Companion robot for personal interaction

• US 8,935,006 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Vu, Clara, Cross, Matthew, Bickmore, Tim, Gruber, Amanda, Campbell, Tony L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US11/541,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,028 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/245, 700/246, 700/258, 700/264, 701/23, 901/1, 901/46
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/008 Manipulators for service tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/0091 Shock absorbers in general F16F
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0251 extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• 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: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 : relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 : Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 : Optical

Abstract

A mobile robot guest for interacting with a human resident performs a room-traversing search procedure prior to interacting with the resident, and may verbally query whether the resident being sought is present. Upon finding the resident, the mobile robot may facilitate a teleconferencing session with a remote third party, or interact with the resident in a number of ways. For example, the robot may carry on a dialog with the resident, reinforce compliance with medication or other schedules, etc. In addition, the robot incorporates safety features for preventing collisions with the resident; and the robot may audibly announce and/or visibly indicate its presence in order to avoid becoming a dangerous obstacle. Furthermore, the mobile robot behaves in accordance with an integral privacy policy, such that any sensor recording or transmission must be approved by the resident.

Claims

1. A robot for regimen compliance management, comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor that includes personal medication dosage information;

a sensor capable of detecting the presence of a person within a detection range of the robot;

a communication interface capable of generating a human-perceptible signal and receiving a compliance or non-compliance indication from the person;

a drive operatively connected to the processor that moves the robot;

a person-finding routine executable on the processor that instructs the drive to move the robot about the household checking the sensor for the presence of the person and to stop in a position next to the person;

a scheduler routine executable on the processor that checks the personal medication dosage information for medication events, and when a medication event is anticipated, initiates the person-finding routine with enough time in advance of the medication event to traverse the household in time for the medication event; and

a matching routine executable on the processor that sends a human perceptible signal to the person including information regarding the location of medication to be taken and guides the person to the medication.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the scheduler routine checks if the medication event is upcoming in a number of minutes, and initiates the person-finding routine to move the robot about the environment if the medication event is upcoming in the number of minutes.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the scheduler routine includes a verification step to check the identity of the person.

4. The robot according to claim 3, wherein the matching routine causes the robot to establish a position next to the person when the person has been located and their identity has been verified.

5. The robot according to claim 4, wherein establishing the position next to the person comprises establishing a position against a wall, or in a nearby charging dock, or in a corner of a room, or beside an arm of a chair in which the person sits.

6. The robot according to claim 4, wherein establishing the position next to the person comprises awaiting the scheduled event after establishing the position.

7. The robot according to claim 1, comprising an exercise compliance routine executable on the processor that performs exercise regimen compliance at one or more times as specified by the scheduler routine.

8. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the exercise compliance routine causes the robot to display one or more exercises on a display device.

9. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the exercise compliance routine causes the robot to link into a live exercise session.

10. The robot according to claim 7, wherein the exercise compliance routine causes the robot synchronize its own motions with those exercise to be performed by the resident.

11. The robot according to claim 1, comprising a therapy compliance routine executable on the processor that performs therapy regimen compliance at one or more times as specified by the scheduler routine.

12. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the therapy compliance routine causes the robot to display one or more therapies on a display device.

13. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the therapy compliance routine causes the robot to guide the person to particular equipment.

14. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the therapy compliance routine causes the robot to link into a live or recorded therapist.

15. The robot according to claim 11, wherein the therapy compliance routine causes the robot to take the resident'"'"'s reports of status information.

16. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a robot-carried medication dispenser.

17. The robot according to claim 16, wherein the human perceptible signal indicates the location of the robot-carried dispenser on the robot.

18. The robot according to claim 16, wherein guiding the person to the medication comprises showing an animation or activating secondary indicia near the robot-carried medication dispenser.

19. A robot for regimen compliance management, comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor that includes personal medication dosage information, the memory including postponement rules defining permissible conditions for postponing dosage;

a sensor capable of detecting the presence of a person within a detection range of the robot;

a communication interface capable of generating a human-perceptible signal and receiving a compliance or non-compliance indication from the person;

a drive operatively connected to the processor that moves the robot;

a person-finding routine executable on the processor that instructs the drive to move the robot about the household checking the sensor for the presence of the person and to stop in a position next to the person;

a scheduler routine executable on the processor that checks the personal medication dosage information for medication events, and when a medication event is anticipated, initiates the person-finding routine with enough time in advance of the medication event to traverse the household in time for the medication event;

a matching routine executable on the processor that sends a human perceptible signal to the person including information regarding medication to be taken; and

a regimen compliance snooze routine that upon recognition of a non-compliance indication from the person, checks the personal medication dosage information and sets a new medication event in response to determining that postponing medication is compatible with the postponement rules.

20. The robot according to claim 19, wherein the scheduler routine checks if the medication event is upcoming in a number of minutes, and initiates the person-finding routine to move the robot about the environment if the medication event is upcoming in the number of minutes.