System and method for controlling a self-propelled device using a dynamically configurable instruction library

• US 9,836,046 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sphero Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Adam, Danknick, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US13/342,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 701 2, 901 1- 9, D21455, 446 46- 7, 446273, 446434, 446463, 446472- 3
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/005 Motorised rolling toys
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/00 Motor vehicles or trailers, characterised by the arrangement or number of wheels, not otherwise provided for, e.g. four wheels in diamond pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0016 characterised by the operator's input device input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A self-propelled device includes a drive system, a wireless communication port, a memory and a processor. The memory stores a first set of instructions for mapping individual inputs from a first set of recognizable inputs to a corresponding command that controls movement of the self-propelled device. The processor (or processors) receive one or more inputs from the controller device over the wireless communication port, map each of the one or more inputs to a command based on the set of instructions, and control the drive system using the command determined for each of the one or more inputs. While the drive system is controlled, the processor processes one or more instructions to after the set of recognizable inputs and/or the corresponding command that is mapped to the individual inputs in the set of recognizable inputs.

Claims

1. A self-propelled device comprising:

an internal drive system operable to maneuver the self-propelled device;

a three-axis controller executable on the drive system, the three-axis controller being configured to receive commands and implement the commands upon the drive system;

a wireless communication port configured to communicate with a computing device for the self-propelled device;

a memory that stores a first set of instructions for mapping individual inputs from a first set of recognizable inputs to a corresponding command that controls movement of the self-propelled device, the set of control inputs originating from the computing device; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive one or more inputs from the computing device over the wireless communication port;

map each of the one or more inputs to a command based on the first set of instructions;

deliver the command to the three-axis controller to control the drive system and maneuver the self-propelled device; and

while the drive system is controlled, process one or more further instructions to alter the set of recognizable inputs and/or the corresponding command that is mapped to the individual inputs in the set of recognizable inputs.

2. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the first set of instructions are specific to a first program.

3. The self-propelled device of claim 2, wherein the memory stores data that identifies a set of program-specific commands that correlate to a program-specific input from the computing device.

4. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the first set of instructions include instructions for multiple programs, including a first subset of instructions for a first program and a second subset set of instructions for a second program, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to process the one or more inputs by switching the self-propelled device from executing the first subset of instructions for the first program to executing the second subset of instructions for the second program.

5. The self-propelled device of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are configured to be triggered, by input from the controller device, from switching the self-propelled device from executing the first subset of instructions for the first program to executing the second subset of instructions for the second program.

6. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors implement an application program interface for use in executing the first set of instructions.

7. The self-propelled device of claim 6, wherein the application program interface enables a subset of instructions associated with a specific program to utilize information obtained from one or more of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and/or a gyroscope.

8. The self-propelled device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one or more of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a remote controller, or a personal computer.

9. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

a self-propelled device comprising;

an internal drive system operable to maneuver the self-propelled device;

a three-axis controller executable on the drive system, the three-axis controller being configured to receive commands and implement the commands upon the drive system;

a wireless communication port configured to communicate with the computing device for the self-propelled device;

a memory that stores a set of instructions for mapping individual inputs from a set of inputs to a corresponding command that controls movement of the self-propelled device; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive one or more inputs from the computing device over the wireless communication port, the one or more two-dimensional inputs being inputted on a display of the computing device;

map each of the one or more inputs to a command based on the set of instructions;

deliver the command to the three-axis controller to control the drive system and maneuver the self-propelled device; and

while the drive system is controlled, process one or more instructions to remap at least one of the inputs in the set of inputs to an alternative command.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a general purpose computing device that is capable of executing a program that generates one or more inputs in the set of recognizable inputs.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is a general purpose computing device that is capable of executing multiple programs, wherein each of the multiple programs generate one or more inputs in the set of recognizable inputs.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a first of the multiple programs are operable on the general purpose computing device to generate one or more inputs that map to a command that is specific to the first program.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is one or more of a smart phone, a tablet computer, a remote controller, or a personal computer.