality of sensors and in communication with the control system, wherein the control system is further configured to generate additional drive instructions to avoid obstacles in the vicinity of the telepresence robot.

4. The telepresence robot of claim 3, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a three-dimensional image sensor that forms a point cloud, including a three-dimensional occupancy of obstacles, and

wherein the drive instructions are configured to avoid the three-dimensional occupancy of the obstacles.

5. The telepresence robot of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors monitoring time-dependent obstacles, time-dependent environmental conditions and time-dependent occupancy conditions, wherein the plurality of sensors are mounted on the robot and in remote communication with the robot.

6. The telepresence robot of claim 5, wherein the telepresence robot is configured to create a new time-dependent navigation tag based on information from the plurality of sensors and time of day information.

7. The telepresence robot of claim 1, wherein the map data source is stored remotely, such that the mapping module is configured to access the map data source via a communication system.

8. The telepresence robot of claim 1, wherein the map data source is stored within the telepresence robot, such that the mapping module is configured to access an internal map data source.

9. The telepresence robot of claim 8, wherein the internal map data source is synced with a remotely stored map data source.

10. The telepresence robot of claim 1, wherein the positioning system comprises an RFID reader,

wherein the positioning system associates a plurality of RFID chips with a corresponding plurality of coordinates on the plan view map, and the positioning system is configured to determine the current position of the telepresence robot based at least in part on the location of one or more RFID chips within range of the RFID reader.

11. A telepresence robot system local terminal comprising:

a display;

a processor in communication with the display;

a memory in communication with the processor, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor configured to cause the processor to;

retrieve at least a portion of a plan view map representative of a robot operating surface; and

display the plan view map on the display; and

a user input device in communication with the processor, the user input device configured to allow a user to insert a time-dependent navigation tag to the plan view map, wherein the time-dependent navigation tag is represented by a data structure including coordinates describing the relative location of the time-dependent navigation tag and a robot action modifier associated with navigating in the relative location of the time-dependent navigation tag during a time period

12. The telepresence robot system local terminal of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured to cause the processor to:

receive positioning data associated with a current position of a remote telepresence robot;

display the current position of the remote telepresence robot on the plan view of the map;

receive a selection of a destination of the remote telepresence robot from the user input device;

determine a sequence of coordinates relative to the plan view map to create a navigation path between the current position of the remote telepresence robot and the selected destination of the remote telepresence robot wherein the navigation path is based, at least in part, on time-dependent navigation tags along the navigation path and their respective costs; and

transmit a command to the remote telepresence robot comprising the sequence of coordinates forming the navigation path.

13. The telepresence robot system of claim 12, wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured to cause the processor to display the sequence of coordinates forming the navigation path overlaid on the plan view map.

14. The telepresence robot system of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured to cause the processor to:

receive a selection of a destination of the remote telepresence robot from the user input device;

transmit destination coordinates relative to the plan view map to the remote telepresence robot, the destination coordinates corresponding to the selected destination;

receive a sequence of coordinates relative to the plan view map from a navigation system of the remote telepresence robot, the sequence of coordinates forming a navigation path between a current position of the remote telepresence robot and the destination of the remote telepresence robot wherein the navigation path is based, at least in part, on time-dependent navigation tags along the navigation path and their respective costs; and

display the sequence of coordinates forming the navigation path overlaid on the plan view map.

15. The telepresence robot system of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the processor are further configured to cause the processor to receive coordinates on the plan view map of an obstacle detected by a sensor system of the remote telepresence robot.

16. The telepresence robot system of claim 11, wherein the plan view map is stored remotely.

17. The telepresence robot system of claim 11, wherein the plan view map is stored within the remote telepresence robot.

18. The telepresence robot system of claim 11, wherein the instructions executable by the processor configured to cause the processor to display the plan view map with an indication of the current position of the telepresence robot on the plan view map.

19. A method for controlling a telepresence robot, comprising:

retrieving at least a portion of a plan view map;

retrieving at least one of a plurality of time-dependent navigation tags, each time-dependent navigation tag represented by a data structure including tag coordinates describing the relative location of the time-dependent navigation tag and cost information associated with navigating in the relative location of the time-dependent navigation tag during a time period;

determining a current position relative to the plan view map;

generating a navigation path comprising a sequence of coordinates from the current position to a desired position on the plan view map, wherein generating the navigation path includes;

generating a plurality of potential navigation paths, wherein each potential navigation path has an associated cost based on time-dependent navigation tags along the respective potential navigation path; and

selecting the navigation path from the plurality of potential navigation path based on the associated cost.

20. A method for controlling a telepresence robot, comprising:

retrieving at least a portion of a plan view map representative of a robot operating surface;

receiving positioning data associated with a current position of the remote telepresence robot;

receiving a selection of a destination of the remote telepresence robot;

determining a sequence of coordinates relative to the plan view map to create a navigation path between the current position of the remote telepresence robot and the selected destination of the remote telepresence robot wherein the navigation path is based, at least in part, on time-dependent navigation tags along the navigation path and their respective costs; and

transmitting a command to the remote telepresence robot comprising the sequence of coordinates forming the navigation path.