Method and system for controlling a robot

Details Method and system for controlling a robot Method and system for controlling a robot

2001-06-04

2004-07-13

Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application

Specific application, apparatus or process

Robot control

C700S247000, C700S248000, C700S249000, C700S250000, C700S259000, C700S303000, C700S222000, C700S222000, C375S130000, C375S316000, C342S089000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06763282

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to robots and, in particular, to a system and method capable of using impulse radio technology to enhance the capabilities of a robot.
2. Description of Related Art
In the robotics field, one of the most significant design challenges involves the development of new ways to improve the way a control station can interact with and control the actions of a robot. To date many control stations have a standard radio transceiver, which transmits and receives radio signals to and from another standard radio transceiver attached to the robot in order to interact with and control the actions of that robot. Unfortunately, problems have arisen in the past with the use of standard radio equipment because there are often problematical “dead zones” within a building that may interfere with the communications between the control station and a moving robot. Dead zones are caused by the closed structure of the building, which can make it difficult for a moving robot using a standard radio transceiver to maintain contact with a control station using a standard radio transceiver. For instance, the standard radio signals sent from the standard radio transceiver attached to the control station may not be able to penetrate a certain wall or floor within the building and as such may not reach the standard radio transceiver attached to the moving robot.
The closed structure of the building may also cause “multipath interference” which can interfere with standard radio transmissions between the control station and the robot. Multipath interference is an error caused by the interference of a standard radio signal that has reached a standard radio receiver by two or more paths. For instance, the standard radio receiver attached to the robot may not be able to demodulate a received radio signal because the originally transmitted radio signal effectively cancels itself out by bouncing of walls and floors of the building before reaching the robot. Accordingly, there has been a need to provide a system, robot and method that can overcome the traditional shortcomings associated with communications between the control station and robot. This need and other needs are addressed by the system, robot and method of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a system and method capable of using impulse radio technology to enhance the capabilities of a robot. In one embodiment of the present invention, a system, a robot and a method are provided that use the communication capabilities of impulse radio technology to help a control station better control the actions of the robot. In another embodiment of the present invention, a system, a robot and a method are provided that use the communication, position and/or radar capabilities of impulse radio technology to help a control station better control the actions of a robot in order to, for example, monitor and control the environment within a building.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4641317 (1987-02-01), Fullerton
patent: 4813057 (1989-03-01), Fullerton
patent: 4979186 (1990-12-01), Fullerton
patent: 5285209 (1994-02-01), Sharpin et al.
patent: 5363108 (1994-11-01), Fullerton
patent: 5608412 (1997-03-01), Welles et al.
patent: 5677927 (1997-10-01), Fullerton et al.
patent: 5686888 (1997-11-01), Welles et al.
patent: 5687169 (1997-11-01), Fullerton
patent: 5691980 (1997-11-01), Welles et al.
patent: 5764696 (1998-06-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5819008 (1998-10-01), Asama et al.
patent: 5825981 (1998-10-01), Matsuda
patent: 5832035 (1998-11-01), Fullerton
patent: 6111536 (2000-08-01), Richards et al.
patent: 6133876 (2000-10-01), Fullerton et al.
patent: 6175206 (2001-01-01), Ueno et al.
patent: 6177903 (2001-01-01), Fullerton et al.
patent: 6218979 (2001-04-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 6300903 (2001-10-01), Richards et al.
patent: 6300914 (2001-10-01), Yang
patent: 6304623 (2001-10-01), Richards et al.
patent: 6374155 (2002-04-01), Wallach et al.
patent: 6408226 (2002-06-01), Byrne et al.
patent: 6421389 (2002-07-01), Jett et al.
patent: 2002/0000916 (2002-01-01), Richards
patent: 2002/0095239 (2002-07-01), Wallach et al.
Ciccimaro et al., A supervised autonomous security respinse robot, 1998, Internet, pp. 1-17.*
Falconer et al., Robot-mounted through-wall radar for detecting, locating, and identifying building occupants, 2000, IEEE, pp. 1868-1875.*
Nicoud, A demining technology project, 1996, IEEE, pp. 37-41.*
Kellogg et al., The NRL mite air vehicle, 1996, Internet, pp. 1-13.*
Nomad 2000 robot, The intelligent service robot, 1999, Internet, pp. 1-4.*
Massios et al., Hierarchical decision-thoretic planning for autonomous robotic suveillance, 1999, IEEE, pp. 219-226.*
Shahri et al., Adaptive fuzzy force control oa an anti-personnel (AP) mine dtector robot, no date, Internet, pp. 0099-01040.*
Byrd, An intelligen inspection and survey robot, no date, Internet, pp. 1-8.*
Business Editors & High Tech Writers “Automated Identification Technologies Long Range Wireless ID Tags Add Powerful New Capabilities to Cybermotion's Automated Patrol Systems”, Business Wire dated Dec. 14, 2000, 3 pages.
“Cybermotion CyberGuard Robotic Security System . . . ”, downloaded Dec. 15, 2000 from http://www.cybermotion.com, 18 pages.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,690, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/875,290, filed Jun. 7, 2001.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/537,692, filed Mar. 29, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/538,519, filed Mar. 29, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/332,501, filed Jun. 14, 1999.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/587,033, filed Jun. 2, 1999.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/586,163, filed Jun. 2, 1999.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/537,264, filed Mar. 29, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/538,292, filed Mar. 29, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,249, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,250, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,290, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,691, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,289, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,248, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/592,288, filed Jun. 12, 2000.
R.J. Fontana et al. “An Ultra Wideband Communication Link for Unmanned Vehicle Applications”, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International 1997 Conference (AUVSI '97), Baltimore, Jun. 3-6, 1997.
Multispectral Solutions Press Release Multispectral Solutions Develops First Ultra Wideband Radio to Exploit Ground Wave Propagation for Non Line-Of-Sight Applications, Dec. 2, 1997.
A. Valejo et al. “Short-Range DGPS for Mobile Robots with Wireless Ethernet Links”, 1998 5th International Workshop on Advance Motion Control, pp. 334-339, 1998.
“Intelligent Taskable System Colonies for Small Unit Operations”, USA Robotics Research Laboratory Report to DARPA, May 10-13, 1999.
G.S. Sukhatme et al. “Heterogeneous Robot Group Control and Applications”, Proceedings of the AUVS 99 Conference, 1999.
G.S. Sukhatme et al. “Design and Implementation of a Mechanically Heterogeneous Robot Group”, Proceedings of SPIE: Sens Fusion and Decentralized Control in Robotic Systems II, vol. 3839, pp. 122-133, Sep. 1999.
C.H. Spenny et al. “Closely Supervised Control of a Target-Steered UAV”, Proceedings of SPIE, Telemanipulator and Telepresence Technologies VI, v 3840, pp. 179-190, 1999.
R.J. Fontana “Recent Applications of Ultra Wideband Radar and Communications Systems, in Ultra-Wideband Short-Pulse Electromagnetics”Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2000.
Time Domain Corporation Press Release, “Time Domain Demonstrates Revolutionary Ultra Wideband (UWB) Technology at Roving Sands 2000”, Jun. 20, 2000.
R.T. Vaughan et al. “Fly Spy: Lightweight Localization and Target Tracking for Cooperating Air and Ground Robots”, Proc. Int. Symp. Distributed Autonomous Robot Systems, 2000.
G.S. Sukhatme et al. “Experiments with Co

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Method and system for controlling a robot does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and system for controlling a robot, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and system for controlling a robot will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3258633