Server connectivity control for tele-presence robot
View Patent ↗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.
1. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:
a plurality of robots that each have a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a plurality of M number of remote control stations that can connect to said robots, each of the control stations having a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a server that contains a database that defines a group of said remote control stations that can be connected to a group of said robots, said group of remote stations including N number of remote stations that is less than M; and,
a manager control station that can access said server to vary said group of said remote stations that can be connected to said group of said robots,
wherein, when a first remote control station of said group of remote control stations is connected to a first robot of said group of robots, the monitor of said first remote control station displays an image captured by the camera of said first robot, the monitor of said first robot displays an image captured by the camera of said first remote control station, the speaker of said first remote station reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first robot, and the speaker of said first robot reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first remote control station.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said robot includes a mobile platform.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said database includes at least one connectivity rule.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a connectivity rule that includes a time window to establish connectivity between one or more remote control stations and one or more robots.
5. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:
a plurality of robots that each have a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a plurality of remote control stations that can connect to said robots, each of the control stations having a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a server that contains a database that defines groups, each group including one or more said remote control stations that can be connected to one or more of said robots; and,
a manager control station that can access said server to add or subtract remote stations and robots to or from a group,
wherein, when a first remote control station of said group of remote control stations is connected to a first robot of said group of robots, the monitor of said first remote control station displays an image captured by the camera of said first robot, the monitor of said first robot displays an image captured by the camera of said first remote control station, the speaker of said first remote station reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first robot, and the speaker of said first robot reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first remote control station.
6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising a user interface that includes fields that allow for said addition or subtraction of remote stations and robots within a group.
7. A remote controlled robot system, comprising:
a plurality of robots that each have a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a plurality of remote control stations that can connect to said robots, each of the control stations having a camera, a monitor, a microphone, and a speaker;
a server that contains a database that defines groups and sub-groups, each group and sub-group including one or more said remote control stations that can be connected to one or more of said robots, said database including one or more connectivity privileges for said groups and sub-groups; and,
a manager control station that can access said server to add or subtract connectivity privileges for one or more remote stations or one or more robots within a group or a sub-group,
wherein, when a first remote control station of said group of remote control stations is connected to a first robot of said group of robots, the monitor of said first remote control station displays an image captured by the camera of said first robot, the monitor of said first robot displays an image captured by the camera of said first remote control station, the speaker of said first remote station reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first robot, and the speaker of said first robot reproduces a sound captured by the microphone of said first remote control station.
8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface that includes fields that allow for said addition or subtraction of said connectivity privileges.