Autonomous robot for a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9501056-B2
Application number	US-201414448940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A robotic device includes a housing configured to house a mobile device. The robotic device also includes an articulating image director aligned with a field of view of a camera of the mobile device. The housing of the robotic device is positioned at an angle to provide a forward view or rear facing view to the camera via the articulating image director.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic device, the robotic device comprising:
a housing configured to house a mobile device;
an articulating image director, aligned with a field of view of a first camera of the mobile device, to provide a view of a forward direction of the robotic device to the first camera, the mobile device comprising de-rotation software to rotate an image captured by the first camera so that a horizon of the image is level when viewed by an external operator; and
at least one of a plurality of wheels, a plurality of treads, or a combination thereof, configured to move the robotic device based on a gesture occurring substantially behind the robotic device and viewed by a second camera of the mobile device, the second camera facing a direction opposite of a direction faced by the first camera.

2. The robotic device of claim 1 , in which the plurality of wheels comprise angled wheels, and the plurality of treads comprise angled treads.

3. The robotic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one motor to control a movement of the articulating image director.

4. The robotic device of claim 3 , further comprising at least one sensor to control the movement of the articulating image director.

5. The robotic device of claim 3 , in which the movement of the articulating image director comprises at least one of rolling, tilting, palming, or a combination thereof.

6. The robotic device of claim 1 , in which the articulating image director is a mirror or a light pipe.

7. The robotic device of claim 6 , in which the mirror is convex or concave.

8. The robotic device of claim 1 , in which the articulating image director is further aligned with a light source of the mobile device.

9. The robotic device of claim 1 , in which the plurality of wheels comprise a first set of wheels and a second set of wheels, a diameter of the first set of wheels being greater than a diameter of the second set of wheels.

10. A method of controlling a robotic device, the method comprising:
coupling a mobile device to the robotic device;
viewing a forward direction of the robotic device via a first camera of the mobile device aligned with an articulating image director of the robotic device to provide the forward view to the first camera;
rotating an image captured by the first camera so that a horizon of the image is level when viewed by an external operator; and
controlling the robotic device based on a gesture occurring substantially behind the robotic device and viewed by a second camera, the second camera facing a direction opposite of a direction faced by the first camera.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling movement of the articulating image director.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which the movement of the articulating image director comprises at least one of rolling, tilting, panning, or a combination thereof.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having non-transitory program code recorded thereon for controlling a robotic device, the program code comprising:
program code to view a forward direction of the robotic device via a first camera of a mobile device coupled to the robotic device, the view of the forward direction provided via an articulating image director of the robotic device aligned with a field of view of the first camera to provide the forward view to the first camera;
program code to rotate an image captured by the first camera so that a horizon of the image is level when viewed by an external operator; and
program code to control the robotic device based on a gesture occurring substantially behind the robotic device and viewed by a second camera, the second camera facing a direction opposite of a direction faced by the first camera.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , in which the program code further comprises program code to control movement of the articulating image director.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , in which the movement of the articulating image director comprises at least rolling, tilting, panning, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus comprising:
means for housing a mobile device, the means for housing being positioned at an angle relative to a surface below the mobile device;
means for image directing, aligned with a field of view of a first camera of the mobile device to provide a view of a forward direction of the apparatus to the first camera, the mobile device comprising de-rotation software to rotate an image captured via the first camera so that a horizon of the image is level when viewed by an external operator; and
means for providing locomotion to the apparatus based on a gesture occurring substantially behind the apparatus and viewed by a second camera, the second camera facing a direction opposite of a direction faced by the first camera.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising means for controlling a movement of the image directing means.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for sensing to further control the movement of the image directing means.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , in which the movement of the image directing means comprises at least one of rolling, tilting, panning, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hutson Donald Bolden

Classifications

• G05D2201/0214

  Physics · mapped topic

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B25J5/00

  Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages (B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 {; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00}) · CPC title

• G05D1/0038 Primary

  by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246) · CPC title

• Y10S901/47

  Optical · CPC title