A mobile videoconferencing platform with automatic shut-off features

Description of equivalent WO 2006078611 A2

A MOBILE VIDEOCONFERENCING PLATFORM WITH AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FEATURES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The subj ect matter disclosed generally relates to

the field of mobile two-way teleconferencing .

2. Background Information

Robots have been used in a variety of applications

ranging from remote control of hazardous material to

assisting in the performance of surgery. For example,

U. S . Patent No . 5 , 762 , 458 issued to Wang et al .

discloses a system that allows a surgeon to perform

minimally invasive medical procedures through the use of

robotically controlled instruments . One of the robotic

arms in the Wang system moves an endoscope that has a

camera . The camera allows a surgeon to view a surgical

area of a patient .

Tele-robots such as hazardous waste handlers and

bomb detectors may contain a camera that allows the

operator to view the remote site . Canadian Pat . No . 2289697 issued to Treviranus , et al . discloses a

teleconferencing platform that has both a camera and a

monitor . The platform includes mechanisms to both pivot

and raise the camera and monitor . The Treviranus patent

also discloses embodiments with a mobile platform, and

different mechanisms to move the camera and the monitor .

There has been marketed a mobile robot introduced

by InTouch Technologies , Inc . , the assignee of this

application, under the trademarks COMPANION and RP-6.

The InTouch robot is controlled by a user at a remote

station. The remote station may be a personal computer

with a j oystick that allows the user to Remotely control

the movement of the robot . Both the robot and remote

station have cameras , monitors , speakers and microphones

to allow for two-way video/audio communication . The

robot camera provides video images to a screen at the

remote station so that the user can view the robot ' s

surroundings and move the robot accordingly.

The InTouch robot system typically utilizes a

broadband network such as the Internet to establish the

communication channel between the remote station and the robot . For various reasons the network may not always

reliably transmit information between the remote station

and the robot . For example , the remote station may

transmit control commands to the robot that are never

received. The control commands may be instructions to

avoid a person or obj ect . If the commands are not

received the robot may hit the person/obj ect .

Additionally, updated video images from the robot may

not be received by the remote station . The user is thus

viewing outdated video images and may send commands that

cause the robot to hit a person or obj ect . It would be

desirable to provide functions within the system to stop

the robot in the event of transmission errors between

the robot and remote station.

BRIEF SUMMARY QF THE INVENTION

A remote controlled robot system that includes a

robot and a remote control station . The robot moves in

response to robot control commands transmitted by the

remote control station . The robot can automatically

stop movement if a robot control command is not received

within a time interval . The remote control station may

transmit a stop command to the robot if the station does

not receive a video image from a robot camera within a

time interval .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an illustration of a robotic system;

Figure 2 is a schematic of an electrical system of

a robot ;

Figure 3 is a further schematic of the electrical

system of the robot ;

Figure 4 is a graphical user interface of a remote

station .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a remote controlled robot system that

includes a robot and a remote control station . A user

can control movement of the robot from the remote

control station. The remote control station may

generate robot control commands that are transmitted

through a broadband network . The robot has a camera

that generates video images that are transmitted to the

remote control station through the network . The user

can control movement of the robot while viewing the

video images provided by the robot camera . The robot

can automatically stop movement if it does not receive a

robot control command within a time interval . The

remote control station may transmit a stop command to

the robot if the station does not receive an updated

video image within a time interval .

Stopping the robot if there are no control

commands , or updated video images provides safety

features that compensate for transmission errors . For

example, the automatic stop feature prevents undesirable

robot movement in the event robot control commands are not properly transmitted. Additionally, the generation

of a stop command by the remote station insures that the

user is not moving the robot based on a erroneous video

image .

Referring to the drawings more particularly by

reference numbers , Figure 1 shows a robotic system 10

that can be used to conduct a remote visit . The robotic

system 10 includes a robot 12 , a base station 14 and a

remote control station 16. The remote control station

16 may be coupled to the base station 14 through a

network 18. By way of example, the network 18 may be

either a packet switched network such as the Internet ,

or a circuit switched network such has a Public Switched

Telephone Network (PSTN) or other broadband system. The

base station 14 may be coupled to the network 18 by a

modem 20 or other broadband network interface device .

By way of example, the base station 14 may be a wireless

router . Alternatively, the robot 12 may have a direct

connection to the network thru for example a satellite .

The remote control station 16 may include a

computer 22 that has a monitor 24 , a camera 26 , a microphone 28 and a speaker 30. The computer 22 may

also contain an input device 32 such as a j oystick or a

mouse . The control station 16 is typically located in a

place that is remote from the robot 12. Although only

one remote control station 16 is shown, the system 10

may include a plurality of remote stations . In general

any number of robots 12 may be controlled by any number

of remote stations 16 or other robots 12. For example,

one remote station 16 may be coupled to a plurality of

robots 12 , or one robot 12 may be coupled to a plurality

of remote stations 16 , or a plurality of robots 12.

Each robot 12 includes a movement platform 34 that

is attached to a robot housing 36. Also attached to the

robot housing 36 is a pair of cameras 38 , a monitor 40 ,

a microphone (s) 42 and a speaker (s) 44. The microphone

42 and speaker 30 may create a stereophonic sound. The

robot 12 may also have an antenna 46 that is wirelessly

coupled to an antenna 48 of the base station 14. The

system 10 allows a user at the remote control station 16

to move the robot 12 through operation of the input

device 32. The robot camera 38 is coupled to the remote monitor 24 so that a user at the remote station 16 can

view a patient . Likewise, the robot monitor 40 is

coupled to the remote camera 26 so that the patient can

view the user . The microphones 28 and 42 , and speakers

30 and 44 , allow for audible communication between the

patient and the user .

The remote station computer 22 may operate

Microsoft OS software and WINDOWS XP or other operating

systems such as LINUX . The remote computer 22 may also

operate a video driver, a camera driver, an audio driver

and a j oystick driver . The video images may be

transmitted and received with compression software such

as MPEG CODEC .

Figures 2 and 3 show an embodiment of a robot 12.

Each robot 12 may include a high level control system 50

and a low level control system 52. The high level

control system 50 may include a processor 54 that is

connected to a bus 56. The bus 56 is coupled to the

camera 38 by an input/output (I/O) ports 58. The

monitor 40 is coupled to the bus 56 by a serial output

port 60 and a VGA driver 62. The monitor 40 may include a touchscreen function that allows the patient to enter

input by touching the monitor screen.

The speaker 44 is coupled to the bus 56 by a

digital to analog converter 64. The microphone 42 is

coupled to the bus 56 by an analog to digital converter

66. The high level controller 50 may also contain

random access memory (RAM) device 68 , a non-volatile RAM

device 70 and a mass storage device 72 that are all

coupled to the bus 62. The mass storage device 72 may

contain medical files of the patient that can be

accessed by the user at the remote control station 16.

For example, the mass storage device 72 may contain a

picture of the patient . The user, particularly a health

care provider, can recall the old picture and make a

side by side comparison on the monitor 24 with a present

video image of the patient provided by the camera 38.

The robot antennae 45 may be coupled to a wireless

transceiver 74. By way of example, the transceiver 74

may transmit and receive information in accordance with

IEEE 802.11b . The controller 54 may operate with a LINUX OS

operating system. The controller 54 may also operate MS

WINDOWS along with video , camera and audio drivers for

communication with the remote control station 16. Video

information may be transceived using MPEG CODEC

compression techniques . The software may allow the user

to send e-mail to the patient and vice versa, or allow

the patient to access the Internet . In general the high

level controller 50 operates to control communication

between the robot 12 and the remote control station 16.

The remote control station 16 may include a

computer that is similar to the high level controller

50. The computer would have a processor, memory, I/O,

software , firmware , etc . for generating, transmitting,

receiving and processing information .

The high level controller 50 may be linked to the

low level controller 52 by serial ports 76 and 78. The

low level controller 52 includes a processor 80 that is

coupled to a RAM device 82 and non-volatile RAM device

84 by a bus 86. Each robot 12 contains a plurality of

motors 88 and motor encoders 90. The motors 88 can actuate the movement platform and move other parts of

the robot such as the monitor and camera . The encoders

90 provide feedback information regarding the output of

the motors 88. The motors 88 can be coupled to the bus

86 by a digital to analog converter 92 and a driver

amplifier 94. The encoders 90 can be coupled to the bus

86 by a decoder 96. Each robot 12 also has a number of

proximity sensors 98 (see also Fig . 1) . The position

sensors 98 can be coupled to the bus 86 by a signal

conditioning circuit 100 and an analog to digital

converter 102.

The low level controller 52 runs software routines

that mechanically actuate the robot 12. For example,

the low level controller 52 provides instructions to

actuate the movement platform to move the robot 12. The

low level controller 52 may receive movement

instructions from the high level controller 50. The

movement instructions may be received as movement

commands from the remote control station or another

robot . Although two controllers are shown, it is to be

understood that each robot 12 may have one controller, or more than two controllers , controlling the high and

low level functions .

The various electrical devices of each robot 12 may

be powered by a battery (ies) 104. The battery 104 may

be recharged by a battery recharger station 106 (see

also Fig . 1) . The low level controller 52 may include a

battery control circuit 108 that senses the power level

of the battery 104. The low level controller 52 can

sense when the power falls below a threshold and then

send a message to the high level controller 50.

The system may be the same or similar to a robotic

system provided by the assignee InTouch-Health, Inc . of

Santa Barbara, California under the name RP-6. The

system may also be the same or similar to the system

disclosed in Application No . 10/206 , 457 published on

January 29 , 2004 , which is hereby incorporated by

reference .

Figure 4 shows a display user interface ( "DUI" ) 120

that can be displayed at the remote station 16. The DUI

120 may include a robot view field 122 that displays a

video image provided by the camera of the robot . The DUI 120 may also include a station view field 124 that

displays a video image provided by the camera of the

remote station 16. The DUI 120 may be part of an

application program stored and operated by the computer

22 of the remote station 16.

The DUI 120 may include alert input icons 126 and

128. Alert icon 126 can be selected by the user at the

remote station to generate an alert indicator such as a

sound from the speaker of the robot . Selection of the

icon generates an alert input to the robot . The robot

generates a sound through its speaker in response to the

alert input . By way of example, the sound may simulate

the noise of a horn . Consequently, the icon may have

the appearance of a horn . The remote station user may

select the horn shaped icon 126 while remotely moving

the robot to alert persons to the presence of the moving

robot .

Alert icon 128 can be selected to request access to

the video images from the robot . The default state of

the robot may be to not send video information to the

remote station . Selecting the alert icon 128 sends an alert input such as an access request to the robot . The

robot then generates an alert indicator . The alert

indicator can be a sound generated by the robot speaker,

and/or a visual prompt on the robot monitor . By way of

example , the visual prompt may be a "flashing" graphical

icon . The sound may simulate the knocking of a door .

Consequently, the alert icon 128 may have the appearance

of a door knocker .

In response to the alert indicator the user may

provide a user input such as the depression of a button

on the robot , or the selection of a graphical image on

the robot monitor, to allow access to the robot camera .

The robot may also have a voice recognition system that

allows the user to grant access with a voice command .

The user input causes the robot to begin transmitting

video images from the robot camera to the remote station

that requested access to the robot . A voice

communication may be established before the cycle of the

alert input and response , to allow the user at the

remote station to talk to the caller recipient at the

robot . In operation, the robot 12 may be placed in a home

or a facility where one or more patients are to be

monitored and/or assisted. The facility may be a

hospital or a residential care facility. By way of

example, the robot 12 may be placed in a home where a

health care provider may monitor and/or assist the

patient . Likewise, a friend or family member may

communicate with the patient . The cameras and monitors

at both the robot and remote control stations allow for

teleconferencing between the patient and the person at

the remote station (s) .

The robot 12 can be maneuvered through the home or

a facility by manipulating the input device 32 at a

remote station 16. The robot 10 may be controlled by a

number of different users . To accommodate for this the

robot may have an arbitration system. The arbitration

system may be integrated into the operating system of

the robot 12. For example, the arbitration technique

may be embedded into the operating system of the high-

level controller 50. By way of example, the users may be divided into

classes that include the robot itself , a local user, a

caregiver, a doctor, a family member, or a service

provider . The robot 12 may override input commands that

conflict with robot operation . For example , if the

robot runs into a wall , the system may ignore all

additional commands to continue in the direction of the

wall . A local user is a person who is physically

present with the robot . The robot could have an input

device that allows local operation . For example, the

robot may incorporate a voice recognition system that

receives and interprets audible commands .

A caregiver is someone who remotely monitors the

patient . A doctor is a medical professional who can

remotely control the robot and also access medical files

contained in the robot memory. The family and service

users remotely access the robot . The service user may

service the system such as by upgrading software, or

setting operational parameters .

The robot 12 may operate in one of two different

modes ; an exclusive mode, or a sharing mode . In the exclusive mode only one user has access control of the

robot . The exclusive mode may have a priority assigned

to each type of user . By way of example , the priority

may be in order of local , doctor, caregiver, family and

then service user . In the sharing mode two or more

users may share access with the robot . For example , a

caregiver may have access to the robot , the caregiver

may then enter the sharing mode to allow a doctor to

also access the robot . Both the caregiver and the

doctor can conduct a simultaneous tele-conference with

the patient .

The arbitration scheme may have one of four

mechanisms ; notification, timeouts , queue and call back .

The notification mechanism may inform either a present

user or a requesting user that another user has , or

wants , access to the robot . The timeout mechanism gives

certain types of users a prescribed amount of time to

finish access to the robot . The queue mechanism is an

orderly waiting list for access to the robot . The call

back mechanism informs a user that the robot can be

accessed. By way of example , a family user may receive an e-mail message that the robot is free for usage .

Tables I and II , show how the mechanisms resolve access

request from the various users .

Table I

<img file="WO2006078611A2_D0001.tif" />

Table II

<img file="WO2006078611A2_D0002.tif" /> The information transmitted between the station 16

and the robot 12 may be encrypted. Additionally, the

user may have to enter a password to enter the system

10. A selected robot is then given an electronic key by

the station 16. The robot 12 validates the key and

returns another key to the station 16. The keys are

used to encrypt information transmitted in the session .

The robot 12 and remote station 16 transmit

commands through the broadband network 18. The commands

can be generated by the user in a variety of ways . For

example, commands to move the robot may be generated by

moving the j oystick 32 (see Fig . 1) . The commands are

preferably assembled into packets in accordance with

TCP/IP protocol . Table III provides a list of control

commands that are generated at the remote station and

transmitted to the robot through the network .

Table III

<img file="WO2006078611A2_D0003.tif" /><img file="WO2006078611A2_D0004.tif" />

Table IV provides a list of reporting commands

that are generated by the robot and transmitted to the

remote station through the network .

TableIV

<img file="WO2006078611A2_D0005.tif" /><img file="WO2006078611A2_D0006.tif" />

The processor 54 of the robot high level controller

50 may operate a program that determines whether the

robot 12 has received a robot control command within a

time interval . For example, if the robot 12 does not

receive a control command within 2 seconds then the

processor 54 provides instructions to the low level

controller 50 to stop the -robot 12. Although a software

embodiment is described, it is to be understood that the

control command monitoring feature could be implemented

with hardware, or a combination of hardware and

software . The hardware may include a timer that is

reset each time a control command is received and

generates , or terminates , a command or signal , to stop

the robot .

The remote station computer 22 may monitor the

receipt of video images provided by the robot camera . The computer 22 may generate and transmit a STOP command

to the robot if the remote station does not receive or

transmit an updated video image within a time interval .

The STOP command causes the robot to stop . By way of

example , the computer 22 may generate a STOP command if

the remote control station does not receive a new video

image within 2 seconds . Although a software embodiment

is described, it is to be understood that the video

image monitoring feature could be implemented with

hardware , or a combination of hardware and software .

The hardware may include a timer that is reset each time

a new video image is received and generates , or

terminates , a command or signal , to generate the robot

STOP command.

The robot may also have internal safety failure

features . For example , the robot may monitor

communication between the robot controller and the robot

servo used to operate the platform motors . The robot

monitor may switch a relay to terminate power to the

platform motors if the monitor detects a lack of communication between the robot controller and the motor

servo .

The remote station may also have a safety feature

for the input device 32. For example , if there is no

input from the j oystick for a certain time interval (eg .

10 seconds) the computer 22 may not relay subsequent

input unless the user presses a button for another time

interval (eg . 2 seconds) , which reactivates the input

device .

While certain exemplary embodiments have been

described and shown in the accompanying drawings , it is

to be understood that such embodiments are merely

illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad

invention, and that this invention not be limited to the

specific constructions and arrangements shown and

described, since various other modifications may occur

to those ordinarily skilled in the art .

For example , although a battery recharger station

has been shown and described, it is to be understood

that the robot may have a conventional power cord 150

that is plugged into a conventional wall socket 152. In operation the user at the remote station can request .

someone at the robot site to plug the power cord 150

into the wall socket 152. The user at the remote site

can unplug the power cord by moving the robot 12 away

from the wall socket 152 and pulling the cord 150 out of

the socket 152.