Proximity-based binding

• US 9,833,907 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey, Jules, Anthony Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/746,392
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/025 comprising haptic means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/065 comprising joy-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35438 Joystick

Abstract

Example implementations may relate to a computing device configured to operate a robotic system. In particular, the device receives input data that is generated by a hand-holdable controller including a knob, where the knob includes touch sensors arranged to detect touch on surfaces of the knob. Based on the input data, the device detects that the controller is within a first threshold distance from a first component of the robotic system and responsively operates the first component of the robotic system based on the input data. The device then receives subsequent input data that is generated by the controller. Based on the subsequent input data, the device subsequently detects that the controller is within a second threshold distance from a second component of the robotic system and responsively operates the second component of the robotic system based on the subsequent input data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device configured to operate a robotic system, input data that is generated by a hand-holdable controller, wherein the hand-holdable controller comprises a rotatable knob, and wherein the rotatable knob comprises one or more touch sensors arranged to detect touch on one or more surfaces of the rotatable knob;

based on the input data, detecting, by the computing device, that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a first threshold distance from a first component of the robotic system and responsively (i) operating at least the first component of the robotic system based on the input data generated by the hand-holdable controller and (ii) causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component;

receiving, by the computing device, subsequent input data that is generated by the hand-holdable controller; and

based on the subsequent input data, subsequently detecting, by the computing device, that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a second threshold distance from a second component of the robotic system and responsively (i) operating at least the second component of the robotic system based on the subsequent input data generated by the hand-holdable controller and (ii) causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

further in response to subsequently detecting that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a second threshold distance from a second component of the robotic system, ceasing operation of at least the first component of the robotic system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequently detecting that the hand-holdable controller is at least a third threshold distance away from the second component and responsively ceasing operation of at least the second component of the robotic system.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the hand-holdable controller further comprises a motor configured to apply torques to the rotatable knob,

wherein causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a first operational mode selected based on the first component, and

wherein causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a second operational mode selected based on the second component.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with the first operational mode comprises applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a first torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the first component, and

wherein applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with the second operational mode comprises applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a second torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the second component.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with the first torque profile comprises applying first torques to the rotatable knob based on first external forces applied to cause rotation of the rotatable knob, and

wherein applying torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with the second torque profile comprises applying second torques to the rotatable knob based on second external forces applied to cause rotation of the rotatable knob.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input data corresponds to at least one particular operation of the first component that is based on (i) a first rotation of the rotatable knob and (ii) touch data received from the one or more touch sensors during the first rotation, and wherein operating at least the first component of the robotic system based on the input data comprises sending a first command, to the robotic system, that instructs the robotic system to carry out the at least one particular operation of the first component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subsequent input data corresponds to at least one particular operation of the second component that is based on (i) a second rotation of the rotatable knob and (ii) touch data received from the one or more touch sensors during the second rotation, and wherein operating at least the second component of the robotic system based on the subsequent input data comprises sending a second command, to the robotic system, that instructs the robotic system to carry out the at least one particular operation of the second component.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first component comprises a first actuator corresponding to a first joint of the robotic system,

wherein operating at least the first component of the robotic system comprises operating the first actuator to rotate the first joint (i) based on a first rotation of the rotatable knob while the hand-holdable controller is within at least the first threshold distance from the first actuator and (ii) based on touch data received from the one or more touch sensors during the first rotation of the rotatable knob,

wherein the second component comprises a second actuator corresponding to a second joint of the robotic system, and

wherein operating at least the second component of the robotic system comprises operating the first actuator to rotate the second joint (i) based on a second rotation of the rotatable knob while the hand-holdable controller is within at least the second threshold distance from the second actuator and (ii) based on touch data received from the one or more touch sensors during the second rotation of the rotatable knob.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing device to perform functions, wherein the computing device is configured to operate a robotic system, the functions comprising:

receiving input data that is generated by a hand-holdable controller, wherein the hand-holdable controller comprises a rotatable knob, and wherein the rotatable knob comprises one or more touch sensors arranged to detect touch on one or more surfaces of the rotatable knob;

based on the input data, detecting that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a first threshold distance from a first component of the robotic system and responsively (i) operating at least the first component of the robotic system based on the input data generated by the hand-holdable controller and (ii) causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component;

receiving subsequent input data that is generated by the hand-holdable controller; and

based on the subsequent input data, subsequently detecting that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a second threshold distance from a second component of the robotic system and responsively (i) operating at least the second component of the robotic system based on the subsequent input data generated by the hand-holdable controller and (ii) causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10,

wherein the hand-holdable controller further comprises a motor configured to apply torques to the rotatable knob,

wherein causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a first torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the first component, and

wherein causing the hand-holdable controller to adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a second torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the second component.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, the functions further comprising:

subsequently detecting that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a third threshold distance from the computing device; and

in response to subsequently detecting that the hand-holdable controller is within at least a third threshold distance from the computing device, arranging the hand-holdable controller to operate at least one aspect of the computing device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, the functions further comprising:

receiving user-input corresponding to selection of a feature of the robotic system to be operated by the hand-holdable controller and responsively causing the hand-holdable controller to operate the selected feature of the robotic system via operation of the at least one aspect of the computing device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, the functions further comprising:

detecting a power-off event of the hand-holdable controller and responsively storing information related to a most recent configuration, wherein the most recent configuration corresponds to operation of at least the second component of the robotic system; and

subsequently detecting a power-on event of the hand-holdable controller and responsively operating using the most recent configuration.

15. A hand-holdable-controller system comprising:

a rotatable knob;

at least one motor that is operable to apply torque to the rotatable knob;

one or more touch sensors arranged to detect touch on one or more surfaces of the rotatable knob;

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the one or more processors to;

detect that the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least a first threshold distance from a first component of a robotic system and responsively configure the hand-holdable-controller system to (i) operate at least the first component of the robotic system and (ii) adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component; and

subsequently detect that the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least a second threshold distance from a second component of the robotic system and responsively configure the hand-holdable-controller system to (i) operate at least the second component of the robotic system and (ii) adjust characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component.

16. The hand-holdable-controller system of claim 15,

wherein adjusting characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the first component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a first torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the first component, and

wherein adjusting characteristics of rotation of the rotatable knob based on the second component comprises causing the motor to apply torques to the rotatable knob in accordance with a second torque profile arranged to represent characteristics of the second component.

17. The hand-holdable-controller system of claim 15,

wherein the first component comprises a first actuator corresponding to a first joint of the robotic system,

wherein configuring the hand-holdable-controller system to operate at least the first component results in rotation of the first joint based on rotation of the rotatable knob while the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least the first threshold distance from the first actuator,

wherein the second component comprises a second actuator corresponding to a second joint of the robotic system, and

wherein configuring the hand-holdable-controller system to operate at least the second component results in rotation of the second joint based on rotation of the rotatable knob while the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least the second threshold distance from the second actuator.

18. The hand-holdable-controller system of claim 17, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by the one or more processors to:

while the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least the first threshold distance from the first actuator, detect that the rotation of the first joint exceeds a first joint limit of the first joint by at least a first threshold amount and responsively provide first feedback using at least the motor; and

while the hand-holdable-controller system is within at least the second threshold distance from the second actuator, detect that the rotation of the second joint exceeds a second joint limit of the second joint by at least a second threshold amount and responsively provide second feedback using at least the motor.

19. The hand-holdable-controller system of claim 18,

wherein the first joint limit comprises one or more of:

(i) a first torque limit, (ii) a first velocity limit, (iii) a first acceleration limit, (iv) a first power limit, (v) entry of the robotic system to a non-permissible zone while the hand-holdable-controller system is configured to operate at least the first component, and (vi) a restriction to the rotation of the first joint, and

wherein the second joint limit comprises one or more of;

(i) a second torque limit, (ii) a second velocity limit, (iii) a second acceleration limit, (iv) a second power limit, (v) entry of the robotic system to a non-permissible zone while the hand-holdable-controller system is configured to operate at least the second component, and (vi) a restriction to the rotation of the second joint.

20. The hand-holdable-controller system of claim 18,

wherein the first feedback comprises one or more of:

(i) first vibrational feedback provided by the motor;

(ii) first resistance, provided by the motor, to rotation of the rotatable knob; and

(iii) first rotational feedback provided by the motor by applying torque to the rotatable knob, and

wherein the second feedback comprises one or more of;

(i) second vibrational feedback provided by the motor;

(ii) second resistance, provided by the motor, to rotation of the rotatable knob; and

(iii) second rotational feedback provided by the motor by applying torque to the rotatable knob.