Adjusting robot safety limits based on network connectivity

• US 9,623,562 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Watts, Kevin William
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US14/683,665
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/063 Automatically guided
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40184 Compliant teleoperation, operator controls motion, system controls contact, force
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

Example systems and methods are disclosed for limiting capabilities of a robot during teleoperation based on a network connection strength. The method may include determining tiers of operations that can be performed by a robot. One or more network strength thresholds corresponding to one or more of the tiers of operations of the robot may also be determined. The robot may then measure the network strength for the communication network between the robot and a remote control system. Based on the measured network strength and the determined network strength thresholds, one or more of the tiers of operations may be enabled for selection by the remote control system. The robot may determine network strength based on network latency and/or packet loss rate. The robot may provide a notification to the remote control system about the disabling of a previously enabled tier of operations due to decreased network strength.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, for display on a user interface of a remote control system for a robot, a plurality of tiers of operations that can be performed by the robot;

determining a plurality of network strength thresholds, wherein each network strength threshold corresponds to one of the plurality of tiers of operations of the robot;

measuring a network strength for a network used by the robot to receive commands from the remote control system to execute one or more of the operations;

enabling one or more of the plurality of tiers of operations for selection by the remote control system, wherein the one or more enabled tiers of operations have a corresponding network strength threshold less than or equal to the measured network strength; and

providing, for display on the user interface of the remote control system for the robot, an indication of the one or more enabled tiers of operations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network strength is measured at the robot.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein measuring the network strength comprises:

sending a first message from the robot to the remote control system, wherein the message includes an encrypted timestamp;

receiving, by the robot, a second message from the remote control system including the encrypted timestamp; and

determining, by the robot, the network strength based on the encrypted timestamp from the received second message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein measuring the network strength further comprises:

determining a network latency based on the encrypted timestamp in the received second message; and

determining the network strength based on the network latency.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the network strength further comprises:

determining a packet loss rate; and

determining the network strength based on the packet loss rate.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the network strength has decreased; and

disabling an enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one operation in the disabled tier of operations reverts to a fail-safe operation mode for the robot.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing a notification to the remote control system indicating the disabling of the previously enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength; and

providing a signal to the remote control system identifying a currently enabled tier of operations that will be disabled if the network strength decreases below the network strength threshold corresponding to the currently enabled tier of operations, wherein the signal indicates to pause or complete operations within the currently enabled tier of operations.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an indication of the measured network strength by way of the user interface of the remote control system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a higher network strength threshold is assigned to a first tier of operations than to a second tier of operations, wherein the first tier of operations has a higher network sensitivity than the second tier of operations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first tier of operations includes robot arm control, wherein the second tier of operations includes gathering robot sensor data.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more computing devices associated with a robot, wherein executing the instructions causes the one or more computing devices to perform functions comprising:

providing, for display on a user interface of a remote control system for the robot, a plurality of tiers of operations that can be performed by the robot;

determining a plurality of network strength thresholds, wherein each network strength threshold corresponds to one of the plurality of tiers of operations of the robot;

measuring a network strength for a network used by the robot to receive commands from the remote control system to execute one or more of the operations;

enabling one or more of the plurality of tiers of operations for selection by the remote control system, wherein the one or more enabled tiers of operations have a corresponding network strength threshold less than or equal to the measured network strength; and

providing, for display on the user interface of the remote control system for the robot, an indication of the one or more enabled tiers of operations.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the network strength is measured at the robot, wherein measuring the network strength comprises:

sending a first message from the robot to the remote control system, wherein the message includes an encrypted timestamp;

receiving, by the robot, a second message from the remote control system including the encrypted timestamp; and

determining, by the robot, the network strength based on the encrypted timestamp from the received second message.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the network strength has decreased;

disabling an enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength;

providing a notification to the remote control system indicating the disabling of the previously enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength; and

providing a signal to the remote control system identifying a currently enabled tier of operations that will be disabled if the network strength decreases below the network strength threshold corresponding to the currently enabled tier of operations, wherein the signal indicates to pause or complete operations within the currently enabled tier of operations.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a higher network strength threshold is assigned to a first tier of operations than to a second tier of operations, wherein the first tier of operations has a higher network sensitivity than the second tier of operations.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first tier of operations includes manual navigation control of the robot, wherein the second tier includes destination-based navigation control of the robot.

17. A robot comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the robot to perform functions comprising;

providing, for display on a user interface of a remote control system for the robot, a plurality of tiers of operations that can be performed by the robot;

determining a plurality of network strength thresholds, wherein each network strength threshold corresponds to one of the plurality of tiers of operations of the robot;

measuring a network strength for a network used by the robot to receive commands from the remote control system to execute one or more of the operations;

enabling one or more of the plurality of tiers of operations for selection by the remote control system, wherein the one or more enabled tiers of operations have a corresponding network strength threshold less than or equal to the measured network strength; and

providing, for display on the user interface of the remote control system for the robot, an indication of the one or more enabled tiers of operations.

18. The robot of claim 17, wherein the instructions for measuring the network strength further cause the robot to perform functions comprising:

sending a first message from the robot to the remote control system, wherein the message includes an encrypted timestamp;

receiving, by the robot, a second message from the remote control system including the encrypted timestamp; and

determining, by the robot, the network strength based on the encrypted timestamp from the received second message.

19. The robot of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the robot to perform functions comprising:

determining that the network strength has decreased;

disabling an enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength;

providing a notification to the remote control system indicating the disabling of the previously enabled tier of operations due to the decreased network strength; and

providing a signal to the remote control system identifying a currently enabled tier of operations that will be disabled if the network strength decreases below the network strength threshold corresponding to the currently enabled tier of operations, wherein the signal indicates to pause or complete operations within the currently enabled tier of operations.

20. The robot of claim 17, wherein a higher network strength threshold is assigned to a first tier of operations than to a second tier of operations, wherein the first tier of operations has a higher network sensitivity than the second tier of operations.