Remote controlled mobile robot with auxillary input ports

{
  "publication_number": "US2007291109A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Remote controlled mobile robot with auxillary input ports",
  "abstract": "A remote controlled robot system that includes a mobile robot and a remote control station. The mobile robot and remote control station include cameras, monitors, speakers and microphones that allow for two-way videoconferencing between the robot and station. The mobile robot includes an auxiliary video port that can be coupled to one or more external video devices. The video devices can capture video that is transmitted to the remote control station and displayed by the station monitor.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A remote controlled robot system, comprising: a mobile robot with a robot monitor, and a robot camera that captures a robot image, said mobile robot having an auxiliary video port; a video device that is coupled to said auxiliary video port and can provide video; and, a remote control station that transmits commands to control said mobile robot, said remote control station includes a monitor that displays the robot image captured by said robot camera and the video provided by said video device, said remote control station including a camera that can capture a station image that is displayed by said robot monitor. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said video device is an otoscope. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said auxiliary video port can receive video from a plurality of video devices. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said video device is an external camera. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote control station displays a graphical user interface with an auxiliary video graphical input that can be selected by a user to display video from said video device. 6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a broadband network coupled to said mobile robot and said remote control station. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein said robot camera and said robot monitor move together. 8. A remote controlled robot system, comprising: a video device; a mobile robot with a robot monitor, and a robot camera that captures a robot image, said mobile robot having auxiliary video means for transmitting video from said video device; a remote control station that transmits commands to control said mobile robot, said remote control station includes a monitor that displays the robot image captured by said robot camera and the video from said video device, said remote control station including a camera that can capture a station image that is displayed by said robot monitor. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein said video device is an otoscope. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein said auxiliary video can receive video from a plurality of video devices. 11. The system of claim 8, wherein said video device is an external camera. 12. The system of claim 8, wherein said remote control station displays a graphical user interface with an auxiliary video graphical input that can be selected by a user to display video from said video device. 13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a broadband network coupled to said mobile robot and said remote control station. 14. The system of claim 8, wherein said robot camera and said robot monitor move together. 15. A method for transferring images, comprising: capturing a robot image with a robot camera of a mobile robot; transmitting the robot image captured by the robot camera to a remote control station used to control movement of the mobile robot; displaying the image captured by the robot camera on a monitor of the remote control station; capturing a station image with a camera of the remote control station; transmitting the station image to the mobile robot; displaying the station image on a monitor of the mobile robot; coupling a video device to an auxiliary video port of the mobile robot; capturing video with the video device; transmitting the video to the remote control station; and, displaying the video on the remote control station monitor. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising coupling a plurality of video devices to the auxiliary video port. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting a graphical input of a graphical user interface displayed by the remote control station monitor to display the video from the video device. 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video is transmitted through a broadband network. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving the robot camera and the robot monitor together."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Field of the Invention\n\nThe subject matter disclosed generally relates to the field of mobile two-way teleconferencing.\n\n2. Background Information\n\nThere has been marketed a mobile robot introduced by InTouch Technologies, Inc., the assignee of this application, under the trademarks COMPANION, RP-6 and RP-7. The InTouch robot is controlled by a user at a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer with a joystick 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.\n\nThe InTouch robot can be used by medical personnel to monitor and interact with a patient. For example, a doctor can move the robot into a patient's room and utilize the two-way videoconferencing capabilities of the system to examine the patient. Examination of the patient is limited to visual inspection and audio feedback. It would be desirable if the system would also allow other devices to be used to examine and interact with a patient.\n\nA remote controlled robot system that includes a mobile robot and a remote control station. The mobile robot includes a robot monitor, and a robot camera that captures a robot image. The remote station has a monitor that displays the robot image and a camera that captures a station image that is displayed by the robot monitor.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04N 7/185",
    "G16H 40/67",
    "G16H 80/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 19/00",
    "H04N 7/14"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "InTouch Technologies Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yulun Wang",
    "Charles S. Jordan",
    "Marco Pinter",
    "Michael C. Chan"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2006-10-02",
  "publication_date": "2007-12-20",
  "priority_date": "2006-06-15",
  "application_number": "US-54260506-A",
  "family_id": "38861137",
  "cited_by_count": 120,
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