Enhanced configuration and control of robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449673-B2
Application number	US-201715642236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for providing enhanced configuration and control of robots. Configurations disclosed herein augment a mobile computing device, such as a robot, with resources for understanding and navigation of an environment surrounding the computing device. The resources can include sensors of a separate computing device, which may be in the form of a head-mounted display. Data produced by the resources can be used to generate instructions for the mobile computing device. The sensors of the separate computing device can also detect a change in an environment or a conflict in the actions of the mobile computing device, and dynamically modify the generated instructions. By the use of the techniques disclosed herein, a simple, low-cost robot can understand and navigate through a complex environment and appropriately interact with obstacles and other objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving one or more signals from one or more sensors attached to a head-mounted device;
determining, based at least in part on the one or more signals, a location of a computing device relative to one or more locations of one or more objects;
generating, based at least in part on the one or more signals, data identifying geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
generating a set of instructions for the computing device to perform one or more tasks based at least in part on the data identifying the geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
communicating the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to perform the one or more tasks;
determining, at the head-mounted device, that a movement of the computing device conflicts, or is on course to conflict, with at least one object of the one or more objects;
generating a modification to the set of instructions to mitigate a conflict caused by the movement of the computing device; and
communicating the modification to the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to move based at least in part on the modification to the set of instructions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the data identifying the geometric parameters of the one or more objects defines at least one of a shape or a size of individual ones of the one or more objects.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating data identifying geometric parameters of one or more boundaries of an environment in which the computing device is located; and
determining, at the head-mounted device, that the movement of the computing device conflicts, or is on course to conflict, with at least one boundary of the one or more boundaries of the environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the conflict comprises a collision with the at least one boundary.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conflict is determined based at least in part on an analysis of the one or more signals received from the one or more sensors attached to the head-mounted device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the conflict comprises a collision with the at least one object.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions define a path for the computing device to navigate within an environment in which the head-mounted device and the computing device are located.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions define an interaction with at least one other object of the one or more objects.

9. A head-mounted device comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more sensors to detect one or more signals; and
a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the head-mounted device to:
determine, based at least in part on the one or more signals, a location of a computing device relative to one or more locations of one or more objects;
generate, based at least in part on the one or more signals, data identifying geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
generate a set of instructions for the computing device to perform one or more tasks based at least in part on the data identifying the geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
communicate the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to perform the one or more tasks;
determine that a movement of the computing device conflicts, or is on course to conflict, with at least one object of the one or more objects;
generate a modification to the set of instructions to mitigate a conflict caused by the movement of the computing device; and
communicate the modification to the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to move based at least in part on the modification to the set of instructions.

10. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the data identifying the geometric parameters of the one or more objects defines at least one of a shape or a size of individual ones of the one or more objects.

11. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further causing the head-mounted device to:
generate data identifying geometric parameters of one or more boundaries of an environment in which the computing device is located; and
determine that the movement of the computing device conflicts, or is on course to conflict, with at least one boundary of the one or more boundaries of the environment.

12. The head-mounted device of claim 11 , wherein the conflict comprises a collision with the at least one boundary.

13. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the conflict is determined based at least in part on an analysis of the one or more signals, the conflict comprising a collision with the at least one object.

14. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the set of instructions define a path for the computing device to navigate within an environment in which the head-mounted device and the computing device are located.

15. The head-mounted device of claim 9 , wherein the set of instructions define an interaction with at least one other object of the one or more objects.

16. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a head-mounted device, cause the head-mounted device to:
receive one or more signals from one or more sensors;
determine, based at least in part on the one or more signals, a location of a computing device relative to one or more locations of one or more objects;
generate, based at least in part on the one or more signals, data identifying geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
generate a set of instructions for the computing device to perform one or more tasks based at least in part on the data identifying the geometric parameters of the one or more objects;
communicate the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to perform the one or more tasks;
determine that a movement of the computing device conflicts, or is on course to conflict, with at least one object of the one or more objects;
generate a modification to the set of instructions to mitigate a conflict caused by the movement of the computing device; and
communicate the modification to the set of instructions to the computing device thereby causing the computing device to move based at least in part on the modification to the set of instructions.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Hill David M
• Evertt Jeffrey J
• Jones Alan M
• Roesler Richard C
• Jean Andrew William
• Charbonneau Emiko V

Classifications

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• G06T7/73

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title