Graphical interface for a remote presence system

• US 9,610,685 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Yulun, Jordan, Charles S., Southard, Jonathan, Pinter, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US12/685,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 700245, 700246, 700250, 700254, 700259, 700260, 700261, 700262, 31856812, 901 1, 702188, 715230, 715700, 715753, 715833, 715846, 715977, 345418, 345676
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/009 Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation

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 display user interface that has a variety of viewable fields and selectable buttons.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

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

,

a remote station that has a monitor that displays an alert input that can be selected to request access to said robot, said access is not provided to said remote station unless a recipient user grants said request to access said robot.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote station receives the video image from said robot in response to a user input at said robot.

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

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

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

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

7. 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.

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

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

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

11. A method for accessing a robot, comprising:

selecting an alert input icon displayed at a remote station monitor;

transmitting an alert input from the remote station to a robot to request access to the robot;

granting the request for access to the robot; and

,

not providing access to the robot to the remote station unless said request is granted.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising inputting a user input before transmitting the video image from the robot to the remote station.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting audio from the robot to the remote station.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert input generates a sound at the robot.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert indicator generates a visual prompt on a robot monitor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the visual prompt is a graphical icon.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert input is generated from a graphical icon of a graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the graphical icon has an appearance of a door knocker.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a sound at the robot by selecting a graphical icon that has an appearance of a horn.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising moving the robot through control commands from the remote station.