Telepresence Robot System that can be Accessed by a Cellular Phone

• US 20110288682A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Medus, Leon Miguel, Pinter, Marco, Sanchez, Daniel Steven
• Granted Patent: US 10,343,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/009 Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40174 Robot teleoperation through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A robot system with a robot that has a camera, monitor, a microphone and a speaker. A communication link can be established with the robot through a cellular phone. The link may include an audio only communication. Alternatively, the link may include audio and video communication between the cellular phone and the robot. The phone can transmit its resolution to the robot and cause the robot to transmit captured images at the phone resolution. The user can cause the robot to move through input on the cellular phone. For example, the phone may include an accelerometer that senses movement, and movement commands are then sent to the robot to cause a corresponding robot movement. The phone may have a touch screen that can be manipulated by the user to cause robot movement and/or camera zoom.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that includes a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

a cellular phone that can establish communication with said robot microphone and speaker.

2. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a server that routes communication between said robot and said cellular phone.

3. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said cellular phone includes an accelerometer that senses movement of said cellular phone, said cellular phone transmits movement commands to said robot that are a function of said movement sensed by said accelerometer.

4. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said cellular phone is in communication with said robot camera and provides information to said robot regarding a resolution of an image displayed by said cellular phone, said robot varies a resolution of said image captured by said robot camera to correspond with said cellular phone resolution.

5. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said robot moves in response to a touch screen command provided on said cellular phone.

6. The robot system of claim 1, wherein said robot camera enters a zoom mode in response to a touch screen command provided on said cellular phone.

7. The robot system of claim 1, further comprising a control station that is coupled to said robot camera, monitor, microphone and speaker.

8. A method for providing access to a robot, comprising:

dialing a cellular phone to link the cellular phone to a robot that has a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

establishing a communication link between the cellular phone and the robot.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising routing the communication between the robot and the cellular phone through a server.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sensing movement of the cellular phone, and transmitting movement commands from the cellular phone to the robot that are a function of the sensed movement.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising varying a resolution of an image captured by the robot camera to correspond with a cellular phone resolution.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising moving the robot in response to a touch screen command provided on the cellular phone.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising zooming the robot camera in response to a touch screen command provided on the cellular phone.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising establishing a link between the robot and a control station that is coupled to the robot camera, monitor, microphone and speaker.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein an image of a person operating the cellular phone is displayed by said robot monitor.

16. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that includes a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

a control station that is connected to said robot through a cellular link and a LAN link.

17. The robot system of claim 16, wherein said cellular link is established through a 3G protocol and said LAN link is established through a 802.11 protocol.

18. The robot system of claim 16, wherein a first type of data is provided on said cellular link and a second type of data is provided on said LAN link.

19. The robot system of claim 18, wherein said first type of data includes video captured by said robot camera and said second type of data includes audio captured by said robot microphone.

20. The robot system of claim 17, wherein said control station monitors at least one communication parameter and varies said types of data that are provided on said cellular and LAN links.

21. The robot system of claim 16, wherein a first type of data is provided on both said cellular link and said LAN link.

22. A method for providing a remote control station access to a robot, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a control station and a robot through a cellular link and a LAN link, the robot including a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the cellular link is established through a 3G protocol and the LAN link is established through a 802.11 protocol.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a first type of data is provided on the cellular link and a second type of data is provided on the LAN link.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first type of data includes video captured by the robot camera and the second type of data includes audio captured by the robot microphone.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising monitoring at least one communication parameter and varying the types of data that are provided on the cellular and LAN links.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein a first type of data is provided on the cellular link and the LAN link.

28. A robot system, comprising:

a robot that includes a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

a control station that is connected to said robot through a first communication link and a second communication link.

29. The robot system of claim 28, wherein a first type of data is provided on said first communication link and a second type of data is provided on said second communication link.

30. The robot system of claim 29, wherein said first type of data includes video captured by said robot camera and said second type of data includes audio captured by said robot microphone.

31. The robot system of claim 29, wherein said control station monitors at least one communication parameter and varies said types of data that are provided on said first and second communication links.

32. The robot system of claim 28, wherein a first type of data is provided on both said first and second communication links.

33. A method for providing a remote control station access to a robot, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a control station and a robot through a first communication link and a second communication link, the robot including a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein a first type of data is provided on the first communication link and a second type of data is provided on the second communication link.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first type of data includes video captured by the robot camera and the second type of data includes audio captured by the robot microphone.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising monitoring at least one communication parameter and varying the types of data that are provided on the first and second communication links.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein a first type of data is provided on both the first and second communication links.

38. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a device that includes a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

a control station that is connected to said robot through a first communication link and a second communication link, a first type of data is provided on said first communication link and a second type of data is provided on said second communication link.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said first type of data includes video captured by said camera and said second type of data includes audio captured by said microphone.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said control station monitors at least one communication parameter and varies said types of data that are provided on said first and second communication links.

41. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a device that includes a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker; and

,

a control station that is connected to said robot through a first communication link and a second communication link, a first type of data is provided on said first communication link and a second type of data is provided on said second communication link, a first type of data is provided on both said first and second communication links.

42. A method for providing a remote control station access to a telecommunication device, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a control station and a device through a first communication link and a second communication link, the device including a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker, a first type of data is provided on the first communication link and a second type of data is provided on the second communication link.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first type of data includes video captured by the camera and the second type of data includes audio captured by the microphone.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising monitoring at least one communication parameter and varying the types of data that are provided on the first and second communication links.

45. A method for providing a remote control station access to a telecommunication device, comprising:

establishing a communication link between a control station and a device through a first communication link and a second communication link, the device including a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker, a first type of data is provided on the first communication link and a second type of data is provided on the second communication link, a first type of data is provided on both the first and second communication links.