CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE ROBOT

• US 20170015003A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CrossWing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CrossWing, Inc.
• Inventors: SUTHERLAND, Stephen B., WICK, Dale
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/009 Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40174 Robot teleoperation through internet
• 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 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A telepresence robot uses three separately controlled omni-wheels and a computer processing arrangement to reposition the robot based on received positional signals. The telepresence robot captures and transmits visual information of a limited field of view and visual information of a broad field of view. The visual information is received and displayed on a remote input device and portions of the displayed information are selected to send an appropriate signal to reposition the robot based on the selected portion. A method of remotely controlling a telepresence robot is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A remotely controlled mobile robot having a wireless communication capability with a remote user device for controlling movement of said mobile robot;

said user device having a virtual tracking system to determine physical movement of the user device and use the determined physical movement to transmit instruction signals to said mobile robot and cause a corresponding movement of said mobile robot based on the determined physical movement of the remote user device.

2. A remotely controlled mobile robot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mobile robot includes a series of cameras and microphones for capturing video and audio signals about said mobile robot and transmitting said, video and audio signals to allow remote selective directional viewing of said audio and video signals.

3. A remotely controlled mobile robot as claimed in claim 2 wherein said video and audio signals correspond to the 360 degree space about the mobile robot.

4. A remotely controlled mobile robot as claimed in claim 2 wherein multiple end user devices can each independently selectively view portions of said video and audio signals.

5. A remotely controlled mobile robot as claimed in claim 3 wherein said user device includes a touch screen and said virtual tracking system allows tapping on a displayed video image to identify a particular portion of the displayed image and cause the mobile robot to move towards a corresponding location in the environment of the mobile robot.