System and method for determining manufacturer instructions executable by a robotic device

• US 8,307,061 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hickman, Ryan, Kohler, Damon
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US13/283,358
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/223, 700245-249, 318/568.12
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33273 DCS distributed, decentralised controlsystem, multiprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33277 Distributed system with host as leader, host with multiple of agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Examples disclose systems and methods related to manufacturer submitted robot instructions. The method may be executable to receive from a robotic device an identifier of an object and based on the identifier, determine a manufacturer of the object, and identify in a database first instructions associated with the identifier of the object, wherein the manufacturer instructions may be associated with the manufacturer of the object and executable by the robotic device to interact with the object. The method may further be executable to send a query to the robotic device regarding an interaction between the robotic device and the object and receive a query response indicating information associated with an interaction between the robotic device and the object. Based on the query response, the method may be executable to identify second instructions executable to perform the interaction with the object and send the second instructions to the robotic device.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing system having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

receiving from a robotic device an identifier of an object, wherein the robotic device includes a mechanical actuator;

based on the identifier, determining a manufacturer of the object;

identifying in a database first instructions associated with the identifier of the object, wherein the first instructions are manufacturer instructions associated with the manufacturer of the object, and wherein the manufacturer instructions are executable by the robotic device to interact with the object;

sending a query to the robotic device regarding an interaction between the robotic device and the object;

receiving a query response indicating information associated with the interaction between the robotic device and the object;

based on the query response, modifying, by the computing system, the first instructions to obtain second instructions that are executable by the robotic device to perform the interaction with the object; and

sending the second instructions to the robotic device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifier of the robotic device; and

identifying in the database the first instructions associated with both the identifier of the robotic device and the identifier of the object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing object recognition on the object; and

identifying the first instructions based on the object recognition.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a query requesting information associated with the interaction when a plurality of interactions between the robotic device and the object are possible.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second instructions executable to perform the interaction includes modifying the first instructions by filtering the first instructions to include the first instructions that are required to perform the interaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first instructions are generic to a plurality of robotic devices and the second instructions are specific to the robotic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein identifying the second instructions executable to perform the interaction includes modifying the first instructions to be specific to the robotic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second instructions executable to perform the interaction includes modifying the first instructions to match default instructions identified in the query response, wherein the default instructions are executable by the robotic device.

9. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the computer-readable medium and executable by the at least one processor to cause the computing system to;

receive from a robotic device an identifier of an object;

based on the identifier, determine a manufacturer of the object;

identify in a database first instructions associated with the identifier of the object, wherein the first instructions are manufacturer instructions associated with the manufacturer of the object, and wherein the manufacturer instructions are executable by the robotic device to interact with the object;

send a query to the robotic device regarding an interaction between the robotic device and the object;

receive a query response indicating information associated with the interaction between the robotic device and the object;

based on the query response, modify the first instructions to obtain second instructions executable by the robotic device to perform the interaction with the object; and

send the second instructions to the robotic device.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions are executable by the at least one processor to modify the first instructions to include default instructions identified in the query response, wherein the default instructions are executable by the robotic device.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the first instructions are generic to a plurality of robotic devices and the second instructions are specific to the robotic device.

12. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the identifier of the object includes one of a barcode and a radio-frequency identification.

13. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the identifier of the object includes human readable instructions.

14. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the query response indicates an electronic interaction that is executable to cause the robotic device to interact with the object.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device having at least one processor to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving from a robotic device an identifier of an object, wherein the robotic device includes a mechanical actuator;

based on the identifier, determine a manufacturer of the object;

identifying in a database first instructions associated with the identifier of the object, wherein the first instructions are manufacturer instructions associated with the manufacturer of the object, and wherein the manufacturer instructions are executable by the robotic device to interact with the object;

sending a query to the robotic device regarding an interaction between the robotic device and the object;

receiving a query response indicating information associated with the interaction between the robotic device and the object;

based on the query response, modifying the first instructions to obtain second instructions that are executable by the robotic device to perform the interaction with the object; and

sending the second instructions to the robotic device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the second instructions executable to perform the interaction includes modifying the first instructions by filtering the first instructions to include the first instructions that are required to perform the interaction.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an identifier of the robotic device; and

identifying in the database the first instructions associated with both the identifier of the robotic device and the identifier of the object.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

identifying a robot requirement associated with the first instructions, wherein the robot requirement includes at least one of a robot memory and a robot processor; and

determining whether the first instructions are executable by the robotic device based on the robot requirement.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the manufacturer instructions are generic to a plurality of robotic devices.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the identifier of the object includes one of a barcode and a radio-frequency identification.