Door knocker control system for a remote controlled teleconferencing robot

• US 7,292,912 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lntouch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Southard, Jonathan, Wang, Yulun, Pinter, Marco, Jordan, Charles S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc; McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/728,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 700/259, 700/245, 700/246, 700/250, 700/254, 700/260, 700/261, 700/262, 318/568.12, 901/1, 901/2, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0025 handling explosives, bombs or hazardous objects
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the robot through a broadband network. A user at the remote station may receive both video and audio from a camera and microphone of the robot, respectively. The remote station may include a graphical user interface that can be selected to generate an alert input to the robot. The user initially establishes a voice communication between the remote station and the robot. To obtain video access the user may select a graphical icon to generate and transmit the alert input to the robot. The caller recipient at the robot may grant the request for video of themselves by inputting a response into the robot. This procedure allows someone at the robot to control the initiation of a video-conference with the user of the remote station.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient; and

,

a remote station that has a monitor, a microphone to establish a voice communication with said robot, and an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said video image is not displayed on said remote station monitor unless the caller recipient grants the request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert input generates a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface displayed on said remote station monitor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

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

10. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient; and

,

remote station means for establishing a voice communication with said robot and generating an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said video image is not displayed on said remote station monitor unless the caller recipient grants the request.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station means includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said alert input a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.

19. A method for accessing a robot, comprising:

establishing a voice communication between a remote station and a robot;

transmitting an alert input from the remote station to the robot to request a video image of a caller recipient;

granting the request; and

,

transmitting a video image from the robot to the remote station.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting audio from the robot to the remote station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the alert input generates a sound at the robot.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the alert indicator generates a visual prompt on a robot monitor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the visual prompt is a graphical icon.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating a sound at the robot by selecting a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising moving the robot through control commands from the remote station.

28. A robot system, comprising:

a broadband network;

a robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient; and

,

a remote station that is coupled to said broadband network and has a monitor, a microphone to establish a voice communication with said robot, and an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said video image is not displayed on said remote station monitor unless the caller recipient grants the request.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot through said broadband network.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein said alert input generates a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface displayed on said remote station monitor.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

35. The system of claim 33, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.

37. The system of claim 28, further comprising a base station coupled to said broadband network and wirelessly coupled to said robot.

38. A robot system, comprising:

a broadband network;

a robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient; and

,

remote station means for establishing a voice communication with said robot through said broadband network and generating an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said video image is not displayed on said remote station monitor unless the caller recipient grants the request.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station means includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot through said broadband network.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein said alert input generates a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

43. The system of claim 38, wherein said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

45. The system of claim 43, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

46. The system of claim 38, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.

47. The system of claim 38, further comprising a base station coupled to said broadband network and wirelessly coupled to said robot.

48. A method for accessing a robot, comprising:

establishing a voice communication between a remote station and a robot through a broadband network;

transmitting an alert input from the remote station to the robot through the broadband network to request a video image of a caller recipient;

granting the request; and

,

transmitting a video image from the robot to the remote station through the broadband network.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising transmitting audio from the robot to the remote station through the broadband network.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the alert input generates a sound at the robot.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the alert indicator generates a visual prompt on a robot monitor.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the visual prompt is a graphical icon.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein the inputting of the user input includes a selection of a graphical icon of a graphical user interface.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising generating a sound at the robot by selecting a graphical icon has an appearance of a horn.

56. The method of claim 48, further comprising moving the robot through control commands transmitted through the broadband network from the remote station.

57. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient;

a remote station that has a monitor, a microphone to establish a voice communication with said robot; and

,

an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface displayed on said remote station monitor, said graphical icon has an appearance of a horn.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein said remote station receives the video image from said robot in response to a user input at said robot.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot.

60. The system of claim 57, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

61. The system of claim 57, wherein said alert input generates a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

63. The system of claim 57, further comprising a graphical icon of a graphical user interface displayed on said remote station monitor, said graphical icon has an appearance of a horn.

64. The system of claim 57, wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.

65. A method for accessing a robot, comprising:

establishing a voice communication between a remote station and a robot;

transmitting an alert input from the remote station to the robot;

a graphical icon of a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker; and

,

transmitting a video image from the robot to the remote station.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising inputting a user input before transmitting the video image from the robot to the remote station.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprising transmitting audio from the robot to the remote station.

68. The method of claim 65, wherein the alert input generates a sound at the robot.

69. The method of claim 65, wherein the alert indicator generates a visual prompt on a robot monitor.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the visual prompt is a graphical icon.

71. The method of claim 65, further comprising generating a sound at the robot by selecting a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

72. The method of claim 65, further comprising moving the robot through control commands from the remote station.

73. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that has a camera, a monitor and a speaker, said camera captures a video image of a caller recipient;

a remote station that has a monitor, a microphone to establish a voice communication with said robot; and

,

an alert input to request the video image during said voice communication, said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface displayed on said remote station monitor, said graphical icon has an appearance of a horn.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein said remote station receives the video image from said robot in response to a user input at said robot.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein said robot includes a microphone, said remote station includes a speaker that receives audio from said robot.

76. The system of claim 73, wherein said alert input generates a sound at said robot.

77. The system of claim 73, wherein said alert input generates a visual prompt on said robot monitor.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein said visual prompt is a graphical icon.

79. The system of claim 73, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

80. A method for accessing a robot, comprising:

moving a robot;

generating a sound at the robot by selecting a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn;

establishing a voice communication between a remote station and the robot;

transmitting an alert input from the remote station to the robot, said alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface; and

,

transmitting a video image from the robot to the remote station.

81. The method of claim 80, further comprising inputting a user input before transmitting the video image from the robot to the remote station.

82. The method of claim 81, further comprising transmitting audio from the robot to the remote station.

83. The method of claim 80, wherein the alert input generates a sound at the robot.

84. The method of claim 80, wherein the alert indicator generates a visual prompt on a robot monitor.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein the visual prompt is a graphical icon.