Server connectivity control for a tele-presence robot
Inventors
Herzog, John Cody • Whitney, Blair • Wang, Yulun • Jordan, Charles S. • Pinter, Marco
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10768668-B2
Publication Date
2020-09-08
Expiration Date
Abstract
A robot system with a robot that has a camera and a remote control station that can connect to the robot. The connection can include a plurality of privileges. The system further includes a server that controls which privileges are provided to the remote control station. The privileges may include the ability to control the robot, joint in a multi-cast session and the reception of audio/video from the robot. The privileges can be established and edited through a manager control station. The server may contain a database that defines groups of remote control station that can be connected to groups of robots. The database can be edited to vary the stations and robots within a group. The system may also allow for connectivity between a remote control station at a user programmable time window.
Core Innovation
A telepresence system includes a telepresence device having a camera and a monitor, and a remote control station having a camera and a monitor that can connect to and control the telepresence device. A server controls connectivity between the remote control station and the telepresence device in accordance with one or more connectivity rules, and the server includes a user interface accessible by a user to modify the one or more connectivity rules.
When the telepresence device and the remote control station are connected, the monitor of the telepresence device displays an image captured by the camera of the remote control station, and the monitor of the remote control station displays an image captured by the camera of the telepresence device. The connectivity rules govern how the connection is established and maintained between the remote control station and the telepresence device.
In managed multi-station configurations, connectivity privileges and connectivity are handled through a manager control station using a database of groups of remote control stations and groups of robots, including customers and OEM configurations. Connectivity rules support additive and subtractive behavior, priority-based conflict resolution, bidirectional and unidirectional connectivity paths, time-window scheduling, read-only rules, and privilege masks for different privilege levels.
Additional aspects described include connectivity tester and group/rule user interfaces with stored database fields, and access/security/arbitration concepts for multi-user robot control, including arbitration for access and privilege-only or auxiliary video sources. The description also includes concepts for remote user identification and key exchange for encrypted sessions.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim defines a telepresence system with server-controlled connectivity using user-modifiable connectivity rules and reciprocal camera image display. The main inventive content is distributed across one independent claim, with dependent claims refining editing or adding connectivity rules, device-to-customer associations, multiple device identifiers, and controllable actuator movement.
Server-controlled connectivity using user-modifiable connectivity rules
A server controls connectivity between a remote control station and a telepresence device in accordance with one or more connectivity rules, and the server includes a user interface accessible by a user to modify the one or more connectivity rules.
Reciprocal camera image display upon connection
When the telepresence device and the remote control station are connected, the monitor of the telepresence device displays an image captured by the camera of the remote control station, and the monitor of the remote control station displays an image captured by the camera of the telepresence device.
Telepresence device and remote control station each with camera and monitor
A telepresence device having a camera and a monitor, and a remote control station having a camera and a monitor that can connect to and control the telepresence device.
Editing or adding connectivity rules
Modifying one or more connectivity rules is done by either editing an existing rule or adding a new rule.
Connectivity rule device-to-customer identifier linking
Connectivity rules link an identifier of a telepresence device to a customer identifier.
Connectivity rule linking multiple uniquely identified telepresence devices to a customer identifier
The system includes a plurality of telepresence devices with unique identifiers, and the connectivity rules link at least two of those device identifiers to a customer identifier.
Actuator on telepresence device with remote-controlled movement
A telepresence device includes an actuator with movement controllable from the remote control station.
Across the independent and dependent claims, the core coverage is a server-enforced telepresence connectivity framework using connectivity rules that are user-modifiable, enabling reciprocal camera image display upon connection, and further refined by rule modification, device-to-customer identifier associations, multiple device identifiers, and telepresence device actuator movement controllable from the remote control station.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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