System and method for instructing a device

• US 9,999,976 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vecna Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vecna Technologies, Inc
• Inventors: Checka, Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/927,158
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0005 Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33051 BBC behavior based control, stand alone module, cognitive, independent agent
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33056 Reinforcement learning, agent acts, receives reward, emotion, action selective
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35444 Gesture interface, controlled machine observes operator, executes commands
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40391 Human to robot skill transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40413 Robot has multisensors surrounding operator, to understand intention of operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40414 Man robot interface, exchange of information between operator and robot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/00 Computing arrangements based on biological models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/008 based on physical entities controlled by simulated intelligence so as to replicate intelligent life forms, e.g. based on robots replicating pets or humans in their appearance or behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/06 Communication with another machine

Abstract

A system and method of instructing a device is disclosed. The system includes a signal source for providing at least one visual signal where the at least one visual signal is substantially indicative of at least one activity to be performed by the device. A visual signal capturing element captures the at least one visual signal and communicates the at least one visual signal to the device where the device interprets the at least one visual signal and performs the activity autonomously and without requiring any additional signals or other information from the signal source.

Claims

1. A device for providing instructions to a fully autonomous robot from an individual, the device comprising:

at least one camera member configured to capture a visual signal provided by the individual, the visual signal substantially indicative of a specific physical motion that the individual wants the robot to accomplish, the physical motion enabling a physical interaction between the robot and an item discrete from both the device and the robot, wherein the visual signal is configured to be varied by the individual depending on physical motions of the robot during monitoring of the motion of the robot;

an interpreter configured to receive data indicative of the visual signal captured by the at least one camera member, the interpreter further configured to process the data to provide command data directly to the robot so that the robot can perform the physical motion autonomously and without requiring any additional signals or other information from the individual; and

a communication element configured to communicate the command data provided by the interpreter to the robot.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device is discrete from and physically detached from the robot.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the physical motion of the robot at least enables the robot to move the item from a first location to a second location.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the physical motion of the robot is chosen by the apparatus to be the most efficient energy consumption path regardless of the physical motion in the visual signal provided by the individual.