System and method for reconfiguring an autonomous robot

• US 20050234592A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mega Robot, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mega Robot, Inc.
• Inventors: Walden, John Thomas, McGee, Claudia Zinnen, Skaff, Sarjoun
• Application Number:
  US11/036,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, systems and methods for reconfiguring an autonomous robot are provided. By using a system interface, the present invention provides an approach for distributing the complex and costly robotic components of the conventional autonomous robots. By distributing these components, users, such as software developers, may develop interactive software for robots without having any understanding of robotics. The present invention includes a processing device, a system interface, and a robot. The processing device at least partially executes an interactive robotic application that is configured to receive an instruction for the robot from a user. In response to receiving the instruction, the instruction is transmitted to the robot control interface. In response, the robot control interface is configured to convert the instruction, to the extent that the instruction is not comprehensible by the robot, to a robot control command that is comprehensible by the robot, and wirelessly transmit the robot control command to the robot. The robot, in response to receiving the robot control command, directs the motors and/or the sensors associated with the robot to execute the robot control command.

Claims

1. A system for interacting with a robot, the system comprising:

a processing device having a first interface that is in communication with a robot control interface, the processing device comprising;

memory;

a processor at least partially executing an interactive robotic application that is configured to transmit an instruction for the robot to the first interface; and

the first interface that is configured to;

receive an instruction for the robot from the interactive robotic application; and

transmit the instruction from the first interface to the robot control interface in response to receiving the instruction;

the robot control interface that is in communication with the first interface and a second interface associated with the robot, the robot control interface comprising;

memory;

a communication module; and

a processor at least partially executing a robot control application that is configured to;

receive the instruction from the first interface;

convert the instruction to at least one robot control command; and

transmit the at least one robot control command to the second interface associated with the robot using the communication module;

the robot having the second interface, the second interface being in communication with the robot control interface, the robot comprising;

a sensor that transmits sensor data to the second interface;

a motor; and

the second interface that has a wireless communication module, the second interface is configured to;

transmit sensor data to the robot control interface using the wireless communication module;

receive the at least one robot control command from the robot control interface using the wireless communication module; and

direct at least one of the motor and the sensor to perform a function responsive to the at least one robot control command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor associated with the robot transmits sensor data to the second interface and wherein the robot control application on the robot control interface is further configured to receive the sensor data from the second interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the robot control application on the robot control interface is further configured to determine the at least one robot control command based at least in part on the received sensor data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the robot control application on the robot control interface is further configured to convert the sensor data to another format and transmit the sensor data in the another format to the first interface for use by the interactive robotic application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot control application is at least partially executed on the robot and wherein the robot further comprises robot models that describe characteristics of the robot and its environment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot control interface further comprises robot models that describe characteristics of the robot and its environment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface further comprises robot models that describe characteristics of the robot and its environment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device having the first interface and the robot control interface are in communication using a wired link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device having the first interface and the robot control interface are in communication using a wireless communication link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device, the robot control interface, and the robot are physically separate from each other.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first interface, the robot control interface, and the second interface substantially minimize the amount of circuitry required on the robot and the processing device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot control interface resides on the processing device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot control interface and the first interface reside on the processing device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot control interface is located outside of the processing device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the second interface has an input port and an output port.

16. A method for interacting with a robot, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction for the robot from an interactive robotic application through a first interface;

determining whether the instruction is comprehensible to the robot;

to the extent the instruction is not comprehensible to the robot, converting the instruction to at least one robot control command, wherein the at least one robot control command is comprehensible by the robot;

wirelessly transmitting the at least one robot control command to a second interface that directs at least one of a motor and a sensor associated with the robot to perform a function based at least in part on the at least one robot control command;

receiving data associated with the sensor on the robot from the second interface, wherein the second interface is in communication with the robot; and

transmitting the data associated with the sensor to interactive robotic application through the first interface for processing using the interactive robotic application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second interface is a robot control board.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising converting the data from the second interface to another format and transmitting the data in the another format to the first interface for use by an interactive robotic application.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of converting the instruction further comprises receiving data from the second interface and determining the at least one robot control command based at least in part on the received data.

20. A robot control interface for interacting between a first interface associated with an electronic device and a second interface associated with a robot, the interface comprising:

memory;

a communication module; and

a processor at least partially executing a robot control application that is configured to;

receive the instruction from the first interface associated with electronic device that is executing an interactive robotic application, wherein the instruction is not comprehensible by the robot;

convert the instruction from the first interface to at least one robot control command, wherein the at least one robot control command is not comprehensible by the interactive robotic application;

transmit the at least one robot control command to the second interface associated with the robot using the communication module, wherein the robot executes the at least one robot control command by directing at least one of a sensor and a motor on the robot to perform a function responsive to the instruction received from the first interface;

receive data associated with the at least one of the sensor and the motor from the second interface; and

transmit the received data to the first interface for processing by the interactive robotic application.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the interface device substantially minimizes the amount of circuitry required on the robot and the electronic device.

22. A robot control interface for interacting with a robot, wherein the robot control interface is in communication with a first interface, the first interface is in communication with a processing device that has memory and a processor, the processor on the processing device at least partially executes an interactive robotic application, the robot control interface at least partially executing a robot control application that is configured to:

receive an instruction for the robot from the interactive robotic application through the first interface;

determine whether the instruction is comprehensible by the robot;

to the extent the instruction is not comprehensible by the robot, convert the instruction to at least one robot control command;

transmit the at least one robot control command to a second interface associated with the robot, wherein the robot executes the at least one robot control command to perform a function responsive to the instruction; and

receive data from the second interface relating to a sensor on the robot.

23. The robot control interface of claim 22, wherein the robot control application is further configured to transmit the received data to the first interface for processing.

24. A system for interacting with a robot, the system comprising:

a processing device having a first interface and a robot control interface, wherein the first interface is in communication with the robot control interface, the processing device comprising;

memory;

a processor at least partially executing an interactive robotic application that is configured to transmit an instruction for the robot to the first interface;

the first interface that is configured to receive the instruction for the robot from the interactive robotic application and transmit the instruction to the robot control interface in response to receiving the instruction; and

the robot control interface that is configured to;

convert the instruction to at least one robot control command;

transmit the at least one robot control command to a second interface associated with the robot using a communication module; and

receive data relating to a sensor on the robot from the second interface;

the robot having the second interface, the second interface being in communication with the robot control interface, the robot comprising;

the sensor that transmits sensor data to the second interface;

a motor; and

the second interface that has a wireless communication module, the second interface is configured to;

transmit sensor data to the robot control interface using the wireless communication module;

receive the at least one robot control command from the robot control interface using the wireless communication module; and

direct at least one of the motor and the sensor to perform a function responsive to the at least one robot control command.

25. A system for interacting with a robot, the system comprising:

a processing device, the processing device comprising memory and a processor, wherein the processor at least partially executes an interactive robotic application;

a robot control interface comprising;

a first interface that is electrically connected to the robot control interface, wherein the first interface is in communication with the processing device that is at least partially executing the interactive robotic application;

memory;

a communication module; and

a processor at least partially executing a robot control application that is configured to;

receive an instruction for the robot from the first interface, wherein the first interface received the instruction from the interactive robotic application; and

to the extent the instruction is not comprehensible by the robot, convert the instruction to at least one robot control command; and

transmit the at least one robot control command to a second interface of the robot using the communication module;

the robot having the second interface, the second interface being in communication with the robot control interface, the robot comprising;

a sensor that transmits sensor data to the second interface;

a motor; and

the second interface that has a wireless communication module, the second interface is configured to;

transmit sensor data to the robot control interface using the wireless communication module;

receive the at least one robot control command from the robot control interface using the wireless communication module; and

direct at least one of the motor and the sensor to perform a function responsive to the at least one robot control command.

26. A system for interacting with a robot, the system comprising:

a robot having at least one of a sensor, a motor, a power source, and an actuator; and

a robot control board coupled to the at least one of the sensor, the motor, the power source, and the actuator, wherein the robot control board has a wireless communication module and is configured to;

receive data from the at least one of the sensor, the motor, the power source, and the actuator;

use the wireless communication module to transmit the received data to a robot control interface for processing;

receive a robot control command for the robot through the wireless communication module from the robot control interface; and

execute the robot control command to perform a given function in response to receiving the robot control command.

27. A system for interacting with a robot, the system comprising:

an interface that is configured to;

receive an instruction for the robot from an interactive robotic application, wherein the interactive robotic application is generated using an application program interface and robot models;

transmit the instruction to a robot control interface in response to receiving the instruction, wherein the robot control interface is in communication with another interface associated with the robot and wherein the robot performs a function responsive to the instruction;

receive data associated with a sensor on the robot from the robot control interface; and

process the data using the interactive robotic application in response to receiving the data.