Portable remote presence robot

• US 8,384,755 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Pinter, Marco, Sanchez, Daniel Steven, Hanrahan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/548,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 709/203, 709/204, 700/13, 700/90, 700/245, 901/14, 901/19, 901/46
• US Class Current: 348/14.05
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• 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 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A tele-presence system that includes a portable robot face coupled to a remote station. The robot face includes a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone. The remote station includes a station monitor, a station camera, a station speaker and a station microphone. The portable robot face can be attached to a platform mounted to the ceiling of an ambulance. The portable robot face can be used by a physician at the remote station to provide remote medical consultation. When the patient is moved from the ambulance the portable robot face can be detached from the platform and moved with the patient.

Claims

1. A method for providing a remote medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a portable robot face mounted to a platform, the robot face including a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone;

displaying the physician image on the robot monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the robot camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the robot speaker;

detaching the portable robot face from the platform; and

,

attaching a wireless identification (ID) device to the patient and moving the patient into a healthcare facility that includes a robot face attached to a boom, the robot face receives a wireless signal from the wireless identification (ID) device and the remote station becomes coupled to the robot face attached to the boom.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform is attached to an ambulance.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the portable robot face to a patient gurney.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the portable robot face to a healthcare facility network through a wireless transceiver of the portable robot face.

5. A method for providing a remote medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a portable robot face mounted to a platform, the robot face including a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone;

displaying the physician image on the robot monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the robot camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the robot speaker;

moving the patient into a healthcare facility that includes a robot face attached to a boom, the robot face receives a wireless signal from a wireless identification (ID) device associated with the patient; and

,

coupling the robot face of the healthcare facility to the remote station.

6. A method for providing medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a first robot, the first robot includes a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone;

displaying the physician image on the robot monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the robot camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the robot speaker;

moving the patient into a vicinity of a second robot; and

,

coupling automatically the remote station to the second robot, wherein the second robot of the healthcare facility receives a wireless signal from a wireless identification (ID) device associated with the patient that causes the remote station to become coupled to the second robot.

7. A method for providing a remote medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a portable face mounted to an ambulance, the portable face including a face monitor, a face camera, a face speaker and a face microphone;

displaying the physician image on the face monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the face camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the face speaker;

detaching the portable face from the ambulance; and

,

attaching a wireless identification (ID) device to the patient and moving the patient into a healthcare facility that includes a robot face attached to a boom, the robot face receives a wireless signal from the wireless ID device and the remote station becomes coupled to the robot face.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising coupling the portable face to a healthcare facility network through a wireless transceiver of the portable face.

9. A method for providing a remote medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a portable face mounted to a platform, the portable face including a face monitor, a face camera, a face speaker and a face microphone;

displaying the physician image on the face monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the face camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the face speaker;

moving the patient into a healthcare facility that includes a robot face attached to a boom; and

,

coupling the robot face of the healthcare facility to the remote station, wherein the robot face of the healthcare facility receives a wireless signal from a wireless identification (ID) device associated with the patient.

10. A method for providing medical consultation, comprising:

capturing an image of a physician with a station camera of a remote station, the remote station includes a station monitor, a station speaker and a station microphone;

transmitting the physician image to a portable face, the portable face includes a face monitor, a face camera, a face speaker and a face microphone;

displaying the physician image on the face monitor;

capturing an image of a patient with the face camera;

transmitting the patient image to the remote station;

displaying the patient image on the station monitor of the remote station;

transmitting an audio command from the station microphone to the face speaker;

moving the patient into a vicinity of a robot that has a robot monitor, a robot camera, a robot speaker and a robot microphone; and

,

coupling automatically the remote station to the robot, wherein the robot of the healthcare facility receives a wireless signal from a wireless identification (ID) device associated with the patient that causes the remote station to become coupled to the robot.