Projection of interactive map data

• US 8,918,208 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anthony G. Francis Jr
• Inventors: Hickman, Ryan, Francis, Anthony G. Jr., Lewis, Thor
• Primary Examiner(s): Jen, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/440,600
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 700/253
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39252 Autonomous distributed control, task distributed into each subsystem, task space
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40178 Distributed top, resource availability in network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2866 Architectures; Arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Methods and systems for robot cloud computing are described. Within examples, cloud-based computing generally refers to networked computer architectures in which application execution and storage may be divided, to some extent, between client and server devices. A robot may be any device that has a computing ability and interacts with its surroundings with an actuation capability (e.g., electromechanical capabilities). A client device may be configured as a robot including various sensors and devices in the forms of modules, and different modules may be added or removed from robot depending on requirements. In some example, a robot may be configured to receive a second device, such as mobile phone, that may be configured to function as an accessory or a “brain” of the robot. A robot may interact with the cloud to perform any number of actions, such as to share information with other cloud computing devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a command by a robot;

querying, by the robot, a computing device with information associated with the command;

receiving, by the robot, map data associated with the command from the computing device;

optically projecting, by the robot, a representation of at least a subset of the map data on to a first surface within the field of view of the robot, wherein the first surface is external to the robot;

moving the robot along a predetermined path based on the map data; and

optically projecting, by the robot, a revised subset of the map data on a second surface external to the robot as the robot moves along the predetermined path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a computer located in a different location from a location of the robot.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data includes an optical identification of an object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data includes a predetermined path.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data includes a reference point.

6. The method of claim 1 where the map data comprises at least one of (i) data relating to a specific object, (ii) data relating to a location, (iii) data relating to a specific person, (iv) data relating to an event, and (v) data relating to a task.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an input based on the representation of at least a subset of the map data; and

communicating the input to the computing device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the command comprises one of an audio signal, an infrared signal, and a radio signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

information associated with the command comprises one of an encoded audio signal, data communicated via the infrared signal, and data communicated with the radio signal.

8. A robot comprising:

a command interface configured to receive a command;

a communication module configured to;

query a computing device with information associated with the command; and

receive map data associated with the command from the computing device;

a movement module configured to move the robot along a predetermined path based on the map data; and

an optical projector configured to;

project a representation of at least a subset of the map data on to a first surface within the field of view of the robot, wherein the first surface is external to the robot; and

project a revised representation of the subset of the map data on a second surface external to the robot as the robot moves along the predetermined path.

9. The robot of claim 8 wherein the computing device is a computer located in a different location from a location of the robot.

10. The robot of claim 8 wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate an input related to the representation of at least a subset of the map data.

11. An article of manufacture including a tangible non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions encoded thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a command;

instructions for querying a computing device with information associated with the command;

instructions for receiving map data associated with the command from the computing device;

instructions for optically projecting a representation of at least a subset of the map data on to a first surface;

instructions for moving along a predetermined path based on the map data; and

instructions for optically projecting a revised subset of the map data on a second surface external to the robot as the robot moves along the predetermined path.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the computing device is a computer located in a different location from a location of the robot.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data further includes instructions for the optical identification of an object.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data further includes instructions for displaying a predetermined path.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein the optically projected subset of the map data further includes instructions for displaying a reference point.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 11 where the map data comprises at least one of (i) data relating to a specific object, (ii) data relating to a location, (iii) data relating to a specific person, (iv) data relating to an event, and (v) data relating to a task.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 11 further comprising:

instructions for receiving an input based on the representation of at least a subset of the map data; and

instructions for communicating the input to the computing device.