Modular robot with smart device

• US 9,586,318 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Djugash, Joseph M. A., Moore, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US14/634,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20160250752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/264, 901/1, 901/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/00 Controls for manipulators programme controls B25J9/16; control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0003 Home robots, i.e. small robots for domestic use
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A wearable smart device is configured to be positioned on and external to a robot having a robot sensor for sensing robot data and a robot input/output port. The wearable smart device includes a device sensor capable of detecting device data corresponding to an environment of the wearable smart device. The wearable smart device also includes a device input/output port. The wearable smart device also includes a device processor coupled to the robot sensor via the robot input/output port and the device input/output port. The device processor is also coupled to the device sensor and configured to control the robot based on the robot data and the device data.

Claims

1. A wearable device configured to be positioned on and external to a first robot or a second robot each having a robot sensor for sensing robot data and a robot input/output port, and to separately control the first robot or the second robot, the wearable device comprising:

a device sensor capable of detecting wearable device data corresponding to an environment of the wearable device;

a device input/output port configured to be coupled to the robot input/output port of the first robot or the robot input/output port of the second robot;

a non-transitory memory configured to store data; and

a device processor coupled to the device input/output port, the device sensor, and the non-transitory memory and configured to;

determine an action to be performed by the first robot or the second robot;

determine physical capabilities of the first robot or the second robot based on data received from the first robot or the second robot via the device input/output port, the first robot having different capabilities than the second robot,

determine how to control the first robot or the second robot to perform the action based on the determined physical capabilities of the first robot or the second robot, and

control the first robot or the second robot to perform the action based on the robot data of the first robot or the second robot and the wearable device data by transmitting a control signal to the first robot or the second robot via the device input port.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 further comprising a wireless charging module configured to receive a wireless power signal from at least one of the first robot or the second robot.

3. The wearable device of claim 1 wherein the device processor is configured to generate a signal identifying a location of the wearable device such that at least one of the first robot or the second robot will move to a location near the location of the wearable smart device in response to receiving the signal.

4. The wearable device of claim 1 wherein the device processor is further configured to delegate processing tasks to at least two robot processors of the first robot or the second robot.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 further comprising a device body configured to be positioned on an external surface of a robot body.

6. The wearable device of claim 1 wherein the device processor is further configured to control an attached attachment of the robot.

7. A wearable device configured to operate with a first robot or a second robot each having a robot processor and a robot input/output port, and to separately control the first robot or the second robot, the wearable device comprising:

a sensor configured to detect wearable device data associated with an environment of the wearable smart device;

a device input/output port configured to be coupled to the robot input/output port of the first robot or the robot input/output port of the second robot;

a non-transitory memory configured to store data;

a device processor coupled to the non-transitory memory and coupled to the robot processor via the robot input/output port of the first robot or the second robot and the device input/output port, coupled to the sensor, and configured to;

determine an action to be performed by the first robot or the second robot,

determine processing capabilities of the first robot or the second robot based on data received from the first robot or the second robot via the device input/output port, the first robot having different processing capabilities than the second robot,

delegate first processing tasks to be completed by the robot processor of the first robot or the second robot to at least partially complete the action based on the processing capabilities of the first robot or the second robot via the device input/output port, and

perform second processing tasks to cause the first robot or the second robot to at least partially complete the action based on the wearable device data such that the first robot or the second robot performs the action in response to the robot processor performing the first processing tasks and the device processor performing the second processing tasks; and

a body configured to house the sensor, the device input/output port and the device processor and configured to be mechanically coupled to the robot.

8. The wearable device of claim 7 further comprising a wireless charging module configured to receive a wireless power signal from the robot.

9. The wearable device of claim 7 wherein the sensor is a camera and the device processor is further configured to perform image recognition based on the wearable device data and transmit results of the image recognition to the robot processor.

10. The wearable device of claim 7 wherein the device processor is configured to generate a signal identifying a location of the wearable smart device such that the first robot or the second robot will move to a location near the location of the wearable smart device in response to receiving the signal.

11. The wearable device of claim 7 wherein the robot processor includes at least two robot auxiliary processors and the device processor is further configured to delegate at least some of the first processing tasks to each of the at least two robot auxiliary processors.

12. The wearable smart device of claim 7 wherein the device processor is further configured to receive a processing request from the robot processor, perform the processing request, and return results of the processing request to the robot processor.

13. The wearable device of claim 7 wherein the device processor is configured to receive robot data detected by robot sensors of the robot and to perform the second processing tasks based on the device data and the robot data.

14. A wearable device for use with a first robot or a second robot each having a robot input/output port, a robot processor coupled to the robot input/output port and an actuator, and to separately control the first robot or the second robot, the wearable device comprising:

a device input/output port configured to be coupled to the robot input/output port of the first robot or the robot input/output port of the second robot;

a device sensor configured to detect wearable device data associated with an environment of the wearable device;

a non-transitory memory configured to store data; and

a device processor coupled to the robot processor via the robot input/output port and the device input/output port, coupled to the device sensor and the non-transitory memory, and configured to;

determine physical capabilities of the first robot or the second robot including capabilities of the actuator via the device input/output port, the first robot having different capabilities than the second robot,

determine an action to be performed by the first robot or the second robot,

determine how to control the actuator of the first robot or the actuator of the second robot to perform the action based on the determined physical capabilities of the first robot or the second robot, and

control the actuator to perform the action based on the device data and the physical capabilities of the robot via the device input/output port.

15. The wearable device of claim 14 wherein the device processor is configured to receive a processing request from the robot processor, perform the processing request, and return results of the processing request to the robot processor.

16. The wearable smart device of claim 14 wherein the device processor is configured to receive robot data detected by robot sensors of the first robot or the second robot and to control the first robot or the second robot based on the wearable device data and the robot data.

17. The wearable device of claim 14 further comprising a wireless charging module configured to receive a wireless power signal from the first robot or the second robot.

18. The wearable device of claim 14 wherein the robot processor includes at least two robot auxiliary processors and the device processor is further configured to delegate processing tasks to each of the at least two robot auxiliary processors.