Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090045766 | OBSTACLE FOLLOWING SENSOR SCHEME FOR A MOBILE ROBOT - A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and a photon detector having a field of view which intersects the field of emission at a region. The subsystem detects the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot and determines a value of a signal corresponding to the object. It compares the value to a predetermined value, moves the mobile robot in response to the comparison, and updates the predetermined value upon the occurrence of ah event. | 02-19-2009 |
20090177323 | COMPANION ROBOT FOR PERSONAL INTERACTION - 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 dialogue 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. | 07-09-2009 |
20090292393 | Obstacle Following Sensor Scheme For A Mobile Robot - A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and a photon detector having a field of view which intersects the field of emission at a region. The subsystem detects the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot and determines a value of a signal corresponding to the object. It compares the value to a predetermined value, moves the mobile robot in response to the comparison, and updates the predetermined value upon the occurrence of an event. | 11-26-2009 |
20100076600 | MOBILE ROBOT FOR TELECOMMUNICATION - A mobile robot provides telecommunication service between a remote user at a remote terminal and a local user in proximity to the mobile robot. The remote user can connect to the mobile robot via the Internet using a peer-to-peer VoIP protocol, and control the mobile robot to navigate about the mobile robot's environment. The mobile robot includes a microphone, a video camera and a speaker for providing telecommunication functionality between the remote user and the local user. Also, a hand-held RC unit permits the local user to navigate the mobile robot locally or to engage privacy mode for the mobile robot. When NAT or a firewall obstructs connection from the remote terminal to the mobile robot, an Internet server facilitates connection using methods such as STUN, TURN, or relaying. | 03-25-2010 |
20110172822 | Companion Robot for Personal Interaction - 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 dialogue 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. | 07-14-2011 |
20120303160 | COMPANION ROBOT FOR PERSONAL INTERACTION - 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 dialogue 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. | 11-29-2012 |
20130035806 | Mobile Robot for Telecommunication - A remote control unit configured to wirelessly control a mobile robot moving through an environment and having a robot camera. The remote control unit comprises a privacy button operable by a local user and configured to engage a privacy mode of the mobile robot, and a wireless transmitter configured to emit a wireless control signal to the mobile robot based on input from a keypad of the RC unit. The wireless control signal is configured to cause the robot camera to block the field of view of the robot camera such that the environment of the mobile robot is obscured when the privacy mode of the mobile robot is engaged. | 02-07-2013 |
20140031984 | Mobile Robot for Telecommunication - A system including a mobile telepresence robot, a telepresence computing device in wireless communication with the robot, and a host computing device in wireless communication with the robot and the telepresence computing device. The host computing device relays User Datagram Protocol traffic between the robot and the telepresence computing device through a firewall. | 01-30-2014 |
20140039680 | Companion Robot For Personal Interaction - A mobile robot that includes a robot body, a drive system having one or more wheels supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, and a riser having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the riser disposed on the robot body. The robot also includes a head disposed on the distal end of the riser. The head includes a display and a camera disposed adjacent the display. | 02-06-2014 |
20140095007 | COMPANION ROBOT FOR PERSONAL INTERACTION - 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 dialogue 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. | 04-03-2014 |
20140142757 | COMPANION ROBOT FOR PERSONAL INTERACTION - 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 dialogue 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. | 05-22-2014 |
20140288708 | OBSTACLE FOLLOWING SENSOR SCHEME FOR A MOBILE ROBOT - A robot obstacle detection system including a robot housing which navigates with respect to a surface and a sensor subsystem aimed at the surface for detecting the surface. The sensor subsystem includes an emitter which emits a signal having a field of emission and a photon detector having a field of view which intersects the field of emission at a region. The subsystem detects the presence of an object proximate the mobile robot and determines a value of a signal corresponding to the object. It compares the value to a predetermined value, moves the mobile robot in response to the comparison, and updates the predetermined value upon the occurrence of an event. | 09-25-2014 |