Mobile videoconferencing robot system with network adaptive driving

• US 9,429,934 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mangaser, Amante, Southard, Jonathan, Pinter, Marco, Herzog, John Cody, Jordan, Charles Steve, Wang, Yulun, Rosenthal, James
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US14/054,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40174 Robot teleoperation through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A remote control station that controls a robot through a network. The remote control station transmits a robot control command that includes information to move the robot. The remote control station monitors at least one network parameter and scales the robot control command as a function of the network parameter. For example, the remote control station can monitor network latency and scale the robot control command to slow down the robot with an increase in the latency of the network. Such an approach can reduce the amount of overshoot or overcorrection by a user driving the robot.

Claims

1. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:

a robot that includes a robot camera and a robot monitor and moves in response to a robot control command; and

,

a remote control station that includes a station camera communicatively coupled to said robot monitor and a station monitor communicatively coupled to said robot camera through a network, said remote control station transmits said robot control command that includes information to move said robot, wherein the robot control command includes a user-generated velocity command generated by the remote control station based on user input received via a user input device of the remote control station and wherein the remote controlled robot system scales said robot control command based on a monitored network parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said scaled robot control command is linearly proportional to said network parameter.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said network parameter includes a ping time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said network parameter includes a video rate.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said network parameter includes a video rate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said scaled robot control command is filtered with a low pass filter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said scaled robot command reduces a speed of said robot with an increase in a network latency.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot includes a monitor, speaker and microphone and said remote control station includes a camera, speaker and microphone.

9. A method for a remote controlled robot system including a robot coupled to a remote control station via a network, the method comprising:

displaying, on a monitor of the remote control station, an image captured by a camera of the robot;

displaying, on a monitor of the robot, an image captured by a camera of the remote control station;

generating, by the remote control station, a robot control command, wherein the robot control command includes a user-generated velocity command based on user input received via a user input device of the remote control station;

monitoring at least one network parameter;

scaling, by the remote control robot system, the robot control command based on the monitored network parameter; and

moving the robot in accordance with the scaled robot control command.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the scaled robot control command is linearly proportional to the network parameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network parameter includes a ping time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network parameter includes a video rate.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the network parameter includes a video rate.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising filtering the scaled robot control command with a low pass filter.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the scaled robot command reduces a speed of the robot with an increase in a network latency.