Healthcare tele-robotic system with a robot that also functions as a remote station

• US 7,171,286 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Laby, Keith Phillip, Southard, Jonathan, Wang, Yulun, Pinter, Marco, Jordan, Charles S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/660,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.21, 318/568.22, 318/568.25, 318/568.11, 318/568.12, 318/568.13, 318/568.16, 600102-103, 600/109, 600117-118, 600/407, 600/426, 600/429, 600/587, 600/595, 901 1- 2, 901/27, 901/36, 700131-132, 700245-248, 700/251, 700/253, 700257-262, 700/264, 606/1, 606/102, 606/130, 606/139
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A robotic system that includes a plurality of robots that are linked to a plurality of remote stations. The robots have an input device and software that allows control of another robot. This allows an operator in close physical proximity to a robot to operate another robot. Each robot can be either a master or slave device.

Claims

1. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom; and

,

a second mobile robot that has an input device controlled by a user to control movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said input device includes a joystick.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said input device includes a speech interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote station that has an input device to control said first mobile robot.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot.

9. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom; and

,

a second mobile robot with input means for controlling movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface that is controlled by a user, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said input means includes a joystick.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said input means includes is a speech interface.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a remote station that has input means for controlling said first mobile robot.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot.

17. A method for operating a mobile robot, comprising:

entering a command to move a first mobile robot through an input of a second mobile robot that is controlled by a user;

moving the first mobile robot across a floor surface;

moving together a camera and a monitor of the first mobile robot; and

, moving together a camera and a monitor of the second mobile robot.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising conducting a teleconference between the first and second mobile robots.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein entering the command is moving a joystick of the second mobile robot.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising entering a command to move the first mobile robot from a remote station.

21. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a broadband network;

a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom coupled to said broadband network; and

,

a second mobile robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has an input device controlled by a user to control movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said input device includes a joystick.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said input device includes a speech interface.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising a remote station that is coupled to said broadband network and has an input device to control said first mobile robot.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot and said broadband network.

29. A mobile robot system, comprising:

a broadband network;

a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom coupled to said broadband network; and

,

a second mobile robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has input means for controlling movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface that is controlled by a user, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said input means includes a joystick.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said input means includes is a speech interface.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising a remote station that is coupled to said broadband network and has input means for controlling said first mobile robot.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.

36. The system of claim 29, further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot and said broadband network.

37. A method for operating a mobile robot, comprising:

entering a command to move a first mobile robot through an input of a second mobile robot that is controlled by a user;

transmitting the command through a broadband network;

moving the first mobile robot across a floor surface;

moving together a camera and a monitor of the first mobile robot; and

,

moving together a camera and a monitor of the second mobile robot.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising conducting a teleconference between the first and second mobile robots through the broadband network.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein entering the command is moving a joystick of the second mobile robot.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising entering a command to move the first mobile robot from a remote station, the command being transmitted through the broadband network.