Robot user interface for telepresence robot system
Inventors
Hanrahan, Kevin • Pinter, Marco • Sanchez, Daniel Steven • Whitney, Blair • Roe, David Bjorn • Jordan, Charles S. • Wang, Yulun
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11154981-B2
Publication Date
2021-10-26
Expiration Date
Abstract
A robot system that includes a remote control station and a robot that has a camera, a monitor and a microphone. The robot includes a user interface that allows a user to link the remote control station to access the robot. By way of example, the user interface may include a list of remote control stations that can be selected by a user at the robot site to link the robot to the selected control station. The user interface can display a connectivity prompt that allows a user at the robot site to grant access to the robot. The connectivity prompt is generated in response to a request for access by a remote control station. The robot may include a laser pointer and a button that allows a user at the robot site to turn the laser pointer on and off.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a telepresence robot system that uses a first robot located at a robot site to present a user interface to link with remote control stations and additional robots. The first robot includes a user interface that displays a menu including a first list of available doctors and a second list including at least a second robot, so a user can select from both lists. Based on the selections, the user at the robot site initiates a multi-casting session that includes at least one of the remote control stations and the selected second robot.
The system includes a plurality of remote control stations, where each remote control station includes a station camera, a station monitor, a station microphone, a station speaker, and an input device, and includes a plurality of robots, where each robot includes a robot camera, a robot monitor, a robot microphone, and a robot speaker. The menu enables selection of one of the available doctors and selection of at least a second robot from the second list to establish the multi-casting session among the first robot, the remote control station(s), and the additional robot(s).
The document further states system-level user interface and session features that support linking and observation. A connectivity prompt is generated in response to an access request, and access is granted only after a robot-site user accepts. The system includes multi-casting session operation with multi-user session arbitration/sharing and multicasting to observers, including UI features for observer participation and training/diagnostic applications.
Claims Coverage
The document contains two independent claims, a robot system claim and a method claim. Across these independent claims, there are three main inventive feature sets: a user interface on a robot site robot that presents selectable lists of available doctors and robots, the initiation of a multi-casting session including remote control station(s) and selected robots, and the selection mechanism that ties the multi-casting session to selected list entries.
Robot site user interface with doctor list and robot list
A first robot located at a robot site includes a user interface on the robot that displays a menu including a first list including a plurality of names of available doctors and a second list including at least a second robot, where the menu allows a user at the robot site to initiate a multi-casting session by selecting one of the available doctors from the first list and the second robot from the second list.
Multi-casting session linking remote control stations and selected robots
Initiating a multi-casting session that includes at least one of a plurality of remote control stations and at least the second robot, where the multi-casting session is initiated based on selecting the available doctor and selecting the second robot.
Method providing remote control station access via menu selection and multi-casting
A method for providing a remote control station access to a robot comprising displaying a user interface at a first robot located at a robot site, initiating a multi-casting session between the first and second robots and at least one of the plurality of remote control stations, where the initiating includes selecting at least one of the available doctors from the first list and at least the second robot from the second list.
The independent claims collectively cover a telepresence robot architecture where a robot-site user interface provides selectable lists of available doctors and robot(s) and drives the initiation of a multi-casting session that includes selected remote control station(s) and selected robot(s). The method claim mirrors this workflow, grounding remote control station access in menu-based selection and multi-casting session initiation.
Stated Advantages
Enables linking a robot site robot with one or more remote control stations and at least one second robot by selecting from available doctors and available robots lists.
Provides access control using a connectivity prompt where access is granted only after a robot-site user accepts.
Supports multi-user session arbitration/sharing and multicasting to observers.
Includes UI features for observer participation and training/diagnostic applications.
Provides an on/off control for a laser pointer at the robot or robot head.
Documented Applications
Observer participation in a multi-casting session through UI features for observer stations, including multicasting to observers.
Training/diagnostic applications supported by user interface features for observer participation.
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